Mr. Magazine

A Mr. Magazine™ Launch Story…

“It goes back to being a print publication and really embracing that organic feel of human interaction, holding something in your hand, and not being on a screen. It feels more real and feels heavier and more involved with the words on the page. And that’s what this journal is. It’s really about connecting the dots; connecting the dots of what it means to be human and to exist in this world. And what it means to be a community and how we can all come together and see what our similarities are; and find out that we’re all pretty much the same. And we’re all connected in this beautiful way. So, yes, I do believe if people happen to pick up this journal, that maybe it was meant to be in their hands.” Kirstin Thompson…

Salty at Heart – a journal that’s inspired by women, adventure and the sea. And the first woman to be inspired is the magazine/journal’s founder and editor in chief, Kirstin Thompson. With sections of the publication dedicated to: surf, sustainability, art, empowerment, balance, and travel; the journal is an embodiment of many things positive in our world, when oftentimes all we hear about is the negative.

I spoke with Kirstin recently and we talked about the passion that it took to get this publication off the ground and onto bookshelves. As the phrase goes, the struggle was real, and according to Kirstin, not an easy feat. But with perseverance and determination, she can now walk into most Books-A-Million’s and Barnes & Nobles’ and see Salty at Heart on the shelves. In fact, look for the next issue there soon.

When Kirstin saw a void in the women’s space that spoke about the good things that women did within the world and the powerful impacts that they made, after careful thought and consideration, and much research, she decided to bring Salty at Heart to life. And she’s awfully glad she did.

And so is Mr. Magazine™. The magazine is filled with beautiful photography and uplifting and vibrant content that won’t be denied. Much like Kirstin’s call to action to get the publication off the ground wouldn’t be denied, proving that those who listen to their heart’s passions are often rewarded with their dreams.

So, please enjoy the Mr. Magazine™ interview with Kirstin Thompson, founder and editor in chief, Salty at Heart.

But first, the sound-bites:

On the story behind Salty at Heart: It really starts with what inspired the magazine, which we now call a journal. It goes back to when I was feeling this void in the media, especially in the magazine world. I felt like the voices of women were not being heard, and I felt there was no space where I could enter and learn about the inspiring things that women were doing that had nothing to do with what they were wearing and how they looked. I just felt there was this overwhelming focus on women more as objects, especially because they tend to be very commercialized, and I needed to read something that was inspiring. Something that could empower women.

On the part of her letter from the editor that speaks to the fact that maybe this unique publication chose the reader rather than the other way around: I like to think that things happen for a reason. Maybe someone stumbled upon this journal for a reason; a friend shows it to them; someone sees it in a coffee shop. I think the reason this journal even exists is all because of those kinds of things. Just random people that I met or I bumped into, connections that I made helped to create this thing into what it is. I think the more we connect and the more that we’re open to connecting, we can really tap into more as a society.

On whether anyone told her she was out of her mind for launching a print magazine in this digital age: Oh yes, all of the time. (Laughs) Maybe not my close friends, they were very supportive, but some people would comment things like: had I thought about digital, or ask me, what are you doing? (Laughs again) Who knows, maybe the magazines won’t sell; maybe no one goes to the bookstores anymore, but I really hope not, and I couldn’t resist thinking that we might be at a turning point, where people start rejecting this digital age a little bit and start really embracing that sense of community.

On whether creating the magazine has been like riding a one big wave smoothly or she’s had some bigger waves to deal with along the way: Yes, we’ve had some bigger waves, definitely. (Laughs) It’s been a struggle, for sure. I wouldn’t say that it came easy. I was thinking about this the other day, about how much I’ve been through to get this onto the shelves and to get this out there in the world. And how it’s really very difficult in this country to really get anywhere if you don’t come from money. The process was all from the heart and all from hard work and late nights on my computer; lots of emails and phone calls and research. I have a lot of grit, so I pushed though. And I think that it’s a beautiful thing and it was worth it.

On her reaction when she saw the first issue of Salty at Heart printed: It was so exciting. It was beautiful and honestly, it was a very fulfilling feeling to see it and hold it in my hands. I think I was jumping up and down. And it was funny, once you get something like that in your hands, you only allow yourself to be excited for a little bit, and then you move on to the next step and decide what you’re going to do afterward.

