Gayle Goodson Butler helps set the standard for modern day decorating and gardening.
Millions of people take her advice every month.
But did you know the editor in chief of Better Homes and Gardens is from Danville?
However you like to "express your style" or if you're curious about "simple makeover secrets" then chances are you've passed by page eight in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.
You're greeted by the smiling face of Gayle Goodson Butler, the powerhouse behind home style and the prize of Danville.
"This is a city that loves a beautiful home. So I feel that I grew up with beautiful homes and an appreciation of them; visited so many historical homes around Virginia and got a feel for the people who live there," Butler said.
Monday she visited her hometown as a home decorating rock star, sharing her life adventure to business leaders and students and friends at Averett University.
"It's very exciting to be able to open up the first couple of pages of Better Homes and Gardens and see Gayle's picture," said Buddy Rawley, a longtime friend and former classmate of Butler's. "She got her groundwork right here in Danville, Virginia and that makes me awfully proud of George Washington High School."
Butler grew up admiring the detail to architecture along Millionaire's Row on Main Street in Danville. She also enjoyed her journalism classes at George Washington High School.
Little did she know that combination would open doors for a promising career.
She started a journalism career for a small newspaper in Danville and moved into corporate public relations.
"I would have stayed in that career track had my husband not been offered a job in Des Moines, Iowa," Butler said speaking to the crowd.
That's the headquarters for Better Homes and Gardens.
She started from the bottom getting lunch for photographers and worked her way to the top.
"What I learned in Danville stays with me on a day-to-day basis. I felt like I got a great start to journalism in Danville," Butler said.
Nearly 40 million people read the magazine each month.
Even in the national spotlight, Butler still enjoys coming home to visit her mother who lives in Danville.
