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Born to License

Born to License

By: David Born
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Unlock the secrets of the $350 billion licensing industry with David Born, CEO of Born Licensing & Born to License. Whether you’re a business owner, brand enthusiast, or curious about how your favorite characters and brands make their way onto products, this podcast is your ultimate guide to the world of licensing.


Join David as he shares insider stories, practical tips, and real-world examples, helping you navigate the exciting intersection of creativity, commerce, and collaboration. From product development to pitching, licensing terminology to success stories—get ready to discover the untapped potential of this dynamic industry.


New episodes every two weeks.

© 2026 Born to License Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing & Sales Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Licensing + E-Commerce: What Works, What It Costs, and When You’re Ready | EP 01

    Licensing + E-Commerce: What Works, What It Costs, and When You’re Ready | EP 01
    19 Oct 2026
    Paid acquisition is getting more expensive, marketplaces are more crowded, and copycats can appear within days. In the first episode of the new Licensing Plus format, David Born explores how licensing can give e-commerce brands recognition, credibility, and access to established fan communities — and why it can also add cost, complexity, and risk.Featuring insights and case studies from The Oodie, Fira X Wear, Plum Deluxe, Hippo Blue, WOLFpak, CamelBak x Crayola, Hismile x KFC, and more, the episode covers product strategy, royalties, minimum guarantees, forecasting, approvals, and the capabilities businesses need before pursuing an IP partnership.📥 Download the Licensing + E-Commerce one-page cheat sheet: Licensing + E-Commerce: The Episode TakeawayLinks & ResourcesForbes: Why E-Commerce Brands Are Turning to Licensing to Stop the ScrollRead: Why E-Commerce Brands Are Turning to LicensingRead: Is Licensing Right for Your Business? The Readiness TestRead: How to Get a Licensing Deal for Your E-Commerce BrandRead: How to Design Licensed Products Fans Actually WantNewsletter: https://thedavidborn.com/subscribeIn the Money Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoO5tzm9KaEE-comm Growth Insider: https://youtu.be/6BU1ZZ7UhVgBorn to License with Davie Fogarty: https://youtu.be/UcTd3Oe0l38Born to License with Rebecca Palmer: https://youtu.be/e8y1lP8BQEABorn to License with Fira X Wear: https://youtu.be/Rvis01n2wNoBorn to License with Hippo Blue: https://youtu.be/6syDsoiWHcMChapters:00:00 Teaser0:54 Licensing Plus and licensing basics5:56 Why e-commerce brands are under pressure12:27 The Oodie: quality, copycats, and a $10M launch20:43 Small teams and successful licensed launches37:45 What makes licensed products work51:26 Collectibility, customer data, and sales spikes59:41 Campaigns that earn attention1:08:26 Costs, forecasting, and approvals1:21:52 Is your business ready for licensing?1:26:18 Pitching licensors and planning a launch1:30:11 Resources, monthly picks, and final takeaways1:35:29 Bonus: In the Money PodcastFeatured contributors:Davie Fogarty, Rebecca Palmer, Yael Afriat, Andy Hayes, Jasmine and Vincent, Aldo Burcheri, Alyssa Gourlay, Jenna Chalkley, Julian David, and Andrej.Produced by Eduardo Fogaça and Beatriz Pellenz — Born Content.🎙 Born to License – Hosted by David BornFollow David:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidb0rn/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidborn1/ Book a call with David:Intro: https://intro.co/DavidBornFollow Born Licensing:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bornlicensing/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-licensing/Website: https://bornlicensing.com/Email: contact@bornlicensing.comFollow Born to License:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/borntolicense/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-to-licenseYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEhsaakuZM7ryw6AE1ZIVCA Website: https://borntolicense.com/Email: hello@borntolicense.comSponsor - Learn to License: Website: https://learntolicense.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learntolicense/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/learn-to-licenseDiscount code: earlybird25🎧 Subscribe & Follow for new episodes on licensing and the business of IP!🎙 Born to License – Hosted by David Born🔹 Sign up for Learn to License 🔹 Learn More about Born to License🔹 Learn More about Born Licensing🔹 Follow David on LinkedIn🔹 Follow David on Instagram🔹 Check out thedavidborn.com🔹 Join the Licensing Conversation: #BornToLicense #LicensingIndustry #BrandPartnerships #LearntoLicense👉 Have a question about licensing? Send it in for our upcoming Q&A episode!📩 Contact: hello@borntolicense.com🎧 Subscribe & Follow for new episodes on licensing and the business of IP!
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    1 hr and 37 min
  • We're Going Deeper Than Ever — Born to License Season 4 Starts October 12th

    We're Going Deeper Than Ever — Born to License Season 4 Starts October 12th
    1 Oct 2026

    Season 4 of Born to License starts October 12th, and it's a whole new format.

