b'Matters heart of thematterThingsthat Matter Since 1990 Following the Featuring Local People, Places and PUBLISHER Path& EDITOR IN CHIEFEllen DonkerASSOCIATEEDITOR It sometimes meandersRosemary MattsonBY ELLEN DONKERSOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERRachael EntineADVERTISING CONSULTANTSRene Conlon Iwasasillypiecehesitated until I was convinced by others H. Leslie GilmanAmy PowerCOPY EDITORS wrote my first poem in third Nick Humez grade.Itthat I had sufficient skills, a talented staff Tia Swanson about hiccupping and pick- and a collection of veteran freelancers ingupmyroomandIfeltto lean on. I also liked to learn what CONTRIBUTORS bothhilariousandbrilliantIdidntknow. WhenIdecidedto Adrianna Donat withmyabilitytostringto- moveforwardtobecomethenext Olivia Mack McCool gether a rhyme. That first pieceowner, I know the Matters staff held Tami Steckler gave me a glimpse of the joy of self- their collective breaths and were kind Tia Swanson expression.not to judge until they had a chance to Julia Maloof Verderosa During my school years, I contin- work with me on a few issues.ued to enjoy writing, whether it was in the form of journ- Although my life as a small business owner contains its aling or a research paper. But I never thought about join- share of tedium that I cant delegate, I wouldnt trade it for ing the school paper or pursuing a career in journalism,the autonomy, flexibility and plain fun that I have with our and no one ever suggested it. team putting each issue together. Since I didnt grow up in When it came to start a career, I looked to my fatherthe world of journalism, Ive suffered from imposter syn-as my role model. He owned a successful business anddrome, but I continue to train myself to be better at writ-encouraged me to find something I loved and turn it intoing, designing and analyzing the business. Im thankful to my own venture. Fascinated with mail order catalogs, Ibe blessed with lots of curiosity, which is probably the most decided to major in business and economics to be properlyuseful skill of all.Please address all correspondence to: prepared. I still loved to write so I took a poetry class andThis issue, were running our annual Women in Busi-Visual Impact Advertising, Inc. immediately felt unworthy by being the only non-Englishness feature and our theme is Connecting the Dots to My P.O. Box 198 major there. I spent hours honing my poems and couldCareer Story. I interviewed 36 dynamic women business Maplewood, NJ 07040 barelymustertheconfidencetoreadthemaloud,but,owners who graciously shared their paths. Not surprisingly, 973-763-4900 in the end, I showed that an economics major could bemost of their journeys have not been straight lines. In fact, mattersmagazine.comcreative after all.almost all of the women are working in different careers info@mattersmagazine.com Although I never did launch a catalog company, thatthan when they first started out. For many it was an evolu-Matters Magazine is owned and publishedinterest pointed me in the direction of direct marketingtion and for others a complete 180-degree turn. A few won-by Visual Impact Advertising, Inc., P.O.and advertising positions where I continued writing anddered why they werent encouraged to turn a hobby into a Box 198, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Mattersediting marketing copy when needed. After I had childrenprofession and instead were advised to follow a convention-Magazine is free, with editions direct mailed 7 times a year to the residents of Maplewoodand stepped away from the workforce for a while, I triedal career path. When their passions kept popping up, they and South Orange and distributed to busi- getting back into my field on a part-time basis to workeventually found a way to incorporate them into careers.nesses and surrounding communities total- while my children were in school. But my line of workMaybe thats what happened to me. I sometimes ask ing 16,000. Subscriptions are available to non-residents for $30 (U.S.), $40 (Foreign)didnt seem to exist in any form other than full time.myself what would have happened if I had been prodded to annually. No part of the publication may beEventually, I patched together a few part-time jobs: Ijoin the school paper, major in English or consider journal-reprinted or otherwise reproduced without writtenpermissionfromVisualImpactfound a position in nonprofit development and one inism as a career. I am fortunate to have found fulfillment in Advertising, Inc. sales for Matters Magazine, a publication whose mission ofmarketing and advertising. Plus it gave me the skills that CIRCULATION VERIFIED BY sharing good news stories I adored.prepared me to do something that never crossed my mind U.S. POSTAL RECEIPTS. And then something happened that had never been onuntil I was asked. And while I wont be putting my poems READ & RECYCLE my radar: I was presented with the opportunity to buyin print anytime soon, I look forward to continuing to tell the Matters Magazine business. Feeling very unqualified, Ithe stories about people in our midst who matter. 10/ matters magazine / fall 2022'