Tonka Talk Community and Connection

Crafting Local Lore: Renee Stewart and the Heart of Lake Minnetonka Storytelling

• Natalie Webster

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As I nestled into my chair across from Renee Stewart of Lake Minnetonka Magazine, the cozy hum of our shared love for community storytelling set the stage for a conversation rich with insight. 

Renee, with her wealth of experience, illuminated the intricate dance of crafting a publication that mirrors the pulse of our local life. We unpacked the magic behind selecting stories that resonate—a task that balances reader interests with the vibrant themes that define our neck of the woods. 

Our chat eventually wove its way to the deep emotional threads that local stories tug at. From the heavy hearts of grieving parents to the light of recognition in the eyes of those we feature, the conversation underscored the profound impact of sharing these human experiences. 

With a spark of spontaneity and the warmth of new friendships, this episode is a love letter to the community that continually inspires us, reminding us that every story, every voice, adds color to the vibrant mosaic that is Lake Minnetonka.

Learn more at https://www.tonkatalk.com where we share more about our Lake Minnetonka community, including upcoming events and our take on local experiences.

Connect with us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TonkaTalk/
If you have feedback, questions, or suggestions of a future guests creating community and connection, email natalie@tonkatalk.com

We appreciate your support in sharing Tonka Talk Community and Connection with someone you think could benefit from our content.

Speaker 1:

Many of you probably get local publications in your community Around. Here we get Lake Minnetonka magazine. I'm Natalie Webster and this is Tonka Talk, where we talk about the ways people create community and connection, and these local publications are a big part of that in different communities. Today I get to talk to Renee Stewart. Yes, I cannot wait to. I actually had a couple funny things I thought about and I was like can I share that or not? No, I'm making her worry, but she's the managing creative director of local, which is a magazine company which has multiple publications around the Twin Cities area here in Minnesota and she's the editor of Lake Minnetonka magazine, which is probably my favorite. I'm a big fan, big fan. I am too. I love the magazine. Hugh, my first question for you yes, and again, she's the editor for Lake Minnetonka magazine. If you're a local, I'm sure you get it, and if you're like me, you read it. Can't wait to get it, enjoy it. You can also read it online. How do you narrow down the stories of what to share?

Speaker 2:

Well, I tell you that is a happy dilemma that we have every month when we're planning the magazines. Yeah, because it's often like putting a puzzle together. Yeah, because everything has to fit and make sense and often the magazines have a theme for the month that we try to facilitate and, bottom line, natalie, we're looking at content that's important to our readers. It's not what our editors are interested in, it's not what maybe we'd like to see in the magazine. We really try to think about our readership and what's important to them.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, how did you get into this business?

Speaker 2:

Well, I'm a journalism major and I cut my teeth on local news in Chicago. Wow, is that where you're from? No, I'm from Minnesota. Oh, okay, but a boy took me to Chicago. Isn't that the way? That's the way it goes, isn't that the way? So I got a job at a family-run community newspaper business and they had newspapers throughout the suburban area, the west side of Chicago, and I wrote hard news. Oh, wow, and that was my background too in school was learning how to write and produce hard news. And every once in a while our lifestyle editor would be like hey, reporters, I need you to write a lifestyle article? Sure, and it was so out of my wheelhouse and I didn't like it, but then I started to really love it. And, long story short, we moved back to Minnesota and I really missed writing and for me, writing is just part of my soul and it just feels good to do it.

Speaker 2:

So I reached out to the magazine company, got hired as a freelancer. Three months later they said we want you on board as a staff writer. A year later they asked me to be an editor.

Speaker 1:

Wow.

Speaker 2:

So I have edited what was Southwest Metro Magazine, Maple Grove Magazine, Plymouth, and then Lake Minnetonka became available and I quickly raised my hand and I said, consider me. And so I started editing that as well. And then the managing creative director position revealed itself and I said yes to that, with the caveat that I was able to keep Lake Minnetonka Magazine because I love it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's a good one. What would you say if somebody wanted to get into kind of like you did with freelance writing, being that local cover so many different magazines? Do you have any advice for someone who wanted to start kind of like how you did Well, no, not exactly because you're trained in journalism, but with a lifestyle magazine or has an interest in it? Is there a way for people to reach out? I was curious about that. If you do accept other, if somebody says, hey, I have an idea about this, but I'm also a writer.

Speaker 2:

Sure, well, there's several ways that people can get involved. We do have an internship program, so we have interns working with us. They come in three times a year. There's a rotation, and so we really dovetail the program into what they're interested in. Some of them are more interested in believe it or not, the fact checking part of it.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that sounds so boring.

