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Joe Bogdan
MODERN DAY RENAISSANCE MAN
Fall 2008
Joe Bogdan ’88 was to have no business in show business.
“I was a frustrated entertainer,” he says smiling. “I was a musician,
a stand-up comic and an actor in high school, but I was not very good.
I didn’t have ‘the gift.’ ”
So, at 15 years old, Bogdan decided he would become an entertainment
lawyer. Armed with his B.A. in English literature from the
University of Illinois, he entered USC Law and found he wasn’t
alone; more than half his class wanted to go into entertainment law.
Now, 20 years out, Bogdan looks around and sees a limited number
of classmates in the entertainment field. That may be an indication of
how tough Bogdan is or how tough it is to break into the field. Or both.
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“I’ve seen would-be entertainers and would-be entertainment
lawyers give up,” he says.
Bogdan, however, would not give up on his dream. It would
require years of moving around the country, perseverance and a willingness
to be flexible on the job for him to earn the credentials to
become senior vice president of business and legal affairs for World
Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE). The billion-dollar New York
Stock Exchange company is known internationally for professional
wrestling and sports entertainment. An integrated entertainment and
sports entity, WWE has its global imprint all over the consumer map:
live entertainment, sports, publishing, new media, television, film and
consumer products.
“People may look at my career and think I’m unstable,” he says.
“I’ve had eight or nine employers in 20 years. But, I don’t view it that
way.”
Frequently asked how he got where he is today, Bogdan’s advice is
simple to write down, but more difficult in practice.
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Joe Bogdan