On why it took her three years to publish the first issue after she had done the test issue in 2014: To be honest, it had to do with money. (Laughs) It costs a lot to print. We printed the test issue and then just kind of let it fly to see what would happen. It wasn’t something that we were sure we were going to be able to keep doing, so we just wanted to see what would happen. It was a matter of trying to raise the money to print again.

On anything she’d like to add: It’s really exciting to see something that you’ve created out there in the world. And I really want to encourage people to embrace their creativity and listen to what calls to them and tune into what matters to them. I listen to NPR every day and read The New York Times every day, and I think it’s very easy for us to get overwhelmed by the chaos that seems to ensue in this world. But the thing is, we have to tune into as well the positive things that are happening.

On what she would have tattooed upon her brain that would be there forever and no one could ever forget about her: It would probably be the thing that I have been drawing on my wrist for so long. Ever since I was very young I’ve been drawing on my wrist a wave that kind of turned into cursive. And it always said: live free. If people wanted to remember me by something it would be that she lived free, because I think that’s something that I’ve tried to embrace over the years.

On what someone would find her doing if they showed up unexpectedly one evening at her home: More likely than not, you’ll find me working on my computer late at night. But I also tend to find myself catching up on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, I love him and he really helps me deal with everything going on in the world and he brings humor to it. I think that’s important. His book is actually on my bedside table, but I have yet to read it.

On what keeps her up at night: I could give you a whole list. I could be planning where I want to travel to in my head. I could be thinking about what I need to be doing for the journal; thinking about the issues of the world. I could be thinking about something I read earlier. It depends on which side of my brain is really activated that day. I could be analyzing everything, or I could be hopping out of bed and writing down ideas or something. An article idea or some sort of string of words that has appeared to me in my head. When you’re a writer, that happens often.

And now the lightly edited transcript of the Mr. Magazine™ interview with Kirstin Thompson, founder and editor in chief, Salty at Heart.

Samir Husni: Tell me the story of Salty at Heart. The idea behind the magazine; the name; the tagline “A Journal Inspired by Women, Adventure, and the Sea.”

Kirstin Thompson: It really starts with what inspired the magazine, which we now call a journal. It goes back to when I was feeling this void in the media, especially in the magazine world. I felt like the voices of women were not being heard, and I felt there was no space where I could enter and learn about the inspiring things that women were doing that had nothing to do with what they were wearing and how they looked. I just felt there was this overwhelming focus on women more as objects, especially because they tend to be very commercialized, and I needed to read something that was inspiring. Something that could empower women. To read about the wittiness and the gracefulness and the strength of women out there in the world, who were really making an impact.

And that’s really where it started, especially the surfing. I would get surfing magazines and flip through them and the only women that I would see in there were these women in bikinis, and the only time they spoke about women in surfing magazines, it wasn’t necessarily inspiring. So, I felt this void in that sense, and it’s definitely changed since then, but at the time there was no content that was really pulling me to it.

I was backpacking through Central America, and surfing and traveling with my friends for four months. I ended up meeting this woman while I was there who was a yoga instructor and whale activist. And she actually wrote for a magazine in the U.K. that was called SurfGirl. I was telling her that I really wished there was somewhere I could write, because I had been a writer since the beginning of time, but there was nothing out there that I felt like I could contribute to in a way that would inspire people and in a way that I could share.

She said something crazy to me after that, which was why didn’t I start my own magazine. At the time, I just dismissed her suggestion. But then fast forward a year or so and there I was researching how to start a zine. The original idea was to just have a very simple zine to hand out to friends and family, but it turned into something more. It really evolved into this very beautiful publication, which I am very glad that it did, because now it can impact more people.

But the idea behind it has really evolved into this notion that we’re all “Salty at Heart.” The name Salty at Heart really embodies the idea behind it; we’re all connected to the ocean. We all rely on it for food and our weather patterns; the planet is mostly covered in water and all of us, whether we realize it or not, are very connected to this part of our planet and to deny that kind of denies our connection to nature and to the world. We use it to travel and just for everything. And that’s where the name came from. We are all Salty at Heart.

So, the magazine isn’t necessarily just for people who surf or sail, or who really enjoy spending time in the water, it may pull those people in more, but it’s really for everyone because we have a wide variety of content. We feature environmentalists and adventurers, travelers and writers. I want to include some politicians, and feature artists and all kinds of people who are out there in the world making an impact.

