04 Sep 2024 Good work

If I climbed into the passenger seat of five cars and asked them to turn on some music, I would likely hear five different genres of music. But even though there are many styles, all of them have songs about working too hard. A few famous ones include The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night,” Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” and Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “Takin’ Care of Business.” Our interests may differ, but we all work in the 501.

This month, the 501 LIFE Team explores the topic “501 Works,” and we started our journey (and magazine cover) in the warehouse and manufacturing area of Conway at Douglas Companies. They supply products to more than 1,000 convenience stores. A family-owned and operated business, Douglas family members have successfully worked together for 51 years while providing stable jobs in the community.

We then turned our attention to two women who founded companies decades ago and are going strong and even expanding their footprints. Kerry McCoy of Little Rock founded Arkansas Flag and Banner in 1975, selling flags door-to-door. Today, she is a multi-million-dollar distributor, retailer and manufacturer. Cinda Montgomery founded Yours Truly, a clothing consignment store, 25 years ago. To celebrate the anniversary, she recently added 5,000 additional square feet for a home and holiday decor area. People from all over the state enjoy shopping at her store, which is focused on customer satisfaction.

Our Youth feature is about four Morrilton High School football players who operated a window-washing business this summer. Our Artist of the Month is a fashion photographer, and even our Pet of the Month helps coach women’s basketball at the University of Central Arkansas.

With everyone working “9 to 5” like Dolly, how can one find time to relax with a magazine? I encourage you to leave 501 LIFE in your vehicle, so you have easy access while waiting for your kids to finish a practice or when you are waiting at an appointment. You can always read our upbeat articles to relax during your lunch break, and we’re always available on your phone or computer at 501lifemag.com. It’s not “all takin’ and no givin’” with us!

Stefanie Brazile
Editor/Publisher