An Executive Voices Blog by Simmy Kustanowitz, Founder of Clock Tower Innovation

Recently, I was asked to deliver the keynote address at Licensing International’s AI and Licensing Summit in New York City. At this event, dozens of experts in the field of licensing gathered to unpack the profound impacts of artificial intelligence, and my job was to kick off the day with words of wisdom for the summit’s participants. I had only two concerns—I’m no expert in AI, and I know next to nothing about licensing. Otherwise? Perfect fit!

Just one year earlier, this scenario—being chosen to deliver a keynote despite being literally the least qualified person in the room to do so—would have filled me with panic. I have faced many challenges in my more than 20 years as a television producer, but until last year, all those challenges had fit squarely inside my entertainment industry comfort zone.

And then, in early 2023, I led a half-day workshop for a friend’s financial marketing group. I followed that up with similar workshops for teams in real estate, nonprofit fundraising, and tech. Within a few months, my consulting career had taken off, and the biggest surprise was how varied my audience had become.

Take last August, for example. On back-to-back days, I led presentations for companies in completely different fields. One day it was a boardroom of financial C-Suite executives, and then, the next day, it was for summer interns at a fashion line. One room was filled with highly paid (and somewhat jaded) business leaders, the other with wide-eyed college kids just beginning their professional journeys. And yet, the content of both presentations—and the impact of my messaging—was nearly identical.

The more I speak, and the more workshops I lead, the more I’m struck by an undeniable connective tissue amongst this diverse array of clients. Because, no matter where you work or what business you’re in, your workplace challenges are far more universal than you likely realize.

Why are key deadlines being missed? How are we supposed to get anything done when endless meetings eat up hours of the day?  What is preventing our external messaging from being more effective? Why does our internal communication system keep breaking down?

These are just some of the challenges I hear time and again, wherever I go. And at the core, so many of these issues boil down to one prevailing problem: inefficiency. The business world—all of it—is facing an inefficiency crisis. And because businesses across industries are facing this same issue, the same key skills will help executives around the world (and across categories) find solutions.

One of those key skills is creativity. I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve encountered skeptical workshop participants. But, using a guided approach, unlocking the creative side of your brain is much easier than you think, and more critical to success than you know. All you need is a little structure.

How can structure help creativity? Well, think about live television from my POV as a producer. When you only have 30 seconds until you’re back on the air, there’s no time to waste. You need decisive confidence. I believe adopting this “live TV mentality” and embracing a ticking clock rather than fearing it can set anyone on a path to efficient productivity.

Beyond creativity, key skills for executives across industries include collaboration, decisiveness, versatility, and efficiency. They are all instrumental to corporate success, whether you’re starting a new job or have been there for decades. And to start honing these skills, all you need to do is embrace a ticking clock, accept that even seemingly insurmountable challenges have solutions, and then use structured creativity to bring it all home.

And that’s why, when I took the stage at the recent AI & Licensing Summit, I knew my mission statement of using structure to unlock efficiency would resonate. Because, ultimately, a licensing executive and a guy from the entertainment business are not really from different planets. We’re living side by side, along with the financial planner, the real estate agent, and the fashion intern.

Our jobs may seem wildly different, and our career paths might look nothing alike. But we all want to save time and money, we all want to be better at our jobs, and we all want to feel fulfilled by what we do. And many of the challenges we face, day in and day out, are universal.

Appreciating this reality—that our most daunting challenges are often part of a shared DNA—can help provide you with the confidence you need to start problem-solving more effectively or to expand your licensing business into a new territory or category. Because, in this vast workplace solar system, you’re not alone. We’re in it together.

Simmy Kustanowitz is an Emmy-nominated TV producer and the founder of Clock Tower Innovation, a creative consulting company that specializes in helping corporate teams streamline their internal communication and external messaging through surprisingly easy-to-apply creative strategies. Simmy’s breakthrough workshop “Rethink the Way You Think” utilizes two easy steps—simplify and gamify—to help any business run smoother and more efficiently, saving them time and money in the process.