573 Magazine: The Story of Us—A Journey of Resilience

In 2006 in a small, unfamiliar town, we launched a high quality magazine named Insider573, a regional magazine focused on the people and places of the community.  With no backing, no connections, and no roadmap for navigating the tight-knit region’s quirks we had nothing but determination. Every day brought fresh failures—printing delays, distribution snags, and advertisers hesitant to trust us. Each misstep threatened to shutter us, but we met challenges head-on, learning fast and adapting faster.

The area’s entrenched powers—newspapers, radio stations, local governments, and chambers of commerce—guarded their turf fiercely. They funneled business to favored insiders, leaving us to claw for scraps. Whisper campaigns spread like wildfire, painting us as outsiders, untrustworthy dreamers. Vicious rumors stung, but we refused to flinch. Our commitment to excellence held firm—we had no Idea how ironic naming the publication The Insider573 magazine was.  Looking back now, I’m sure it made many people uncomfortable having some outsiders claim to be insiders, but we had one superpower, we had curiosity and a willingness to focus on the most interesting, overlooked, or taken for granted people and places, no matter the politics.  

We ran our own race, ignoring the noise. When a local paper undercut our ad rates, we doubled down on quality—sharper stories, bolder designs, and a relentless focus on the region’s untold stories. We embraced change, experimenting with new formats and digital platforms, even when it meant risking failure. Each stumble taught us something new and every issue got better and better.

Our grit paid off. Slowly, readers noticed. Businesses, tired of the old guard’s favoritism, took a chance on us. We built trust, one issue at a time, we changed our name to 573 Magazine became a regional powerhouse. Our pages showcased the heart of the community—its people, its struggles, its triumphs—without bowing to political pressures or insider deals. And people noticed. The Missouri History Museum houses every single issue of 573 Magazine for the ages. 573 Magazine was proud to win the Governor's Award for Tourism.

We never backed down. The heat forged us, and our willingness to innovate kept us ahead. Failures became stepping stones. From a small-town gamble, 573 Magazine rose as a beacon of resilience, proving that heart, hustle, and a refusal to quit could break through even the toughest barriers.

Today, what has changed is that we meet you where you are! We have shed ourselves of wasteful printing—no more hunting for a 573 Magazine. We have become a digital powerhouse. You can find 573 Magazine on all platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, X, Pinterest, etc. Or sign up for our 573 Update for delivery to your inbox or visit us at 573magazine.com. Our stories are fresh and timely, with at least one new story published weekly. They are lively, featuring videos and links to show you more of what you love! This magazine belongs to the 573 communities it serves. We go where you go, and if you are on your phone, that's where you will find us!

We will always focus on our local communities and highlight the area’s parks, restaurants, wineries, springs, and events. We boost local businesses and support the arts, fostering creativity and community engagement. The 573 emphasizes the positive aspects of life and encourages readers that whatever one man can do, another can do. We want to inspire you to appreciate the beauty of the area and live happily, but really, truth be known, the incredible people of the 573 inspire us!

Get Out There! Create something. Start that new business. Join the Army.  Do something.  Do anything. What one person can do, another can do. That sunken sofa will be fine without you.