“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the COMMUNITY, and as long as I live it is my privilege to
do for it whatever I can.”
do for it whatever I can.”
- George Bernard Shaw
Dear Readers,
This is the quote I have had on my email signature for, well maybe almost a decade! Every time I am about to take it off, or even change it, I stop short and think…no, this really says it all. THIS is what defines not just my own personal reflection of purpose, in what and why I do what I do as publisher of this community magazine, but it also sums up definitively, what WE do here at YOUR Williamson and why. It’s all about community. The bee in our business logo and seen in different ways on our various platforms – is also a reflection of community. The bee represents community after all, and another of our tenets – social. And what is more indicative of community than socializing!
I can still remember when we were round-tabling and white-boarding, ten years ago, trying to come up with who we were and what we were about. The why of a business, and the what of a business model, may be simple in many instances. If you sell widgets, for example, you plan to sell as many widgets as possible to make as much profit as possible. Oh sure, quality, customer service and growth, will all be important factors too. But in our case, we found, what we were “selling,” far bigger than just a widget, or in our case – an advertisement.
It all comes back to community for me. We are selling this community: Williamson County. When I tell people who and what we are – why THIS magazine, it’s because of Williamson County and this community. It IS a Distinctively Southern Place, and a place so unique and so incredible, it deserves no less than its own publication. We define ourselves as THE Lifestyle, Social, Business, Community publication for and about Williamson County. And whose community is that? That would be YOUR Williamson.
And so, we were off. Came up with a tagline, a logo and a template for design; some demographics – oh just about the best in the country; a distribution plan; chose size, paper stock and circulation plan – and voila – we had a magazine. If only it were that simple! Now, ten years and nearly 100 issues later – we reflect on what we are: Have we stayed true? Did we deliver? Have we ebbed and flowed and grown and tempered, and met the times? Of course. Have we fallen short? Have we failed and cried and despaired? Most certainly. Have we persevered? Come through it? Figured out a way? And gotten the job done? Every. Single. Time.
After hundreds of contributors, writers, photographers, salespeople and other employees; literally thousands of stories and profiles about this community; and over a million dollars in donated promotion and advertising to local nonprofits and charitable events; we are here, and we are still YOUR Williamson.
We are all looking for community. We are all, in so many ways, defined by the communities we find ourselves in: Our church, our work, our schools, our friends, our families – all the communities we become part of, and that we pour who we are, into. Our world lost its community this last year it felt like. Isolation, social distancing, losing our identity behind a mask, and having to shut ourselves off from those communities that define us, has taken a toll. But now is the time to become a community once again. BEE SOCIAL! Live life and enjoy what it is to be a part of Williamson County once again. We are ready! Are you? Let’s start this next decade off, showing our smiles, sharing our time and talents, giving back once again, enjoying fellowship of all kinds, as we take YOUR Williamson to the next level! And may I just say once again, never too often, what a privilege it is to showcase this community and YOU! Thank you!
Shelly Robertson Birdsong
Founder | Publisher
