Meredith Wood-Prince
Meredith Wood-Prince has lived and traveled all over the world. Her adventurous nature led her to become editor of The Scout Guide, an annual publication showcasing local businesses in Chicago. The mother of three has a lot on her plate, but she always takes time for herself and to rejuvenate.
Born Meredith Tuttle in New York City, 1972, Meredith Wood-Prince attended the prestigious Chapin school for girls in Manhattan and then Aiglon College, a boarding school in Switzerland. After graduating in 1994 with a degree in English, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and worked in marketing/promotions for the 1996 Summer Olympics. “I’ve never been totally tied to one place,” she admits. “I’ve always been up for an adventure.”
FROM ATLANTA TO CHICAGO
Once the Olympics ended, Ms. Wood-Prince continued exploring her options in Atlanta and landed a job at estate jeweler Laura Pearce, Ltd. “I always loved estate jewelry,” she says. “I used to peruse through Christie’s and Sotheby’s catalogs when I was younger. Not because I wanted to buy something, but to learn about the history of each item. So when Laura Pearce needed somebody to help run operations, I handled all marketing, advertising and PR. I was there for nine years.”
It’s also in Atlanta where she met her husband, Patrick Wood-Prince. “It was fate,” she explains. “Our families vacationed in Eleuthera, an island in the Bahamas, around the same time when we were young…but we never met. We were set up through mutual friends, and when we started dating we figured out my father knew his uncle before either of us were even born. My father was captain of the Yale fishing team the year before Patrick’s uncle was captain. It seemed like we were destined to meet.”
The couple dated for a year, was engaged for a year and married in 2002. “A year-and-a-half after we married, we felt it was time to be close to family,” recalls Ms. Wood-Prince, who was five months pregnant at the time. “My mom passed away when I was in college, so going back to New York felt sad and lonely. Patrick is from a big, bustling family in Chicago; they welcomed us with open arms. We lived with his grandmother for three months while our house was being built.” Her description of the situation sounds like a sitcom, and Ms. Wood-Prince agrees. “There was us, the dog…and the baby was coming. It was a pretty hilarious family moment.”
THE SCOUT GUIDE
Ms. Wood-Prince opted to be a stay-at-home mom to her three children Harry, Piper and Winnie (who are now 11, 9 and 7 respectively), but once they were all in school she thought about resurrecting her career. While vacationing in Newport, Rhode Island, one summer, Ms. Wood-Prince sat on the beach with her best friend Susie Matheson – founder of The Scout Guide – as their children played together.
“I was fascinated by how well she was doing,” Ms. Wood-Prince recalls. “She started [The Scout Guide] because she felt local businesses didn’t have a voice and didn’t have a place to advertise. That they didn’t have the money to be in something like Town & Country, so how were they getting their message out? She talked about how the mission is to support and celebrate what makes each city special…how travel will become so boring if every city is the same.” Being a seasoned traveler, Ms. Wood-Prince agreed. “Travel is about getting the flavor of that city: the great bakery, the wonderful dress shop, the great shoe shop. Susie made me understand that we need to come together and support these local artisans and entrepreneurs…give them a voice. I started The Scout Guide here three years ago…I think I was number 13. Now there are guides in over 50 cities, and I’m so humbled and honored people allow me to tell their story. We do that through photo shoots that engage readers and get them through the business’ doors or to their website. We think of this as more of a lifestyle blog and publication rather than a book of advertising.”
When you page through The Scout Guide (view the latest issue at chicago.thescoutguide.com), you’ll notice that many of the business owners are in their advertisements. Even Ms. Wood-Prince appears in some ads. “Every editor is in their respective guide,” she explains, noting that the publication wants readers to know who’s behind the scenes…handpicking the city’s top local businesses. “As the editor, curating a list of the best local businesses in Chicago, it’s my job to think about what people from Charleston, San Francisco or anywhere would love to see when visiting. What’s special?”
To view a hard copy of The Scout Guide, published annually every April, simply head to any of the retailers featured in the issue. “They’re always at Chicago Luxury Beds, Neapolitan, Valentina in Lake Forest…but I also do a direct mail to about 11,000 people,” says Ms. Wood-Prince. “Volume 3 launches at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Antique, Garden & Design Show in 2015.”
TIME TO RECHARGE
As a wife, mother and full-time editor, to say Ms. Wood-Prince has a lot going on would be an understatement. But she always carves out time for herself and says there are several ways she keeps herself happy, sane and rejuvenated…
- “Exercise is like therapy. I don’t always love it, but my mind is clear when I leave the gym.”
- “I love sleep! I could sleep eight hours a day and take a nap if my schedule permits. An uninterrupted night’s sleep is one of life’s greatest gifts.”
- “I always listen to my body and follow up with a holistic, integrative approach. Dr. Melinda Ring, who runs the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern, is my ultimate girl crush. She has changed my life. She has me on a regimen of supplements and B12 shots that make me feel incredible and rested every day.”
- “I go away to The Ranch at Live Oak in Malibu once a year. It’s basically a wellness, nutrition and exercise program. For six days, you spend the morning hiking and eating vegan food and then exercise in the afternoon. I go more for the mental reasons…having lots of time to be grateful and think about life. There’s a lot of time to sit and reflect.”
“Rejuvenation is really important to me,” continues Ms. Wood-Prince. “Carving out one hour a day and one week a year is essential to keeping a smile on my face…or as my 7-year-old might say, ‘not turning into mean mommy.’ I think about what’s really going to matter in 20 years,” she explains. “What’s going to be significant…being with family and friends, making time for me…goes to the top of my list.”
Paul Elledge Photograph