Women in Power Issue—Health
FWM: Introduce yourself and your business.
Hello, my name is Kerrie-Lee Brown.
I am a proud mom of two boys and a French Bulldog rescue named Tessie. When I’m not at work, you can usually find me at the hockey rink, dirt bike track, or working out at Club USA. The gym is my haven where I can put on my earphones and let the music and exercises take me away.
Like most moms, my life often revolves around my kids’ sports and activities. My youngest (9) plays the highest level of hockey and loves soccer—and my eldest (14) is a nationally-ranked motocross rider who travels out of state regularly to compete. Needless to say, we are always running around, but when there’s time off, we like to travel up to Canada to visit family or just hang out at the house. Everything in stride.
Professionally, I am a seasoned magazine editor and journalist turned women’s wellness author, advocate, and entrepreneur. As a trained reporter, I love being a voice for people who may not have one. I enjoy helping people, bringing awareness to different causes, and of course giving back.
I have always worked hard to make an impact in some form or another. From running popular consumer magazines (most notably as the editor-in-chief of Oxygen Women’s Fitness, founding editor of American Health & Fitness, and executive editor of Today’s Parent magazine) to managing and mentoring aspiring writers, editors, and creative teams—all of my roles have shaped me into the business leader I am today.
I will be forever grateful for my time spent in the competitive media landscape, because it allowed me to grow, survive, and thrive. I also learned to never give up.
Eventually, I moved from publishing to the corporate world where I built a diverse marketing and communications division from the ground up. As someone who is obsessed with writing for a living, I also continued to freelance and wrote articles for 100+ magazines worldwide in the areas of heart-health, business, real estate, sport conditioning, nutrition, beauty, motivation, branding, and celebrity profiles.
I also made appearances on various television shows, such as: E!, EXTRA, The Montel Williams Show, The Social, Breakfast Television, The Marilyn Dennis Show, among others.
After my husband and I made the big decision to move from Toronto, Canada to Denver, Colorado to pursue other business opportunities, I became the co-owner of Action Brands LLC.
Today, I offer creative content and editing solutions to global clients, executives, and VIPs. I also teach women about the importance of self-care and listening to their bodies after a heart-health scare at the age of 39.
In 2013, I had surgery to fix an electrical issue in my heart. I also found out (just before the age of 40) that I had been living with a congenital heart condition since birth. This was my huge wake-up call. So, I decided right there and then that I had to start making myself a priority. I changed my entire way of thinking about life—and started realizing the importance of self-care.
As a result, I wrote a memoir called “My Heart, My Self – A Heartfelt Guide for Women Who Do Too Much” (available on Amazon) to help educate others on heart health. My book also includes “10 Signs You Need to Slow Down” and practical tips for women at any age.
I realize now that my health scare was meant to help me dig deeper on a personal and professional level. Hence, why today I want to make an even bigger impact. I am currently evolving my heart brand into an exciting new digital platform for women (coming Summer 2019). On that note, I hope you stay tuned to my social media profiles @KerrieLeeBrown for more on this new project. My goal is to help women tell their heartfelt stories in ways the industry has never seen before.
FWM: Why did you start “My Heart, My Self” (your book)?
I wrote my book because I truly felt my story would help people. That is still my mission today. At the time, I was actually unsure about sharing my story in such a public way; until a prominent editor at Chatelaine magazine asked me to write an article on heart-health awareness because it would “inspire a lot of readers”. So, I did.
After hearing all of the positive feedback from women across the country who had their own stories of stress and heart issues, I then decided I had to write a more in-depth novella outlining my entire ordeal of having a heart attack. As a journalist, I had always interviewed people about their lives. However, this time it was my story that needed to be told.
I’ll never forget interviewing Deepak Chopra back in the day and he told me that sharing someone else’s story can give you a sense of accomplishment—but sharing your own story can help you in ways you never imagined.
I must be honest, having a heart attack at age 39 at the height of my media career was shocking to say the least. I was seemingly healthy, not obese, no history of heart disease in my immediate family, exercised regularly, and watched what I ate. And, like I said, I was the editor of a health and fitness magazine for many years, so I thought I knew a thing or two about the symptoms. But I ignored them as so many women do. I soon learned that no one is exempt from heart disease.
Read more on FWM’s interview with Kerrie-Lee Brown in our April print issue.
