Getting to Know: Stuart Levy and TOKYOPOP Part 5

Please read Part 4 of the interview before reading Part 5

Being CEO and CCO Part 1

As stated earlier, Levy has two titles in TOKYOPOP, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer. Is he the “big guy” of the company or is there more to the titles than meets the eye? As Chief Executive Officer, his main focus is “company vision and strategic direction.” Levy is “ultimately responsible for all aspects of the business side,” including supervising the executives of the company, who run the operating units. As Chief Creative Officer, he oversees “the creative aspects of TOKYOPOP, such as high-level product development, branding, and intellectual property development.”

With loads of responsibilities, how has his experience been running TOKYOPOP? “Frankly, I don’t know the difference!” Let’s put it this way, he’s been doing it for so long as a career that, basically, “it’s my entire working life.” However, similar to other jobs, sometimes things are enjoyable, other times, it is not. However, he has enjoyed the “crazy rollercoaster ride of founding and growing a company.” According to Levy, “our company is particularly special because of the “corporate culture” we have – casual attire, enjoyable environment, but serious and passionate focus on our work. The people who work at TOKYOPOP are highly talented and creative – an awesome, wild and crazy bunch!”

Levy has a lot of work to accomplish, so he probably does not have time to do much outside of it. Levy works every day, literally; however, he does not have to go into the office all the time. Why? With the help of advance technology such as the Web and cell phones, “I can always get work done whenever, wherever…and for me, there is no such thing as a typical day.” It is because Levy has to “juggle between the business and creative side, as well as between strategy and execution.” The “good” thing about his job is that he can never get bored. The “bad” thing is that “there are always challenges and “fires” to put out.”

As with any career, there are ups and downs along the way. What is great about his job is “being able to dream up a vision and try to make it happen.” First, he can get paid to make his dreams a reality. Second, he has the opportunity to work with a range of talented people, both inside TOKYOPOP and outside. He is always learning something new and that is his motivation. Also, what makes the job rewarding is that, “we get paid to put a smile on people’s faces worldwide.”

Now the downside of being a CEO and CCO, involves the responsibility and the amount of stress that comes with the job.

I have experienced an enormous amount of stress for most of my adult life now – probably more than most people either realize or appreciate. It’s something I’ve gotten used to and I try to relieve my stress through exercise, humor, and creative expression (like music, writing, etc.) but nothing can make it go away. Making sure the bills are paid and dealing with problems across the company is difficult, but it’s my responsibility to make sure those problems are ultimately solved and the company is able to move forward. The worst part of the job has been the times TOKYOPOP has had to let people go. It’s an inevitable part of any company’s life path, but as the one who gets the ultimate blame, it’s a horrible feeling. But that is part of the responsibility of my job as CEO.

© 2010 Linda Thai

Artwork by Linda Thai

Note: The artwork is just for entertainment, cause there is A LOT of text to read.

Stay tune for Part 6 of the Stuart Levy interview!