25 years ago... WOMAN today the

Patrick and Glenda Sherman launched The Woman Today magazine showcasing the talents and influence of the women of the Northland. Six years ago the Duluth News Tribune acquired The Woman Today magazine vowing to grow the legacy the Shermans started.

As The Woman Today celebrates its 25th anniversary, it remains a community-oriented publication intent on telling the stories of women from all walks of life and all the good they do in our community.

It’s fitting for a magazine that the traditional gift of any first anniversary has been paper. The threads within paper symbolize the strength and connectivity of the blossoming relationship. Paper is also a blank slate, a reference to the beginnings of a new life together.

When the Shermans started The Woman Today they indeed started with a blank slate prepared to tell the unique and powerful stories of local women. The Shermans took a chance believing a magazine focused on telling the stories of local women would have a large audience. They were right. Readers connected with the stories, and the magazine, immediately and an amazing relationship took flight.

Sherman was onced asked when he started The Woman Today if he ever worried about having enough stories to tell. His response: “We believe everyone has a story.”

Today’s staff of The Woman Today has found Sherman’s exclamation to be true. The story ideas are abundant and the readership continues to grow.

The 25th anniversary is referred to as the silver anniversary because silver symbolizes the harmony needed to grow and sustain a relationship throughout such a long period of time. The magazine’s fervent readership suggests the staff of The Woman Today continues to strike the right notes with readers. Time has marched on and The Woman Today has continued to tell the stories of the amazing women of our community and readers have flocked to the magazines as soon as they hit the stands.

While the content mission of the magazine has remained intently focused on local women, some things have changed.

The magazine now publishes eight times per year, an increase from its initial six times per year, and is still found in local grocery stores free of charge to its loyal readers. The Woman Today is now also found online at www. thewomantoday.com and the magazine utilizes a heavy social media presence to boost the exposure of its highquality content. The Woman Today has also expanded into the event world, hosting the annual Rosie Awards to honor high-achieving women in our community.

We’re certain the next 25 years will bring more of the same. We will cover the many fascinating women in our community, keep the relationship with our readers fresh with new ideas and continue our expansion into the digital world.

Thank you, our readers, for an amazing 25 years and to the Shermans for their bold vision to launch The Woman Today. Neal

Ronquist, Publisher