Approved! Licensing Stories (that aren't boring!)

(Their love for) Licensing made them do it! Kalle Törmä and Timo Olkkola are the fun-loving duo behind Flowhaven-the all in one licensing management solution revolutionizing the industry they love.   The expertly crafted tools within @Flowhaven- dashboard analytics, royalty reporting & validation tools, sales reporting, asset managers- power up licensing teams large and small, making small agencies mightier, and large brands more agile.   In Episode 8 of Approved, we hear Kalle and Timo’s journey: early days in licensing, getting inspired to create Flowhaven, their first pitches, and what’s next for their rapidly growing & increasingly global company.  Thanks to Kalle and Timo for this incredible conversation; and to our sound engineer, Claudia Armbruster for editing and mixing this episode.   This episode is brought to you by our partner, Flowhaven.  Visit Flowhaven.com to request a demo.   Follow us:  Instagram: @approvedpodcast Twitter: @approvedpodcast

This week I’m speaking with Kevin Kleinrock, President and COO of Masked Republic.  Masked Republic is the first integrated live event, merchandising, and media organization in the United States specializing in the emerging growth market of Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling).  In his quest to bring all things Lucha to adoring fans globally, Kevin has created a version of the NFLPA where companies can connect with and officially license product of their favorite wrestlers, a convention, Expo Lucha, where fans can meet their heroes in person, and a comic book universe featuring beloved luchadores that, in my opinion, are incredible content primed for tv or film development, and is beginning to roll out much needed fan merch including toys, masks / role play, and collectibles.  This episode is brought to you by our partner, Flowhaven.  Visit Flowhaven.com to request a demo.   Thank you to Kevin for the interview, and Claudia Armbruster for audio engineering.   Follow us:  Instagram: @approvedpodcast Twitter: @approvedpodcast  

Today's episode is a conversation with Russell Binder and Marc Mostman, founders of Striker Entertainment.    Russell and Marc found their way to licensing via restaurants and toys, then found each other over Dippin' Dots and formed Striker Entertainment.   With their first big hit, the Twilight franchise, Striker became known for translating spooky entertainment brands into consumer product programs and experiences. Their current client list includes Creepshow, The Walking Dead, and Coraline.  Since many of their properties have started as publishing or gaming products, their business now runs the gamut from post-production licensing management all the way into early stage entertainment production.   Thanks to Russell and Marc for this incredible conversation; and to our sound engineer, Christophe Zajac-Denek for recording, editing, and mixing this episode.   This episode is sponsored by our partner, Flowhaven.  For a demo, please visit Flowhaven.com If you have ideas for an upcoming episode of Approved, please feel free to reach out to us at approvedpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening! 

My guest today is Michelle McLaughlin, CEO and co-founder of Brand Activation Consulting.  BAC is a licensing agency with an impressive and diverse roster of clients including Build-A-Bear Workshop, Hershey, Justborn Candy (creators of Peeps), Mr. Men & Little Miss, Roald Dahl, and now, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls.  Michelle has over 20 years experience in licensing with a focus on marketing and retail, working for best in class companies including Warner Brothers, Mattel, Nickelodeon and The Licensing Company. In this episode, Michelle reveals her methods of uncovering what makes her clients' brands tick, and from there, how she deploys a licensing strategy.   This episode is sponsored by our partner, Flowhaven.  For a demo, please visit Flowhaven.com If you have ideas for an upcoming episode of Approved, please feel free to reach out to us at approvedpodcast@gmail.com.   Thanks for listening! 

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is a Kickstarter record-breaker.  Rebel Girls was the most successful childrens publishing project in Kickstarter history, raising $600k for their first edition—far surpassing their $40k funding goal.  Their second book, Rebel Girls 2, became the most quickly funded project in Kickstarter history. Now, with two volumes of stories and a podcast championing women, Rebel Girls is seeking to inspire little rebels even further. In this 2-part spotlight on a disruptive brand making it's licensing debut, we speak with Michon Vanderpoel, head of licensing for Rebel Girls.  Tune in to hear tips on planning a licensing strategy for a new brand with an eager audience and an important mission.   This episode is brought to you by our partner Flowhaven.  Visit Flowhaven.com to request a demo. 

In this week's episode, I’m speaking with Sabrina Moyle.  Sabrina is one half of the founding team at Hello!Lucky, a whimsical brand that got its start in letterpress stationery.  Sabrina tells us the story of how she and her sister, Eunice James, founded Hello!Lucky, built it into a vertical stationary business- then pivoted into licensing, signing on with Laura Becker at Moxie and Company.  This pivot allowed them to re-allocate their energy out of production management and into extending their brand into new categories and markets including childrens publishing, bedding, and textiles.  Their best-selling childrens books including My Mom is Magical, and My Dad Is Amazing, and Potty Power, feature an adorable cast of characters who are in the early stages of  to becoming their own individual series of books, toys, and playful consumer products-- evolving Hello Lucky’s licensing even further- into a character licensing powerhouse.  This episode is brought to you by our partner, Flowhaven.  For more information, visit Flowhaven.com to request a demo.  Our music was composed by Pleasant Pictures Music Club, thank you Pleasant Pictures! 

Episode 2: Anita Castellar, CEO of Fangirl Consulting and Brand Management The force is strong with this one!  If you’ve built a lightsaber at a Disney Park- including Galaxy’s Edge- you can thank Anita Castellar for the experience.  Anita has spent her career telling the story of Star Wars through merchandise and experiences built for loyal fans in roles at Disney, Hasbro, and Lucas Film.  Now, as CEO of Fangirl Consulting and Brand Management, she is building a licensing agency that understands and unlocks fandom of all kinds- including fans of ODB- that’s right, Ol Dirty Bastard of the Wu-tan Clan! For more information on Fangirl, visit fglicensing.com Thank you to our episode sponsor, Flowhaven.  Visit Flowhaven.com to request a demo.  Our theme music is composed by Pleasant Pictures Music Club, thank you Pleasant Pictures!  

Welcome to the first episode of Approved!  In this episode, I visit with Derek Berry at his NBC-licensed Saved by the Bell-themed restaurant, Saved by the Max.  We talk about the restaurant going viral in less than 12 hours, Saved by the Bell fandom, tips for successful location-based entertainment, and the process of getting approval from NBC to operate a restaurant using their IP.  A huge thank you to Derek for the interview.  If you are near Saved by the Max, make a reservation!  It is everything your 90s child heart desires.  This episode is brought to you by our partner, Flowhaven.  Flowhaven is a powerful licensing lifecycle management platform that allows licensors and agents to manage key licensing activities all in one place.  The best licensing experiences are built with Flowhaven.  For more information, visit Flowhaven.com to request a demo      If you have feedback about this episode or have a great idea for an interview, please reach out to me at approvedpodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe to Approved on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.  We are @approvedpodcast on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  Please say hello! 

Approved! is a podcast about the wild business of licensing: brand licensing, brand collaborations, art licensing, entertainment and character licensing, and intellectual property.