CAREER & MONEY
GET TO KNOW
OUR PUBLISHER
CILLAH HALL
With a background as a former model, TV news producer, and
successful public relations entrepreneur, Cillah Hall is all about
showcasing ordinary women with extraordinary stories. She is the
publisher for Gazelle Media, a glossy bi-monthly women’s magazine
franchise, founded in January 2014.
“Gazelle magazine caters to the sassy, sophisticated, savvy woman,”
Cillah said. “We want women to have the option of picking up a glossy,
high-quality magazine that covers a plethora of topics that you would
see in a national publication, but with a local focus. We also want to
share stories about inspiring women from our own communities.”
In only one year, her team has grown the franchise from a quarterly
publication of Gazelle STL to bi-monthly. February marked the
addition of Gazelle W a print and digital version of the magazine for
est,
women who live in St. Charles County, and expanded the magazine’s
distribution to major grocery stores, Schnucks, Dierbergs and Straubs.
Cillah’s success story includes starting her own PR firm, Xanadu
Public Relations, where she represented world-renowned music
artists, as well as nonprofits like the Pujols Family Foundation,
corporate CEOs, and professional athletes. Her resume also includes
her roles as co-founder and event producer of Missouri Style Week.
But her proudest accomplishment thus far is Gazelle Media, whose
name is inspired by the way she lives her life and her African roots.
“The name comes from the African fable, ‘The Lion and the Gazelle.’
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run
faster than the fastest lion, or it will be killed,” she explained. “Every
morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle,
or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or a
gazelle; when the sun comes up, you better be running.”
Success is something Cillah has worked at her whole life. Born in
Zambia, Africa, she has paved her own way. When she was 18,
she was runner up in the Miss Zambia Pageant. With a newfound
confidence, Cillah flew by herself halfway around the world and
came to the United States, with her suitcase and $136 to her name.
She joined a friend in Columbia, Missouri, enrolled at MIZZOU,
became an American citizen, and worked as a runway model for
three years, then, “I fell in love and gave up my modeling career for
marriage,” she said. “We moved to St. Louis to be closer to my then
husband’s family, and I made a decision to further my education.”
Cillah graduated cum laude from University of Missouri–St. Louis
and worked her way up in the media business for several years.
She was a morning news producer at KSDK-TV News Channel 5
where she produced a top-rated newscast on T
oday in St. Louis with
Art Holliday and Jennifer Blome. She also honed her media skills at
KPLR-TV, Channel 11, where she served as associate producer and
assignment editor. After 10 years of marriage and the birth of two
children, Cillah and her husband went their separate ways.
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“Divorce is hard, and being a single mother is the hardest job of all.
However, all of my experiences have helped me grow and become the
woman I am today. I want other women to know that they can overcome
adversity and find their way to true success in all parts of their life!”
Contact Cillah at [email protected] or visit www
.gazellestl.com.
SAVVY I SOPHISTICATED I SASSY