Page 218 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2026

FINAL SAY
CHERIE WARD
South Mississippi Living Contributor
and Social Media Manager
Every interview begins a little differently, but eventually, someone
always says it.
“I’m really not that interesting.”
And each time, she’s wrong.
Over the years, I’ve interviewed a myriad of women who have built
businesses, survived unimaginable losses, changed careers, raised
families, chased unthinkable dreams, started over, started over again,
and sometimes done all those things at once.
When the interview is done, they also say, “I don’t know if you can
do anything with that.”
Oh, I can definitely do something with that. Funny how the people
with the best stories rarely think they have one.
For years, my byline has appeared throughout the pages of South
Mississippi Living magazine, but as readers, you don’t meet me
until after the work is done. You see the polished stories, beautiful
photographs, stunning ads, and carefully designed pages.
But what you don’t see are the events before all the gloss—the
deadlines, email chains, frantic text messages, last-minute chats,
photographers chasing perfect lighting in an imperfect setting,
designers making everything fit, and account executives finding room
to showcase one more business in an issue already bursting with stories.
Behind it are remarkable women whose leadership shapes every issue
such as Kelsey Sunderman-Foster, Mary Sunderman, Amy Chataginer,
Lori Beth Susman, Lynn Lofton, Suzette Carlson, and Jennifer Cox,
along with writers, photographers, designers, sales representatives, and
contributors scattered across South Mississippi, each holding a piece of
a puzzle that somehow becomes the magazine you’re holding.
Every. Single. Month.
As for me, the real privilege of journalism is the people who trust me
with their stories.
And some names are wonderfully familiar.
I’ve interviewed Dorothy Roberts, Heidi Ardis, Cynthia Sutton, and
Michelle Anderson, several times for our annual Women in Business
issue. I’ve watched careers evolve, ideas turn into realities, businesses
grow, old chapters close, and new ones begin. Through countless
conversations, these women have taught me about faith, resilience,
compassion, and the importance of honoring yourself—lessons that
have stayed with me long after the interviews ended.
There’s something special about seeing a familiar name land in my
inbox and thinking, wow… look what she’s done now.
We catch up. We laugh. And sometimes, we cry.
A lot of women walk into one of my assignments as strangers but
don’t stay strangers for long.
Jordan Cutchall and I became instant friends after she accidentally
gave me the wrong phone number, leaving a very confused woman
wondering why a magazine journalist kept blowing up her phone.
When Jordan and I finally connected, we laughed through most of
the interview. And sweet Kathy Lamm reminded me that some of
the biggest hearts come with silly hair and red noses.
The best interviews rarely stay inside the lines.
And behind every ribbon-cutting, award, promotion, new business,
and beautiful photograph is everything it took to get there—
rejection, fear, long nights, wrong turns, closed doors, and moments
when quitting seemed easier.
Those are the stories we love to tell.
So, keep opening businesses, chasing dreams, changing careers,
breaking barriers, starting over, and saying yes to the possibilities that
once felt impossible.
When you do, let us know.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from asking questions over
the years, it’s this—everyone has a story.
And we can’t wait to tell yours.
218 | September 2026 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living