Leigh Anne Brodsky is a licensing veteran with decades of global experience. She served as Discovery’s Executive Vice President Global Enterprises, Managing Director at Peanuts Worldwide and Iconix Entertainment, and Global President of Nickelodeon Consumer Products.
She’s been at the licensing helm of brands we know and love like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues and Comedy Central’s South Park.
Leigh Anne also held senior roles at Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video (Saturday Night Live), Little Golden Books and Scripps Howard.
In 2011, Brodsky was inducted into the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association’s (LIMA) Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for only 43 individuals including Walt Disney, George Lucas and Jim Henson. Leigh Anne graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English, cum laude, from Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.
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Sneak Peek Into What You’ll Learn…
3:41– Leigh Anne explains how she got started in licensing, her encounter with Charles Schulz and why it takes a special skill to sell consumer products.
7:16 – Her experience at Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video was a huge win in her career. Leigh Anne talks about establishing herself in the entertainment business and forging significant relationships.
12:29 – Leigh Anne shares how she initially doubted her ability to take on bigger responsibilities as her career grew at Nickelodeon.
19:14 – Leigh Anne gives advice on how to make the transition from senior management to the executive level. She attributes her success to building strong alliances and “never burning bridges.”
24:41 – For Leigh Anne, it was a return to her first love when she was offered a job to head the Entertainment Division of Iconix. She describes her experience and the surprise ending of that chapter.
29:15 – Relationships and relatability were instrumental in her transition to Discovery. Leigh Anne shares her unique approach to what some would consider a normal industry practice.
31:57 – Leigh Anne drew on her decades of licensing experience to make the leap into entrepreneurship. We discuss how she made the transition and the steps that have been key to her success.
41:23 – Leigh Anne shares tested tips and actionable strategies that helped her to manage a demanding career while raising a family.
46:16 – Leigh Anne shares her health battles over the years and how she faced them with strength and resilience.
49:50 – Brass Tacks: The lightning round of concrete advice and tips.
Quotable quotes:
“If you’re passionate about something… you still have to get up and talk in front of people and be excited, authentically excited, about what you’re selling.”
“This has been always my mantra… You can’t be a perfect mom, executive and wife all at the same time or perhaps even on the same day.”
“You need to earn the respect of your peers and build relationships and alliances with them.”
“Never burn bridges.”
Links to Resources
To learn more about Leigh Anne, visit her website
Check out her profile on LinkedIn
Join us in our private Facebook Group, The Working Mother’s Mentor Community
