About LFVC + The Sip Collective
A Storytelling Platform and Studio Rooted in Connection
LF Voices Collective is a storytelling and engagement studio that works with organizations to turn stories into experiences that connect people and communities.
Through this work, it powers The Sip Collective, a storytelling platform focused on Mississippi’s people, culture, and places.
The work is grounded in a simple idea: stories can do more than inform. When paired with context, shared experience, and community, they can help people better understand where they live, see how stories connect across time, and build stronger connections with each other.
By linking storytelling to real-world experiences, this approach creates opportunities for people to engage with stories in ways that feel relevant, human, and rooted in place.
Lauchlin, Olivia, Grady & Henry | Photo by Thortis Photography
Our Structure
The Sip Collective and LF Voices Collective work together as a connected storytelling system.
The Sip Collective is the public storytelling platform. It shares stories about Mississippi’s people, culture, and places through Amplify The Sip and related storytelling projects.
LF Voices Collective (LFVC) is the studio behind the work. It partners with museums, nonprofits, and organizations to turn stories into experiences, including events, exhibits, and community engagement.
Together, they create a cycle where stories are not just published, but experienced—helping people connect more deeply with each other and the places they live.
Our Origin
Lauchlin Fields grew up in Mississippi, shaped by both front porch storytelling and a career in local journalism.
In 2014, she launched The ‘Sip magazine to tell deeper stories about Mississippi’s people, culture, and place in a way that felt real and connected to everyday life. Over time, her work expanded into newsroom strategy, audience engagement, and innovation across the region.
LF Voices Collective was created to take that work further—building a way to connect storytelling with real community engagement.
The Sip Collective is the next step: bringing together storytelling, experience, and partnership to help stories do more than inform.
From Our Founder
This really started with a question I couldn’t shake:
What if people actually felt seen in the stories we tell?
I kept thinking about the front porch, about family stories, about the way connection used to happen more naturally. That shaped how I see storytelling and what it should be.
LFVC comes from that place. It’s about helping people feel seen and creating stories that bring people closer, especially the ones rooted in culture, community, and place.
Over time, that idea grew into something more. Not just stories, but experiences. Not just something to read, but something people can be part of.
That’s what this work is about.
Our Approach
We create stories and experiences that are grounded in real people, real places, and real communities. Our work connects storytelling to shared experience—so people don’t just read stories, they engage with them.
Our work brings together:
Cultural storytelling
Stories rooted in identity, place, and memory
Community connection
Stories that reflect the people they’re about and create space for dialogue
Immersive experiences
Events, exhibits, and formats that invite participation and shared understanding
Practical tools
Simple resources that help others tell stories and build connection in their own communities
“I started LFVC because I believe stories can bring us together.
When people feel seen, they feel connected—and connection is where change begins.”
What We’re Building
We’re building a connected storytelling system rooted in Mississippi.
At the center is Amplify The Sip, our digital publication focused on the people, culture, and places that shape the state.
From there, stories extend into real-world experiences and community engagement through LF Voices Collective, including events, exhibits, and partnerships with organizations.
Around that core, we’re developing tools and programs that support storytelling and connection, including:
- The ‘Sip Archive, preserving stories and cultural memory
- StoryLab, supporting storytelling projects and collaborations
- Live events and community experiences
- Training and tools for emerging storytellers
Each part is designed to work together, creating a cycle where stories lead to experiences, and experiences deepen connection.
