We're Taking You Inside: Announcing Born in Action—The Licensing Industry's First Behind-the-Scenes Vlog Series
After two decades in licensing, I've learned that our industry operates behind a veil of confidentiality. NDAs, embargoes, trade secrets - they're all necessary, but they've created an unintended consequence: the outside world has almost no idea what we actually do.
When I tell people at dinner parties that I run a licensing agency, the conversation usually dies. "What's licensing?" they ask. I explain. Their eyes glaze over. I try a different angle. Still nothing. Eventually, someone changes the subject, and I'm left thinking: how is it possible that an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars globally is so invisible to the average person?
But it's not just consumers who don't understand licensing. Even within our industry, there's mystery about what actually happens inside agencies, studios, and brand owner offices. What does a licensing agent do all day? How do deals actually get made? What's it like to run a licensing business? How do you balance building a global agency with, say, training for a marathon?
Today, that changes.
I'm thrilled to announce Born in Action—a vlog series that pulls back the curtain on what running a licensing agency actually looks like. This isn't polished corporate content. This isn't a highlights reel. This is real, unfiltered, behind-the-scenes access to the daily reality of building and running Born Licensing.
And Episode 1 is live now.
Why We're Doing This (And Why It Terrifies Me)
Let me be honest: launching this series scares me.
For 20 years, I've operated within the comfortable confines of industry norms. You don't let cameras follow you around capturing the messy, imperfect reality of running a business.
But here's what I've realized: that approach isn't serving us anymore.
The licensing industry is struggling to attract new talent because young people don't know we exist. Brands that could benefit from licensing don't pursue it because they don't understand it. Potential partners don't reach out because they can't see what working with an agency actually involves.
We've protected our privacy at the cost of our visibility.
So Born in Action is my attempt to change that—starting with my own company. If I want the licensing industry to be more transparent, more accessible, more understood, I need to go first. I need to show what this work actually looks like, not just talk about it.
That means letting you see the early morning podcast recordings, the team meetings where we brainstorm vlog names, the marathon training runs at 5:30 AM, the late-night work sessions, the strategic decisions, the challenges.
It means being vulnerable about what entrepreneurship in licensing actually requires.
What You'll See in Episode 1
The first episode of Born in Action captures a typical week in my life running Born Licensing—though "typical" might be the wrong word when you're simultaneously running a global agency and training for a marathon.
Here's what we cover:
The 5:30 AM Podcast Recording with Hasbro
You'll see me getting ready for an early morning podcast recording with Julia Kamoda, Senior Director of Global Consumer Products Licensing at Hasbro.
What Licensing Actually Means (Explained Simply)
One of the most common questions I get is: "What is licensing?" So in Episode 1, I break it down in the simplest terms I can. If you've ever struggled to explain what we do to your parents, your partner, or someone outside the industry, this segment is for you to share.
Marathon Training: The 26KM Saturday Run
Running a business and training for a marathon require similar disciplines: consistency, resilience, planning, and the willingness to push through when things get hard. You'll see footage from my 26KM Saturday long run, and I'll share why marathon training has made me a better CEO.
Behind-the-Scenes Team Meeting & Vlog Naming
We needed to name this vlog series, so I brought the question to the team. You'll sit in on that meeting and see the collaborative process of building something new. (Spoiler: "Born in Action" wasn't my first choice, but the team convinced me it was the right one.)
Tour of the Business Divisions
Born Licensing has grown significantly over the past 11 years. I'll take you through our different divisions—what each team does, how they work together, and how we've structured the agency to serve our clients globally.
Weekend CEO Life & Recovery Routine
Entrepreneurship doesn't stop at 5 PM on Friday. You'll see what weekends look like when you're running a business—the work that happens outside traditional hours, and crucially, the recovery routines that make it sustainable.
The Journey That Led Here
In the vlog, I share a bit of my personal journey—how I discovered licensing 20 years ago when I started working at Warner Bros., fell in love with the industry, and eventually built the courage to start my own agency 11 years ago.
That journey hasn't been linear. It hasn't been easy. And it certainly hasn't looked like what I imagined when I started.
But it's been authentic. And that's what Born in Action is about—showing the authentic reality of what this industry looks like from the inside.
What's Coming Next
Episode 1 is just the beginning.
In future episodes, you'll see:
Business trips to Australia, the UK and the US
Trade show coverage from Licensing Expo, Brand Licensing Europe, and other major events
Product launches
Day-in-the-life features with different team members across our divisions
Conversations with licensors, licensees, retailers, and other industry partners
The challenges, failures, and lessons learned along the way
This isn't going to be a weekly series—we're a licensing agency, not a production company. But we're committed to releasing episodes consistently, giving you ongoing access to the reality of this industry.
How to Watch and Get Involved
Episode 1 of Born in Action is available now on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BorntoLicense.
After you watch, I'd love to hear from you:
What surprised you most?
What questions do you still have about licensing?
What would you like to see in future episodes?
Should I keep doing the marathon training segments, or is that too much about me and not enough about licensing?
Drop your thoughts in the YouTube comments, or reach out to me directly on LinkedIn. This series is as much about what you want to learn as it is about what I want to share.
An Invitation to the Industry
Finally, to my colleagues across the licensing industry—brand owners, agents, licensees, retailers, lawyers, product developers, everyone—I have a challenge for you:
Join me in this.
You don't need to start a vlog series (though I'd love it if you did). But consider how you might make licensing more accessible, more visible, more understood. Maybe that's through content, maybe it's through mentorship, maybe it's just being more willing to explain what we do when someone asks.
The licensing industry is incredible. The work we do connects beloved brands with consumers in meaningful ways. We help create the products people love, the experiences they cherish, the moments they remember.
But if the only people who know that are the people already in the industry, we're missing an enormous opportunity.
So let's change that. Together.
Welcome to Born in Action. Episode 1 is live now. Let's pull back the curtain on licensing.
#Licensing #BusinessPodcast #BornToLicense #Entrepreneurship #BrandManagement #IPLicensing #ProductDevelopment #BusinessStrategy
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