Kerrie Lee Brown is a bona fide trailblazer in magazine journalism, editorial leadership, and corporate communications across North America. Her journey in media is defined by her exceptional ability to manage and mentor award-winning writers, editors, graphic designers, and marketing experts. With a unique blend of strategic insight and creative vision, Kerrie Lee has overseen the production of numerous regional and national publications, all while etching her golden reputation in the publishing industry.
Kerrie Lee has written for over 150 publications throughout the span of her magnanimous career. Currently, she is the Editor-and-Chief of SUCCESS® Magazine, which has been outstandingly in circulation for over 125 years. Yet, beyond her own personal achievements in media, Kerrie Lee’s expertise extends to corporate communications, where she has spearheaded branding initiatives across diverse sectors. As the founder and owner of RedLily® Media LLC, Kerrie Lee now channels her vast experience into empowering others.
From a vision to execution, she has led outstanding strategies that enhanced marketing teams, human resources, sales, production, public relations, and education divisions. Her reputation as a trusted advisor and ghostwriter for C-suite executives further underscores her ability to translate complex ideas into compelling narratives. She has a superpower in ensuring alignment with organizational goals and vision. Her media and content creation firm is a hub for executives, entrepreneurs, educators, and magazine publishers seeking expert services in writing, editing, ghostwriting, and project management. Whether she’s mentoring aspiring authors or producing polished publications, Kerrie Lee’s work consistently embodies excellence and innovation.
And so it begins…
Now it’s true that I’ve had the pleasure to speak with many remarkable creatives and innovators throughout my career, but it was beyond wild to sit with someone that I share so many parallel life experiences in common with, and I was still left utterly inspired. From starting within the realm of law to making a sharp left turn into media, from the stage to being a proclaimed storyteller to our connection to early-age needs for primary heart health, Kerrie Lee and I must have grown in the same pea pod patch. Think I’m exaggerating? Kerrie Lee and I were both, ironically, under the weather, straining our voices during this interview. However, past all of that commonality, with all of her exceptional accomplishments, I truly believe we can all aspire to be as cool and impactful as Kerrie Lee Brown.
By way of Toronto and now residing in Denver, Colorado, Kerrie Lee Brown has been a journalist for over 30 years. She had started studying law with a Political Science and International Policy degree, but after taking a media course, she fell head-over-heels in love. She got her master’s in journalism and life went into flow from there into the world of the printed word.
Magazine Queen
“My background is in Health and Wellness and Fitness, and I am the former Editor-in-Chief of Oxygen Women’s Fitness. I was the founding Editor of American Health and Fitness. Founded Clean Eating magazine, which is still on the newsstands now… I was a busy-busy bee. I have two boys, so I was a very busy mom,” says Kerrie Lee. “I was go, go, go… I was on TV… I was on TV a lot,” she stresses. “…Reporting for the magazine. Like most, we think we can handle it all… But I ended up having a heart attack at the age of 39.”
The shock and earthquake moment allowed Kerrie Lee to reflect on what had led her to this moment. She recalled having faint symptoms and moments that in hindsight were blaring alarms. However, after much evaluation, the doctors discovered she had a congenital heart defect since birth that helped contribute to her heart attack. But it was her busy, busy lifestyle that wasn’t conducive to maintaining optimal heart health.
“I was running myself to the ground,” she says. “I had to learn to take it all in stride… I’m a high achiever, highly driven…I’m a people pleaser… And I didn’t know I was hurting myself.”
Before her heart attack, Kerrie Lee was driving two hours, one-way, to work each day. Like any life-threatening moment that can cause a reaction of incredible self-awareness, she knew it was time to make a change, and a big one, fast. Kerrie Lee and her family chose to move from Toronto to Denver to slow down. As we all know moving can be known to be a high-stressor when it comes to uprooting your life, but it can also be one of the greatest decisions in taking one away from the habitual routine of hustle and bustle, and believe it or not, it might be just what the doctor ordered.
For Kerrie Lee and her family, it was just that.
Heart of the Matter
Upon moving, Kerrie Lee maintained her freelancing work, but this was the time she desperately needed to rewrite her priorities and write the book that would change her for the better. Little did she know, it was about to help other women who were on the same unfortunate trajectory as she had been on for all those years.
