Listening is at the Heart of Diana Dapito’s 20-Year Career at Audible

Today, people around the world know Audible as a leading provider and producer of audio storytelling with 900,000 titles in our catalog, thousands of Originals, and millions of customers. But when Diana Dapito joined us in 2004, it was still early days for digitizing audiobooks, magazines, speeches, and more, so people could carry and access them on portable devices. Dapito’s first role involved adding a handful of new titles to the catalog each week.

As Audible’s service grew, so did Dapito’s career. She held a variety of roles across marketing and content, working with publishers and in-house teams to help customers find their next great listen. Now, as Head of Consumer Content for North America, she oversees content programming, editorial and catalog curation, and Audible Studios—including creative development, casting, and production of Audible Originals.

For 20 years, Dapito has been intimately familiar with our catalog, and the breadth of storytelling it represents is part of her DNA, as is her love of sharing it with our listeners. She talks about what she’s learned about leadership, what she’s loved about her journey so far, and the “nerdy” victory of which she’s most proud.

What is something you believe is essential to succeeding as a leader?

It’s essential to listen—to team members, to customers, to your gut, and yes, to the content we offer from a wide spectrum of voices and perspectives. Listening helps connect dots across teams and initiatives and forges connections with colleagues that inspire a positive, collaborative environment.

I think successful leaders are also self-aware enough to know what they don’t know and are willing to ask questions and be curious to learn new things.

What do you like best about your work?

In my current role I get to be close to our customers and our creators, and finding ways to delight them both—by connecting incredible stories and performances with the right audiences—is one of my favorite things to do.

I also love to hear what my colleagues are reading, watching, and listening to for inspiration as we create exciting new Audible Originals and curate the best of our catalog to help customers discover their next favorite listen.

What is something you’ve accomplished while being a leader at Audible that you are particularly proud of?

It’s a labor of (nerdy) love, but I’ve convinced many an Audible colleague over the years that there’s no need for two spaces at the end of a sentence and that the Oxford comma is the only way to go.

More seriously, I’m proud of the times I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something that felt scary, whether that was taking on a new role in a less familiar space, signing up for a stretch goal, or speaking in front of an impossibly large crowd.

Who would you invite to the dinner party of your dreams?

I’d invite the authors of my favorite chef memoirs—Marcus Samuelsson (Yes, Chef) and Gabrielle Hamilton (Blood, Bones & Butter)—since they can provide the food and fascinating conversation, and I am hopeful Alan Cumming, Maya Rudolph, Jennifer Garner, Brandi Carlile, and my husband are also free that night for more stories, songs, and laughter.

Lightning Round

• Coffee or tea? Tea (thanks to my English mum).
• Morning person or night owl? Night owl.
• Where are you working from currently? Hub is Newark; home is the New Jersey suburbs.
• How long have you been with Audible? 20 years…!
• Who is your biggest inspiration, career-wise? Anyone who truly cares about the work they’re doing and how they treat people as they’re doing it.
• Dine in or take out? Take out for a cozy night at home with family; dine-in for fun catch-ups with friends.
• Favorite outside of work hobby? I don’t want to sound too cool here, but I love a good puzzle.
• Favorite Audible listen, go. Let’s go with a recent favorite, Desperate Deadly Widows. It’s the follow-up to the fresh, bingeable thriller Young Rich Widows, and both have really compelling performances from four top-notch narrators that I highly recommend.