Speaker 2:

I know, but we need them and we love them. Others are really interested in developing their writing skills, dovetail whatever they need. We try to create that experience for them. We also have. If anyone is interested in being a writer, you don't have to have a journalism degree, of course. It's just that you need to be curious.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And you need to know where to put a comma. We love our commas, but just shoot me an email and we can talk, because a lot of our current writers are people who have reached out to us. We also have, in the beginning of our magazine, you'll notice our noteworthy section, and that is filled with local contributors. True, you'll either have an expertise in gardening or like to review books. I'm currently looking for someone who likes to listen to podcasts and wants to do podcast reviews for me on occasion. So if you have a particular interest and would like to share it with the community, reach out to us. We're always looking for that.

Speaker 1:

I'll share your contact information in the show notes Perfect, so you can go ahead and reach out. And again, if you love podcasts, I'd love that you share it with us. I love to do it, but I'm biased.

Speaker 2:

I think you have enough on your point now, Leigh. You cannot do one more thing.

Speaker 1:

Exactly. That's kind of part of my issue. I get so interested in so many different things going on and so many different people. That's why I was curious how you narrow these things down, because I guess we're fortunate to live in a community where there's a lot of people doing a lot of cool things.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. You know. That brings to mind something that I learned as a young reporter, and sometimes when you're first new in the business, you have an attitude of what constitutes news or what is interesting. And what I learned is that everybody has a story to tell and everybody's interesting. Yes, right, yes. And so if you approach our job in that way and have a level of respect for everybody and everybody's story, they just start flowing in. It's easy to identify something that might be of interest.

Speaker 1:

I agree completely. I'll be in a doctor's office waiting for a blood draw. Sometimes you're on the bench and you're like one person to head to you and you're waiting. And I've gotten to conversations with people Right, Absolutely fascinated. Absolutely All ages, all different backgrounds. When you really talk to people and just ask a couple of key questions or just have that curiosity. I think that was it. You hit the nail on the head Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

And that's something that I've discovered too, as the creative director is part of my job is helping the editors throughout the Metro discover story ideas. So, for example, I'll go to. I was out at the Arboretum at an art show and I talked to almost every person there who was displaying, asking them their story where are you from? And just being able to do that and maybe some of the content doesn't fit our magazine, but just learning about people and what drives them, what motivates them, is so interesting and can be really inspiring.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, we totally share that we should go on like a trip or something together, because I think it's not that often, honestly. I mean, I know people are interested in people, but I feel like you and I have it at its next level.

Speaker 2:

I think so. Well, I told you when I walked in today that I was nervous, because usually I'm the one handling the questions and I have every writer's security blanket I'm holding onto my pen. I don't need it for anything, but it just makes me feel more comfortable to have a writing instrument in my head.

Speaker 1:

Well, and it's a tool. It's knowing how to use your tools. That's right. And Lake Minnetonka Magazine and other publications that local does and you tell me, do they do the same things? At Lake Minnetonka Magazine, one of the things I really love about it is the lens on Lake Minnetonka where you encourage local photographers, amateur photographers, pros can submit as well, absolutely, and they submit photos from around Lake Minnetonka in these different categories and you can win an award, award titles, right.

Speaker 2:

So every month of July and August, on our website you can submit photos from one of the five categories and then we take a look at those and we do first, second, third, honorable mention and we, every month you'll see at the back of our magazine, last Clients, we will have one of the photos running and then followers can also vote on their favorite. So we, your favorite is also category, but I would love to see more submissions. You know who I'd really like to see submitting younger people. I'd be really interested to see their perspective of our community and what they find interesting, what they find beautiful.

Speaker 1:

So it's open to all ages, yeah, that's a really good point and we'll share a link in the show description. So it's definitely you, millennials and Gen Z get out there and find what interests you in the community and the categories those are shared online.

Speaker 2:

So those are online, Yep, those are shared online and even you know high school grade school kids, you know, we know, you know how to use a camera on your phone.

Speaker 1:

That's right, that's a really cool. Different note too, right, Is have you seen over the years kind of an increase in different types of photos? Do most people do you know if they submit using, like I took this on my phone, or is like I used my Canon?

