Photo: James, his horn, and his cat! | Friends, after an incredible journey to this point, I am ecstatic to finally share that on Monday December 6th, I begin my new role as Director, Music Licensing at Warner Bros. Television, where I am joining an incredible team and will (eventually) get to work on the historic WB studio lot!
“The fundamental things apply, as time goes by …”
In last week’s story about having my “Believe” post-it note on the wall, I left out one key detail: it was posted on top of my original internship application for the Warner Bros. internship program, a printed copy that had been kept safe among various college materials I’d saved for posterity nearly a decade ago.
The act of smacking that post-it note each time I walked past was about more than just believing in getting a new job—it was all about getting THIS job. This achievement completes the leap of faith taken in May 2012, when Melissa and I packed up our clothes, loaded the car with a tuba, a turntable, and a cat, and left Denver, Colorado for Los Angeles, California.
We’ve faced so many challenges over the past ten years, but somehow, together and with the support of our friends, family, and colleagues, we always survived and found ways to thrive.
Now, as we did back then, we know how crucial it is to believe.
(TED LASSO, by the way, is a Warner Bros. TV co-production, and also my favorite show of the year. I hope you’re watching it!)
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Back Story: ALL GOOD THINGS … After six and a half years, I have resigned from Anthem Entertainment as Manager, Sync Licensing, effective the end of Friday, December 3rd. Along the way, I’ve worked with some incredible people who have become close friends and trusted colleagues. I’ve been fortunate to work with some wonderful artists and writers, managers and attorneys, and executives and business people; and it’s been an honor to represent the iconic catalogues under my purview.
I’ve negotiated sync deals for huge ads, major theatrical films, and hit TV shows; and I’ve always tried to be kind and reasonable to independent creators who are new to navigating the waters of music licensing, from film festival uses to YouTube cover videos and beyond.
My favorite calls were to artists and writers, when I got to tell them one of their songs just landed in a big project, making them money &/or raising their profiles significantly. I took their art seriously, protected their rights and interests, and did what I could to encourage and celebrate them.
To my many clearance clients, I’ve tried to be more than just a template and a quote, a business partner who is also friendly and warm, helpful and dependable. This is a small industry, but we are allowed large hearts. Thank you for receiving me in that spirit.
Despite the many challenges the pandemic brought, I powered up in a multitude of ways and attained a confidence level I thought would be out of reach until further along in my career, proving a lot to myself in the process. While some never noticed, many others did and affirmed the progress I was making. In the end, I believe I helped take the team to new heights, piggybacking on our previous successes and momentum, and I can point to those results and feel an incredible sense of achievement.
I am forever grateful to my closest colleagues who had my back every step of the way, especially when waters were rough: Brandon, Diana, Drew, Dominique, and Randall, I love you, and I’m so proud of the work we’ve done together.
And none of this would be possible without Melissa’s love, support, and encouragement.
As this chapter closes, another is ready to begin. Stay tuned!
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James Jacoby: Long-Awaited Announcement!
