Ten Years of CrossBorderWorks!

I am proud to share that CrossBorderWorks is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in October 2024!   I’m thrilled to have played a part in industry growth and transition since the beginning of digital in 2000, but since 2014 also to have done so on my own terms. 

Why Did I Start CrossBorderWorks?

Back in 2014, I was really burned out and wasn’t terribly excited about anything. So rather than jump straight into the next job, I took four months off and labored daily in the overgrown front yard of the house I had just bought in the Silverlake neighborhood of LA. As I dug out old growth ivy, I went back to the drawing board. Digging in the earth allowed me to free my mind.  Rather than the usual Where should I find my next job? I instead focused on When have I been the most satisfied professionally?  

This opened up an entirely new thought process.

First, I needed to be honest. I had to look in the mirror and admit that I don’t do well inside huge structured, bureaucratic organizations. I find them stifling, and even as a 22-year-old fresh out of college at Procter & Gamble, I got frustrated. Next, I meditated on the characteristics of work that I enjoy and came up with three factors: 1) autonomy and independence; 2) working around creativity on the edge of technology; and 3) being able to pick and choose my projects and partners. That’s when I realized that no one is going to hire me to do this and I needed to create my own future. 

I set aside job hunting, and leaned into CrossBorderWorks as a consultant and advisor. One of my foundational decisions was to only work with companies I personally believe in. I find it difficult to be creative if I’m not passionate, and this decision has paid me back many times over. I wanted to continue to work globally, to define my areas of subject matter expertise, and to concentrate on companies and startups that have opportunities/problems I can solve, from licensing to strategy to business model creation and integrating music into tech products. This started to sound interesting, and my excitement tempered my fears.    

What Lessons Have I Learned?

A big first lesson was learning how to say no. This required trusting my own intuition, but it was also trial and error of saying yes to the wrong people and regretting it. Another lesson is the harsh reality that music is really hard to get right and not everyone has the appetite, patience or temperament for it. I formally developed my own criteria of evaluating which companies I take on and those to pass, as well as specific “life is too short” criteria of when to walk away.   

I’m very curious by nature so I feed myself through gaining knowledge about new tech, adapting to different sectors, and embracing constant change. I also discovered that despite my reticence on being a cog in corporate bureaucracy, operating as a satellite expert in large companies is quite enjoyable and gives me a chance to work with many different layers of complex orgs without getting tangled up.

What Projects Have I Worked on?

I’ve been able to work on so many wide-ranging projects and the creativity is what gets me fired up every day. In gaming, I've contributed to Beat Saber/Meta, Roblox projects, Niantic, Ubisoft, AimLab and Riot Games. Audio projects with Bose and Devialet. I’ve helped companies acquire other companies, unraveled many rights problems, and guided new lines of business. I’ve provided services to traditional industry stakeholders including sitting on the Board of Seeker Music. I’ve helped startups grow and get acquired, as well as sadly watched some shutter. And I’ve enjoyed speaking around the world to share my knowledge and views, and meeting the next generation of leaders. 

What’s Next for CrossBorderWorks?

I am bullish about the future! We as a global industry are modernizing and growing, we overcome obstacles every day, and artists constantly astound me with the music they write and perform. My priorities continue to be enabling innovative uses of music, getting everyone licensed and paid fairly, and betting on great companies large and small.