Speaker 2:

The vast majority, I would say, are done on an iPhone. Wow, and it's surprising. And we added abstract as a category. Oh, wow, because of the types of photos that people are able to do just with their iPhone. Yeah, are really interesting and we wanted to honor that perspective. So we added abstract into the competition. But I will have to say that, especially for younger people, having their creativity acknowledged in local news or local magazine that's in ours, you never know what impact that's going to have. And I'm going to tell you a personal story. One of my sons, back in the day, even before long before I started working for the company, I did a photograph to the magazine and one and had his. It was a photo of a Hosta and I still have it a variegated Hosta, and he captured the veining and the different colors. It was just beautiful. And what that did for that kid to have his creativity acknowledged by someone other than his family, yeah, and what is a mom telling him how great he is now?

Speaker 2:

Or, as you know, a photography instructor at school. So get those kids involved, and it's a great way for them to get involved in the community as well and have them looking at their community through a different lens. That's a great idea.

Speaker 1:

My stepson, when he was younger, submitted a photo to the city of Tonka Bay for their newsletter and it was. He had a couple in there. I think it was around 12 at the time 11, 12, and was getting into photography and it just made his year Absolutely so. I love that. So get your young people and get out there with your cameras. Let's see what you got Exactly. What about? The other thing that I love about the magazine is the best of I know I love it too.

Speaker 2:

So let's talk about that because it's coming up in January. So every year, all of our magazines have a best of contest where we put forth certain categories, and on our websites you can go online the month of January and vote for your favorites restaurants, attorneys, favorite spots in the community, for example, to take a senior picture. Oh, wow, listen. I have four kids all four of them senior pictures in and around Excelsior, so we know that people are always looking for a good spot. Anyway, there's many, many categories. We've also added the best of the West Metro, so you can also honor businesses that might not be right in the Lepinitaka area, but serve them. Voting is live all of January. Please support your local businesses in this way. It means a lot to them. You have no idea the feedback that we get from businesses when they're nominated. They're thrilled and it means a lot to them because it's coming from their customers. In March, we will online put out the list of finalists and then in July we will announce the winners in our magazines and online.

Speaker 2:

And I want to go back to the question that you asked about how do we choose content and how do we whittle that down. So in that issue there's also a piece called Editors Picks, where I go out and highlight things or people that I'm really interested in in the community. I'm done, I have my article written, because it's that easy for me to find things in the community that I just love, and so I'm so excited for that article to come out because it's my opportunity to share personally with the community what I love. Because I live close to here, so naturally my husband and I drift over into this area for our entertainment, for the trails, oh gosh. And I'm a Pisces, so I need my water. I do, you know. Sometimes I just need to hop out of the car and stand on the shoreline and receive the water. Yeah, like Minnetaka.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly yeah. So if you're a fire self in the waters of like Minnetaka, oh yes, I know, good enough for her.

Speaker 2:

Good enough for us, but you seriously go online in January.

Speaker 1:

So in January. People can nominate yes.

Speaker 2:

Or, yes, they can nominate and vote for people, like we used to have businesses listed and then people would just vote for the businesses and we thought, no, no, no, no, no, this needs to be more organic. Oh, man, and so you will go on and you will. It's all right in. Oh, wow, okay, yes, that is different. It is different. So you and that started last year and we just felt that you know, this is the Reader's article and so they need to really be the ones writing it. So it's all right in. And I want, and that brings to the point too on the top of our mass set it says our community, our magazine, yeah, my magazine, or the writers or the other editors. It really is the community magazine, and I think our best of issue really shines a spotlight on that. And I know last year I put the, the followers and the readers in the byline for the best of because they wrote it, not me, it was their decision of, not mine, and so I think that's really fun.

Speaker 1:

That's so great. Are you going to have a podcast category? Should I start lobbying the public? Oh my gosh, I think we're putting ideas in my head. Yeah, because Tonka Talk right now is Lake Minnetonka's number one podcast.

Speaker 2:

It's not the only podcast, is it?

Speaker 1:

But it's the best one.

Speaker 2:

We might have to. We might have to sneak that in.

Speaker 1:

But I'm biased, maybe I like it. I like the idea. It is what we share, that it's the whole idea again with Tonka Talk is sharing these ways people create community and connection. I'm absolutely floored by the different ways that that is done, but also what drives people where they came from and what drives them to want to be able to do that. That is the part that I really get excited about. And then seeing them going and doing it and creating these things and just expanding their sphere of influence Right.

Speaker 2:

Exactly, and I think the magazine gives people a way to do that in multiple ways through our community engagement with the lens on Lake Minnetonka, with the best stuff, but also with bringing themselves forward as a possible article idea. And I think one of the questions we're always asking people is what inspires you, or who inspires you, what motivated you to be in this space? And I think, if anything, if we can say, covid brought forth anything positive. We are seeing so many different ways that people are reinventing their lives and living their lives in a way that they want to live it, and that has brought forth so many inspiring stories on how people are reevaluating their businesses, their careers, their families, their homes oh yes and how they are creating new spaces in their home. So it's very interesting, and so you've seen that In real estate.

