By Peyton Goracke University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lisa Reid, 26, encourages others to not be cookie-cutter. If you have a dream, go for it, she says. With this philosophy in mind Reid, her brother Brian Reid, and sister, Laurie Reid, who live in Brighton, Colorado, started The Showtimes Junior Livestock Magazine in April of 2007. The magazine serves a need for coverage of agriculture youth across the United States. The magazine highlights people in the livestock industry including shows and products, exhibitors and producers. Reid, who is field editor at the magazine, said her faith has been a guiding force. “It is important for me to use the platform God has provided with The Showtimes to reach more people and positively influence their lives,” Reid said. What started as a local publication with 32 pages has quickly grown to a nationwide magazine with more than 300 pages. The Showtimes Junior Livestock magazine has 86,000 followers on Facebook and its YouTube videos have been viewed by over 61,500 people. The most recent issue included results from the National Western Livestock Show in Denver, new sires available for 2018, three Best of Barn awards and the newest member inducted into The Showtimes Hall of Fame. Reid said the magazine strives to make each issue better. For Reid, every day is different. While a majority of her work is spent traveling to livestock shows across the United States, Reid also works on graphic designs and magazine layouts. “One thing that I have discovered through my work at The Showtimes is that everyone has a story. Even people you think who might not have a connection to agriculture, at some point in their life have been influenced by our industry,” Reid said. Interviewing influential people within the livestock industry has allowed Reid to understand how everyone has a unique story. Reid said John Sullivan, owner of Sullivan Supply, is one of the most interesting person she has interviewed. She said his story of starting Sullivan Supply is a true inspiration. The Showtimes magazine staff strives to cover the industry in a way that they would want to be covered themselves. In order to make social media posts more authentic, they do not follow any specific rules or guidelines. Reid believes that this aspect is what makes The Showtimes unique. “So many times, in life people restrict themselves in an effort to do it ‘the right way. If everyone did something the same way it would never be unique,” Reid said. Quality is always a priority. Reid said that in order to keep up with the rigorous news cycle, they never post or print anything without being 100 percent certain it's correct. Although it can be tedious to push information in order to meet deadlines, accuracy is important. The Reids have continued to build their skills in computer and graphic design, which has helped grow the magazine. It’s crucial to stay on top of jobs and become more efficient in completing tasks, Reid said. “Editing is of great importance. Once something is in print or posted, people believe it and take it as true. It is always a priority of ours to cover the industry truthfully,” Reid said. For Reid, The Showtimes has made the world seem a lot smaller. In one day, she can talk to people from California, Maine, Iowa or Australia because of her job. Because traveling is a big part of her job, Reid and her siblings have visited many cool places. However, some of the most fun places have been the regular pit stops along the way. Reid said the most rewarding part of her job is working with youth. “Having started The Showtimes when I was so young," she said,"it is fun for me to cheer on and push the younger generations. Young people are so capable.”
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A note about the content: This site showcases the final projects of University of Nebraska-Lincoln editing students. Each semester, students pick a journalist or communications professional to profile. This is their work.
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