Hannah Craig

Today, Hannah serves as a Client Success Manager at HopDrive, an automotive software company based in Richmond, Virginia. Since joining the company in 2025, she has built relationships with more than 200 automotive dealership rooftops, primarily supporting the Genesis brand. Her work sits at the intersection of technology, transportation, and customer experience, where she helps dealerships implement software, improve operational processes, manage driver services, and identify opportunities to grow their valet programs.

Her career has also given her a front-row seat to an industry that is constantly changing and taught her the importance of staying curious, informed, and adaptable.

Finding Her Place in Automotive and Transportation

Hannah's career began in the transportation industry, where she worked with a company focused on ADA mobility services. That experience gave her a strong foundation in transportation operations and reinforced the importance of creating accessible and reliable mobility solutions.

When she joined HopDrive in 2025, she brought that experience into the automotive industry and expanded her focus to include technology, software implementation, and dealership operations.

Today, Hannah works closely with dealership teams to understand their unique challenges and help translate technology into solutions that work in the real world. She has also played a role in integrating new technology into dealership systems, including helping lead the integration of the Spark AI feature from technology vendor SparkServ.

The work requires her to understand both the technology and the people using it.

"You're not just managing an account or solving a problem; you're communicating with different personalities, priorities, communication styles, and perspectives every day," Hannah says.

That perspective has shaped how she approaches client success.

The Best Career Advice Isn't Always About Your Career

One of the best pieces of career advice Hannah has received is surprisingly simple: educate yourself outside of work.

She believes professional development doesn't have to mean reading another leadership or self-help book. Instead, she encourages people to make time to learn about subjects that may not seem directly connected to their jobs-particularly psychology, human behavior, communication, and how people think.

"The more you understand how other people process information, make decisions, respond to challenges, and communicate, the better you become at working with them," she says.

For Hannah, that knowledge is particularly valuable in Client Success.

Understanding people can help determine how to approach a difficult conversation, how to communicate a change, how to recognize what a customer really needs, or how to navigate different personalities within the same organization.

"Sometimes the best professional development has very little to do with your actual job description," she says.

Staying Ahead in a Constantly Changing Industry

The automotive industry presents another reason Hannah believes continuous learning matters.

Dealerships are navigating a wide range of factors that can affect their businesses, from tariffs and taxes to vehicle availability, recalls, and challenges facing individual OEM brands.

"Transportation and automotive can be difficult," Hannah says. "You have to keep up with a lot of different things right now."

For someone working directly with dealerships, she believes understanding what is happening across the industry can make a significant difference.

If a client knows that their Client Success Manager understands what is happening in the broader automotive market and has already considered how those changes could affect their business, it builds credibility and trust.

For Hannah, staying informed isn't simply about having another talking point for a customer conversation. It's about being able to anticipate challenges rather than waiting for them to become problems.

Confidence Doesn't Mean Losing Your Kindness

Hannah's experience in transportation and automotive has also taught her about navigating male-dominated industries.

Her advice to women entering these fields is to be confident while remaining genuine.

"Transportation and automotive can be difficult. They're very male-dominated fields," she says. "Be confident, but also genuine."

For Hannah, confidence comes from knowing that your intentions are good and that you have thoughtfully considered the decisions you're making.

"If you know in your gut it's the right decision, don't back down from it," she says. "But be confident and kind about it."

She believes women shouldn't feel pressure to adopt a different personality in order to succeed. Instead, confidence can coexist with empathy, professionalism, and kindness.

Trust Yourself-and Trust the Process

That philosophy extends beyond the workplace.

Hannah believes women sometimes need to remind themselves that they are capable, even when things don't immediately work out the way they hoped.

"I think sometimes you have to trust that you are an incredible woman," she says.

For her, that doesn't mean believing that everything will happen exactly as planned. It means understanding that an unexpected outcome doesn't necessarily mean the end of the road.

"Something may not work out the way you want it to, but there is a plan," she says. "Ultimately, what you want, if you keep putting in the work and you keep being patient and you put in the hard work, it will happen. It just may not happen the way you want it to."

Her own educational and professional journey reflects that belief.

Hannah completed two years at a community college before earning her Bachelor's degree in Business Management through the University of Phoenix online program while working full time. She remains connected to the University of Phoenix community as a member of its alumni group.

Her career path has similarly evolved through different experiences, eventually bringing together her interests in transportation, technology, operations, and relationships.

Knowing When to Pause

In Client Success, responsiveness is often viewed as one of the most important parts of the job. But Hannah has learned that being responsive doesn't always mean having an immediate answer.

When an urgent issue arises, her approach is to acknowledge it, let the customer know that she has seen the issue and is looking into it, and then take the time to understand what is actually happening.

"You don't always have to answer right away," she says.

Taking a moment to step back can create space to look at all the factors involved, ask the right questions, and make a better decision.

"You are better off to take a minute and look into what's happening, look at everything involving it, and ask questions before you make a decision."

For Hannah, that pause isn't hesitation. It's intentionality.

The Importance of Life Outside of Work

Hannah also believes that maintaining strong relationships outside of work is an important part of building a sustainable career.

"Personally, finding an outlet, whether it should involve a girlfriend or two, because female relationships help our mental state," she says. "Make sure that you've got at least one friend."

For her, success isn't defined solely by professional accomplishments. Having people outside of work to talk to, laugh with, and rely on provides perspective when work becomes demanding.

That belief in connection also shows up in how Hannah gives back to her community.

She volunteers with Meals on Wheels in Richmond and has supported Special Olympics. She was also involved with 4-H throughout middle school and high school.

Leading Through Connection

Much of Hannah's professional life centers around relationships. Managing more than 200 dealership rooftops requires organization, communication, and the ability to work with people who have different priorities, personalities, and ways of doing business.

But Hannah believes effective Client Success goes beyond managing an account.

It means listening. It means understanding what a customer is trying to accomplish, even when they may not know exactly how to get there. And it means being willing to advocate for the customer while also finding solutions that work operationally for everyone involved.

Her approach to leadership isn't about being the loudest person in the room. It's about being prepared, following through, continuing to learn, and having the confidence to stand behind a well-considered decision.

A Career Still Being Written

If there is one lesson Hannah has carried throughout her education and career, it is the importance of persistence.

Her path hasn't been perfectly linear, and she doesn't believe it needs to be.

For women building their careers, she encourages them to trust their abilities, remain patient, continue learning, and keep moving forward even when the outcome isn't what they initially envisioned.

Sometimes the opportunity comes from an unexpected direction. Sometimes the timeline changes. Sometimes a decision doesn't work out the way you hoped.

But that doesn't mean the work was wasted.

Hannah's story is a reminder that influence isn't always about having the biggest title or being the most visible person in the room. Sometimes it is about consistently showing up, doing the work, learning how people think, helping others succeed, and having the confidence to believe that you belong there.

And perhaps most importantly, it's about understanding that you don't have to have everything figured out to keep moving forward.