Hi. I'm Mary Means. On the outside, I’m the award winning leader who sparked the national Main Street revitalization movement that has returned life to communities throughout the country. That’s who the public sees.
Unseen, I was crumbling inside, a closeted Lesbian beset with imposter voices, anxiety, crises with my broken family, business upheavals and more. But professionals don't cry, we don’t even blink. Despite the inner turmoil, I charged forward.
Sound familiar? If so, you’ll find that my from-the-gut book Something Worth Saving: A Memoir of Secrets, Betrayals, Resilience and Love resonates, affirms your own feelings, and offers hope. With trepidation I decided to bare long hidden vulnerabilities. Erasing the line between exterior me and inner me, opening my closet door has silenced the destructive chatter and freed me to love and, most importantly, to accept love. Perhaps my story will help change your journey.
What does it take to overcome deeply embedded family traumas, career-ending betrayals, and failed relationships? What is the personal cost of keeping secrets—and staying in the closet?
These are questions that Mary Means explores in her memoir, as she navigates growing up as a young closeted lesbian in Georgia during the 1960s and learning to love—and be loved—as an adult. Through the deaths of loved ones, the fear of discovery, and the budding of a legacy that would come to change lives across the nation, Something Worth Saving tells a story of resilience and self-discovery perfect for anyone who has ever struggled to maintain a flawless facade when inside they were crumbling.
Mary Means is an award-winning leader, founder of the Main Street revitalization movement that has brought vitality back to countless town centers. Her candor and vulnerability permeate her remarkable story.
What does it take to overcome deeply embedded family traumas, career-ending betrayals, and failed relationships? What is the personal cost of keeping secrets—and staying in the closet? These are questions that Mary Means explores in her memoir, as she navigates growing up as a young closeted lesbian in Georgia during the 1960s and learning to love—and be loved—as an adult. Through the deaths of loved ones, the fear of discovery, and the budding of a legacy that would come to change lives across the nation, Something Worth Saving tells a story of resilience and self-discovery perfect for anyone who has ever struggled to maintain a flawless facade when inside they were crumbling. Mary Means is an award-winning leader, founder of the Main Street revitalization movement that has brought vitality back to countless town centers. Her candor and vulnerability permeate her remarkable story.