Why Austin Woman Matters

Lessons learned while working for the magazine.

By Molly McManus, Illustration by Jessica Wetterer

As someone involved in more than 50 issues of AW, I was approached to write this month’s Last Word topic: “Why Austin Woman Magazine Matters.” From intern to freelance writer to associate editor, I have plenty to say on why the magazine matters. But first, I want to share how it’s influenced my own journey, inevitably altering the course of my life.

Four years ago, my application for a marketing-and-events intern was mistakenly filed into the editorial-intern stack. Halfway through my interview, we realized what happened. Being a desperate college graduate, I was eager to do anything. You need help at events? I can do that. You need me to write? I can do that. Looking back, this “mis take” turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to me. Having always written as a hobby, I never thought I could actually make a living as a writer. Boy, was I wrong.

Editor-in-Chief Deborah Hamilton-Lynne saw something in my writing and gave me the confidence to pursue a career in the editorial industry. While she’s provided unwavering guidance on writing, interviewing and the ins and outs of magazines, I’ve learned the most from her allowing me autonomy, to make mistakes and learn from them, truly trusting me to get the job done. She, along with AW Publisher Melinda Garvey, gave me my first real job out of college, and for all the life lessons that came along with that, I am forever grateful.

Austin Woman gives a voice to the women of this city and a place to turn each month. With every issue, I’m reinvigorated by the flourishing female spirit and inspirational stories that help make Austin what it is today. The lessons learned from the female perspective gracing AW’s pages are insurmountable and nearly impossible to encapsulate. I’ve done my best to articulate the wisdom many of these women have passed down.

Ballet Afrique Founder China Smith taught us about the power of dance and how teaching children to love themselves in order to love others can transform a community. Novelist Elizabeth Crook exhibited the power of the written word coupled with extensive research. Psychedelic jazz band Jitterbug Vipers solidified that finding your tribe is essential and that it can be found in the least likely places. Musician Elizabeth McQueen taught us about being vulnerable within the work we create and that life doesn’t end when you get married or have children, contrary to what society seems to tell women. Entrepreneur Magatte Wade taught us to never compromise what you ultimately want in business and in life, proving that you really can have it all.

The lessons in every issue of Austin Woman make it an invaluable resource, as we seek out women who are unafraid to speak their truths, laying a foundation for those of us who may be less inclined to do so. This ongoing conversation among Austin’s women has allowed me to find my own voice in the process.

Sadly, by the time we go to print on this issue, I will have left AW. While it was a tough decision, I blame the 60-plus women I’ve interviewed for the magazine, who, through their own hard-earned successes, have encouraged me to pursue my career goals and challenge my comfort zone in order to reach new heights. These are the female trailblazers and the everyday heroes who make our city awesome and who make us at Austin Woman get up and go to work every day. We hope their stories encourage you as well, to learn it’s never too late to change your course, find your voice and unearth your passion.

November’s Last Word topic will be “My Home-makeover Disaster.”
To be considered, email a 500-word submission by Oct. 1 to submissions@awmediainc.com.