As small businesses often struggle to compete with big-box retailers and e-commerce giants, Susie Matheson and Christy Ford have built a brand dedicated to celebrating and uplifting local entrepreneurs. As the Co-founders of The Scout Guide, they have transformed a simple idea into a nationally recognized platform that spotlights small businesses and fosters community connections.
Susie, with her deep appreciation for local businesses, started The Scout as a blog to highlight the vibrant entrepreneurial scene in Charlottesville, Virginia. Christy, a photographer and designer with an eye for timeless aesthetics, shared Susie’s passion for supporting small businesses. Together, they transformed the concept into a high-quality print publication that has since grown into a thriving franchise spanning over 100 markets across the U.S.
Driven by their shared mission and belief in the power of community, Susie and Christy have built The Scout Guide into a movement that empowers small business owners, particularly women entrepreneurs, to thrive. Their journey is one of vision, perseverance, and the commitment to telling the stories of local businesses that make communities unique— emerging as one of The Most Influential Women Leaders to Watch in 2025.
A Vision to Preserve Small Businesses
Susie co-founded The Scout Guide with a clear mission—to uplift and protect small businesses. In the late 2000s, she became increasingly concerned about the growing dominance of e-commerce and large retail chains. Fueled by her deep appreciation for Charlottesville, Virginia’s vibrant small business community, and the people behind it, she launched a blog called The Scout. The platform quickly gained traction, allowing her to highlight the unique businesses she discovered throughout the town and share them with a wider audience.
During this time, Christy, a photographer and co-owner of And George Antiques, had recently moved to Charlottesville with her family. An unexpected meeting with Susie at her store led to a friendship built on a shared passion for supporting local businesses. Inspired by The Scout blog, the two envisioned transforming it into a high-quality printed guide—one that would serve as both a resource and a keepsake, rather than something disposable.
In 2010, they turned that vision into reality with the launch of The Scout Guide. While Susie focused on sales, Christy leveraged her design expertise to create a visually stunning publication that truly captured the essence of the businesses it featured.
A Local Concept with National Appeal
The first edition, The Scout Guide Charlottesville, Volume 1, debuted in 2010, solidifying Susie and Christy’s commitment to celebrating small businesses in print. From the outset, they aimed to create more than just a directory—it was a “family album” of local entrepreneurs. Their work quickly resonated beyond Charlottesville, as business owners from other cities expressed interest in bringing The Scout Guide to their own communities. Within three months of the first publication, demand for expansion increased and led to the development of the company’s franchise model—allowing its mission to flourish nationwide.
Embracing the Challenges of Franchising as Women Entrepreneurs
For Susie and Christy, one of the most significant challenges in their entrepreneurial journey was transforming The Scout Guide into a franchise. Initially, they had a firm stance against featuring franchise businesses in their guides, which made the decision to become one themselves a difficult shift.
However, recognizing the opportunity to expand beyond Charlottesville and bring their vision to other communities, they embraced the franchise model. Today, they take immense pride in having carved out a space in the franchise world that resonates with women entrepreneurs.
Christy acknowledges that their early perception of franchising was shaped by large corporate brands like McDonald’s and Jiffy Lube. However, the rise of boutique franchises such as Drybar and Pure Barre reshaped their understanding of the model. They began seeing franchising as a powerful tool, particularly for women who aspire to own a business but may not want to build one entirely from the ground up. By embracing this approach, The Scout Guide has become a platform that empowers women to pursue entrepreneurship while maintaining the authenticity and community-driven spirit that first inspired its creation.
A Growing Legacy of Supporting Local Businesses
Over the years, The Scout Guide has transformed from a local passion project into a nationally recognized brand, a milestone that Susie and Christy take great pride in. For them, reaching 100 markets across the country marks a defining achievement, reflecting the widespread impact of their mission to champion small businesses.
Christy shares this sense of accomplishment, noting the excitement of hearing people recognize The Scout Guide beyond the cities it serves. Knowing that countless local businesses have been featured and supported through their platform is deeply rewarding. As the brand has expanded, so has its purpose—evolving from simply showcasing businesses to telling the stories behind them.
The Key to Growth
A key driver of The Scout Guide’s success has been a sharp focus on strengths and strategic decision-making. Susie emphasizes the importance of being intentional—prioritizing impactful opportunities rather than getting sidetracked by smaller distractions. This disciplined approach has allowed the company to grow efficiently while staying true to its mission.
For Christy, the foundation of The Scout Guide’s success lies in relationships. She believes that no business can thrive without strong connections, and their dedicated franchisees embody this philosophy. By actively engaging with local businesses and fostering meaningful relationships in their communities, franchise owners serve as the heartbeat of The Scout Guide. Their commitment to making a difference on a local level has been instrumental in the company’s expansion and continued success.
