Get to know about the ICLA membership through the monthly 20 Questions segment. This month the spotlight turns to Kristina Miller, Retail Brand Director at UCLA Trademarks & Licensing.

Name:  Kristina Miller
Position/Institution: Retail Brand Director, UCLA Trademarks & Licensing
Number of years in your position: 14+ in UCLA Trademarks & Licensing
Alma Mater(s): UCLA BA '95, MBA '04
Hometown:  Northridge, California
Twitter (licensing): @UCLALifestyle
 
1. Why did you become involved in ICLA? Prior to joining the licensing team, I worked at the UCLA Store (bookstore) for 10 years. I was familiar with college, but had no experience in licensing. The ICLA community and events were a great way to learn and meet others in the industry!

2. How has your involvement with ICLA influenced your career? I have met so many great people through ICLA and every single one of them have taught me something. It's wonderful to have such a supportive group to discuss and share ideas and best practices.

3. If you could choose one (1) amenity to add to the workplace, what would it be? Only one? A helicopter to avoid L.A. traffic would be incredible! If I have to think a little smaller, I would love a window. Our office is in the center of a building.

4. What is the biggest challenge to working in a university environment? The biggest challenge on a campus is breaking down the silos. Campus units at a university are very segmented which can make it difficult to bring everyone together and on the same page at the same time.

5. What is the most important skill you have developed in your career? The ability to adapt to change has not only been a great career skill to develop over the years but also a great life skill. Change is constant.

6. What hobby would you get into if time and money weren't an issue? Photography and travel.

7. When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with? It really varies what people want help with when they come to our office. Student groups and campus units want help with getting products made, licensees want help with retail placement, potential applicants want help with understanding the licensing process, etc.

8. Why/when did you decide to pursue a career in collegiate licensing? After I finished grad school and had my MBA, I thought I would go into a brand management role at a consumer packaged goods company. I was in the midst of interviewing at a number of companies when a position called "Visual Identity Manager" opened up at UCLA in Trademarks & Licensing. I was intrigued. After interviewing with Cindy Holmes, I knew it was the job for me. The rest is history.

9. Who has been the most influential person in your career? If I had to single out just one person to recognize as most influential in my career, it would have to be Cindy Holmes. As my boss, my mentor and my friend she has taught me so much and done so in such a supportive way.

10. If you didn't have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time? Wait… I love to sleep even though I never get enough! I guess if I didn't have to sleep I would no longer have an excuse not to exercise more… but I'd rather be at the beach!

11. Who's your role model? Why? My mom and my grandma have always been my role models. They are the two strongest women I know and if I am just a fraction as awesome as they are, I'm doing alright.

12. What's your favorite quote? So many… but my ultimate favorite is "I love you, mom!" by my son. Here are more favs in no particular order…

• "Make each day your masterpiece." – John Wooden
• "If you're not making mistakes, you're not doing anything." – John Wooden
• "Be humble." – John Wooden and Drake
• "You were at my wedding Denise" – Meghan McCain
• "I have become comfortably numb." – Pink Floyd
• "Even the genius asks questions." – 2Pac
• "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." – Janis Joplin
• "It's 5 o'clock somewhere!" – who hasn't said this?

13. What is your biggest pet peeve? Bad drivers… no question, I encounter so many bad drivers every day it drives me mad.

14. If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance at winning medal a for? I could win gold for commuting and sitting in traffic! My roundtrip commute everyday is in the neighborhood of 3-1/2 hours.

15. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? What advice would you give to someone looking to enter the field of collegiate licensing? The best piece of advice I have ever received is to just be yourself. It has served me well over the years to know that I am being true to myself and like me or not, this is me. For someone entering the field of collegiate licensing I would say to take full advantage of networking and learning from others. The members of ICLA are a gold mine of knowledge.

16. In your opinion, where is collegiate licensing headed in the future? I'm not one to predict the future but collegiate licensing will continue to evolve and adapt to consumer demands. This means a bigger online presence in ecommerce and social media, more brand story telling and really digging into how products are made. Now more than ever consumers want to know the where and how and not just the what.

17 .What is your favorite family tradition? My family has always been really big on holiday traditions – Christmas Eve at my parents' house, egg hunt on Easter, pumpkin carving at Halloween, etc. My son and I also started our own tradition of Black Friday shopping at Target after Thanksgiving dinner. We often don't even buy anything but it's something for just the two of us.

18. What are you really good at, but kind of embarrassed that you are good at it? Celebrity gossip trivia… I'll just leave it at that.

19. What percentage of your work-week is spent in your office? ~80%

20. What are you most looking forward to at the next ICLA Convention or Winter Symposium? Seeing old friends and making new ones! It's always the people that keep me coming back.