We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isabelle Hancock and Allison Rainey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isabelle and Allison below.

Alright, Isabelle and Allison thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

In a small storage closet in Florida, a Canva account was created out of boredom. Scrolling through hundreds of magazine layouts and seeing the opportunity to mess around with some ideas. During the 2020 quarantine, a moment of inspiration would soon lead to the start of a woman-owned fashion and culture magazine called “Snake Print.”

It is a really cool name, we know. However, the message behind the name speaks volumes to our mission. Snakes are both of our biggest fears, yet there is a beauty to them. They are always around when you don’t see them and will only make themselves known when they feel in danger. This is precisely what we wanted the magazine to be like. We wanted the topics and issues we see in the world to come out of the bushes and finally be seen. The idea was to create a magazine that made people uncomfortable, similar to our feelings towards snakes. It was important to emphasize the beauty of creativity and acknowledgment through our work. Therefore, Snake Print was born.

Thinking about what Snake Print would actually consist of was the easy part. Both of us have an interest in fashion—not the “this is what you should wear tomorrow” kind of fashion but the “we see textiles as a form of communication” kind of fashion. Culture needed to be a part of our mission since it is something that is not correctly integrated or respected here in the South.

Once we had a name that aligned with our personalities and interests, we realized we couldn’t do it all on our own. We reached out to our close friend group – a diverse group of women, each a powerhouse of creativity and unique perspectives. Since we were on a college campus, we were able to build a small team of passionate students through mostly word of mouth.

As we were both pursuing degrees in communications, we felt that others in our field would align with our mission. The communications department at our school was very small and lacked opportunities for students to speak about topics that were considered inappropriate or “taboo.” Neither of us felt this was genuinely giving creative opportunities. We wanted to provide a platform for open-minded people who can say what they want and feel empowered doing so.

After weeks of recruiting, we had a team of seven and felt on top of the world. Granted, we all had to be writers, models and photographers simultaneously. But nonetheless, we had a team! The next year we spent the majority of our time conducting meetings, scheduling photoshoots and also trying to finish assignments since we were all college students. Finally, on March 22, 2022, we published our first issue titled “Darker Half of the Year.”

Through our social media engagement and growing presence on campus, we have almost tripled our staff. We then released our second issue, “Allora y Adesso.” This issue highlighted the similarities between the Renaissance and more modern times. After noticing the lengthy amount of time spent making each issue, we decided to create a micro-issue series titled “Venom.” We are currently finishing our third issue, “Nebula,” which will be released in mid-April.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Snake Print obviously had a unique start. Being founded by a 19 (Isabelle) and 20 (Allison) year-old at the time, it definitely encompassed struggles. We are a business of young creatives composed of mainly college students. Our magazine offers students who are seeking to boost their resumes and gain more experience a creative way of doing so.

Being in the realm of “post-grad,” we have noticed the importance of a diverse resume. We give our staff members the opportunity to design their position titles and responsibilities. The position title does not limit them from discovering different opportunities within Snake Print. Each staff member has the option to dabble in departments that differ from their collegiate focus. Writers or photographers can be models while also working on social media and layout design. Looking back on our experience thus far, we can confidently say that we are most proud of the continuous growth within our team and the impact on our community. Starting conversations is easy, but continuing them is a team effort.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Through the years leading up to our graduation, we wanted to continue to have creative dialogue even after we left. The first plan of action was to establish a position structure that could sustain a hybrid business model. As co-owners working from opposite sides of the country, we needed to maintain clear communication as this was the foundation for the team. It was definitely easier said than done, as we discovered learning curves almost instantly. The team had to be flexible while working with different time zones and conflicting schedules.

Our largest issue was integrating Snake Print’s core values with our newer members. Snake Print was created by friends and, therefore, had a sense of community. While growing our company, it was our top priority to instill the importance of our community mindset. To maintain our business, we created a comfortable environment that supports a deeper understanding of each other.

As this is an ongoing effort, we strive to have open dialogue and promote one-on-one conversations that lead outside the office. Snake Print Magazine strongly believes that through diversity and inclusion, creativity will flourish.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

The story of how we met is a fun one. Through a casual conversation at our sorority recruitment, we instantly connected over how “sick” our tattoos were and our mutual fear of snakes. Soon after that, we became “big/little” (sorority lingo). Both being in the communications department, we grew a creative friendship by bonding over our advertising assignments and criticizing each other’s font choices. We are both Earth signs if it isn’t apparent. As we discovered our shared interest in fashion, music, art and activism, we became inseparable. Our friendship grew into a support system that created a safe place to grow as individuals. The most cherished memories were the late-night conversations. We could bounce ideas off of each other: a podcast, a book, and finally landing on the idea of a magazine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/Snakeprintmagazine
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snakeprintmagazine/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@snakeprintmagazine Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/snakeprintmagazine/

Image Credits
Lillie Schwier Jack Portune Morgan Shelton Caroline Bryant