Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jason Coughlan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jason, thanks for joining us today. Would you say you are more focused on growing revenue or cutting costs? We’d love to hear how you think about these two critical drivers.

That’s an easy one….both. Working in corporate America with Boardwalk Pictures and running my small business, Antiques on Magnolia, I’ve learned that you can’t prioritize one without paying attention to the other. Growing revenue will always be the goal, but without a firm handle on costs, growth can easily get out of control.

Over time, I’ve made it a point in both roles to consistently “trim the fat”, auditing expenses, renegotiating contracts, and being honest about where we’re overextending. It’s easy to let things slide when people, services, and long-standing vendors feel comfortable, but numbers don’t lie. Respect the relationships, but never ignore the data.

A great example is Antiques on Magnolia. At one point, our storefront was eating into revenue and limiting our ability to scale the more profitable parts of our business. So we made a tough but smart call: we closed the storefront and reinvested those savings into our team, marketing, and client-facing services. It transformed our business.

The same mindset applies at Boardwalk. As we grow, we stay flexible, continuously reevaluating how we allocate resources to invest in new opportunities and smart growth. At the end of the day, cutting costs and growing revenue go hand-in-hand when done with intention, and that’s where real progress happens.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

At this point in my life, I wear a few different hats, like most people do these days. I’m a proud Los Angeles native, which feels like a rare thing now, and I currently live in West Hollywood. Professionally, I’ve built a career in the entertainment industry with a focus on workplace experience, facilities, and operations. Alongside that, I co-run a thriving estate sale and auction business with my mom, called Antiques on Magnolia.

If I had to sum up my personal brand, I’d say I’m a “people’s person.” I lead with kindness and empathy, but I’m also highly strategic and solutions-oriented. I was introduced to the entertainment world over a decade ago by a family member, and that opportunity opened the door to a path I’ve been growing in ever since.

On the estate side, I’ve been involved since I was a kid; helping my mom and pointing out little ways to improve how the business ran. That instinct to optimize and problem solve has stayed with me and shaped how I operate in both industries.

I’m proud of a lot of things, but what stands out the most is my ability to work with people, to really listen, understand their needs, and help create solutions that move things forward. Whether it’s navigating a tough workplace challenge or helping a client during a transitional life moment through an estate sale, I bring the same energy: passion, compassion, and a drive to get things done the right way.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

My go-to is simple: kindness and honesty. You can be firm, but without those two qualities, you lose the respect of your team and the trust of the people who rely on you. One of the many things I do at Boardwalk is manage the internship program, and one thing I always tell our interns before they rotate out is this: “Be kind, even if you can’t stand the person.” The industry is small, and people talk. And I promise at some point they will talk about you.

I love working with my teams, both in TV and in the estate business. I respect their time and their dedication. You can pay someone to work, but you can’t pay someone to care. That comes from how you treat people. So my advice? Lead with honesty. Lead with kindness. Everything else follows.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’ll lean into my TV career for this one. As many know, the media landscape is constantly evolving. I entered the industry right before the big streaming boom, right as major media companies were starting to lose their grip and squeeze smaller production companies for every resource they could. Truth is, I’m still in the thick of it.

Early on, I worked at a fast-growing entertainment company (I’ll keep the name off the record), and during that time, I wore every hat imaginable: HR, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, operations, production manager, line producer, associate producer, and even jumping in as an assistant when needed. It was exhausting, but it built my endurance and shaped how I operate today.

In this industry, you can’t survive by sticking to one role. You have to pivot. You have to get your hands dirty. That experience taught me how to weather change, embrace pressure, and stay adaptable…. Skills that have served me well, both in TV and in my own business. Moments like those aren’t easy, but they’re where the growth really happens.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrc92/