Dawn Lee Williamson: Embracing Progress Over Perfection

Dawn Lee Williamson joined Effectv, the ad sales division of Comcast Cable, as regional vice president overseeing the company’s Southeast region, in late 2018. Under her tenure, that division became one of the company’s highest performing regions and in early 2021, she was selected to take on a new mission: spearheading Effectv’s newly created sales development function as SVP, Head of Sales Development.

A mother of two and two-time Cablefax “Most Influential Minority in Cable” honoree, Williamson is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Here, she shares career insights and tips for women of color and those who want to break into the media industry as well as the importance of resilience and “progress, not perfection.”

Q. Tell us about your role as head of sales development for Effectv.

A: “I joined Comcast from VICE Media in late 2018 to oversee local, regional and national ad sales for Effectv’s Southeast region, which spans the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina markets. During my time in this role, as regional vice president, our division became one of the top performing regions in 2020.”

“In early 2021, Comcast approached me with a new opportunity: to lead sales development, a newly created function, for Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable. In this role, I currently lead a 300+ person team responsible for spearheading the development of integrated, business-focused solutions for Effectv’s local, regional and enterprise clients.”

“We launched this new function so that we could really focus on understanding clients’ holistic business needs and work with them to develop the right solutions to reach their audiences across screens and drive measurable business results. From a macro perspective, our sales development function is also a great proof point of how Effectv is continuing to innovate on the audience delivery front. As an industry, we are shifting toward cross-screen, audience-based TV and video advertising solutions, and the team I lead and work with is helping to pave the way forth in how we get there.”

Q. What’s the biggest insight or “ah ha” moment you’ve learned in your role spearheading the launch of a new division for Effectv?

A. I’ll share a few “ah ha” moments with you.

“First: Get the right talent. This is incredibly important. You want to have the right team to work with you on this mission. Another is to align with leadership, your key stakeholders and teammates on the right goals and strategies and to prioritize. And third, be really clear on your communication of those expectations and milestones to help track progress. Lastly, celebrate the wins and learn from mistakes and learn to see them as opportunities.”

“While this is not the first time I’ve led a team in launching a new division or function, this is the first time I’ve had to do it at this size and scale. When I worked at the BBC, we helped launch BBC StoryWorks, BBC Global News’s content studio. Our team was charged with introducing this new value proposition to the marketplace and creating buzz and energy around it. In both that example and with Effectv’s sales development function, I was reminded of the importance of prioritizing what needs to be done and when, because things can get overwhelming when you are tasked with such a big initiative. So, questions like, “What is the core goal you’re looking to achieve?” and “What are the strategies and tactics to get there?”

“Another insight I’ve found valuable throughout my career is this: If you seek perfection, you will feel disappointed. Progress is better than perfection when launching new things. Because you have to test, learn and iterate. When you launch or spearhead something new, it’s a concept. Until you start to execute, you don’t know whether or not that concept will land, so you have to be willing to be agile and to learn from the moment and be able to pivot when/where necessary.”

Q: Why are you passionate about DE&I?

A: “While working as a VP of sales in one of my prior companies, an entry-level Asian American woman came up to me and told me how exciting and inspiring it was to meet someone like me. She told me that the work that I was doing, as a woman of color working in media, meant so much to her.”

“Moments like these, and also, my own career path, have made me very passionate about DE&I. People helped pull me up as I progressed in my career and I want to make sure that I give back. Being the person of color in the room, in a meeting with others, it takes a lot of courage, and I feel very strongly about helping others throughout their career journey and giving back.”

Q: How do you promote DE&I within your team?

A: “One of the most important aspects to fostering DE&I in the workplace is to create a safe and open culture. Start by creating a culture of curiosity, an environment where you celebrate individual differences, as well how we can embrace and promote those differences.”

Q: What’s your advice for women of color and, more broadly, individuals looking to break into the media industry?

A: “Be resilient! As I’m saying this, I’m thinking of bamboo, which is strong and solid, but also flexible and rolls and bends with the wind, water and nature’s elements.”

“From a career application standpoint, this means having the resilience to be open to learning, feedback, growth and realizing that there will be moments in your career – and life – where you might not know or have all of the answers, and learning to be okay with that, while continuing to be brave and strong.”

“And, back to the bamboo analogy, you need to have a strong foundation and core. If you believe in yourself, you will have the courage to continue to push forth and excel, but you also need to do the work. There is no short cut to work, but work alone is not enough at times. You need to be resilient.”