Q&A: Denise Gustavson Reflects on Her Imprint Podcast

By Gabby Houck

Denise Gustavson, the editorial director of PRINTING United Alliance media brands, joined us for a Q&A about her illustrious Her Imprint podcast series. During women's history month, Gustavson put out 22 episodes all highlighting different women in the industry.

However, telling women's stories doesn't end in March — Her Imprint runs year-round and we wanted to get the scoop on what Gustavson is most proud of when it comes to this editorial endeavor.

WFI: What first inspired you to start the Her Imprint Podcast?

Denise Gustavson: It really grew out of two things. I'd spent more than 20 years in this industry watching remarkable women do extraordinary work and watching those stories go largely untold. Around the same time, I was becoming part of the founding of the Women in Print Alliance, and that experience made it even clearer to me that visibility wasn't just nice to have — it was necessary. Her Imprint became the storytelling arm of that mission. The Women in Print Alliance exists to attract, advance, and advocate for women in print. Her Imprint is where those women get to speak for themselves.

WFI: With print being known as a sort of “boys club” what does it mean/represent to you to host a podcast focused entirely on women’s stories?

DG: It means everything, honestly. I've been in this industry for 28 years — I know firsthand what it feels like to be the only woman in the room. There's a statistic that only about 30% of C-suite roles are filled by women today, and that's across all industries. In print, that number can feel even smaller. Women couldn't even get a business loan until 1988. So, the legacy of who built and ran these companies is still very present in some rooms. Her Imprint, as the official podcast of the Women in Print Alliance, is a direct response to that. It says these women are here, they're leading, they're building, they're innovating — and the industry needs to hear it. It's not about checking a box. It's about changing who gets a seat at the table and making sure people can actually see themselves there.

WFI: As the host, how do you make your guests feel comfortable to tell their stories?

DG: I think a big part of it is that I'm not an outsider looking in — after 28 years in this industry, I've lived a version of this story too. I've been in rooms where I was the only woman. I've had to figure it out without a roadmap. So, when I sit down with a guest, there's already a shared understanding there. I'm not asking them to explain their world to someone who doesn't get it — I'm asking them to go deeper into something we both already know is real. I also try to listen more than I talk. You'd be surprised how much someone will share when they feel like they're actually being heard rather than just interviewed.

WFI: From Her Imprint’s inception to now, how do you feel the show has grown or evolved?

DG: The conversations have gotten richer, and the platform has grown in a way I'm really proud of. Her Imprint now releases twice a month and every March for Women's History Month we go even bigger — this past year we released 22 episodes in a single month. That kind of reach changes what's possible. Early on, there was a lot of ground to cover — just getting women to tell their stories, talk about their paths, how they got here. Now guests are more willing to go to harder places: the moments they almost didn't make it, the times they were overlooked, what it really costs to lead in a space that wasn't built with you in mind. That depth is what I'm most proud of.

WFI: What role do you believe a podcast like this plays in uplifting women and their voices in our industry?

DG: I always come back to this image of a little girl watching the Olympics on TV, completely transfixed by a woman competing on screen. Because she can see herself in that athlete, she goes on to compete herself twenty years later. That's what representation does — it makes something feel possible that might not have felt possible before. Her Imprint is trying to do the same thing for women in print. And it works alongside everything else the Women in Print Alliance is building — the luncheons, the membership community, the events at PRINTING United Expo. The podcast extends that reach. Someone who can't be in that room can still hear these stories, still feel that sense of belonging. That's not a small thing. That can genuinely change someone's trajectory.

WFI: What’s your favorite thing about Hosting Her Imprint? Anyone’s stories in particular that have stood out?

DG: My favorite thing is honestly just getting to have these conversations. Every single guest brings something I didn't expect. But if I had to point to stories that have stayed with me during this year’s Women’s History Month — Mariel Bolger talking about her grandmother, who was named Man of the Year by the Printing Industries of America because they didn't have a better title for her at the time. Or Tae'lor Jackson leading Panther as a Black woman CEO and talking about what it means to walk into a room and know you belong there, even when everything around you suggests otherwise. These are the stories that remind me why the show exists — and why the Women in Print Alliance's mission is so necessary.

WFI: Her Imprint continues going strong, what are your goals or hopes for the pod 3-5 years down the line?

DG: I want it to reach more people — especially women who are just starting out and don't even know yet that there's a community here for them. The Women in Print Alliance has grown so much since its founding — we have a full membership program now, regional meetups, our annual luncheon at PRITNING United Expo draws between 250 and 300 women. Her Imprint is the audio thread that runs through all of it. My hope is that the show keeps deepening that ecosystem — that someone hears an episode and joins the Alliance, finds a mentor, finally feels like they have a place in this industry. I want Her Imprint to be part of why print looks different five years from now.

WFI: Finally, what are you the proudest of when it comes to Her Imprint?

DG: That it's become something real — and that it's part of something larger. After 28 years in this industry, between helping to found the Women in Print Alliance and building Her Imprint as its official podcast, I feel like I've spent a long time trying to make this industry more visible to the women who are already in it and more welcoming to the ones who haven't found it yet. Nobody handed me a blueprint for either of those things. What I'm proudest of is that both are working. The Alliance is growing. The podcast is growing. And when a guest tells me that being on the show made them feel seen — that's it. That's everything that Her Imprint is for.