Name: Sharon W. Wood
Age:Â 52
Job Title and Description:Â Founder/CEO, Stone Creek Entertainment and co-creator of its Karizmac Games.
Website:Â www.karizmac.com
Her Campus: What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
Sharon Wood: The only typical element of the day is that I will be extremely busy! Weâre a young business, so my responsibilities span managing the business itself, our investors, our sponsors, our partners and our staff. I also am very involved in the game concepts we create. Also, there is always constant research to be doneâby being involved in an industry that changes in a blink, we must stay on top of how our industry changes and new information about how to be successful. These days, weâre busy preparing for the launch of our latest lifestyle app, Karizmac Luminous.
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HC: What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?Â
SW: I began as an assistant at an ad agency, and went through an employment agency to find it. I was fortunate to have mentors who trained me for the work, and my future career path.
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HC: What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
SW: I wish I knew how much I was going to enjoy the gaming industry, because at first, I was working in sports and entertainment marketing. When I was initially asked to transition into digital gaming, I actually resisted it. Once I started learning more about the business and the gaming industry in general, I began to enjoy it more and more. Today, I find it to be fascinating and rewarding, and couldnât imagine a better industry to be a part of.
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HC: Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
SW: I had a mentor (my boss) when I began in sports marketing, who spent many late evenings explaining all aspects of the business to me: terminology, business and market strategies, and execution. He was very strategic and disciplined and his advice was invaluable.
HC: What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
SW: Without a doubt, it would be: âNever Give Upâ. If you come across a path you feel certain about, there is always a way to get there.
HC: What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
SW: I have sometimes put my trust into people who didnât wind up doing what they committed to do. Fortunately, I donât see âmistakesâ as disastrous. In some cultures, âmistakesâ receive the appreciation that I feel they deserve. For any time that occurs, I apply it to my internal database, and always look to acquire wisdom from it. As a previous mentor once told me, âyou canât know everythingâ.  Us goal-oriented people would do well to remember that.
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HC: What is the best part of your job?
SW:Â It would be a toss-up between working with all the people around me, whether within the company or outside of it, and watching people enjoy our games.
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HC: What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
SW: Gut instinctâYou canât teach it. You can have a wealth of industry knowledge, but if you canât mix it with good solid gut instinct and common sense, itâs not nearly as useful.
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HC: What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
SW: In many cultures, individuals devote their lives to their craft in an effort to be as good at it as possible. We often like to think that we should work 40 hours a week, and then mentally leave our jobs, as well as physically. But I think you get great insights from all areas of your life that you can apply to your job and vice versa. Iâm not advocating that one should only work and never play. Iâm just saying that if your aspirations are in your heart, then give it your all.
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