About Us
“Why not Missouri?”
That’s the question Greg Wood and Danita Allen Wood kept asking themselves when they returned to their beloved home state in 1995.
Okay, “beloved” might be over-the-top, but maybe you’ll understand their passion if you know this: Even after living in Iowa for more than 15 years, when Greg and Danita traveled and met people who asked where they were from, they answered “Missouri,” which caused confusion. Later in the conversation, it would usually come out that they lived in Iowa. The people would ask, “I thought you said you were from Missouri?” to which they would reply, “Oh, we live in Iowa, but we’re from Missouri.”
So, upon their return to their beloved state, they wondered why Missouri didn’t have a state magazine. They had both been in the magazine business their entire careers and tended to notice magazines, or the lack of them. They knew about 25 other states, many with smaller populations, that had beautiful magazines. They would pore over them, talk to their editors and publishers, and ask themselves, “Why not here?”
Through research, they learned that there once was a state magazine called Missouri Life. It started in 1973 but ceased publishing under that name in the late 1980s, after a series of ownership changes. They loved the name. It seemed to encompass all the things that should be in the magazine: Missouri’s stunning scenery, its fascinating people, its rich past, and energetic present.
Today, we’re proud to deliver it to 22,000 Missourians, and a circulation audit has shown us that each copy is read by 3.25 people, so we have about 72,000 readers.
You can also find Missouri Life in most bookstores and magazine racks throughout the state.
Today, Missouri Life, Inc. also custom publishes other magazines and books, as well as several special promotional publications. The company is a member of the City and Regional Magazine Association (CRMA), the International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA), and the Missouri Association of Publications (MAP).
Since this couple revived Missouri Life in 1999, both the magazine and the company have experienced steady growth. The six-times-per-year, full four-color glossy, 22,000 circulation magazine has won a national design and writing award as well as other editorial awards, and paid circulation, renewal rates, and advertising revenues have steadily risen. We have 11 full or part-time employees and offer benefits to full-time employees.
