Name: Aaron Brenner
Position: NHL Kings Dir of Production & KingsVision
Age: 28
Where I’m from: Reseda, Calif.
Where I call home: L.A.
Focusing on right now: Generating new incremental revenue through KingsVision creative.
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Brenner said AEG is structured in a way that it
promotes creative thinking and hard work
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Best advice: Surround yourself with good people -- people that are better than you at everything.
A must for a new hire: The desire to want to learn in everything they do, the desire to be open to new ideas and thinking, and not be afraid to ask questions. There’s constantly more to learn. So if everyone approaches it in that same way, collectively as a team we get better. And then individually, you’re able to better yourself and give yourself more value.
Exec I most admire: AEG Chair PHIL ANSCHUTZ really kind of guides this company and instills a sense of creativity. AEG is structured in a way that it really promotes creative thinking and hard work. And the environment that Mr. Anschutz has created over the years is just exciting. I definitely feel like no idea is too crazy if it makes sense from a business standpoint.
Best book I've read this year: I recently read and re-read the STEVE JOBS biography by WALTER ISAACSON. I loved the way it was written, the way it portrayed Steve and his outlook on life, his ability to find solutions and think outside the box in everything he did. The book just captures it in a way that I loved.
First thing in the morning: I have a fairly long commute through Los Angeles morning traffic, so I spend almost all my drives just listening to podcasts like NPR’s “THIS AMERICAN LIFE” and “RADIO LAB.” “Radio Lab” is a fun spin on scientific education; it’s a cool way to look at news stories that have a bit of narrative. I feel like walking away from every episode learning more about people, places and just a new way to look at different problems.
Talking tech: There's a productivity tool that I’ve used for years called SimpleNote. I love that app because it’s so simple in its concept. It’s just a text-based notes application, but it syncs across all platforms. It allows me to save everything from lists to strings of text that I use often to standard responses to e-mail. It syncs to your laptop, desktop, iPad or phone.
Must-have music: I've got two all-time favorite artists. One is DAVID BAZAN. Anything he does I just absolutely love. I find myself gravitating any way he’s going. My other is BUILT TO SPILL.
Food for thought: One of my favorite restaurants is a little place in El Segundo, California, right down the street from our offices, called Wendy's Place. It’s old fashioned in every sense of the word: cash only, not even an ATM there. It’s a little coffee shop that’s unique in the sense that it’s built around the community and all the same regulars are always there. If you go for long enough, you’ll realize that just another customer will go behind the counter and grab a pot of coffee and just refill everyone’s cup.
How I unwind: I drive a lot through L.A. traffic and I totally find it to be relaxing. I don’t really get stressed too easily and so I can sit in traffic for five hours and laugh about it. Also, I watch “60 MINUTES” every week. It’s the only show that I make sure to go out of my way to record it and watch it.
Day in the life: When we won the Stanley Cup in 2012, it was a huge learning experience. So for the second run, we pulled out all the stops in a way that I feel like captured the emotion of the city. We had cameras in bars and people’s homes and on wives and fans. One of the things we learned was about the relationships we were able to build with vendors and talent. We’re uniquely positioned here in Los Angeles with the studios, and some of the best talent lives and works here. We've built KingsVision as a platform for our fans to not only connect with the team, but to drive our brand identity. We’re hoping to leverage that and deliver new, engaging content next season that we can then also turn to our partners and tie them into that to generate new revenue.