    We're calling it the Licensing+ season. Each month focuses on one topic where licensing overlaps with another part of business, and we go deep on it. We start with one of the fastest-growing areas in the industry, and one that's changing how licensing works: e-commerce.

    The conversation keeps going after the episode ends. Each month's topic continues across David's LinkedIn, Instagram, blog and newsletter. Every episode also comes with a downloadable cheat sheet, so you can keep the key insights for later.

    Topics covered:

    • Season 4 premieres October 12th
    • The new Licensing+ format: one topic each month, covered in depth
    • Episode 1: Licensing + E-commerce
    • Each topic continues on LinkedIn, Instagram, the blog and the newsletter
    • A downloadable cheat sheet with every episode

    🎙 Born to License – Hosted by David Born

    Follow David:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidb0rn/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidborn1/

    Book a call with David:

    Intro: https://intro.co/DavidBorn

    Follow Born Licensing:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bornlicensing/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-licensing/
    Website: https://bornlicensing.com/
    Email: contact@bornlicensing.com

    Follow Born to License:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/borntolicense/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/born-to-license
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEhsaakuZM7ryw6AE1ZIVCA
    Website: https://borntolicense.com/
    Email: hello@borntolicense.com

    Sponsor - Learn to License:

    Website: https://learntolicense.com/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learntolicense/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/learn-to-license
    Discount code: earlybird25

    🎧 Subscribe & Follow for new episodes on licensing and the business of IP!

    🎙 Born to License – Hosted by David Born

    🔹 Sign up for Learn to License

    🔹 Learn More about Born to License

    🔹 Learn More about Born Licensing

    🔹 Follow David on LinkedIn

    🔹 Follow David on Instagram

    🔹 Check out thedavidborn.com

    🔹 Join the Licensing Conversation: #BornToLicense #LicensingIndustry #BrandPartnerships #LearntoLicense

    👉 Have a question about licensing? Send it in for our upcoming Q&A episode!

    📩 Contact: hello@borntolicense.com


    🎧 Subscribe & Follow for new episodes on licensing and the business of IP!
    Show more Show less
    1 min
  • We're Shaking Things Up! Why We're Going From Weekly to Monthly

    We're Shaking Things Up! Why We're Going From Weekly to Monthly
    28 Aug 2026

    It's been a big year for this podcast, and it's about to get bigger — just not in the way you'd expect. Starting in October, Born to License is moving from weekly to monthly episodes. That might sound like less. It's actually the opposite.

    The show has already gone through a few chapters. It opened with ten episodes tracing David's own path through the licensing industry — how he got in, what he got wrong, and what nearly 20 years in licensing actually teaches. From there, some of the best voices in the business joined the show, including guests from Funko and Hasbro. This year brought another shift: shorter, sharper, weekly episodes breaking down the news and trends shaping the industry, with David's take on what it all means.

    Now comes the next change. Starting in October, each episode will go deeper on a single theme, with the kind of depth you genuinely can't find anywhere else in this industry — the goal is 30 minutes that deliver more value than anywhere else could. And each month's theme won't just live on the podcast. It'll be the thread running through everything David puts out that month, from LinkedIn and Instagram to the Born to License YouTube channel, his blog, and the newsletter — one theme, explored from every angle, all month long.

    This isn't a step back from what's been built together — it's a step toward something better, built for licensing enthusiasts: whether you already work in the industry, are considering a career in it, are a manufacturer thinking about how licensing could grow your business, or you're simply a fan of licensed product who wants to understand the business behind it.

    Topics covered:

    • Why Born to License is moving from weekly to monthly episodes starting in October
    • How the show has evolved — from the origin-story first season to guest episodes with Funko and Hasbro to this year's weekly news breakdowns
    • What themed episodes will look like, and why they'll go deeper than anything the show has done before
    • How each month's theme will carry across LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, the blog and the newsletter
    • Who the show is built for — industry professionals, aspiring licensing pros, manufacturers and licensed-product fans


    🎙 Born to License – Hosted by David Born

    🔹 Sign up for Learn to License

    🔹 Learn More about Born to License

    🔹 Learn More about Born Licensing

    🔹 Follow David on LinkedIn

    🔹 Follow David on Instagram

    🔹 Check out thedavidborn.com

    🔹 Join the Licensing Conversation: #BornToLicense #LicensingIndustry #BrandPartnerships #LearntoLicense

    👉 Have a question about licensing? Send it in for our upcoming Q&A episode!

    📩 Contact: hello@borntolicense.com


    🎧 Subscribe & Follow for new episodes on licensing and the business of IP!
    Show more Show less
    2 min
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