Making Headlines

Hixson had been handling much of the editing and production of the magazine, while Means had managed the marketing and business end. "Even though we were four years into it, I didn't have the editing experience [to go it alone]," Means says. "I didn't know if I was going to be able to find a replacement for the things my partner did."

But Means could and did. She hired someone to take over Hixson's editing duties, and as the sole publisher, Means continued to immerse herself in the magazine. And by 1997, Means herself was almost burned out. "I went to dinner with a friend who always gives me clearheaded, rational advice--a very good businessperson. And I was sitting there sobbing, `I'm so tired.' He looked at me and said, `You don't have the time to be tired. You've got to decide what you want and how to achieve that.'"

It was Means' second turning point in her life, at least concerning Turning Point. Her friend's words made an impact. She pushed forward and didn't give up. "[Publishing the magazine solo] made me look seriously at whether it was worth staying in the business," she says. "But it taught me something about myself. Yes, I have a strong will to do what's necessary to accomplish my goals. It taught me to accept help from people, because a lot of people stepped forward to provide help and advice. It taught me to say `Yes, thanks so much,' rather than `No.' Now, when people say, `How can I help?' I have a list, and I say `What on the list can you do?'"

Mostly, Means says, the magazine has become so successful because "Turning Point hasn't been a singular effort; it's been a community effort [of people saying] `We believe in what you're doing.'"

And Means insists, "I haven't done anything by myself. Every time I turned around, there was someone there to give me a hand or advice, or to make some phone calls for me. The people who work here aren't employees; they're all partners. Turning Point is more than a magazine."

This article was originally published in the September 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Making Headlines.