The other void that I noticed in the media was this lack of focus on the good things that are happening in the world, so this sort of fills that space as well. From my experience, there’s nothing really good that comes out of pressing these issues and giving out negative feelings all of the time. It can be very defeating if all you ever hear about is the inequalities and how we’re always degrading ourselves. It can be taxing. People either want to shut that out or they get angry.

And so, it’s been my personal experience that doesn’t do any good at all; it doesn’t empower people, it deflates them. To really come together as a community, we have to focus on these areas of light that are popping up. And they’ve been there for a long time, these people who are doing good, and I especially focus on those women because there is just not enough mention on how women can impact society and bring out these positive changes.

So, it’s a lot going on and the magazine has a lot of potential for really digging deep into issues, while focusing on the beautiful and chaotic part of this world.

Samir Husni: You mention in your letter from the editor, after thanking the readers for choosing to read this unique publication, you write: actually, it might have chosen you. Is that part of the cosmic network of energy, matter and space?

Kirstin Thompson: Yes, I like to think that things happen for a reason. Maybe someone stumbled upon this journal for a reason; a friend shows it to them; someone sees it in a coffee shop. I think the reason this journal even exists is all because of those kinds of things. Just random people that I met or I bumped into, connections that I made helped to create this thing into what it is. I think the more we connect and the more that we’re open to connecting, we can really tap into more as a society.

And that goes back to being a print publication and really embracing that organic feel of human interaction, holding something in your hand, and not being on a screen. It feels more real and feels heavier and more involved with the words on the page. And that’s what this journal is. It’s really about connecting the dots; connecting the dots of what it means to be human and to exist in this world. And what it means to be a community and how we can all come together and see what our similarities are; and find out that we’re all pretty much the same. And we’re all connected in this beautiful way. So, yes, I do believe if people happen to pick up this journal, that maybe it was meant to be in their hands.

Samir Husni: Did anyone tell you that you were out of your mind for launching a print magazine in this digital age?

Kirstin Thompson: Oh yes, all of the time. (Laughs) Maybe not my close friends, they were very supportive, but some people would comment things like: had I thought about digital, or ask me, what are you doing? (Laughs again) Who knows, maybe the magazines won’t sell; maybe no one goes to the bookstores anymore, but I really hope not, and I couldn’t resist thinking that we might be at a turning point, where people start rejecting this digital age a little bit and start really embracing that sense of community. I think people will miss going into bookstores, or going to a coffee shop and chatting with people. People are so involved in their phones and involved with technology these days. We’ve all heard how these things are impacting society and how people are not engaging with each other personally anymore.

Of course, print isn’t as big as it was before technology came onto the scene, but I think it could come back and it could be something that people are craving. But they may not realize they’re craving it until they hold something like this in their hands and they say, wow, this is really different from flipping through my phone or reading something on Kindle.

So, people definitely asked what I was thinking, but despite what you see in the world, I always believe that you should create your own reality; what you think you should see out there in the world. And that’s how change happens, people think outside the box. They see their reality and they don’t like it, and they want to see it change. So, they push through the obstacles and create anyway. Even if what you’re doing fails, you tried and you have grown from it and because of it.

Samir Husni: I coined a phrase that I use in my teaching: isolated connectivity. That we feel we are so connected with our phones, the Internet, and everything else digital, yet we’re more isolated than ever before.

Kirstin Thompson: Yes, definitely. Isolated connectivity; yes, I like that phrase a lot.

Samir Husni: Has creating the magazine been like riding one big wave smoothly and successfully, or have you had to deal with some bigger waves along the way?

Kirstin Thompson: Yes, we’ve had some bigger waves, definitely. (Laughs) It’s been a struggle, for sure. I wouldn’t say that it came easy. I was thinking about this the other day, about how much I’ve been through to get this onto the shelves and to get this out there in the world. And how it’s really very difficult in this country to really get anywhere if you don’t come from money. I feel like this country is privileged and either you get where you want to go and succeed based on luck, sometimes hard work can get you there, but also there is some privilege that really drives a lot of success in this country.

