The Compelling Need to Share: Inside WIA’s Speaker Selection Process with Joe Webb
Inside WIA's Speaker Selection Process with Joe Webb
Joe Webb
President at DealerKnows Consulting, Women In Automotive Board Member
The moment Joe Webb leans into a video call with a potential Women In Automotive conference speaker, he’s not looking for perfection. He’s searching for something far more powerful—an undeniable compulsion to share a message that could transform careers across the automotive industry.
“Anyone can prepare and knock out a promo video,” Joe explains from his role as WIA board member and chief architect of the conference’s speaker lineup for the past five years. “But I want to see if you’re so inherently compelled that you have an undying need to share your message with the audience.”
This philosophy has shaped one of the automotive industry’s most impactful conferences, where women don’t just attend, they lead, inspire, and revolutionize how business gets done. It’s a space where your unique perspective isn’t just welcomed, it’s the very thing that makes you essential to the industry’s evolution.
The Architecture of Authentic Voice: Understanding WIA's Speaking Opportunities
WIA 2025 attendee capturing an image of keynote speakers Missy & Mayce
For those eyeing the WIA 2026 stage in Austin, Texas, understanding the ecosystem of speaking opportunities is crucial. Joe has crafted a deliberate hierarchy that serves different purposes and audiences.
Keynotes set the entire conference tone, delivered by thought leaders who can “inspire or energize” from outside the industry bubble. These main stage moments require alignment with the conference theme and the ability to connect through storytelling that transcends automotive specifics.
General sessions bring industry insiders to the main stage—those whose messages are “profound or important enough for the collective Women In Automotive attendee audience to hear.” These speakers leverage industry expertise while maintaining universal appeal.
Breakout sessions deliver the practical gold. “When it comes to being able to return to your organization with things you want to immediately put into play,” Joe notes, “those are things they typically take away from a breakout speaker.” Here, interactivity reigns supreme. These aren’t lectures; they’re workshops where the most impactful ones ensure attendees leave with step-by-step strategies and real-world tools.
Panels thrive on what Joe calls “diversity of perspectives”—not just demographic diversity, but genuine differences in approach and opinion. “You have to be able to answer in two minutes or less, and you need to have something profound or impactful that is, quote-unquote, tweet-worthy.”
Beyond the Submission: What Really Happens When You Apply
The journey from application to stage begins with recognition. WIA actively seeks speaker submissions, acknowledging every single one. But here’s where Joe’s process diverges from typical conference selection.
For those submissions that catch his eye, be they because of the content or promo video delivery, Joe schedules a 15-minute video conversation (not an interrogation); it’s a discovery session. Joe isn’t just evaluating your expertise; he’s gauging whether the audience will “endear themselves to this speaker” and whether your content fills a critical gap in the overall agenda.
His commitment to fresh voices runs deep. “If we aren’t good enough to come up with 25 to 26 new speakers, new women in the industry, every single year to leverage their insights to the audience, then we’re really going backwards as an industry.” This means no back-to-back years for speakers, creating constant opportunities for new and emerging voices.
Most remarkably, Joe champions first-time speakers, not just new to WIA, but new to public speaking entirely. I am a testament to that. Joe gave me my first speaking opportunity in 2019 at Women In Automotive’s Annual Conference in Palm Springs. “I love to give a voice to those that may not have been given a voice by other organizations,” he shares, adding a crucial caveat: preparation is non-negotiable.
The selection philosophy is surprisingly straightforward yet revolutionary: women speakers only, with rare exceptions for “absolutely necessary content.” This isn’t exclusion, it’s intentional space-making. “Women in the audience prefer to hear from other women,” Joe states simply, backed by years of audience feedback and his own stage experience.
The Passion Imperative: What Separates Selected Speakers from Submissions
Joe’s selection criteria cuts through typical speaker requirements to something more fundamental. When women approach him expressing interest in speaking, his response is always the same penetrating question: “What are you so inherently compelled to need to share with the audience?”
