The global licensing community is powered by an incredible group of professionals whose diverse backgrounds and creative energy drive innovation and excellence. Each week we profile one of these professionals in this ongoing series.

How did you get into licensing (or how did licensing find you)?
Like everyone in the industry, “I fell into it.” When I graduated from college in 2020, the job market was slim. I moved back home to Green Bay, Wisconsin and after months of applying for jobs I landed an internship at The Village Companies. The Village Companies is a conglomerate with companies ranging from arcade game manufacturing to multiple consumer product companies and a licensing agency. I started as an intern at Maverick Hunting helping with whatever was needed, from booking trucks to managing the website. That position then turned into a marketing manager roll overseeing Maverick Hunting and COEX (a 3D printer filament company). Less than a year later the VP, Holly Hampton, and Director, Morgan Ward, of Dimensional Branding Group pulled me aside and encouraged me to apply for a licensing coordinator roll. I gave it a shot and over four years later, here I am. I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else.

What’s a “typical” day in your current position?
There is no typical day but most of them revolve around meetings, email, and LinkedIn. From managing ongoing partnerships to seeking out new ones, I’m constantly trying to grow my network and build out the best licensing program for my clients. Part of the job I personally love is being a part of the product development process for our consumer product and arcade game companies. Some of the “toughest” days in the office are spent playing new arcade game concepts and providing feedback.

What’s your biggest personal or professional accomplishment?
A few months after starting at Dimensional Branding Group my boss was offered an amazing opportunity at a different company. It was then a bit of a trial by fire but an amazing learning experience to take the reigns of DBG. After a year of mainly operating solo, I was able to hire my now co-manager, Claire Westlund. I’m incredibly proud of the success we have had, the relationships we have built, and that we don’t show any signs of slowing down.

What are the most significant trends or changes that you’ve seen in the business in recent years?
The amusement/arcade industry has always been a sought-after category. With the shift to every IP owner wanting some form of experience, we have had a lot more brands reaching out rather than us chasing every lead. I don’t see this focus on experiences slowing down anytime soon as so many of us are seeking other forms of entertainment beyond our devices.

What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest challenge these days?
Finding the next client is our biggest challenge, which is not unique to us. We are boutique and that requires us to be selective about who we work with. On the flip side, it is a big challenge to find a client who checks all of the boxes. We are fortunate to own a few amazing brands and have incredible external clients right now. All that being said, it is no secret that most large licensees and retailers have not been looking for the next new thing rather mainly taking safe bets. Which makes our jobs just slightly more challenging as we have to work our magic to get deals to the finish line.

In your opinion, what is the top skill every licensing executive should have in order to succeed?
This is a soft skill industry, and you have to be good with people but what is equally important is being a creative thinker. When you are pitching a brand and it might not be an obvious fit, you need to be able to get creative to help paint the picture so the other party can see the vision. Of course, you have to be comfortable with contracts, managing financials, and be in tune with historical and present pop culture trends.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, or what’s your favorite quote?
“The adults aren’t coming.” Meaning that no one is coming to fix all the problems we face running a business. We have to trust our intuition, be resourceful when we don’t know an answer, and at the end of the day make a decision. Being a younger professional, I had this thought that others knew exactly what to do all of the time. I’ve learned that couldn’t be further from the truth. We are all navigating today for the first time and some people do have experience that can guide them, but they still don’t have all of the answers.

What is your favorite licensing deal of all time? (It doesn’t have to be one that was signed by you.)
I grew up playing board games with my family and at my grandparents’ cabin they had this 1999 Pokémon Monopoly game. It is probably because I have great memories of playing it with family, but it is now on display at my house, and I love it. It does, however, reveal quickly to guests how nerdy I am.

If you weren’t in licensing, what would you be doing now?
That is a great question and I’m not sure! I studied start-ups and entrepreneurship in college, and I absolutely love that community. What I love about what I’m doing now is working with smaller/up-and-coming brands and helping them grow and get into retail. It is super rewarding and inspiring to work with an up-and-coming brand and see them achieve a level of success beyond their expectations. No matter what, I think whatever I would be doing would somehow come back to helping entrepreneurs.

The last licensed product I bought was…
It was the Sad Nuggie puzzle from Ceaco, available on Amazon!