“Lean into the runway,” Charity Webb from USAA

Meet Charity Webb, Head of Marketing Enablement at USAA, where she is dedicated to shaping the future of technology by driving innovation across martech, adtech, channel-enablement, and in-house digital media capabilities. With 17 years of experience, she is an expert in each of those fields, giving her the unique ability to deliver impactful solutions that connect technology and marketing strategy. 

At CES, Charity sat down with Jocelyn Hudak, Senior Director, Content and Digital Marketing, at SiriusXM Media in our Pass the Mic booth. Together, they discussed the power of connection and how quality matters more than quantity when it comes to your network. 

Listen to the full interview below, and then check out some highlights from the conversation.

Reach out to others you see value in.

Highlight: “Being willing to reach out to those who are reaching out to you is important. And then on the flip side, when you get an opportunity to be in those positions, reach out to others that you see value in and take care of them. Do you want a Rolodex or do you want a runway? Lean into the runway.” - Charity Webb

Find people who move you forward.

Highlight: “One thing that's really important, not just as women in the industry, but just in general, is that a network or even a connection—what happens when you leave the room? Are they saying your name when you leave the room? Or do you just have a list? Do you want a Rolodex? Or do you want people that are really helping you trailblaze and move forward? You cannot do it alone. Connection is a really strong word. It's really important.” - Charity Webb

Build trust.

Highlight: “I think connection for me means something a little bit more intimate, one-on-one, more authentic. That way you can build trust. If you really want to have a true connection or advocacy or a runway instead of a rolodex, I think that is better well-suited in a one-on-one environment. And that takes time. Which means time builds trust and that, to me, is the most important, is making sure that people understand it's authentic that they can trust me and that I'm going to invest without expecting something in return and normally people react very positively to that.” - Charity Webb

Lean into people’s strengths.

Highlight: “We always talk about strength-based leadership—so trying to help them grow in what they're good at and those next couple of things that they may be on the cusp of that they can lean into, versus focusing on the things that they may not just be inherently good at.” - Charity Webb

Reach out and have conversations.

Highlight: “When I see someone that I respect, it is important to not feel like you don't belong in the conversation and to reach out and have a conversation. Ask questions, do not be afraid to do that. I think it centers around that. I respect when people reach out who are really smart, really thoughtful, who care about what they do. You want to be there to help them.” - Charity Webb

Do the basic things.

Highlight: “To be successful in this space, you just have to do very basic things. You have to want to be there, you have to work hard, and you have to critically think and be resourceful. If you can do those things, you can do anything in this place.” - Charity Webb

Creating connections with people who are rooting for you just as much as you're rooting for them—that’s where community and careers thrive. For more inspirational conversations like this, check out the Pass the Mic page.

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