Meet Caitlin Thomas of Cartersville Living

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Thomas.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

In many ways, Cartersville Living was born during a threshold season in my life.

The year before I launched the magazine had reshaped me. After years of caregiving for my grandfather and navigating personal loss within my extended family, I found myself rebuilding physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It was a season that stripped life down to essentials and clarified what truly mattered.

Around that same time, I found out I was pregnant with my third child after an eight year gap. It felt like quiet reassurance that life was still unfolding and that something new was meant to be built.

When the opportunity to launch Cartersville Living presented itself, I said yes.

I did not begin with perfect confidence. I began with conviction. I believed in the power of thoughtful storytelling and in the importance of strengthening local connection in a way that felt sincere and mutually supportive.

Cartersville Living reflects my life as much as it reflects the community. I homeschool my two oldest children and teach at a homeschool co op. I support local nonprofits, trail stewardship efforts, and small businesses. In the early days of building the magazine, I often brought my children with me to networking events, sometimes all three, sometimes just the baby. I was met with a community that was welcoming and encouraging to a newcomer building something rooted in telling their stories.

That experience shaped the culture of the publication. We focus on intentional introductions, positive reflections on what our community offers, and long term relationships rather than transactions. We highlight families, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and the quiet leaders who make this area special.

Cartersville Living is not just a magazine. It is an extension of the way I choose to live. Invested locally. Thoughtful in storytelling. Committed to connection without control.

The season that once felt like unraveling became the foundation for meaningful work. And I am proud that the publication continues to grow alongside the very community that welcomed me into it.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road.

When I launched Cartersville Living, the magazine was not profitable yet. I was pregnant with my third child and rebuilding my life at the same time. “There were months where I did whatever honest work I could find to bridge the gap and keep our household steady, learning to be resourceful in ways that required both creativity and humility. I cleaned houses while pregnant. I delivered for DoorDash and UberEATS. I stretched every dollar while I built something I believed in.

There were moments when it would have been easier to quit and choose something predictable. But I knew the vision was bigger than the season.

Those early days taught me discipline, humility, and resilience. They gave me empathy for the small business owners I now partner with because I understand what it feels like to bet on yourself when nothing is guaranteed. I know what it means to build before it is comfortable.

The road was not smooth, but it was shaping me. Every late night, every risk, every uncomfortable conversation strengthened my leadership and clarified my values.

I did not wait until it felt safe to build. I built while it was uncertain.

And that decision changed everything.

We’ve been impressed with Cartersville Living, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Cartersville Living is a community driven publication that connects local families, nonprofits, and businesses through meaningful storytelling through print.

Each month we are delivered directly into carefully selected neighborhoods across Cartersville and Bartow County. Our focus is not mass distribution. It is intentional placement. We serve high value homes and engaged households who care about where they live and who they support.

Our business model allows local companies to show up consistently in front of the same audience month after month. That consistency builds trust. In a world where digital content disappears in seconds, print placed in the home still carries weight. It lingers on coffee tables. It sparks conversations and creates familiarity.

We specialize in long term brand positioning for small and midsize businesses. Through print, digital visibility, sponsored content, listings and reviews management and AI formated websites, together with community integration, we help businesses become recognized and trusted names locally. We also spotlight families and nonprofit organizations because a strong local economy is built on connection, not just commerce.

Brand wise, I am most proud that Cartersville Living feels warm without being small and polished without feeling corporate or industrial. It reflects the heart of this community, aspirational yet accessible.

Our partners are not just advertisers. They become part of a network. We attend ribbon cuttings celebrate milestones together. We promote events. We create full circle connections between residents and businesses.

I want readers to know that this publication exists because of community support. Every page represents someone who chose to invest in connection over competition.

Cartersville Living is more than a magazine. It is a platform for local legacy.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The quality that has been most important to my success is resilience rooted in self awareness.

I have learned how to stay steady in uncertainty. Building a business requires you to hear no, to adapt quickly, and to lead even when you are still growing. The ability to reflect instead of react has shaped both my leadership and my relationships.

I also believe courage has played a major role. Not loud courage, but quiet consistency. Showing up when it would be easier not to. Having hard conversations. Holding boundaries. Trusting my intuition even when it meant taking the longer road.

Success for me has not been about force. It has been about alignment. When you operate from a clear sense of who you are and what you stand for, decisions become simpler.

Resilience keeps you going. Self awareness keeps you growing.

Together, they build something sustainable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bestversionmedia.com/ga/cartersvilleliving/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cartersvilleliving/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093817632654
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-thomas-3315a2287

Image Credits
Anne Say Photography