FC Interview: Edward Grinnan

Over 30 years ago Edward Grinnan was an alcoholic, practically living on the streets and miraculously landed a job at Guideposts magazine in New York. He thought he would be there six months, a year at most before moving on to a more prestigious publication — instead by writing Guideposts’ trademark stories of hope and inspiration, he found the strength to get clean, started attending AA and recovered his faith. 

Today he is Editor-in-Chief and VP of Strategic Development and his role is heavily invested in the future of Guideposts, including leading a major redesign to continue encouraging their 4.5 million readers with the message that anything is possible with hope, faith, and prayer. The magazine will begin a bi-monthly publication schedule, add a minimum of 30 pages per issue printed on higher quality paper, and new, highly anticipated editorial features in an updated design format.    

Celebrating more than seven decades in print, Guideposts is the go-to publication for positive, uplifting personal stories from celebrities and everyday people alike. The magazine will offer its 4.5 million readers new editorial features including interviews with today’s faith leaders, regular articles on prayer and Scripture, and profiles of positive people that will inspire readers to live with greater optimism and hope. 

The magazine has a very specific story arch and always looks to be inspirational. These articles of hope and faith led Edward to rediscover a relationship with God through writing for the magazine. He was raised Catholic but never took faith seriously until he started working at Guideposts. Edward began to write devotionals, and as he started looking for writing inspiration in his own life, he created a narrative voice that enriched his faith. 

“Our readers rely on us for positive, uplifting stories of hope and inspiration. We look for the good in the world during these challenging times, and love sharing what we find with our readers. We’ve been inspiring America for more than seven decades, and we are committed to continuing our mission to inspire America for the next seven,” said Edward. 

My conversation with Edward felt like talking to an old friend. His story of addiction recovery was special for me as my mom wrestled with addiction in the last several years of her life. I loved getting to hear his heart for people and his love of working for the company that God used to save and transform his life. I hope you enjoy this interview!  You can shop Guideposts Magazine here!