The Power of Her Story
25 Years of Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine
When the first stories printed in Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine hit racks all over Billings in 2001, the idea seemed simple enough — provide a hyper-local, free publication highlighting and celebrating exceptional women.
Some 25 years, 152 issues and more than 13,000 pages later, what’s now known simply as YVW has grown into a respected and reliable platform for inspiration and empowerment. It’s been an ensemble effort, with all involved committed to cultivating a tight-knit community across every page, in every issue.
In March 2001 the city of Billings prepared to host President George W. Bush for a high-profile visit with agriculture producers. As the city was poised to welcome the new commander-in-chief, Jay Hanson was embracing a new role himself, that of editor-in-chief — of a women’s magazine.
“At the time, I was working for a print shop in Billings,” Jay says. “Same old story, working for somebody else.”
With his publishing background, he was ready to strike out on his own, drawing inspiration from publications in comparably sized markets to Billings that, at the time, were unique.
“I went to college in the Fargo-Moorehead area, which had a very successful women’s magazine,” he says. “Rochester, Minnesota, had a similar publication, and there weren’t a lot of free publications in Billings back then.”
Jay felt Billings was prime territory for such a venture.
“There was obviously no end to the number of successful women in the Billings market, so the content part was enjoyable and easy,” he says.
The less enjoyable part for Jay — selling advertising for the magazine. A free publication meant it would have to be 100% advertiser supported.
“I was in my early 30s, so for me to pitch advertising door-to-door was difficult,” Jay remembers. “The advertising part was really a make-or-break thing, and I owe a lot to Terry Perkins (YVW’s first full-time salesperson). She was the key piece from the very start and took that off my shoulders.”
With advertisers on board and the content readily available, Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine made its debut, ushering in a new and exciting era in local media. The first outstanding Yellowstone Valley Woman to grace the coveted cover was local news anchor, Lynne Turner Fitzgerald.
“When it happened and I was on the cover, my kids were like, ‘why’?” Lynne says with a laugh. “But of course, it was an honor. I fully loved the idea that they celebrated women’s lives, women’s accomplishments and women’s challenges.”
The community’s response to the magazine was also enthusiastic, and Jay and his team kept churning out content to satisfy the appetite for it. His early concerns about securing advertisers were put to rest.
“We had great community support at the time,” Jay recalls. “Deaconess (now Billings Clinic) and then St. Vincent, Sanctuary Spa come to mind and Randy at Carpet One. It wouldn’t have gotten off the ground without their help and support.”
Four years into his new pursuit, Jay would welcome two key members to his team, who would prove to be catalysts and visionaries for the magazine’s future.
Julie Koerber was one of them.
“I had been kind of secretly watching it from afar,” Julie says. She had recently left her job at KTVQ as an anchor and reporter. “I really missed storytelling. So, I emailed Jay a story idea and then I emailed him another and another. By the fifth story idea, he replied ‘stop!’”
That’s because Jay had an idea of his own.
“He said, ‘let’s meet, I think I have something better for you,’” Julie remembers. “He said ‘I’m trying to do too much and I need an editor. Would you be able to be my editor?’”
Julie answered before thinking too much about it.
“I said, ‘when do I start?’ and he’s like, ‘tomorrow,’” she says. “Then I got into my car, turned the ignition on and said to myself, I don’t have any idea how to do that.”
Thankfully, Julie was a quick study and immersed herself in her new role, serving as editor of the magazine starting with the November/December issue of 2005. That’s also when Julie’s friend, Haley Vannatta, came on board to do the layout for the magazine.
Haley, at the time a stay-at-home mom of three busy boys, worked part-time on the magazine, not knowing a more encompassing role would soon present itself.
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” Haley says. “It was time for Jay to move on, for new blood to come in and take it to the next level. I loved the idea and the concept and thought there was room for growth and improvement.”
Haley, along with her husband, Jeremy, bought Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine in spring 2007. They settled into a routine and before they knew it, their vision took shape. They went from printing 12,000 copies to 20,000 and doubled the number of distribution spots around town. They increased the number of pages per issue from 48 to more than 100 and put a premium on professionalism.
“We always paid our writers, and editorial integrity was wildly important to Julie and me,” Haley says, adding that professional design and high-quality editorial content was paramount. “When someone is trusting you to tell their story, we took that very seriously.”
An issue addressing mental health held personal significance for Haley.
