Seattle Business: Change Brings Fresh Ideas and Perspectives

This article appears in print in the April 2019 issue. Click here to subscribe.

Theres a brand-new team at Seattle Business magazine. You may know that longtime editor Leslie Helm left the publication in October after 10 years as executive editor. You also may have heard that John Levesque recently retired as managing editor after eight years. Some of you may remember me from my two stints at the Puget Sound Business Journal, most recently as editor in chief from 2014 to 2016. Our new managing editor, Bill Conroy, served as editor in chief of the San Antonio Business Journal for 20 years, and most recently he was editor in chief at Bothell-based Scotsman Guide Media, a national business-to-business magazine publisher focusing on the commercial and residential mortgage industries. Theres also a new art director, Gene Faught, and a new publisher, Cherie Singer, who has a deep background with the Puget Sound Business Journal as well.

The job Leslie and John did here was nothing short of phenomenal: The magazine nabbed the coveted General Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists last year for work done in 2017. Leslie and John injected life into the publication, delivered hard-hitting stories and connected with the business community, creating a sense of belonging and purpose. As a prominent business executive told me at one of our recent events, Youve got big shoes to fill.

Indeed. Yet new energy brings fresh ideas and unique perspectives. Weve already rolled out some new features, with more to come.

Our Daring Women series on the challenges and triumphs of successful female entrepreneurs now runs every month in the magazine. The feature grew from an innovative, informative event the magazine launched last year where the most fearless females in Seattle come together to discuss leadership and culture. (This years event is on May 21 at Block 41 in Seattles Belltown neighborhood.) We recently revamped what used to be called Executive Q&A by rebranding it as The SB Profile, with a different story-telling format designed to highlight the expertise and business acumen of executives across the Puget Sound region. Were launching a new event in August centered around commercial real estate development.

Other tweaks and twists are in the works.

Were also bulking up our digital news operation with a new content strategy to reflect feedback from readers who tell us they desire a mix of news and features in a timely fashion to complement the monthly print publication.

At its core, business journalism is all about covering growth and growth companies. We do this in a variety of ways, but the emphasis is on giving readers business tips and strategies while focusing on the personalities and companies, both big and small, that are driving unprecedented change across the Puget Sound region.

Ultimately, Seattle Business magazines role is to surprise, educate and inspire. As always, let us know how were doing.