Name: Beth Sheckler
Position/Institution: Licensing Manager for Creative and Digital Works, University of New Hampshire
Number of years in your position: 3 years
Alma Mater(s): University of Maine Farmington, University of New Hampshire
Hometown: Bourne, Massachusetts
Twitter (personal): @jetblackwings3
Twitter (personal): @UNHInnovation 

1. When did you become involved in ICLA?
I became involved in ICLA after inheriting a membership through my institution, which has had an ICLA membership for a long time.

2. How has your involvement with ICLA influenced your career?
My involvement with ICLA has influenced my career because it's been so helpful to know that there's a community of people doing exactly what I'm doing — managing their schools' brands. I've been more effective at handling policy questions and benchmarking initiatives because I've had access to the wisdom of the ICLA membership. This was especially invaluable as we all struggled through Covid-19. Big thanks to the ICLA community; it makes a huge difference.

3. Why/when did you decide to pursue a career in collegiate licensing?
I really fell into this role by accident while I was pursuing a PhD in Literature at UNH (yes, I graduated, and yes, I can tell you anything about Sherlock Holmes or Dracula — try me!). I was about a year from defending my dissertation, and my fellowship was ending, when a very good friend and mentor told me a position was open at the Technology Transfer office and that I should apply for it (UNH is a little unusual in that brand management is nested inside the larger licensing unit on campus). So, I applied, and I got the job, which was a total shock. My former boss, who hired me, has one of the best noses for talent, and he clearly knew I had the skills he was looking for. I've found the work really fulfilling and it really does leverage a lot of what I brought into it. Managing the brand is only part of what I do at UNH, but it's something I enjoy, and I'm proud of what I've done in this space. I also manage the full range of copyright protectable and trademark protectable works, and I'm the resident specialist in licensing for those kinds of intellectual property. #notalawyer 

4. What is the biggest challenge to working in a university environment?
I would say university structure is the biggest challenge to working in a university environment. In a corporate environment, there's one leadership team or one executive that makes the decisions. Even in a nonprofit, there is typically a clear chain of command. In a university, there can be a lot of silos, and there's a need to create consensus among disparate units and to receive multiple approvals for matters that affect the full institution, which the brand absolutely does. I've experienced the challenge of those silos with athletics, the communications/public affairs team, and even procurement (and these are my internal colleagues). Then there's the job of lining up internal clients to understand policy and stick to it. That puts a lot of pressure on the LM/LD to be a super networker in order to inform/persuade a lot of audiences on what the goal is and to point them all toward true north.

5. What is the most important skill you have developed in your career?
I would say the most important skill I've developed in my career is being able to distill complex information into a format that anyone could approach and understand. I regularly do that with legal contracts, budgets, specialized initiatives, and other kinds of content. I trained to be a high school English teacher many years ago, and I feel like that training has become an integral part of who I am. Communication is the key to everything. Tell the right story the right way, and you'll get where you need to be. 

6. When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with?
I get a lot of requests for exceptions to policy (which we never do). I also get many requests about help for small or specialty vendors looking to become licensed. I also get a lot of internal asks about what vendor to approach for a project; we're really pushing to make more of our internal buying processes both crystal clear and part of training regimens, so people don't start at Google. It's hard to help folks (especially students) avoid that because it's very ingrained in our behavior. So, it's a focus to educate upfront.

7. Who has been the most influential person in your career?
Wow, that's a tough one. I've been lucky to have a long string of dedicated and generous mentors, and four people immediately come to mind like the points of a compass. I really couldn't name just one person as the most influential in my career.

8. Who's your role model? Why?
Do fictional characters count as role models? I'll assume you said, "Yes." I always try to position myself in a space of grace, joy, and badassery. For these things, Clare Fraser from the Outlander series often strikes the right note for me, as does Samus Aran, the bounty hunter from the Metroid video game series, Captain Picard from Star Trek, and Jane Eyre/Mina Harker from those 19th century novels I love (Jane Eyre/Dracula, respectively). As a child, I was very drawn to Queen Elizabeth I, who was all those things and then some, as well as Princess Di. But all of them are serious, sometimes to a fault, and I have a joie-de-vivre streak you can't squash — for that, my role models are the brilliant Tina Fey and the indominable genius, Jim Henson. If I really had to pick one person as my role model, it would be Frank Rogers. The man was unflaggingly kind.

9. What advice would you give to someone looking to enter the field of collegiate licensing?
The best advice I have ever received is "Say less; listen more." If I were giving advice to someone entering the field, I would advise them to go to a game, be in the stands with the fans, and know the power of what they're looking to harness. I would also tell them to look at it with a manager's eyes and see it clearly.

10. In your opinion, where is collegiate licensing headed in the future?
In the future, I think we're going to see an explosion of NIL partnerships and digital assets. I also think we'll see more things like VR Fan Zones, collegiate video games again (like Madden), and more co-branding. We've turned a page into the digital era that we're not coming back from. On the flip side, I think we'll also see more institutional sub-brands, such as big-name business schools, law schools, and others, where the identity is powerful but not always sports oriented. 

11. If you could choose one amenity to add to the workplace, what would it be?
If I could choose one thing to add to the workplace, it would be another staff member to focus intensely on sales channels and engagement. 

12. What percentage of your workweek is spent in your office?
Currently 40% of my workweek is spent in my office unless there's a particular need, in which case I come in as requested.

13. If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance at winning a medal for?
I would have a good chance at winning a medal in speed reading or, maybe, a mom decathlon. I can do remarkable things holding a toddler.

14. What's your favorite quote?
My favorite quote is by EE Cummings: "The earth laughs in flowers."

15. What hobby would you get into if time and money weren't an issue?
If time and money weren't an issue, I'd get into laser etching/engraving or stained glass, or I'd go back to horseback riding.

16. What is your favorite family tradition?
On Thanksgiving, we listen to "Alice's Restaurant." It's such a good laugh every time.

17. What are you really good at that might surprise people?
It might surprise people that I drive really well in the snow.

18. If you didn't have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?
If I didn't have to sleep, I would read or write poetry with the extra time. But I do love sleeping, especially if I can remember parts of my dreams.

19. What is your biggest pet peeve?
My biggest pet peeve is people not rinsing their plates, especially if there is any kind of ketchup situation involved.

20. What is your favorite binge-worthy show or book you are reading right now?
The last show I truly binged was probably Schitt's Creek, which I loved. I am currently reading Thursday Night Murder Club with my office (I run our book club), but I can't say whether it's good yet because I just started it.