Looking back five years ago to the excitement and joy of establishing a community magazine, I am still a bit overwhelmed by how well our readers have embraced us on this adventure. We have learned so very much about how to make our magazines stand out, not only as the leader in our local markets, but we’ve also increasingly articulated the “how” and “why” we do what we do in the first place.Honestly, when our August 2013 issues were delivered, I knew immediately that changes in our paper supply needed to be made. My first “a-ha” moment was discovering how much all those magazines weighed! Since we direct mail our magazines, the weight was clearly marked on our postage receipt, and one word stood out: tons. I was floored and a bit upset at myself for not considering the environmental toll. Soon after, we made the pledge to only use sustainably sourced paper for our pages. That basically means that the trees used to make the paper on which this magazine is printed were specifically grown to make paper. That certification may cost a bit more, but protecting our environment should be top of the list when the goal of our magazines is to help create healthier and happier places to live.
There was some hype about gloss paper, too, but after researching how it is produced, the chemistry and processes around it — which include strip-mining and wastewater toxicity — we decided against it. No need to explain that decision further. Our character and content works hand-in-hand with our beliefs. Water conservation is dear to all of us here at Family Life. Small decisions add up to big results.
One thing I did get right out of the gate was putting together a thoughtful staff, rich with care for our customers and community as well as knowledge of the industry, and each share my concerns locally and globally. We are proud of who and what we have become in the past five years, and we aren’t finished getting better, bigger, and stronger. Coming in August, we have one last item to check off our five-year plan, and we’re going to knock it out of the park.
From all of us at Family Life Publications, we thank you for your support of our dream and vision for these magazines. These are your community magazines, and you, your family, and neighbors are why we are here.