A couple of weeks ago I was asked out of the blue to speak to 6th graders at a local elementary school on career day. So, picture this: there I was, thrust into the limelight of a 6th-grade career day like a reluctant stand-up comedian at an elementary school talent show! Cue my inner showman and a sprinkle of nerves as I prepared to dazzle these pint-sized critics. The class of 6th graders rotated in and out of the classroom. There were 5 groups and I had 15 minutes per group. The kids shuffled in, eyes scanning the room with the skepticism of miniature CEOs about to grill a potential hire. But then, boom! My introductory slide lit up the screen like a firework, and suddenly, I had a chorus of voices chatting about LEGO, Disney, and every superhero under the sun. I had to shush them like a librarian on roller skates just to get a word in edgewise.
Kids can be super rough, but they can also be your greatest fans... especially when you’re fortunate enough to work on some of the most iconic brands in the world today such as LEGO, Disney, Star Wars, Marvel - it doesn’t get much bigger than that!
As I launched into my spiel about managing the LEGO business at Disney you could practically hear their brains buzzing with curiosity. I tailored my talk to speak to each kid in that room—speaking to the math whizzes, the debate champs, the poets, even the goth girl in the back who was clearly plotting world domination (or maybe just doodling). I wanted these kids to know that you don't have to be a rocket scientist (though that helps too) to land a dream job in the toy biz.
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