By Samantha Cart
Since 1998, West Virginia Executive (WVE) magazine has been sharing in-depth profiles and news coverage with the Mountain State’s business community, carving out its reputation as the state’s premier business-to-business publication.
In 2008, 10 years after the magazine’s inception and in the midst of a country-wide financial crisis, five partners bought out the previous owner and established Executive Ink, LLC, the publishing company for WVE, Discover West Virginia and Profiles magazines. The company has undergone serious changes and weathered many storms over the past decade, but it has come out stronger and more committed than ever to celebrating West Virginia’s success stories.
In celebration of 20 years in print, WVE’s editor in chief, Kensie Hamilton Fauber, shares her views on the magazine’s growth and where it is heading in the future.
WVE magazine has been in print for 20 years. What thoughts and emotions come to mind when you consider that?
When did 2018 get here, and has it only be 13 years since my first day at the magazine? I graduated college in 2005 and started working for the magazine two weeks later. This has been my only grown-up job, and I feel blessed to have been able to put my heart and soul into this magazine for the past 13 years.
I’m so proud of our magazine and the role it plays in helping promote our great state while defeating unfair stereotypes and celebrating our best-kept secret: our people. I’m also proud of our gifted staff. They love West Virginia more than most people I have met, and they take the mission of the magazine—to promote West Virginia—very seriously. I couldn’t do this without them, and I wouldn’t want to.
In what ways has the company grown or changed over the past 20 years?
Executive Ink, LLC is not the founding publisher of West Virginia Executive magazine. My partners and I bought the magazine from its founder in November 2008 and created Executive Ink as the parent company. When the sale was final, we sat down and addressed a whole slew of topics, from how to improve the quality of our editorial to completely overhauling our mail list.
While West Virginia Executive has remained a statewide business magazine, we have made content changes such as incorporating departments in each issue so there is something for every reader. We also added regional advertising to offer another marketing opportunity specific to businesses with a targeted area in mind.
A few years ago, we did a complete overhaul of our website, www.wvexecutive.com. We now offer online advertising opportunities, and readers can find a page-turn version of the current issue to review. Since then, we have also increased the amount of exclusive online content, called web exclusives, to help us overcome the challenges of limited print space and timeliness as a quarterly magazine. We have launched social media accounts for both West Virginia Executive and Discover West Virginia in order to share our content with a new audience and have a direct line of communication with our followers.
We have also started planning annual company retreats. These give us time to bond as a company—and as friends—while scheduling time away from ringing phones and full inboxes to focus on addressing challenges and brainstorming new opportunities.
We have grown our awards programs from one to three. Our Young Guns program has been around since 1998. We started Sharp Shooters in 2016, which focuses on outstanding West Virginians over the age of 43, and last year, we launched Lawyers & Leaders in partnership with West Virginia University College of Law to honor elite lawyers who studied at WVU or now practice in the Mountain State. Our awards programs are a great way to recognize those making a difference in our state while setting a bar for others to reach.
With the popularity of our awards receptions, we also expanded our events calendar to include Celebrate receptions. We travel to three cities in other parts of the state every year to meet and greet our readers while creating a unique networking opportunity for them.
As a West Virginia business owner, what is the most valuable lesson you have learned along the way?
Of all the lessons I have learned over the last 13 years, I would say being flexible has been the most important. One of the best things about small business is that you get to remain agile. We have the luxury of switching directions when things don’t seem to be going right or even blazing a whole new trail. There’s a sign on my desk that says, “If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan but never the goal.” This is our course of action for every bump in the road.
Another valuable lesson has been to always mind the company you keep. That can be true for customers, clients or employees. If you hire those with a similar passion for the work you are doing, the company as a whole is more successful and able to embrace the challenges more effectively. I can honestly say we have hit a home run with our staff. I am thankful for their drive, loyalty and creativity every day.
Thinking of the future, what are you looking forward to the most?
I am excited to see how West Virginia continues to evolve economically, and I’m looking forward to playing a role in that through West Virginia Executive.
Outside of the magazine, I am looking forward to watching how the next generation will lead the state into the future. I’m seeing now those from my generation step up to not only lead companies but communities around the state. It’s inspiring and heartwarming. There is a shift occurring in West Virginia, and it’s an honor to be able to not only play a part in the next chapter of our great state’s story but also watch that success story unfold.
As a new mother, I am also looking forward to raising my daughter, Quinn, in West Virginia and nurturing within her a love and loyalty for the Mountain State.
When you look back over the past 20 years, what are you most proud of?
Over the past 20 years, West Virginia Executive has had the honor of showcasing 270 Young Guns, 30 Sharp Shooters, 28 Lawyers & Leaders and countless other incredible people, companies and organizations that love West Virginia and are committed to her growth and prosperity.
I am proud of every day over the last 13 years that I have been able to commit my time and energy to helping move West Virginia forward.
What has changed the most in the last 20 years?
I think technology has definitely changed the most, at least in the 13 years I have been doing this. Technology might not be the first thing that comes to mind when talking about magazine publishing, but it is directly impacted. Over the last couple of years, we have had employees working as far away as Alabama, so being able to share data and have video chats has been vital to our success. Technology touches every aspect of publishing, from how we collect information and send our files to the printer to how we interact with our readers. We shoot video while we are out on location for photo shoots to include in our digital magazine version. We utilize a page-turn version of the magazine online to make our content more accessible, and we share content and information through our social media accounts to directly reach our readers. Last year, we adopted a new recordkeeping system that has streamlined our processes. We now use one web-based portal instead of half a dozen spreadsheets to track vital company information.
Something we didn’t have to deal with 13 years ago that is now a challenge is this misconception that print is dying. While newspapers around the country have struggled in recent years, print magazines are stable, and readership continues to grow. Niche magazines in particular—like West Virginia Executive—are experiencing continued growth and success.
What is your vision for the next 20 years?
My plan is to still be producing West Virginia Executive magazine in 20 years. Our mission of promoting West Virginia will be just as important then as it is today. We are always looking for new opportunities to celebrate the Mountain State and expand our reach. I’d like to see our portfolio expand with some additional titles. We have a lot of ideas for ways we can help shape the way West Virginians—and the rest of the world—see the state. Stay tuned!
