Carla Silva

Tell us about your career journey and how you ended up here.

After graduating college, my first job was working as an assistant to the SVP of International Licensing. I had the opportunity to learn about the licensing/publishing business, work with a network of Agents around the globe, and travel to various tradeshows. I’ve worked on some wonderful brands such as PEANUTS, Garfield, Dilbert, Care Bears and others. I learned how each part of the business worked and took every opportunity to grow the business by working on different projects and regions. To this day, I enjoy the ability to re-invent classic brands.

Back in 2016, I had the opportunity to join KFS, a unit of Hearst, and continue its legacy. We’ve expanded our brands into new territories and successfully launched Popeye and Olive Oyl apparel collections from ICEBERG, Moncler, Intimissimi Uomo and Mey, along with NFTs from UNDONE and MADWorld. We have also debuted sustainability-focused partnerships with the Popeye Sail Club powered by Pick a Pier in partnership with Blue Flag, and an Angry Birds Friends x Popeye tournament in support of ocean clean-up organization, The SeaCleaners. Popeye embodies essential values that inspire all those who love the sea across generations. That’s why we’re proud to partner this timeless hero in this major fight against plastic pollution.

Describe yourself in 5-7 words.

Passionate
Resourceful
Adventurous
Resilient
Positive
High Energy!

Tell us about a time when you thrived at work, and what you learned about yourself from that experience.

Early on in my career, I learned the importance of goal-setting. I learned to break down the biggest goals into small steps and taking action. I thrive on results!

I trained myself to focus on solutions. Sometimes our biggest work goals seem so overwhelming. We rarely see them as a series of small, achievable tasks. But in reality, breaking down a large goal into smaller tasks – and accomplishing them one at a time – is exactly how any big goal gets achieved. So after you have decided what you really want and have set measurable goals with specific deadlines, the next step is to determine all of the individual action steps you will need to take to accomplish your goal.

Be creative and remember that it is okay to not know how to do something. It’s okay to ask for guidance. Keep researching and asking until you can create a realistic action plan that will get you from where you are to where you want to go. That’s exactly what I did and I’m still learning and asking questions….

Mistakes are just opportunities for learning something new.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love the licensing business and the people I get to meet and work with. I also love the opportunity to introduce iconic characters to a new generation of fans. With creativity, hard work and focus, anything is possible.

The ability to work on classic brands is also a great way to remind everyone that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. You can start a new career at 40, start a whole new life at 50…. Dreams don’t have an expiration. It’s up to us to celebrate each day and not forget all the people that have helped us along the way.

My career has given me the opportunity to travel the world and meet some amazing people. It’s been an incredible journey… and I’m ready for the next adventure!

How about when you "turn off" and go home? Any hobbies or fun activities you are involved in?

I love to go hiking with friends and family, listen to music/inspirational podcasts. I also love to read, watch movies and bake. When I have more time, I take every opportunity to travel and be close to the beach... Sunshine and palm trees make me happy!

Any must-read, must-watch or must-follow recommendations?

These books have inspired me:
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
• You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
• I collect Cookbooks and truly enjoy sharing a delicious meal surrounded with close family and friends.

I also enjoy listening to Podcasts and YouTube videos:
• TEDx Talks
• Bigger Pockets is a great resource if you love real estate investing.
• Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi – super inspirational podcasts and a great way to start your day!

Anything else you want to share with the WIT Community?

Embrace your journey, ignore the naysayers and keep moving FORWARD. Change directions, if necessary. The road to fulfillment and success is different for everyone. Keep the vision, trust the process and your intuition. Sometimes, making a sharp turn is exactly what we need, in order to get where we want to be. Take chances and believe in yourself. Consistency with the actions you take and doing the work pays off. Be patient, you’ll get there!

Embrace change and dare to live your best life! I challenge you to do one thing you’ve always wanted to do… Take ACTION and get started – today!