Daring Women Q&A: Molly Hartney, CMO, SVP of Digital at Funko

Our latest installment of the Daring Women Q&A series features Molly Hartney, CMO and SVP of Digital at Funko.

Read about her mentors, her advice to women starting out in their careers and her proudest moments.

1. Tell us about the high point of your career. What do you love about your work? Describe your proudest moment.

The moment I realized I was a leader first and my job was second.

For me it’s simple, I love the fans. A fan could be someone at work, a business partner, my son’s best friend, or the guy helping me with my passport! Working at Funko allows for the opportunity to understand what people truly love. I’m constantly in a conversation of enthusiasm as everyone wants to tell you what they are a fan of and why.

2. What challenges have you faced as a woman in your industry? How have you addressed them?

In today’s environment and in the greater Seattle area, there are so many women in C-level roles that I do not find myself facing any challenges because I am a woman. If anything, I feel that women in business are embraced. At Funko, 50 percent of the leadership team is female. From a recruiting standpoint as I have grown my own team, and as we grow Funko, we want the best possible candidates. Male or female is not an issue here at Funko.

3. Tell us about a person who has inspired or mentored you. What key lesson did you learn from them?

One of my bosses back at Lowe’s, Michelle Brown, always taught me to put the customer and your people first. If you can win at what the customer is telling you and you can lead a team, then your business will be successful and loyalty will come from both. By putting the team and the customer first, we were able to grow our brand awareness within YouTube by 170 percent. This could not be done without the individuals here who produce the content that our fans, i.e., customers want. We listen to the customer and meet as a team to brainstorm what will have an impact.

4. What advice would you give to a woman getting started in her career?

Stay curious, don’t be a master at one thing; be a master of many. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and to help others. In the end, you never stop growing and it’s important to learn that you are as successful as those around you. Build each other up.

5. What can women do to improve gender equity in the workplace? What can men do?

Mentoring young women and providing opportunities to grow and build upon their careers provides an impact for the individual and the workplace. To improve gender equity in the workplace, we need to invest in our women and provide access for opportunities to grow skill sets within different departments and areas of the business, whether it be business development, sales, product management and/or creative. One thing I always strive to do with my teams is ask them to provide where they want to grow. I then build this into their career growth plan so I am taking a vested interest and they are taking ownership of their own destiny. One of my employees I moved from a digital products role into a campaign role in marketing and am mentoring her through leadership and the support she needs to succeed. She is well on her way to becoming one of the greatest assets on the team.

6. Tell us about a favorite book/show/podcast and why/how it inspires you.

In today’s fast-paced world, I am constantly reading, watching, absorbing snippets in time. Whether it be Forbes, Fast Company, Fortune, Bleacher Report or the newest pop-culture craze on Netflix.

7. Where do you find support and inspiration? How important is networking and how do you expand your contacts?

My husband and kids. The innocence of my 18-month-old teaches me to have fun and not let a moment pass by. The energy of my 4-year-old provides me the strength to continually push boundaries. The foundation my husband provides affords me the opportunity to have work/life balance.

Networking by industry events, LinkedIn and word of mouth over a cocktail is my go-to.

8. What are the most important characteristics of a good leader? What leadership traits are overrated?

Listening. Taking a moment to understand the who, what, where, why and how for a particular situation allows the individual or the team to work through problems and opportunities.

Lack of communication will be the downfall of any leader.

9. What would you do differently in your career if you had a do-over?

Learn to code!

10. What would be the title of your autobiography?

Take Epic Chances.

Wed love to hear from more women across all industries who are challenging the status quo. Does it sound like you? If it does, click here and fill out our questionnaire. Feel inspired? Join us for our second Daring Women event on May 21, 2019. Interested in speaking opportunities at the event? Fill out the application here.

Daring Women Q&A responses have been edited and condensed.