SAN FRANCISCO, May 27, 2025 – DotCom Magazine today announced that The THE SPINSTER I ONCE KNEW has been selected to join its annual Impact Company of The Year List For 2025. The DotCom Magazine Impact Company of The Year 2025 Award celebrates the most important segment of the economy – America’s privately owned companies whose Founders, CEOs and Amazing Team Members are making an important impact in the economy.
DotCom Magazine has honored THE SPINSTER I ONCE KNEW as making a positive difference in an incredibly unique year. The DotCom Magazine 2025 Impact Company of The Year Awards celebrates shapeshifting entrepreneurs and their companies. When a company makes an impact, not only are they helping their clients, but they are also helping the world become a better place.
Andy Jacob, CEO of DotCom Magazine says, “We appreciate the selfless commitment that leaders and entrepreneurs make to their brand. We are honored to award great companies our DotCom Magazine 2025 Impact Company of The Year Award. At DotCom Magazine, we believe entrepreneurs are the heartbeat of the world in so many ways. We believe it is a world where risktakers must be lauded, saluted, and respected. 2025 is an incredibly unique year in so many ways. Companies have so many ways to make an impact, and that’s why each company’s unique impact is so important than ever before. Our award winners have courage and an unyielding passion to grow and contribute in incredibly unique ways.
Jacob continues, “In 2025, everyone talks about uncertain times. In 2025, we believe it is the leaders of impactful companies that stick their head up above the crowd, and say “we can do this”, “we will get it done”, “we will make this happen”, “we are willing to pay the price, and “we will turn uncertainty into opportunity. Our award winners are selected for leadership. Their company leads and their business system leads, we consider our award winners lamplighters. We believe we need more courageous entrepreneurs bringing light into the world by building compelling companies that make a difference.
“It’s a distinct honor to be recognized among such a respected group of privately owned companies that are moving the needle on business strategy and making significant impact on the economy. We’d like to thank DotCom Magazine for recognizing how important it is to align profits, strategy and vision with positive impact that extends beyond board rooms and balance sheets,” said Kay Marie Perrin, Author. “We’d also like to thank all of the organizations and individuals we’ve had the privilege of working with over the past year. In the spirit of partnership, THE SPINSTER I ONCE KNEW’s work is truly a shared collective that is empowered by our network of beloved clients and partners – who inspire business excellence every day and every step of the way.”
About The THE SPINSTER I ONCE KNEW: The book, based on a true story, invites readers to reflect on the power of legacy, identity, and the unseen courage of women history often forgets.
A Glimpse into the Past with Purpose
In The Spinster I Once Knew, Kay Perrin paints a tender yet revealing portrait of a fiercely independent woman navigating the shifting tides of early 20th-century America. Blending historical fiction with personal memoir, Perrin brings to life her great-aunt Clara—an unconventional heroine who defied societal expectations and pursued a path marked by education, resilience, and quiet rebellion.
A Woman Ahead of Her Time
Set against the backdrop of post-frontier Colorado and the growing cityscape of Denver, Clara emerges as a woman far removed from the domestic expectations of her era. While others sought marriage and security, Clara sought knowledge and purpose. Educated, opinionated, and deeply private, she devoted her life to teaching children, traveling the world, and cultivating a quiet form of self-reliance.
What stands out in Perrin’s narrative is how Clara never bowed to the pressures that often defined a woman’s value by her marital status. She was, by all accounts, a “spinster”—a word that once carried stigma, now reclaimed in the book as a symbol of strength and choice.
A Journey Rooted in Family
Though much of Clara’s life was solitary by choice, her story is framed through the curious eyes of a young child—Perrin herself. Through these intimate visits and observations, the reader slowly uncovers the peculiarities of Aunt Clara’s lifestyle: the dimly lit house, the absence of modern conveniences, and the strict routines that seemed eccentric but were, in truth, rooted in frugality, discipline, and self-respect.
These vignettes give the book a haunting nostalgia, capturing both a child’s wonder and the adult reflection that brings deeper understanding. It’s through this lens that Perrin draws attention to the complexities of familial bonds, generational distance, and the silent sacrifices made by women like Clara.
From Denver to the World—and Back
One of the book’s most compelling arcs follows Clara’s unexpected invitation to homeschool seven children aboard a yacht during a Pacific voyage. What might seem like a fairytale opportunity is treated with sober realism by Perrin. Clara takes the role not out of romantic fantasy but as an extension of her belief in education and individual growth. This voyage, symbolic of both literal and emotional distance from societal norms, reflects Clara’s enduring commitment to her values.
Through world travels, Clara’s identity as a global citizen deepens. She isn’t just a spinster with peculiar habits—she’s a woman who educated herself in art, politics, and nutrition, who lived with quiet dignity, and whose story was never defined by the absence of a husband but by the presence of a purpose.
What the Author Wants You to Know
Perrin’s writing is more than a tribute; it’s a call to reframe how we define success, especially for women in a time where options were limited and judgments swift. By sharing Clara’s story, Perrin amplifies the voices of women who lived unconventional lives and yet left indelible marks on those around them.
There’s an underlying message here: history is not just made by presidents and pioneers. It’s also carried in the footsteps of women who walked to the grocery store every day, who practiced yoga on worn-out rugs, who taught generations without applause, and who chose solitude not from sadness, but from self-knowing.
A Life Worth Remembering
The Spinster I Once Knew is not a loud book, but its echoes linger. It teaches readers to value the quiet courage found in lives that defy the expected script. Through her vivid recollections and warm narrative, Kay Perrin invites readers to see their own families, elders, and forgotten matriarchs in a new light.
Clara may have been labeled a “spinster,” but in Perrin’s hands, she becomes something far richer—a teacher, a world traveler, a woman of principle, and above all, a symbol of self-determined grace. In a world where many still feel pressured to follow one path, Clara’s story is a powerful reminder that fulfillment comes in many forms—and that sometimes, the most radical act is simply to live life on your own terms.
For additional information, visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/kay-marie-perrin-author
About DotCom Magazine DotCom Magazine is a leading news platform providing news and unique interviews with newsmakers, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs. At DotCom Magazine, we put people with entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of every story. We take an “entrepreneur’s first” approach in everything we report and every interview we conduct. We cover real entrepreneur stories from visionaries that are making a difference. Regardless of who the entrepreneur is, where they live, or what they are doing, if it’s interesting and newsworthy, DotCom Magazine covers it. The people at DotCom Magazine considers the newsworthiness of the story and what our readers want to learn about. If something is important to our readers, it’s important to us. We report in a reliable and easy to understand voice. DotCom Magazine offers news with our locally staffed newsroom and is digitally read throughout the world. We are committed to listening to our readers to make sure we’re as open and responsive as possible.
About the DotCom Magazine Impact Company of The Year Awards: DotCom Magazine celebrates the remarkable achievements of today’s entrepreneurial superstars — the privately held small businesses that drive our economy. At DotCom Magazine, we believe that the entrepreneurs of the world are the real superstars. We celebrate the risk takers that are committed to building a great company. From startups to more mature companies, from companies’ juts putting income on the books to companies with revenues in the millions and tens of millions, if a company is making an impact, DotCom Magazine is going to report on it. The 2025 Impact Company Awards are open to all companies for consideration. For more information visit www.DotComMagazine.com
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