My Heart, My Self: A Heartfelt Guide for Women Who Do Too Much is a profoundly personal and insightful book by Kerrie Lee Brown. In the book, she shares candidly about her experience of having a heart attack at the age of 39, despite being physically fit, a non-smoker, and having no immediate family history of heart disease. However, she was a vessel of stress between her life and work daily operations, where she hustled to do it all herself.
“I was the exact example of what could happen if we don’t take time to slow down,”
In this straightforward narrative, she reflects on the lifestyle choices and stressors that led to her health crisis, offering valuable lessons for women who find themselves overextended. The book provides practical advice on recognizing daily stressors, listening to one’s body, and understanding that it’s unnecessary to do it all to be branded successful. It includes sections like 10 Signs You Need To Slow Down and Brain Break exercises, aiming to help readers achieve a healthier, more balanced life.
Kerrie Lee’s story serves as an urgent reminder of the importance of self-care and the need to prioritize one’s health amidst the demands of modern life. The irony of it all isn’t lost on Kerrie Lee, with her remarkable background in health and wellness, yet she became that cautionary tale of the young heart patient. It was her own health journey that inspired her to become a self-care advocate, sharing her personal experiences to help women around the world tell their own stories and live their best lives.
My Heart, Myself is available on Amazon.
Kerrie Lee’s book wasn’t just therapeutic for her but became a means for others to share their stories as well. And being the incredible storyteller that she is, a new project revealed itself and began to bloom.
RedLily® Blossoms
RedLily® is a lifestyle brand and media platform designed to empower women to turn their personal challenges into powerful, inspiring stories. Founded in 2019 by Kerrie Lee Brown, RedLily® is all about authenticity, resilience, and growth. It’s a place where women can share their journeys, connect with others, and feel supported every step of the way.
“On my platform RedLilyLife.com, I’ve shared over 15,000 women and men’s stories about health, but also overcoming transformations to health,” she says proudly.
The name itself carries deep meaning. Red symbolizes passion, strength, and the undeniable power of a warrior, while Lily represents beauty, femininity, and resilience. Together, RedLily® reflects the essence of strong, empowered women who lead with both heart and grit.
At its core, the brand RedLily® offers more than just inspiration — it’s also a platform for action. They provide expert content creation, writing, and editorial services for brands, businesses, and entrepreneurs looking to tell their stories with clarity and impact. RedLily® also supports first-time writers and contributors by offering guidance and encouragement, making it a welcoming space for anyone ready to share their voice.
But it doesn’t stop there. RedLily® Media promotes wellness and self-care, curating products and services to help women feel seen, heard, and healthy. It’s about showing up for yourself as much as it is about sharing your story.
The mission is simple but powerful: to lift each other up, celebrate resilience, and create a community where women can own their stories and inspire others. Every personal transformation shared at RedLily® is a reminder that no matter what you’ve been through, you have the power to rise.
“I like to say, I’m a classically trained journalist, turned heart-felt storyteller because that’s what I am,” says Kerrie Lee.
Want to learn more or become part of this movement? You can check out RedLily Media to see how you can get involved or share your story.
Kerrie Lee was recruited to SUCCESS® Magazine and is the Editor-in-Chief, changing the trajectory of the stereotypical appearance of SUCCESS® to format it the way it looks today.
What do I mean by that? Well, it’s important to remember that SUCCESS® magazine was established in 1897 by Orison Swett Marden, who created a prominent American business publication dedicated to personal and professional development. Still today, the magazine offers advice on best business practices, inspiration from major personalities in business and entertainment, and motivation to improve readers’ minds and bodies, ensuring they are in optimal shape to achieve their goals. However, throughout its history, SUCCESS® has featured contributions from notable figures such as Napoleon Hill, W. Clement Stone, and Norman Vincent Peale, playing a significant role in promoting positive thinking and self-improvement philosophies, but also giving a specific, stereotypical look to the magazine.
“Now we’re not just looking at (stereotypical) CEOs, we’ve got entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, career moms, startups, young philanthropists… You name it,”
It was back in 2008 when the magazine was relaunched to adapt to the evolving needs of its audience, incorporating digital platforms to deliver content more efficiently and growing with the demands of technology and newer generations. Needless to say, today, with Kerrie Lee at the helm, SUCCESS® continues to serve as a comprehensive resource for individuals seeking growth by not only offering articles, but podcasts, and videos on topics ranging from business strategies to health and wellness.
