Macon Magazine

February/March 2020

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TRAVEL GIVES ME head and soul space, a renewed vision for life and work. My trip to Miami for an Entrepreneur Learning Exchange hosted by the Knight Foundation this January was timely. As we were finalizing this issue, I joined a Macon cohort in the foundation's headquarter city to share in conversation and observe key initiatives and people in Miami's entrepreneur ecosystem. In his welcome to our eager group, Knight's Chief Program Officer Sam Gill stated: In fostering entrepreneurship we are to help people with interesting ideas get help in our community to be successful. He then went on to say, "Maybe that's the thing that's going to save us (in this digital age)." He's right. And while it wasn't a focus of the exchange, I have learned the number of female entrepreneurs and their startup success is growing, but we have to play catch up. My most significant takeaway from the gathering: It's about the people. Supporting that femme-focused hustle is a founding principle of my new venture, The Web. A women- centered, member work-club that fosters and enhances purpose among freelancers, entrepreneurs and people of all walks of life, The Web was formed to support success. My co-founders, Elizabeth Schorr and Jessica Walden, and I believe we have a responsibility to support the work-life balance that we know well as working mothers. Application for membership to The Web is open to all. Macon Magazine's focus on our beloved community aligns with The Web's goal of community, not competition. Authenticity in the face of challenges and systemic issues, which I believe are uniquely feminine and often connected to skin color, are guiding The Web's work. We celebrate wisdom, strength and productivity over perfection. Speaking of perfection, you might notice Cherry Blossom Queen Michaela Heide on our cover is wearing a crown that is slightly off-center. That is precisely one of the reasons we chose this photo. Who wants perfect? That's not real. Co-cover woman, the phenomenal Sheknita Davis's fierce advocacy focus after her far from perfect childhood is a must read. You'll also find other important stories of work that is improving the lives of our people in this issue. As we launched the December issue, Capricorn Studios began a new chapter in its iconic history. In her engaging, heartfelt speech at the Mercer Music at Capricorn opening, Amantha Walden shared stories of her late father and Capricorn co-founder, Phil Walden, and a touching story about a friend whose dying mother said to her daughter, "We begin again." Those three words continue to come back to me and remind me of our natural flow, which begins again with every new day. May we all begin again this spring with a readiness to help our people be more successful in the face of challenge, adversity and imperfections. susannah@maconmagazine.com @susannahmaddux EDITOR'S LETTER It's about the people. LEFT: JESSICA WALDEN, ELIZABETH SCHORR AND ME THE MORNING OF THE LAUNCH OF THE WEB IN THE CLUBHOUSE AT 1083 WASHINGTON AVE. RIGHT: TOASTING A MIAMI SUNSET ON THE MIAMI RIVER. 8 M ACO N M AG A Z I N E.CO M | F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 2 0

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