Somewhere In-between

New view, new frequency, same me - just recalibrating

I’ve always lived a little outside the lines; close enough to belong, but not quite inside the circle. Last to be picked on the team. The one who made an impression in the corporate world but had trouble with authority. The person whose “off-the-wall” ideas were met with polite silence and then somehow became the trend years later.

In my early thirties, I broke off and started my own practice to make space for those ideas, and I’ve spent the past three decades in and around the world of brand licensing, helping creative people turn ideas into businesses. What I’ve learned along the way is that being an outsider isn’t a disadvantage. It’s perspective. It’s freedom.

I’ve been circling the edge of the licensing industry for years, pushing past it into something broader: brand building, storytelling, partnerships, digital marketing, e-commerce, influence. I found myself on TikTok almost by accident, talking about the business of creativity, and sharing my hot takes on brand collabs. Bethenny Frankel has referred to TikTok as “the land of the misfit toys”; it tracks that I discovered a new kind of audience on TikTok: people trying to build their own thing in public, flaws and all, the way I’ve been doing it for most of my career.

That’s what led me here, to this space, and to a new name. Unlicensed isn’t a rejection of what I’ve done; it’s a redefinition. It’s about building something that’s yours, saying what you want to say, without waiting for permission.

This year already feels like a reset. I moved into a new home, with a view of the bridge, literal and symbolic. Between two lives: one as the mother of a high school senior preparing to (hopefully)leave for college in the fall, and one as a woman starting a new chapter. Every object here is something I chose to bring with me. Nothing accidental. Nothing leftover. Everything clean. That feels like alignment.

Lately, I’ve been curating what my new home will hold, pieces that feel elevated, thoughtfully chosen, well-made, vintage - a mirror to how I see myself now. Things that remind me that beauty and order are grounding, and that my physical environment is an actual container for growth, personally and professionally; this, after years of creating a home space primarily to support a growing family, often times putting my needs and preferences aside. I’ll share a few things I’m eyeing and loving for my home:

• This sofa from Sixpenny

• Flatware by Sabre

• I want more fun plates like these

• I didn’t know The Company Store is now owned by Home Depot. I’m moving away from brands like Parachute and Brooklinen - when you’re in licensing, you know the cotton is all the same. I’m choosing percale classics with a monogram from The Company Store for our beds. I also love these pillowcases from Amazon.

• I added these to my growing collection of Caddis readers

• Blue pens only. Here are my favorites, and I keep them in an empty Diptyque candle cup.

• I’d love a vintage chair with a ticking stripe like this one from interior designer (and client/sister) Katie Rosenfeld and Vanity & Co.

• I want this Aimee Leon Dore X Porsche tote by my desk to remind me of my dad

I’m not starting over. I’m continuing differently, discovering a new side of the city, and finding a new way home.

PS. PS. Going forward, I’m writing about whatever I want — usually a mix of insights and observations on trending brands, creators, and collaborations, plus what inspires me, the lessons I’m learning, and new partnership launches.

Thank you for being here. Feel free to message me if there’s a topic you’d like me to tackle or an opinion you’d like to debate.