Your answer doesn’t need to mirror anyone else’s journey. In fact, Joe is specifically looking for perspectives that haven’t been heard before, the insights only you can provide because of your unique path through this industry.
This isn’t about having a nice story or impressive credentials. Joe actively screens out “let me tell you about my career” sessions that focus solely on personal journey without translatable insights. “That should maybe take about the first 10 minutes of a session,” he clarifies. “Build some credibility in yourself, now build some credibility in the topic.”
The magic happens when personal story transforms into universal application. Every anecdote must serve a larger purpose, helping attendees advance their careers, transform their dealerships, or revolutionize their approach to business.
For breakout sessions specifically, Joe seeks “practical, real-world tools and a history of doing things.” Theory without practice doesn’t make the cut. The audience invests time and resources to attend because, as Joe notes, “they are imperative enough to the growth of the organization that their education and their involvement in the Women In Automotive organization is going to help further them.”
Your Moment on Stage: Transforming Preparation into Impact
Once selected, the real work begins. Joe’s expectations for speakers are uncompromising: “Your job is to get up there to get off book, as they say in the theater world, and not read word for word everything you scoped out for yourself, but be ready to make eye contact and engage.”
This means memorizing key points rather than scripts. It means practicing until you can maintain eye contact while delivering complex information. It means understanding that you’ve been given “the privilege of being on stage in front of your peers” and treating that responsibility with the preparation it deserves.
The payoff for this preparation extends far beyond applause. Unlike other automotive conferences where audience members sit back thinking “I’m just as good as them,” WIA creates something revolutionary. “Women at Women In Automotive look at the people on stage and they root for them,” Joe observes. “They want to see every other person there succeed.”
This supportive ecosystem means your message lands differently. Your vulnerability becomes strength. Your expertise becomes a gift to peers who genuinely want to see you and by extension, themselves succeed. This is where imposter syndrome dies and authentic leadership is born. Every woman who takes the WIA stage models a possibility for hundreds of others who see themselves in her story.
The Network Effect: Maximizing Your WIA Experience
For both speakers and attendees, Joe’s advice for maximizing the WIA 2026 conference, in Austin, TX, centers on intentional connection. “Go there with the goal of shaking as many hands as possible and being open to connecting with people from outside of your regular sphere of influence.”
This isn’t typical conference networking. The Women In Automotive community operates on a different frequency, one where competition transforms into collaboration, where success isn’t zero-sum, and where every woman’s advancement elevates the entire automotive industry regardless of role or affiliation. Dealer, vendor, ally, it doesn’t matter. The WIA community is here to support you, your growth, your goals and yes, your success.
The selection process itself reflects this ethos. Joe doesn’t pick favorites or play politics. “It’s not personal. It’s just based on what content I feel is right, if the delivery of the content is going to be right.”
Your Voice Matters: The Compelling Call to Action
As WIA 2026 preparations get underway, the question isn’t whether you have enough experience or the perfect presentation skills. The question Joe wants you to answer is simpler and more profound: What message burns so brightly within you that you can’t help but share it?
The automotive industry needs voices that challenge conventions, share practical strategies, and inspire transformation. Whether you’re a first-time speaker with a game-changing perspective or a seasoned professional with hard-won wisdom, the WIA stage awaits those brave enough to step into their power.
Remember: Your difference is your strength. The very experiences that made you question whether you belong in automotive, those are precisely the stories that will resonate most powerfully from the WIA stage.
Joe’s parting wisdom crystallizes the opportunity: “I’m doing things that I think are going to be in the best interest of the audience.” That audience is waiting for exactly what you have to offer, your unique perspective, your tested strategies, your compelling need to elevate women across the automotive industry.
Ready to transform your expertise into impact? Join the Women In Automotive community. Start working on your speaker application now so you’re ready when submissions open, and get registered for WIA 2026, July 17–20, 2026 in Austin, TX. Your voice isn’t just welcome—it’s essential.
