Nearly a decade in nonprofit journalism has brought me back to the heart of what drew me to storytelling in the first place—only now with deeper clarity, experience, and purpose. I’m returning to my roots, carrying everything I’ve learned along the way, to build something that’s been in me for as long as I can remember.
That spark is what led me, more than 10 years ago, to launch The ‘Sip Magazine—a print publication born from a deep love for Mississippi and a belief that our stories needed to be told through a different lens. Over nearly five years and 15 issues, I poured my whole self into that work. It was personal. It was driven by purpose. It built a community of creators and storytellers who wanted to tell Mississippi’s story with more care and complexity.
In 2018, I quietly closed that chapter—no big announcement, no farewell issue—just the knowing it was time to pause. I took my mix of traditional reporting skills, self-taught design and tech know-how, and a love of connection into nonprofit digital news.
My time at Mississippi Today, and later at Deep South Today, was a masterclass in leading through change. I learned how to navigate complexity, build and support teams, and push for people-first strategies in an industry often driven by metrics alone. It strengthened my belief that the future of journalism depends on centering storytelling, trust, and connection above all else.
Alongside that work, I was hired to create programs and experiences at the Catfish Row Museum, celebrating my hometown’s cultural heritage. Those overlapping experiences helped me see how journalism could evolve—and what it would take to build something rooted in culture and connection. I realized that, with the right approach, we can transform news into experiences that allow people to see themselves—and each other—in the stories.
Now, I’m carrying that forward into something of my own—but built for all of us.
I’m proud to introduce The Sip Collective, powered by LF Voices Collective and fiscally sponsored by Tiny News Collective. Together, they form a storytelling ecosystem with two parts working in sync:
- The Sip Collective (nonprofit) – Amplify the Sip digital publication, the Contributor Collective, the Story Exchange, The ‘Sip Archive, Sip Circle membership, and FieldGuide training and fellowship.
- LF Voices Collective (for-profit studio) – StoryLab multimedia storytelling, StorySpace Live events, Sip & Celebrate Legacy Kits, Porch Stories podcast/video series, and StorySouth festival.
All of it is designed to do one thing: create more human, connected ways for people to share, experience, and celebrate stories.
The first issue of Amplify the Sip—centered on Resilience—drops next Saturday. It’s a personal one for me. We’re opening with stories that trace back to my own journey: blues legend Vasti Jackson, someone I first interviewed over a decade ago for H.C. Porter’s Blues @ Home project and later featured on the cover of The ‘Sip’s winter 2017 issue, and Dr. Alyssa Killebrew, someone I’ve known since high school whose heart and work as a mental health advocate have shaped how I think about connection and care.
It feels right that these stories are the ones starting this new chapter. They bring the circle all the way around—and make it clear why this work matters. This isn’t just a launch. It’s a return, a continuation, and the next step in building what I’ve been dreaming of all along. Sign up here.
