Name: Lindsay St. Lucia

Position/Institution: Assistant Director of University Branding and Advertising at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

Number of years in your position: 2 and a half years

Alma Mater(s): Marist College

Hometown: Rochester, NY

Twitter (university): @RITathletics

1. Why did you become involved in ICLA?
I became involved in ICLA because our licensing partner recommended it, and I am so glad he did. My position was new at RIT and I was looking for like-minded people to be able to bounce ideas off of. It is sometimes hard to figure out the right direction when you have no one else who does what you do! 

2. How has your involvement with ICLA influenced your career?
Well, I've only been a member for a little more than two months but already I have found ICLA so incredibly helpful. To be able to communicate with folks who understand my language has been very beneficial thus far.

3. Why/when did you decide to pursue a career in collegiate licensing?
I always knew I wanted to end up in higher education in some capacity and this job popped up. I had worked in advertising my whole career, with an emphasis on higher education and healthcare. Collegiate licensing has intrigued me from the get go and I have been trying to find my way ever since. With this being a new position at RIT, I'm carving the path forward here.

4. What is the biggest challenge to working in a university environment?
I'd say for me the biggest challenge working in a university environment is that until I started, the community just did what they wanted with who they wanted. That is a hard habit to break. I'm asking them to stop using marks they have used for decades and not use vendors they are comfortable with because we have licensee standards now. It has been hard but folks are coming around to it.

5. What is the most important skill you have developed in your career?
Throughout my career, I have developed how to read a room and read people. I pride myself on understanding both sides of an issue in order to make a sound decision, which has helped immensely in this role.

6. When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with?
In my current role, people usually come to me when they want help with how to use the RIT brand correctly. That's important and a huge step for our university, ensuring the brand is out in the marketplace the way we want. 

7. Who has been the most influential person in your career?
There are a couple of people who have most influenced my career. My first bosses at the NYC agency I worked at took a chance on me, at 23 years old, and pushed me to be the best I could be and it was hard. For most of my career, I have always referred back in my head to think about how they would have handled a situation. I learned a lot from them and wouldn't be who I am or where I am without them.

8. Who's your role model? Why?
I know its cliché but my mom is my role model. She had a very successful career, while raising two active children with my dad. She really showed me that you can have it all, a job you enjoy and a healthy, happy family life. My mom was always there for us when we needed. I don't think my brother nor I ever felt she missed things because she had to be at work. I'm thankful for her as a role model. I'm a happy working mother also, in fact, I think I'm a better mom because I work.

9. 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?
This isn't licensing specific but there was an art director I worked with in NYC, who told me that "it's all in the approach" – he would do anything for me, because I approached him in a different way than others. I have lived that motto for the past 20 years and I use that quote often. He was right, you are more willing to help people who approach you kindly than not. My advice for getting into licensing would be to have solid relationships with key players such as a licensing partner, legal and procurement. I have found with our licensing partner that we are lock-step and that has been really important as we navigate these strange waters we are in during 2020. With our legal counsel, I defer to them often, especially when I see our marks being used illegally. Finally, my partner in procurement is really my right-hand, we do so much together and it is so nice to have someone else in the trenches with me.

10. In your opinion, where is collegiate licensing headed in the future?
I know that for many universities a large source of revenue comes from big sports events and other activities like that. I do think that as the world changes there will be new opportunities to expand revenue beyond big events. Whether it be from smaller shops on campus to expanding online sales to engaging in bigger and more interesting sponsorships, I think the licensing landscape will evolve as the world evolves. 

11. If you could choose one (1) amenity to add to the workplace, what would it be?
I would add bring your pet to work. We have a dog and she is always a source of comfort during any crazy time.

12. What percentage of your work-week is spent in your office?
All of my week is spent in my office. I move about campus and spend a fair amount of time in our campus bookstore to check inventory and such, but for the most part I am on campus at all times.

13. If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance at winning a medal for?
Does shopping at Target count?  Like a Supermarket Sweep type event ;)

14. What's your favorite quote?
"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes ... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. ... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. ... They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." – Steve Jobs. We have two ADHD children, and I myself have ADD, we have this quote hanging in our house. I hope it makes them realize that they are awesome, smart and can change the world.

15. What hobby would you get into if time and money weren't an issue?
Not necessarily a hobby, but I would love to volunteer to work in a hospice facility or work with the elderly population.

16. What is your favorite family tradition?
Ever since my oldest son (now 14) was two, I have decorated my kids doors for their birthdays. We call them the "birthday doors" and I decorate them once they have gone to bed for them to wake up to the next morning. It's something, even as a teenager and a tween they look forward to.

17. What are you really good at that might surprise people?
I know a ridiculous amount of song lyrics and can usually start singing the song after I hear the first note or two. 

18. If you didn't have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
With extra time, I would travel. I love exploring new places and there are so many places to see!

19. What is your biggest pet peeve?
My biggest pet peeve is when people are rude and unkind. It's not just in my DNA to be that way and I don't like when other people act that way.

20. What is your favorite binge-worthy show right now?
My favorite show right now is The Crown. I love that show and can't wait for the next season to come out in a few months!