Speaker 1:

That's probably one of my favorite things of the last couple of years is recognizing, working with both buyers and sellers where on what they're looking for and how that has changed and how amenities in a neighborhood have taken on a whole nother vibe. Before it was like, oh yeah, be great, now it's an absolute necessity. Where's the nearest trail, where are the nearest parks, where are the nearest beaches? You want to know that. But post pandemic enduring even the interior of a home, how you you know how we kind of were doing these big open spaces and they still exist. What I found to be very interesting is I had many clients who were looking more for basically a home where, if they were stuck there again, that if you have two people working from home or even more. Some families have adult children or they're multi-generational families, and they were in this like more of a larger space where they were looking at.

Speaker 2:

No, I need more separation, or taking an outdoor living space, taking an outdoor space and turning it into truly an outdoor living space, because they need that extra space even in the winter time Exactly and that's what we're seeing a lot too in the articles in our magazine is the evolution of the outdoor space from just being a deck that could be used a few seasons of the year and maybe a fire pit.

Speaker 2:

We're seeing full on kitchens, full on entertaining spaces and those flex spaces within the home that can move from guest room to office. Maybe you push the Murphy that back up into the wall or whatever you need to do, but those flex spaces are also really important. And I think also through the pandemic, what we saw is our magazines became even more relevant and even more important to our readers because we could say to our readers look at what you have in your town, look at the quality entertainment, the quality dining, the outdoor spaces that you can utilize. Look at what your neighbors are doing for each other, look what they're doing to support, maybe, a struggling business. It was beautiful to see and it was a proud moment for all of us as editors to be able to sitting in what was a frightening time for all of us and we could stay in a really positive and enlightening lane for our readers and showcase for them. This is what's good.

Speaker 1:

How do you think when you were in Chicago and you were doing hard news and now you're working, it's more lifestyle.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

It's so much more positive in those ways and, as an individual, has it affected you in different ways or were you able to do hard news and still kind of maintain that separation? But in dealing with what you do, it's so much, it's so positive. It's these positive stories, right.

Speaker 2:

That's a really good question and I know there were a couple of stories that we had to cover.

Speaker 2:

There was a tragedy, for example, that we had to cover and I remember my editor saying you need to go up to the house of the grieving parents and you need to knock on the door and get some quotes and that was probably the hardest thing I'd ever had to do.

Speaker 2:

But then you flip it and I'm doing these types of stories and it's like well, are these stories important? You bet they are, because I'm telling you, natalie, so many times I've either gotten a phone call or an email from a source who has read their story in our magazine and they'll be moved by it and very emotional, and because it's not often that we have our own stories or parts of our stories told and to see it in print can be pretty impactful and they'll say thank you for telling me, telling my story. And I always say to them but I didn't, you told yours and Dory, so you need to be proud of yourself, because a good story it writes itself. It's the ones that are a little bit different, all that the writer really needs to show their chops Right. It's the good stories that really write themselves and we're really blessed in our magazine.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, to have that. I completely agree. And being and doing what I do on Talk2Talk with sharing community and connection, often I'll send you, I'll be like you have to talk to this person. There is no shortage of that and I think that that's. We're so fortunate that way and often it's. I know I find sometimes these stories and these people in the places where you wouldn't think Exactly. But just because you, if you can be curious about your surroundings and curious about people, no matter where you are, then you find out.

Speaker 2:

And I don't know if you've had this experience too, but sometimes I'll talk to someone and say that we're interested in having them in the magazine and they'll say oh no, you know, I, I'm not interesting, I don't have anything to share, and that's so not true. And I think when you can sit and really talk with someone and really show interest in them, then they start to see it in themselves and that's a really beautiful thing to do, and that doesn't have to be with someone who has a podcast or someone who works for a magazine. That's in life, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Wouldn't you mean we honor them Exactly? Let them know that you see them.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, and I think too. It's like, when you term something as local news, everything is local news to somebody. What's happening over in Paris, that's local news to them. Do you know what I mean? And so I I don't think we should ever discount or discredit what you're doing or what I'm doing, because we're we are, our magazines are hyper local focused, because it's valuable and they can provide lessons to anybody.

