From advising to owning: making digital transformation personal
Charity Huff has long been known as a digital strategist, consultant and CEO of January Spring — a company that has helped hundreds of publishers embrace digital transformation. But in late 2024, she decided to take a bold leap and become a publisher herself. Huff acquired 5280 Magazine, Denver's long-standing city and lifestyle publication. It wasn’t just about expanding her portfolio, but about demonstrating firsthand that a modern, digitally driven media company could thrive without abandoning its roots.
“I want to help publishers through this digital transformation so that they can come out stronger on the other side with a better revenue stream,” Huff explained. She said the decision was sparked during strategic planning at January Spring: “Sometimes we can bring the horse to the pond, but we can’t get them to drink… so we thought, what if we owned the pond?”
The team identified 5280 as an ideal investment — a brand with deep community roots, high engagement and a respected print legacy. “The audience is really strong, very engaged. We have a good anchor brand in that beautiful, award-winning magazine,” she said.
Keeping print central while expanding the brand
Rather than viewing print as outdated or burdensome, Huff considers it a vital asset. “We are all in on our print program,” she said. “It is the thing that anchors you. It’s what gets you to the table to have a much broader conversation.”
Huff sees the printed magazine as both a differentiator and proof of the brand’s value. She’s also discovered a new appreciation for the craft of magazine publishing. “It has been actually the most fun part of this job for me," she admitted, noting her art director and editorial team taught her “Magazine 101” after years in digital. “That cover is the advertising… it’s what will grab somebody and bring them in to read all of that robust journalism we are producing.”
The revenue mix and the power of niche
Huff was candid when asked to break down the publication's revenue sources. “We are still heavy on our print revenue as our leading revenue source, and then behind that is digital, but most of it is owned and operated,” she said. Events come next, followed by subscriptions, which remain strong.
Though folded into their digital revenue stream, email is a standout performer. “Email is by far the biggest within that kind of smaller piece,” she added. Huff credits the magazine’s success to its strong identity and loyal following. “In the case of a city regional magazine, the niche is the community,” she explained. “I love being from this place. I want to be associated with other people who love this place.”
Balancing talent and technology
From her years at January Spring, Huff clearly understands the delicate balance between automation and human expertise. “I’ve tried to do the right mix of where we invest in tech and where we invest in service and people,” she said. As 5280 grows, she’s focused on strengthening reporting tools and integrating consumer migration data to make smarter media buys.
“Where can you own the data with all of your first-party data, or where can you have that migration data and geofence and do all the location-based stuff?” she asked. “That’s where a lot of the next-gen media buying will come from.”
Treading carefully with AI
Huff is measured when it comes to AI in the newsroom. “We are purposefully going to always be lagging on AI because we want to make sure that it’s independent and authentic,” she said. But she does see utility in it—as a research tool rather than a writing engine. “We have the opportunity… to help us inform new, updated stories about what’s happening in Colorado.”
Transparency is key. “Oh yes, oh my gosh, yes,” Huff said when asked if her audience would be told how AI is used. Meanwhile, on the January Spring side, Huff is exploring internal AI bots to help sales teams access frequently asked information. “We’re figuring out… how can we train an AI bot to help those sales teams get the answer to their question?”
Events emerge as a powerful tool for revenue and relevance
In conversations with advertisers, Huff has been repeatedly surprised by one consistent request: events. “They want to figure out how to facilitate some meaningful conversations and meetings with those people that they're trying to do business with,” she said. While not a digital platform per se, events offer the kind of hyper-local targeting that many advertisers crave.
Huff gave a recent example: “We just had our first consumer event of the year… brunch is a huge food category for 5280. Sold out. Every restaurant partner, every liquor and drink partner said, “This was amazing.” For Huff, events are simply an extension of what publishers have always done. “There is something to that connection piece, which we’ve always done — connecting buyers and sellers.”
Independence is an asset, not a liability
Huff is quick to celebrate the benefits of independent ownership. “Oh, 100% beneficial — and by design,” she said. “That independent voice and having the ability to find our path… you don’t get that if I had done something with a big bank or as a minority owner.”
She believes deeply in shared responsibility and empowerment. “The 5280 team and the January Spring team have as much ownership in these businesses as I do,” she added. That ownership fuels their ability to innovate and serve their community authentically.
A vision for five years out
When asked what she hopes 5280 will look like in five years, Huff sees evolution without losing the soul of the brand. “We will still be publishing a print magazine. It will be fat and robust and the core of what we’re doing,” she said.
But the strategy will be omnichannel: “You’ll see us with a much more robust video and streaming strategy. You’ll see us doubling down on newsletters… and, as we discussed, events.” Huff sees 5280 everywhere in Denver — “the premier brand and the trusted tastemaker for what’s happening in this city.”
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