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)?
I got into licensing in the most Tattoo Zoo way possible—by signing up for New York Toy Fair two weeks before my wedding. My wife definitely questioned her life choices when I told her, and I didn’t hear the end of it for a while. But I kept telling her, “It only takes one person to see the opportunity.” Turns out, that’s exactly what happened. Toy Fair changed everything. That’s where we were discovered, and almost overnight we went from this underground creative brand to having real licensing conversations with major companies. That experience taught me a lesson I still believe today: sometimes the craziest ideas are the ones worth betting on.

What’s a “typical” day in your current position?
I usually start my day with breathing exercises and visualization. That’s become non-negotiable for me. If you don’t know where you’re trying to go, it’s easy to spend the whole day reacting instead of creating. From there, my days are pretty intentionally split between right brain and left brain. One side is pure creative—art direction, character development, storytelling, and brand ideas. The other side is execution—licensing strategy, approvals, partnerships, operations, and all the stuff that actually gets ideas out into the world. I’ve learned I work best when I don’t constantly jump between those modes. The more focused I am, the higher the output and execution. Creative chaos is great… in controlled doses.

What’s your biggest personal or professional accomplishment?
Meeting and marrying my wife, without question. Everything changed after that. Life got more real, more precious. The small moments started carrying more meaning and depth, and it completely shifted how I looked at success, time, and purpose. Ironically, it also made me more driven professionally. My focus went through the roof because I suddenly had something bigger than myself to build for. It gave me a different level of clarity and motivation that honestly impacts everything I do creatively and in business.

What are the most significant trends or changes that you’ve seen in the business in recent years?
The safest brands used to win. Now the brands with the strongest point of view win. Consumers are way more visually fluent than they were even five years ago, especially younger audiences. They can tell when something has actual creative DNA versus when it was designed by committee. I’ve loved watching underground art culture become mainstream culture. Things that used to feel niche—tattoos, designer toys, collectibles, street art, and character-driven brands—are now influencing everything from mass retail to entertainment. The wall between “subculture” and “consumer products” has basically disappeared. 

What keeps you up at night? What’s your biggest challenge these days?
Honestly, it’s the opposite of a lack of opportunity. With Tattoo Zoo, there’s so much whitespace creatively that sometimes the biggest challenge is deciding what not to do.
I’m constantly thinking about how far we can push the world, the characters, the products, and the storytelling without losing the soul of it. The possibilities feel endless, which is exciting, but also dangerous if you don’t stay focused. At the end of the day, I really think our biggest limitations are just our own creative boundaries. That’s both the challenge and the fun part.

In your opinion, what is the top skill every licensing executive should have in order to succeed?
Not just trend awareness, but actual taste. The ability to recognize what feels culturally relevant, emotionally authentic, and creatively exciting before everyone else does. The business side matters, obviously, but great licensing is really about understanding people and why they connect to certain characters, aesthetics, stories, or products in the first place. If you can develop that instinct, you stop chasing trends and start building things people genuinely care about.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, or what’s your favorite quote?
“The older I get, the more I realize luxury is having control over your time and creativity.”

What is your favorite licensing deal of all time? (It doesn’t have to be one that was signed by you.)
Honestly, my favorite licensing deal hasn’t happened yet. I think it’ll be the moment I randomly walk into a store, see Tattoo Zoo next to something I grew up loving, and have that weird out-of-body realization that the brand officially became part of culture instead of just part of my imagination.

If you weren’t in licensing, what would you be doing now?
Probably creating in some form—tattooing, animation, filmmaking, or something like that. I’ve always been more interested in building worlds and emotional connection than chasing a specific industry. Licensing just became the perfect collision of art, storytelling, and culture for me.

The last licensed product I bought was…
Burt’s Bees Grillo’s Fresh Cucumber Dill lip balm… mmmm.