Sherry Shaw-Froggatt

When friends and colleagues talk about Sherry Shaw-Froggatt,
the word that comes up most often is visionary. As the driving
force behind airdrielife magazine, Sherry built her career on
a vision of promoting arts and culture in her community and
highlighting the things about Airdrie that make the city much
more than a bedroom community. Airdrie has a life of its own, and
Sherry has dedicated the last two decades to making sure that
life is reflected by amplifying local stories.

Shaw-Froggatt has more than
shown that there’s ample demand
for locally focused and locally
produced independent magazines.

After years working in newspapers, Sherry decided it was
time to stretch her entrepreneurial wings by creating a local
magazine to promote all that she loves about Airdrie. She
co-founded airdrielife in 2004 as a means to both attract
potential residents to the growing community and highlight and
celebrate the cultural movers-and-shakers and artists already
living in town, giving fanfare where it was deserved while also
helping to inspire other locals to make their mark in Airdrie.

By 2006, Sherry was airdrielife’s sole publisher, and since then
she’s more than shown that there’s ample demand
for locally focused and locally produced independent
magazines. While her name may be at the top of the
masthead, one of her superpowers is the ability to not
only seek out and surround herself with experts who
can help execute her vision, but to motivate them to get
on board via her infectious sense of enthusiasm.

Over the years Sherry has kept airdrielife thriving and has also
had incredible impact on the city of Airdrie itself. In 2010 she
founded the Creative Airdrie Society and in 2011 launched the
Amazing Airdrie Women Awards, honouring the achievements
of other women working as local community builders. Her
signature airdrielife events not only bring attention to Airdrie’s
creative minds and unique businesses, but also raise money for
important local charities.

All the while, airdrielife has prevailed as the cornerstone of
Sherry’s vision — illustrating that magazines don’t just reflect
communities but can help to build them.