Mr. Magazine

As ACT 7 gears up to begin its seventh year of Amplifying, Clarifying, and Testifying the power of print in a digital age, the esteemed and prestigious leaders in the world of all-things-magazine are also preparing to head to Oxford, Miss. for the event. This year’s opening ceremony will take place at the Inn at Ole Miss on the evening of April 25, and will bring a success story that only happens between the pages of magazines; or at least, because of them.

Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, CEO of Hoffman Media and the recently named hottest magazine publisher of the year by Media Industry Newsletter and Mr. Magazine™, and her two twin sons, Brian Hart Hoffman, Chief Creative Officer, and Eric Hoffman, Chief Operating Officer, who are both the central reason she started all of this over 30 years ago with her sister and two close friends, will all three deliver the ACT 7 Experience keynote opening remarks at the gala dinner event. Suffice it to say, that what began as a Crafting & Needlework Village has become an epic women’s interest empire.

The theme for the ACT 7 Experience is Magazines Matter, Print Matters, and the Hoffman’s can certainly attest and address that fact. Phyllis will be mapping the history and passion of Hoffman Media; Eric will speak about the business side of the company and the streams of revenue; and Brian will discuss the creative side and the many titles that manifest the core of Hoffman Media. It will be a rich and robust testament to the power of print, and the passion, creativity and vision of the Hoffman family.

Hoffman Media is a company that is built on the foundation of family and creativity. Since 1983 when Phyllis Hoffman DePiano founded the company as Symbol of Excellence Publishers, Inc., and later renamed it Hoffman Media in 1998, the company, which publishes a plethora of women’s titles, has experienced steady and often remarkable growth since its founding.

“My career began as my church’s pianist/organist when I was in high school and college,” Phyllis said on her own self-published site: the ribbon in my journal. “When I finished college, I worked for a national CPA firm where I received my CPA certificate and practiced accounting until my twins were born. While I loved the professional world of accounting, I wanted to stay home with my babies. When my sons were very young, I got an idea for a magazine about counted-cross stitch. I talked it over with friends and family and we decided that it was worth a try. I had no experience in publishing, but after sharing this idea, four of us started the magazine Just CrossStitch. Janice (my sister), Barbara (my friend and experienced journalist), and Juanita (a friend) pioneered our way through a hobby industry of women who loved to stitch—creative women, if you will. Our company was launched and running with the premiere of the magazine. And we could work from our homes or while our children were in school.”

Today, Phyllis is CEO of Hoffman Media, which is the No. 70 largest private firm in Birmingham, Ala. and is No. 4 of the top women-owned businesses, based on total revenue in 2012, according to the Birmingham Business Journal’s List.

So, join us for ACT 7, April 25-27, 2017 at the Magazine Innovation Center, located at the Meek School of Journalism and New Media on the campus of the University of Mississippi. It’s sure to be an exciting time in the world of magazines and magazine media that you won’t want to miss. And keep an eye out for more exciting name-dropping about the who’s-who speaker list here on Mr. Magazine’s™ blog in upcoming weeks as we get closer to ACT 7.

Space is limited to 100 attendees, so the sooner you register the better the chances are that you will be able to attend this once-in-a-lifetime event. Click here to register.