“After 30, a body has a mind of its own.” -Bette Midler
I love this quote by The Divine Miss M. It aptly expresses what has happened with Sophisticated Woman over the years—the way it seems to have taken on a life of its own. So, none of the team at G&A Publishing was surprised when the magazine demanded a fresh look for her 30th birthday. We promptly took off our pantyhose, rolled up our sleeves, and started with a face-lift. Then, we got to work on the inside adding new editorial features to our glossy new look.
As always, we remain committed to our roots—bringing you the best of the local businesses that provide their goods, services, talent and leadership to our Northshore community. Our cover stories will continue to showcase Enterprising Women, telling the stories behind their success, so readers can get some insight into what makes them exceptional. And, we will continue with our annual June issue that pays tribute to men in business.
Sophisticated Woman started life as Sophisticated Shopper, a direct mail guide sent to upscale residents in St. Tammany. In 1985, the vision of founders Dave Howell and Barbara Brocato was to provide a publication for local businesses to inform Northshore residents about what was available in their own back yards. Their combination of display ads and articles about the businesses quickly became the popular source for local shopping and remains that way today.
After purchasing the publication in 1993, G&A Publishing continued to evolve the shopper into what it has become today—a premiere magazine still geared primarily to women who, as we all know, continue to be influential in making purchase decisions on everything from autos to health care for themselves and their families.
We invite you to join our journey as we celebrate 30 years of publication. Look for new features each month. Check out our website where you can read the magazine online as well as explore new content and photos not printed in our publication. Sign up for our weekly newsletters so you can keep in touch with what’s going on in our community, from kids’ activities to the latest retail deals.
And finally, thank you all for being faithful readers, contributors and advertisers over the years.
Let me know what you think about the old girl’s new facelift. Visit our website to comment on this post, or email me: publisher@sophisticatedwoman.com.