Collaboration At The Heart of Expansion
Rather than focusing on external acquisitions, The Scout Guide prioritizes its partnerships with franchisees across the country. By maintaining close connections and actively engaging with them, the team gains valuable insights into local markets and the creative ways franchise owners bring The Scout Guide to life in their communities.
While the mission to support small businesses remains at the core of everything they do, Susie and Christy find continuous inspiration in the unique approaches franchisees take—both in print and across digital platforms. This ongoing exchange of ideas and innovation ensures that The Scout Guide remains a dynamic and evolving brand, deeply rooted in the communities it serves.
Balancing Strategy and Creativity
Today, balancing business strategy with creativity is essential to long-term success. Susie emphasizes that consistency is the key to scaling The Scout Guide’s multi-media business model. While the company thrives in both strategic planning and creative storytelling, maintaining a steady and cohesive approach has been fundamental to its growth.
Christy reinforces this idea by highlighting the importance of staying true to The Scout Guide’s core identity. The brand’s timeless and classic aesthetic has remained a defining element from the beginning, ensuring that every edition reflects the same high-quality, curated experience that readers and businesses have come to trust. By blending strategic growth with a commitment to creative excellence, The Scout Guide continues to expand while preserving its signature style and mission.
Celebrating Industry Recognition and Excellence
Over the past two years, The Scout Guide has garnered significant industry recognition, earning five prestigious awards that highlight its excellence in design, print, and marketing. In 2023, the brand was honored as a Design & Print Winner at the 29th Annual Communicator Awards, a testament to its commitment to high-quality publication standards. Moreover, The Scout Guide Grapevine & Southlake, Volume 1 received the Gold Award in the Consumer Magazine category at The Davey Awards, further solidifying the brand’s impact in the publishing world.
The American Advertising Federation of Hampton Roads recognized The Scout Guide Charlottesville, Tidewater, and Hunt Country as Silver “Addy” winners in 2023, reflecting the brand’s strong creative presence.
A particularly proud moment for Susie and Christy was being named to The Entreprenista 100 list, an honor that aligns them with women leaders making waves in their respective industries. Most recently, in 2024, The Scout Guide was recognized by the Muse Creative Awards for its Media Kit in the Marketing and Promotional category—showcasing the brand’s strength in both content and strategy.
Growth Across the West and Midwest
As The Scout Guide continues to expand its reach, exciting milestones lie ahead. For Susie, the upcoming launch of the first Santa Barbara edition marks a significant step in the brand’s westward expansion. Bringing The Scout Guide to new communities on the West Coast is a testament to the growing demand for its unique approach to supporting local businesses.
Christy Ford shares in the excitement, noting that watching The Scout Guide extend its presence across the Midwest and West has been incredibly rewarding. With each new edition, The Scout Guide brand continues to further strengthen its mission of fostering local connections and celebrating small businesses across the country.
Wisdom for Today’s Business World
Through years of experience, Susie has embraced a key piece of advice: just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. This perspective has been invaluable when making major business decisions, reminding her that focus and discernment are just as important as ambition. While not always considered an essential leadership trait, this mindset has guided her in building The Scout Guide into a thriving brand.
Christy emphasizes that intuition is the cornerstone of smart decision-making. In a fast-moving world where trends come and go, she believes in the power of staying true to one’s instincts. Just as The Scout Guide remains rooted in its timeless and classic aesthetic, Christy emphasizes the importance of revisiting core values and fundamentals as a path to long-term success.
“Be confident and trust your gut. You’ll never know until you try. We never knew a simple idea and mission would ignite this desire to help tell stories of local entrepreneurs, but it did. Keep trusting yourself and success will happen.”- Christy Ford.
A Legacy of Empowerment
For Susie and Christy, success isn’t just measured by growth or accolades—it’s about impact. As influential leaders, their greatest achievement is knowing that The Scout Guide has helped countless women pursue their own business ventures. At the end of the day, they want to be remembered as women who championed and uplifted others in their entrepreneurial journeys.
The Scout Guide is 100% women-owned, and 28% of the businesses featured in The Scout Guide print guides are women-owned.
5 Key Takeaways from the Success of The Scout Guide
- Empowering Small Businesses – Susie Matheson and Christy Ford built The Scout Guide with a mission to celebrate and uplift small businesses, providing them with a platform to connect with their communities and thrive.
- Franchising as a Growth Strategy – Initially hesitant about franchising, the co-founders embraced the model to expand their impact nationwide, helping women entrepreneurs launch their own local editions.
- The Power of Relationships – Strong connections with local businesses and franchise owners have been instrumental in The Scout Guide’s success, proving that meaningful relationships drive long-term growth.
- Balancing Creativity with Strategy – By maintaining a focus on timeless design and strategic decision-making, Matheson and Ford have ensured consistency and high-quality storytelling across all editions.
- Legacy of Women Supporting Women – As a 100% women-owned business, The Scout Guide has become a beacon of inspiration, demonstrating that when women support one another in business, entire communities benefit.
