The global licensing community is guided by an incredible group of senior executives whose diverse backgrounds and creative energy drive innovation and excellence. Each month, we’re profiling one of these professionals in this ongoing series.

How do you start your day?
I start every day in my kitchen, preparing breakfast and school lunches for my three daughters. I often wake up to work texts and emails that came in throughout the night but I’m a dad first, so the work emails come second.

What’s one item you always need on your desk?
To be honest, I don’t really have a desk! On the days my TV show is filming I’m running around on set, and on my consulting days I’m either out there leading workshops or generating content for my clients, which I typically do while sitting on my couch holding my laptop. Desks don’t really enter the picture. 

What unique skill or characteristic do you bring to your team?
I’m often told that nobody else does what I do, which I take as the highest compliment. In my entertainment career I’m known as a creative fixer—someone who tackles the most challenging projects head-on by simplifying and often gamifying the process of problem-solving and decision-making. I now teach companies how to apply those same strategies in the business world, helping brand owners, marketers, and retailers use creative thinking to improve efficiency and streamline productivity. I believe the diversity of my resume—working both in entertainment and business—gives my clients a unique experience they won’t find anywhere else.

What is something you learned at a previous job that prepared you for your current role?
Nearly 20 years ago, I was the head writer for a popular MTV show called Total Request Live. That was my first experience working in live TV, and from the first day it changed the way my brain worked. That might sound dramatic but it’s true. Working in live TV forced me to find solutions in hours instead of days, minutes instead of hours, sometimes seconds instead of minutes. At first it was terrifying, but once I trained myself to turn a ticking clock into an ally instead of an enemy, my brain began unlocking in fascinating ways. No matter how challenging a problem was, finding solutions suddenly became simpler. Now, when I work with teams in any business (licensing, finance, fashion, tech, truly anything) I begin by teaching my clients tricks for how to master a ticking clock. And it all started, for me, at that MTV show.

What is your favorite aspect of your current role?
When I lead workshops, I love bringing creative thinking to people who don’t realize how much creativity they possess deep inside of themselves. I have worked with C-Suite executives and summer interns and everyone in between, and no matter what department I’m working with or what problems they’re struggling to solve, there’s nothing I find more rewarding than helping total strangers rethink the way they think in a matter of a few short hours. It’s magic.

What is one thing you would change about the licensing industry?
I think many in the licensing industry, like those in so many other industries, need to be willing to think outside the box and take some bigger swings. People tend to keep doing things the way they’ve always been done, because that’s what’s comfortable. And while that approach might allow you to tread water, it won’t help you get ahead. Getting ahead in licensing or truly any industry is easier than it might seem—all you need is a creative spark and a smart, structured approach to the creative thinking process. 

If you had an extra hour in your workday, how would you use it?
I would write a book. It’s something I think about on a daily basis but to this point I haven’t been able to find the time necessary to dive in and make it happen. Someday.

What is one thing you need to do every day to feel accomplished?
I stretch and do some form of exercise every day. I’m in my mid-40s, and I’m already seeing so many people around my age complain about aches and pains, which I’m determined to avoid as best as I can, for as long as I can. I’m a big believer in the physical and emotional power of exercise, and that’s a critical piece of my daily schedule.

Are you a carry-on or checked bag traveler?
Carry-on if at all possible. Time is money, and I hate waiting around for checked bags. Get off the plane and go—life is too short!

What do you always have in your suitcase on a work trip?
I always make sure to pack plenty of snacks. It’s hard to be creative when you’re hangry.

If you weren’t in licensing, what would you be doing?
I take pride in being someone who can help people in literally any industry. So, if you don’t see me working with a licensing team, you might find me literally anyplace else.

What advice would you give to yourself 10 years ago?
Don’t be intimidated by what’s outside your comfort zone. When I first started Clock Tower I was nervous to work with teams in real estate, or medicine, or law. I remember meeting with a financial PR firm, thinking “I’m a TV producer; what do I possibly have in common that could help these people?” But I quickly realized that just like a good TV show tells a character’s story in a compelling way, so too a financial PR firm needs to learn how to tell their clients’ stories in compelling ways. At the core, we’re not so different.

What are you most excited about moving forward?
I’m excited to keep growing my business and work with more teams in the licensing world and beyond. I’ve spent my entertainment career on Hollywood sets, yet I’ve never had more fun than what I’m doing now at Clock Tower. Like any good script, my career has had so many twists and turns, and I can’t wait to see where the story takes me next.