Jan. 18, 2010

Maggie Huckaba, director of trademark licensing at Vanderbilt University, answers questions about the licensing industry and her path to success.

Why/when did you decide to pursue a career in collegiate licensing?

In 1999, I began working at Vanderbilt doing special events for the University bookstore. A few months later, I was promoted to general merchandise manager. Then a few months after that, I was asked to be the first licensing director of the University. While at the Bookstore, I had the opportunity to work on some licensing-related things and it gave me a glimpse of what would be involved in collegiate licensing. I wanted to give it a try and I’m glad I did. I truly enjoy what I do!

In your mind, who in this industry can serve as a good role model?

We work in an exciting industry and no school or business is exactly alike. We all have our unique challenges and opportunities and they seem to change all the time! Because of this, I think that each and every program can serve as a role model for another program based on where that program is at. I’m continuously learning from my colleagues through the listserv, conferences, etc. I have many role models in our industry and it changes and grows often!

How has your involvement with ICLA influenced your career?

Being a member of ICLA has been truly invaluable. The relationships I have made with other schools and with businesses has been a great support to our program. I continuously learn from members of our association and I use this information to help improve what we are doing here at Vanderbilt.

What educational or business experiences best prepared you for a career in licensing?

Before beginning my career in licensing, I was very fortunate to work in Japan. Four years there, I was thrown into the Japanese style of doing business – work hard and play hard! The focus was always on the team. I also learned the importance of looking at the big picture. This is something I try to do every day in my work at Vanderbilt. My team is the whole University, not just the trademark licensing office. It’s important to be a good team player.

I have several:

Surround yourself with good people.

Never assume anything.

And last, “Life is too short, take short-cuts” – that is from my mom. If you could spend 5 minutes with her, I’m sure this phrase would touch your heart. She’s an amazing person with an amazingly strong Japanese & slightly southern accent!

What advice would you give to someone looking to enter the field of collegiate licensing?

Take advantage of the resources you have in our industry such as those through ICLA. Reach out to our membership for help and guidance. You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. See what others are doing and pick and choose what makes sense for your program.

What challenges do you face when working with students or vendors?

Our students order a lot of t-shirts and I don’t always understand their clever designs! I have to get my intern to interpret or use a dictionary for the big words!

Will you please explain a professional success and how you implemented it?

When my office was first created, I spent a lot of time talking to retailers about the lack of our products in their stores. They would say things like, we want to support Vanderbilt, but we end up with a lot of inventory, or the minimums are too high. So we created a program called the “Commodore Spirit Association.” Through this program, we were able to offer an assortment of Vanderbilt products at cost with no or little minimums. This helped us get products in stores, local hotel gift shops, convention center, airport, etc. Today, we don’t need this program anymore. Retailers are now confident that our products will sell and we are pleased because our fans, staff, alumni and students can find great Vanderbilt products in the marketplace.

In your opinion, where is collegiate licensing headed in the future?

I think our industry is as strong as ever. It is exciting to be continuously approached with new opportunities. I think the key is to position yourself well and be ready for whatever opportunities come your way!

What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming Winter Symposium in Orlando and the upcoming Convention in Anaheim?

The great educational sessions, warm weather and seeing everyone! I may even splurge and visit Mickey in both places! In Anaheim, I’m also looking forward to visiting Little Tokyo and eating Shabu Shabu with my daughter again (we did this last year) and eating Pinkberry ice cream (we did that, too)!