Happy Anniversary to Us
This issue marks our seven year anniversary of publishing this magazine. I remember the beginning like it was yesterday. The December 2012 issue was our first. Sandy, the most intense storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, formed in the Caribbean Sea north of Panama on October 22, 2012. As it moved northward, the hurricane slowed a bit into a still-massive, extratropical cyclone that made landfall on New Jersey on October 29. We were somewhat fortunate, as we didn’t lose electricity, but our internet was down for over two weeks, and this also killed our landlines. In the end, we somewhat haphazardly cranked out our inaugural issue by using a couple of homes and an office of local friends.
After our rocky start, Pat and I dug in and began to build up our new print periodical. We soon doubled our advertiser base as Pat increased our page count from 32 to 44 and secured us a better printing company, which noticeably improved our end product.
Over the years, we met some of the most interesting people in our burgeoning North Jersey holistic health community. When you operate this type of business, you are approached by a large variety of people.. They read your magazine and get inspired. Some of them become advertisers. Some of them try to leverage you to get free exposure by submitting articles for publication. Some of them have developed into freelance journalists for us. Some of them become your loyal readers. Some of them simply want to be your friend.
This magazine is my fifth business venture, and they have all been akin to being in a serious relationship; each one has thought me very valuable lessons. This is especially true for this magazine franchise. If you’re doing life “effectively”, each significant experience allows you to grow and continue to shed your old skin. If you’re not doing life effectively, you stay stuck, because you’re typically holding onto ways of thinking and behavior patterns not conducive to change.
This life is not supposed to be about surviving—it’s about living with passion, loving with all your heart and choosing to thrive through your challenges. We’re simply engaged in a video game of sorts. In a sense, there are no winners, because this game of life will eventually end for all, and when we exit this beautiful ball of dirt, we’ll take nothing but our memories with us.
So, the best recommendation I can offer to all of you is to treat others the same way you wish to be treated and seize each day like it was your last. Life is too glorious to play it safe. Point yourself in the direction of your dreams and move toward them as if there is absolutely nothing your way, because what’s typically in your way is simply—you.
Thanksgiving blessings to all,
Jerry Hocek and Angelica Pat Sanshompoo, Publishers
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