“I wrote my editorial letter on my own struggles with mental health, and that was hugely impactful for not only me but so many people,” she recalls. “The number of people it impacted and that I had personal contact with because of opening up and being vulnerable. It changed my life and it changed the lives of other people, too.”
Under Haley’s leadership, Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine created the Weekend for Women and Run Like a Girl events. “We wanted to do more,” Haley says. “We wanted to increase revenue but also increase value for our advertisers.” Though short-lived, the events provided another opportunity for women to connect and find their voice. “We wanted to have fun and empower women to be the best they could be. It was so much work, but I’m glad we did it.”
The magazine took all of Haley’s time and attention, often keeping her working long after midnight once her boys went to bed. After 11 years, it was time for change.
“So much of my heart and soul and life had gone into building it to what it was,” she says. “It served a great purpose at a great time, but it was time for me to move on.”
Haley couldn’t think of a better person to take over the responsibility than her trusted editor and friend, Julie Koerber. Julie, however, was less certain.
“I told them no, I’m not buying the magazine,” Julie remembers. “But they kept asking me and, as time went on, I looked at the faces of the people I worked with and realized how important this was to me. I said, I think I’m going to regret it if I don’t try.”
Julie knew the storytelling side of the magazine very well and her husband, Ken, a business consultant, was the perfect partner for the business side of things. There were growing pains, but she soon hit her stride and felt honored to shepherd the magazine into a new era, while maintaining its integrity as a true community publication. She’s even started an Empowered Women Scholarship for high school seniors, awarding local youth who embody community spirit.
“From a circulation standpoint and a readership standpoint, page count and sales, I mean, it’s just amazing to me the love this community has for this magazine,” Julie says.
The community’s love for YVW is eclipsed only by her affection for it.
“Preparing for the 25th anniversary issue, it was quite the trip down memory lane. I was literally sitting on the floor surrounded by all the magazines, every issue. I felt like I was holding onto something sacred,” Julie says. “I’ve been involved intimately in every single issue since 2005. I wanted to challenge myself to see how many stories I wrote personally, but as I looked at the pages and the stories, I got immersed in what we were able to do. What mattered more were the topics we were able to cover and the women we were able to shine the spotlight on.”
Among the women profiled over the years in the pages of YVW are those whose personal stories and passion-filled missions find them on the frontlines of youth homelessness, the opioid epidemic, human trafficking and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement, or MMIW.
“It is so powerful to sit across from somebody and look them in the eye and say, ‘what’s the story here?’” Julie says. “I feel like you share a deeper part of yourself when you just listen. I mean, I am so humbled by that.”
For Julie, some stories linger a little longer in the heart, like that of 16-year-old Selena Not Afraid. Selena went missing after a New Year's party in 2020. Her frozen body was found 20 days later near a rest stop outside Hardin.
“My daughter played basketball for Central High, and there was a game at Hardin High the day after they found Selena,” Julie remembers. “It was a devastating scene, all over the school were these red flyers where students had traced their hands with messages like ‘bring her home’ and they covered sections of the walls. I remember standing there in that sea of red, knowing all hope had been sucked out of that building.”
Julie contacted a friend who was involved in the MMIW movement and asked how they could work together. That collaboration resulted in a series of stories highlighting the movement’s efforts. It is an example of the magazine’s heartbeat and community purpose.
“If you flip through the magazine, there will be something that will hit you in one way or another,” Julie says. “That is my hope that with every page that’s published, it will impact someone on some level.”
Someone, like Jay Hanson. Every once in a while, when he finds himself back in Billings, he makes sure to pick up the most recent copy of the little magazine he started 25 years ago. He can’t help but feel proud.
“Kudos to the Vannattas and Julie and everyone else who stayed the course and evolved and kept creating good content,” he says. “You want to see it grow, you want to see it expand, that’s what you hope for. I’m happy to see it thrive.”
As we celebrate a generation of women and their compelling stories thoughtfully told across the pages of each issue of Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine, Julie offers a glimpse into what drives her and the magazine, forward.
“I remember a friend telling me something that I will never forget, and it kind of holds true with everything we do at YVW,” she says. “If you know these stories, you’ll care, and if you care, you’ll remember and if you remember, there will be awareness and if there is awareness, there will come change. I really hope as we move forward, whatever story it is, that it will bring change and the kind of change that can impact the community in beautiful ways.”
