I see Gulf Coast Woman magazine as a wunderkind who has blossomed into an amazingly accomplished woman.
I’m sure Dr. Angela Bruni, when she launched the first edition of the magazine 25 years ago this month, could not have imagined how her project, which she started as “something to do” to use her mind during maternity leave, would grow into a multimedia company with a team that produces excellent results in the print, digital and video realms. It was my honor to join Angela in her mission to serve women back in 2012. I am amped up and focused on continuing to lead the growth of what is now GCW Media.
I am very proud of Angela’s tenacity and hard work in starting a publication without any journalism, graphic design or small business experience. What she had was a heart to serve women locally, a good head for numbers and a determination to succeed.
Under Angela’s direction, the publication grew from a newsprint tabloid into a glossy magazine with 24 pages. When we partnered in 2012, I focused on the editorial, design and marketing areas of the business. Back then, I edited all the articles, wrote many of the stories, designed and managed the website, set up a Facebook page … and the list goes on. By late 2014, I was running on empty.
I met with Angela and said, “I’m working harder than the money we’re making.” She quickly asked, “Are you saying you’re quitting???”
“No,” I replied, “but we have to go big or go home.”
That was the day everything changed at GCW. We developed and deployed a new strategy, and the results it yielded allowed us to grow. The increase in team numbers removed many of our limitations.
The company has seen a 92 percent revenue growth over the past seven years. We also have hired what I consider to be some of the very best talent in South Mississippi in sales director Sherry Moxley Seaman, marketing director Crystal Scretching, associate editor Jennifer Gentile, success strategist Veronica Ratcliff and our many contributors like photographer Brandi Stage, graphic designer Farrah Underwood, social media specialist Jessica Smith and video content creator Alexa Harrison.
My team and I are grateful for all the businesses that have believed in and supported us through the years. I am overwhelmed by the positive response we hear regularly from readers and viewers, who celebrate with us as we showcase women on the Coast and their accomplishments in each edition.
We promise to keep working hard every day to create platforms and opportunities for our readers, viewers and advertisers. We will continue to expand beyond a printed magazine, reaching you digitally and in person.
We know we’re significantly impacting and reaching women in South Mississippi when our event registrations and poll engagement continue to climb. For instance, we were thrilled to see 1,300-plus nominations for our 100 Successful Women to Know campaign. We’ll continue to grow the 100 Successful Women to Know celebration luncheon and the PowHER of 100 grant program, which recently awarded grants totaling $4,000 to two female-owned small businesses. We will continue to offer our advertising partners integrated strategies with monthly reporting to show how well their investment is succeeding. We will continue to give women the information they need to live better lives and highlight women doing remarkable things. Too often, they don’t receive the recognition they deserve.
Stay tuned for more great content and promotional opportunities in 2024!
Thank you, and here’s to another great 25 years!
Dorothy P. Wilson, Publisher