From Bartender to Global Licensing Executive: Ted Larkins, SVP of Licensing at Octane 5, on Data, Relationships, and the "Get To" Mindset

Ted Larkins, Senior Vice President of Global Licensing at Octane 5, joins David Schnider and Greg Pan to trace his three-decade journey in licensing—from an accidental introduction to James Dean merchandise in 1989 to overseeing brands like Teletubbies, Space Invaders, and Mega Man.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Origin Story: How a bartender in Osaka went from moving James Dean t-shirts to representing Paramount, Sony, MGM, and DreamWorks across Asia for 30 years
• The Anime Wave: Why younger demographics are gravitating toward anime properties, and how Japanese brands are redefining the US licensing landscape
• Comic Con Evolution: Observations from San Diego Comic Con on how collectible culture, exclusive product drops, and secondary markets are reshaping fan events
• Octane 5's Platform: A deep dive into how licensing software is consolidating data, approvals, assets, and royalties—and when a licensor should make the switch (spoiler: around 10–15 licensees)
• AI & the Human Element: Why data and AI tools enhance relationships rather than replace them—and why Ted's convinced negotiation and face-to-face deals will never disappear
• The "Get To" Mindset: Ted's philosophy on shifting from victim language ("I have to") to gratitude ("I get to")—and how a moment with his son changed his entire approach to work and life. He shares principles from his award-winning book Get to Be Happy.