Hollie Deese studied magazine journalism at Columbia College in Chicago, working at CS Modern Luxury and Chicago magazines before moving to Nashville in 2003 to work for The Tennessean. In 2008 she left the paper to raise her children and grow her freelance career, writing and editing for the Nashville Ledger, Parade, AARP and multiple USA Today publications. The Tennessee Press Award winner still covers news for papers statewide, writes features for national magazines and is a stringer for The New York Times.