Born to License

When you think of licensing, it’s easy to focus on the end product—the t-shirts, toys, or snacks on shelves. But behind every licensed product is a l icensor making strategic decisions about what deals move forward… and which ones don’t. In this episode of Born to License , I take you inside my experience as a licensor at Warner Bros. , where I reviewed  a raft of licensing proposals - from sparkl...

Licensing Expo is the biggest event in the global licensing calendar - an unmissable opportunity for brands, licensees, and retailers to connect, discover new IP, and strike game-changing deals. In this special bonus episode of Born to License , I’m pressing pause on Season 1 to bring you everything you need to know about Licensing Expo 2025 . Whether you’re attending for the first time or returni...

By the time I reached my fourth year in licensing, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the industry. I had worked with major entertainment brands - Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, The Simpsons. But everything changed in 2013, when I walked into my first Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. In this episode of Born to License , I take you back to that game-changing moment. I had only seen a small piece of the...

Licensing isn’t just about creativity—it’s about negotiation . And when I sat down for my first-ever licensing negotiation , I quickly learned that getting a deal across the line requires more than just knowing the numbers. In this episode of Born to License , I take you back to 2009 , where I found myself in a Melbourne café, sitting across from the brand manager of a yogurt company, leading my f...

When I started in licensing back in 2007, I quickly realized that explaining what licensing is depends entirely on who you’re talking to . In my last episode, I broke it down for my mum, focusing on characters, stories, and why licensing is everywhere. This time, I take you back to a different conversation - this one with my dad. He wasn’t interested in the fun or creativity of licensing. He wante...

When I landed my first job in licensing back in 2007, I had no idea I was stepping into a $350 billion industry that most people don’t even know exists. But my first challenge wasn’t negotiating deals or managing brands—it was explaining to my Mum what on earth licensing actually is. In this episode, I take you back to that moment, sitting in my family home in Australia, trying to break down the l...

The world of licensing is all around us—on our clothes, in our kitchens, on our screens—but how much do we really know about how it works? Born to License is here to change that. Join me, David Born , as I take you inside the $350 billion licensing industry, sharing stories from nearly 20 years in the business. In this teaser episode , I’ll give you a sneak peek at what’s to come in Season One, wh...