Words by Anna Lee Vaughn | Images courtesy of Edie Hand
In March 2023, international author, producer, and speaker Edie Hand released the latest installment of her Women of True Grit series. Subtitled ‘Passion, Perseverance, Positive Projection,’ this stunning compilation of stories features poems from the late Maya Angelou and stories from true woman warriors such as advocate Leigh Anne Tuohy and singer CeCe Winans.
Women of True Grit has blossomed into an empire of resources, conferences, and educational programs that celebrate the beauty and diversity of strong women around the globe. What inspired Edie to pen the stories that started this empire? Her story of true grit starts where all stories do: the beginning.
Edie grew up around Florence, Alabama. From a young age, her grandmother taught her about the Pearls of Hope, saying life is like a string of pearls – each woman’s is unique and defining of their character. Does your string of pearls show you to be pure, passionate, happy, free, peaceful, wise, trustworthy, confident, and creative? Or are you walking a path of grief that dulls the shine of your pearls?
Edie has experienced the loss of close family members and is a multi-time cancer survivor. Experiences like these have inspired Edie’s lifelong passion and career; as she says, “You never know who or what will touch your life throughout its different seasons.”
Her relation to the late Elvis Presley allowed her to spread her wings beyond her small town early in life. Edie made many influential connections that spurred her career early on and continue to inspire her work, such as Danny Thomas, an American comedian, singer, actor, and founder of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and his daughters, Marlo and Theresa (Terre). Edie’s son, Hollywood-based actor Linc Hand, is Terre’s godson.
Edie started a marketing agency, which fueled the fire of her life’s work. However, she claims her experience working in a library taught her the true value of a good story. She has penned 35 books in her lifetime; however, Women of True Grit has undeniably impacted the direction of Edie’s branding, goals, and reach.
“The power of branding is something I understand from owning an advertising agency. But I took this many steps further. I think this is one of the best things I have ever done, and it’s growing by leaps and bounds to reach women all over the world,” says Edie.
Over the last 20+ years, the first Women of True Grit book has spawned an empire that bonds women through their own stories of true grit. As Edie puts it, “The Women of True Grit brand is perfectly timed, and it represents a unique opportunity for anyone seeking to help empower, encourage, and educate women.”
Edie has traveled the world to interview women from all walks of life and writes their stories in first-person to give readers an ultra-personable and relatable reading experience. In the latest Women of True Grit book, readers will find sections full of stories from women in business, education, engineering, science, medicine, entertainment, entrepreneurship, government services, ministry, and philanthropy. Indeed, these 63 stories beautifully encompass the female experience.
This book series has opened the door for Edie to create many resources encouraging women to find their true grit, such as conferences, TV segments, podcasts, music, curriculums, and online outlets for women to share their stories. She continues to share about the women who touch the lives of those around them through stories of resilience throughout extraordinary and everyday struggles.
“You never know what greatness is in the people around you, even when they are struggling. So, if we can help people in all different walks of life by showing them these stories and hearing them say, ‘I don’t feel so alone anymore,’ then we have accomplished our goal,” says Edie. “I am so grateful that I am thriving and here today to share these stories.” WL
View Edie’s books and Women of True Grit resources at https://ediehand.com/ and https://ediehand.com/women-of-true-grit/.