It should be noted that in December 2020, SUCCESS® Enterprises, LLC, the parent company of SUCCESS® magazine, was acquired by eXp World Holdings, Inc., marking a new chapter in the magazine’s commitment to personal and professional development and growth.
The Queen of Hearts Takes the Stage
In recent years, Kerrie Lee has ventured back to the white-hot spotlight without the over-doing stress. She speaks on stages across the country sharing her stories. She tells me that she loves being on the different stages because the storyteller within her allows her to intertwine her business knowledge and personal stories into an origami of inspirational messages and entertaining anecdotes to be shared across the platforms.
Her career as a journalist has allowed her to interview some truly amazing people, including some big-name celebrities. As she discloses some of the details of her most recent interviews with Daymond John and Eva Longoria, she gives me a humble smile and takes a moment to communicate gratitude for me and my style of interviewing her.
“I’m like you, now, I like to just have a conversation with people and learn about them. People really appreciate that,” she assures me, and I can’t help but feel a warm sense of validation coming from the great media mogul. “I’ve done a lot of interviews because of SUCCESS®, what I do, what I’ve done… And it’s like, am I just my title? I know I’m not, but it’s nice to be able to talk about other stuff,” she says with gratitude.
So, when I ask her about what she has planned for the upcoming year ahead, she shares that her main focus is on her two boys, as they are her life. However, she does say that it’s important to remember to be a woman first, and that can be difficult for most women.
“It’s hard when you’re a new mother, they need you, and rightfully so. But maybe now, because my boys are now older, I realize that I need to make time for Kerrie Lee, or I won’t be around to see them grow up. They understand that mom needs her time. You know, women always do that, …we become the wife, the mother, …even women without children, we become the caregiver. But if we don’t take time for ourselves, we won’t be able to be the person that someone needs mentally, emotionally… we need to respect our feminine energy and we need to respect our boundaries so we can give our best,” she says.
And as she shares with me that she is currently going through a divorce, she already knows she needs to give ample time to areas in her life where time is required for the upcoming year.
“It’s going to impact this chapter (of her story), but it’s going to be a great chapter,” she says, full of hope.
She has plans for a second book, more workshops, more philanthropy, more stages, and more time with her friends and family.
Heart-Health Month, Every Month
Kerrie Lee Brown has used her life experiences to advocate for women, health, and the heart, metaphorically and literally. As Kerrie Lee and I share similar, shocking heart experiences from pushing ourselves too hard and taking on too much stress, we confess to each other how working endless days and nights was like a badge of honor, but the repercussions of heart damage at a young age was carried with an unbearable shame. We both admit that when we finally went public with our stories, we went very public and shared it with the world to be a cautionary tale of what not to do. I profess that I became transparent about my heart health on a TEDx stage, and Kerrie Lee gasps over another commonality.
“The first time I mentioned it was in the national magazine, Chatelaine, when they did a spotlight feature on me. It got a huge response, and it was liberating. It really was,” she happily admits and I agree with her insight.
Kerrie Lee continues each day with a heart-healthy lifestyle and has intentionally learned to give herself the grace to reduce and eliminate unnecessary stress.
“I used to strive for perfection, and I don’t do that anymore,” she tells one post-perfectionist to another. “I just pace myself.”
As most people only think about heart health in February or after the doctor questions their triglycerides, Kerrie Lee is an advocate to remind women and men to take care of their hearts every day and be proactive.
All of Kerrie Lee Brown’s influential achievements have not gone unnoticed either. In 2022, she was honored with the Denver Women of Influence Award, as a testament to her impact as a leader and mentor. This accolade reflects her commitment to uplifting others, fostering creativity, and driving positive change across industries.
There is no stopping her mission, and her stories are only spreading more like wildfire, but Kerrie Lee will be the first to remind you to slow down and take a beat or two. It’s wise advice for anyone on the entrepreneurial path or even that road less traveled. As I like to say, ‘Get your rest and guard your heart,’ and I think Kerrie Lee would agree.
Kerrie Lee Brown’s career is a testament to the power of passion, expertise, and adaptability. Whether shaping the future of media or guiding organizations through complex communications challenges, she remains an encouraging force in the ever-evolving landscape of media and content creation, as well as health and overall inspiration!
