Every significant event has a back story. The official origins of Women’s Agenda began a year ago when Private Media CEO Amanda Gome, Private Media chair Eric Beecher and I began serious discussions about a digital publication for professional and business women. The reality is the conception for this idea occurred five years earlier.
Turning 40 forced me to consider my achievements and what it was that I still wanted to do with my life. Adding value to the lives of women was high on my list.
I’d earned my editing and publishing stripes in women’s media and it had become increasingly clear that the significant female shift to the digital world opened up an exciting gap in the market. While stay-at-home mums, women who cook and decorate their homes, fashionistas and women interested in celebrity gossip were well catered for, the pickings were slim for time-poor, career-focused women.
So six years ago I began collecting ideas for a publication that would satisfy the needs and desires of those women: jugglers like me. It needed to contain all of the ingredients that would be compelling to women in business: information about career progression, positive role models, inspirational stories, work/life balance ideas, investment strategies and relevant lifestyle information that understood the reality of my life.
When Amanda and Eric offered me the opportunity to create this ideal publication the plan was that we would launch it late 2011. But it was the worst possible year for me in terms of my family commitments. My oldest son was in his HSC year at school and he had to be my priority. It’s the ultimate balancing act for mothers with careers and one that my partners in this venture respected. We agreed to launch in 2012.
The vital role in the success of a publication is the editor. I met Angela Priestley briefly during a visit to the Private Media office before I joined the business and I knew immediately that she was the one to bring this exciting, but challenging project to life. Angela moved across on July 1 from The Power Index, a site she launched successfully a year earlier. Producer Jordi Roth joined her on the same day and we were away. Fast forward five weeks (only) and the big day has arrived: this talented editorial team has created an essential new publication for women with a design I can’t stop looking at or clicking on, thanks to our super talented art director Jemma McMahon.
The Women’s Agenda team also consists of the best in the business in sales, marketing, production and technology. We couldn’t have done it without them.
There is a special group of women (they know who they are) that I would like to thank for their eternal support of this project. They were believers from day one before we could show them the site design. You will see their talented faces and ideas featured throughout this website.
We are so proud to bring you a publication that can help you to achieve your career and life goals, while entertaining and inspiring you. Enjoy and engage with us so that together we can continue to refine the offering and meet your ever-evolving needs. I will be here each weekday to share my experiences of juggling a career, relationship, children, family and friends and I’m looking forward to getting to know you too.
See you again tomorrow.
Marina x