Inside Koral Chen’s Rise From College Intern to Senior Vice President at SMAC Entertainment

Climbing career ladders is crucial to professional success. However, growing in the same company for over a decade just might be the key to professional growth. Choosing beyond a traditional career-oriented path, Koral Chen grew from a college intern to senior vice president of brand development and licensing of SMAC Entertainment, a talent management firm.

As a busy communications and business major, sophomore student Chen was trying to find an internship that didn’t require several interview rounds or a cover letter. Landing a job interview with SMAC Entertainment, she met the executive vice president over coffee and secured her internship. Unknowingly, she also claimed her seat at the table for the next decade. 

Making the first connection 

Chen initially began working on the talent management side before advancing to brand licensing, and now she is building out the commercials and production department. Chen explains that her tenure at SMAC is driven by a fundamental but simple reason: “It was between SMAC and a different company that was definitely more well-known on paper and would have probably been a better resume opportunity. But for some reason, [I] chose to go with SMAC,” she says. 

And it didn’t take long for her to realize she had a passion for nurturing talent and brands. Her first brand launch was with Michael Strahan, television host for Good Morning America. Catering to morning news watchers, viewers often took fashion advice from Strahan, which meant there was an organic need for professional attire. Gaining success, they expanded to several JCPenney stores and offer a full lifestyle brand to men and boys.

Chen is also a key player behind sports commentator Erin Andrews’ clothing line Wear. The women’s sportswear market had been lacking in clothing and style, with nearly 50% white space; now, the brand offers an apparel line for female fans. 

Since then, SMAC has branched out into the NFL and beyond. “We started with the NFL, and now across every major league, about 30 different colleges as well,” Chen reports. 

Expanding the brand vision 

Chen notes that the identity of branding has evolved during her time in brand management. In the past, celebrity names were essential to building a brand and receiving retail placement. 

However, Chen believes that’s a misconception. “At the core of it, it needs to be a product that people need, regardless of the celebrity that’s attached to the celebrity,” Chen explains, “kind of like adding a really great secret sauce that we’re able to create really fun moments around it, but it’s not going to guarantee success.”

So, how does a brand successfully reach its target audience? By creating a quality product that genuinely connects to brands. 

Balancing leadership 

Holding an executive position now, Chen has learned that effective leadership is all about delegating. Schedules get busy, and it can be hard to stay on track, which is why leaning on each other and delegating are the best ways to move forward. “The team always says you need to delegate, right? That’s kind of the biggest thing, and it’s taking the time to teach the whole team [to be proactive],” she says. 

She encourages her team to think ahead, seizing future business opportunities and taking ownership of projects rather than just responding to tasks. “If you’re just reacting, then you’re going to just always be a step behind,” Chen emphasizes. 

Looking back 

Although her career path wasn’t conventional, Chen says it was the right decision for her. “I think the biggest thing was trusting my gut to take on this job, as opposed to, again, the one that was probably more cookie-cutter and better on the resume,” she says. 

Passing on bigger companies and opportunities has given her the chance to build her career without listening to the extra noise and pressure that accompanies career choices. 

She advises young professionals entering the workforce today to start being vocal. “There’s been countless people in our company [who] have said, ‘I’m super interested in this. Can I join this meeting?’ And it could be something they have nothing to do with, but giving them that ability to do a little bit extra and explore that and see if that’s something that’s interesting to them, I think is fulfilling for them and also good for the company because you may unlock different talent,” Chen says. 

This applies not only to entry-level professionals but those already well into their careers. Chen also states that for those looking to get noticed, it is time to stop waiting for a job listing and start reaching out to build connections.

Chen believes you don’t need a perfect plan; it all begins with trusting your gut and focusing on where you excel.

Photo by GaudiLab/Shutterstock

The post Inside Koral Chen’s Rise From College Intern to Senior Vice President at SMAC Entertainment appeared first on SUCCESS.



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