Speaker 1:

I feel that is so true and it's a way in whether it's lens on Lake Minnetonka, there's this interaction with the magazine too, where people in the community can send in their photos to be able to do the best of, and nominate and vote for these businesses. It's such a wonderful way to be able to support our local community and sometimes I know there are, there are businesses that I absolutely love and don't get there as much as I'd want to. But how can I help them? I can write a review, you can write a review. You can submit them for the best of. I think that's something if we all did that.

Speaker 1:

We're all sometimes too quick to have a negative experience and want to jump online and go ahead and do a negative review, whereas I was sharing this with you. If I have an experience usually especially if it's local I try to handle it offline because it's just like, hey, sometimes things happen. I have bad enough days too, but to be able to have that communication and sort out whatever it is. But if I ever did need to do a review, that maybe it wasn't a great experience. I have a rule with myself.

Speaker 1:

I need to go and handle some of my backlog of doing reviews for the businesses that I've had really good experiences at, because it really does help the business locally, and that's one thing we all often hate to see a local business, especially one that's been there for a while, go away. But if we don't support them, that's what's going to happen Now. Sometimes people retire, which we've had happen, and you know what. We're not going to fault them for that. You can't be doing this forever, but it's such a great way to be able to leave them a review or go ahead and nominate them for the magazine.

Speaker 2:

It's just such a great way for us to support local Absolutely, and that's really the cornerstone of our magazines is to support local business and we try to showcase businesses as much as we can in our magazines and business owners and learn more about who's in our neighborhood.

Speaker 1:

And what they're doing and how did they get there and why are they doing it?

Speaker 2:

And they're looking at it Just, you know, to put some personality and some perspective into the local business owner. I think is really important.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I agree with you completely. I'm so glad you agreed to come and do this because, like you said, normally you're on the other side. You know, this has been really fun. That's why I thought, oh, I want to sit her down and ask her some questions and find out more, kind of pull the curtain back a little bit and see how the donuts are made, right, and I think these beautiful publications, but I think a lot of people don't realize what goes into creating them or how interactive they actually are.

Speaker 2:

They really are, and I think that's something that we pride ourselves on and we enjoy as editors connecting, and we even our editorial advisory boards are made up of community members, because we like to hear about what they're hearing and you know they have different connections that we might not have, and so those relationships are very important, and you were an advisory board member for us for quite some time and have continued to be a really great friend to the magazine.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, don't let the fact that I'm not on the advisory board stop me from running my mouth. Yeah. I get some emails from her from time to time. Exactly, I'm still advising, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Right, I walked them in. I love it. I love it.

Speaker 1:

I think it's so excited, like you, finding sometimes these meeting so many people in the community and they're all great stories, but some of them really just get you at like, wow, I know More people need to know about this. It's so inspiring.

Speaker 2:

I know, I know we had an article run oh my gosh, I'm going to check here October of 2021. And if you haven't read it, I really want you to go online and read it. The headland was Magma Opus and it was about Darine Ruff and she made these incredible doll houses. That might not sound interesting to you, but these were next level. The homes that she made were she paid attention to the historical aspects of decor of life at the time that are all reflected in her mind, she would make an imaginary backstory of the people who lived in these homes.

Speaker 2:

It's something to read and it's really inspiring about a way to use your creativity. It's a beautiful story. And then I don't know if you did you find our article on Chris Egert in October, of course, yes, okay, that's another really inspiring story about a local newscaster on KSTP and he lost part of a leg due to really surprising circumstance repeated ankle sprains and we tell his story and you see this man on our local TV news looking very put together, very polished, very professional, but he shares in that article what it's like to live in pain and how he is trying to help others who are in similar situations with limb differences. And again, another inspiring story that we can all learn from.

Speaker 1:

In some way, I love it. Keep up the good work. Thanks, I appreciate you coming in.

Speaker 2:

Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. The email's coming now. Oh, for sure, for sure. Like I said, you'd have to like block me.

Speaker 2:

And I would be well on the trip We'll come on, I think it would be so fun.

Speaker 1:

I did like to have that curiosity and sometimes I think I could go somewhere on a bus and never leave the bus station and just meet probably incredible people with just absolutely interesting stories.

Speaker 2:

Natalie and Renee in the wild.

Speaker 1:

I think that's an idea. I like it. You know, I have a camber. We could make it, I know.

Speaker 2:

I got lots of magazines. We'll have a lot of night reading.

Speaker 1:

That's right.

Speaker 2:

I love it Well thank you so much.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, Natalie. I'll talk to you later.

People on this episode

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Natalie Webster

Host
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Kelly Olsen

Co-host