The process was all from the heart and all from hard work and late nights on my computer; lots of emails and phone calls and research. I have a lot of grit, so I pushed though. And I think that it’s a beautiful thing and it was worth it. Through it all, I’ve learned so much about myself and the publishing industry. Not smooth sailing at all, but I think what I would tell people is that if you believe in something enough, it’s going to pull at you day and night. You’re not going to be able to rest until you’ve accomplished it, so you have to listen to that. You have to listen to that in your soul and really answer to it, otherwise it’s going to keep eating at you.

One of the reasons this journal was created was to dive into issues of inequalities and bring more awareness to them. And to bring awareness to the reality of life, which is sometimes chaotic, sometimes hard, and sometimes not so easy, but we’re all in this together. We’re all a community and we need to fight for each other.

Samir Husni: What was your reaction when you saw the first printed issue of Salty at Heart?

Kirstin Thompson: It was so exciting. It was beautiful and honestly, it was a very fulfilling feeling to see it and hold it in my hands. I think I was jumping up and down. And it was funny, once you get something like that in your hands, you only allow yourself to be excited for a little bit, and then you move on to the next step and decide what you’re going to do afterward. We were in that excitement mode for a little bit, and then we geared up for the next step.

Samir Husni: Why did it take you three years to publish the first issue after the test issue in 2014?

Kirstin Thompson: To be honest, it had to do with money. (Laughs) It costs a lot to print. We printed the test issue and then just kind of let it fly to see what would happen. It wasn’t something that we were sure we were going to be able to keep doing, so we just wanted to see what would happen. It was a matter of trying to raise the money to print again.

When you’re just getting started, printing in small quantities is very expensive. The more you print, obviously, the less it will cost per copy, and the more money you make off of each magazine. So, at the beginning it’s really hard, because you’re not really making much money off of the ones that you sell. It was really hard to raise the funds to get going, and really gear ourselves up for being able to consistently print twice a year. But now that we’re distributed in Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million , we have our foot in the door and we can now be more consistent.

Samir Husni: Is there anything that you’d like to add?

Kirstin Thompson: It’s really exciting to see something that you’ve created out there in the world. And I really want to encourage people to embrace their creativity and listen to what calls to them and tune into what matters to them. I listen to NPR every day and read The New York Times every day, and I think it’s very easy for us to get overwhelmed by the chaos that seems to ensue in this world.

But the thing is, we have to tune into as well the positive things that are happening. I’ve gotten better over the years at separating myself from the sadness that can overwhelm us. And that’s what this journal is about; it’s enlightening and witty; it’s fun and has beautiful photography. It’s really designed to kind of let you dive in and embrace yourself and the world in a more positive light.

Samir Husni: If you could have one thing tattooed upon your brain that no one would ever forget about you, what would it be?

Kirstin Thompson: It would probably be the thing that I have been drawing on my wrist for so long. Ever since I was very young I’ve been drawing on my wrist a wave that kind of turned into cursive. And it always said: live free. If people wanted to remember me by something it would be that she lived free, because I think that’s something that I’ve tried to embrace over the years.

I don’t want to ever feel like I’m not in control of my own life. And not in control of who I am and I don’t want to be defined by anybody else. I tend to wander a lot; I’m a wanderer and that’s important to me. But also that she’s free, but she’s not alone. It’s kind of perfectly embodied in the poem I wrote in this latest issue, called The Wandering She:

She roams sometimes a lone wolf howling to the moon, the heavens, the towering night sky. But the wandering she is not alone – others band with her, dancing, laughing, roaming free. Their thunder is loud, hugging cliffs they climb, above the earth their dreams unfold and stories told of hurt and loss and tears of the sea, of love and strength and dignity, for the wandering she must always embrace the free spirit that belongs to no one but she.

That kind of defines it all, I think. That would be tattooed on my brain. (Laughs)

Samir Husni: If I showed up unexpectedly at your home one evening after work, what would I find you doing? Having a glass of wine; reading a magazine; cooking; on your iPad; watching TV; or something else?

Kirstin Thompson: Any manner of those things, actually. More likely than not, you’ll find me working on my computer late at night. But I also tend to find myself catching up on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, I love him and he really helps me deal with everything going on in the world and he brings humor to it. I think that’s important. His book is actually on my bedside table, but I have yet to read it.

You can also find me cooking, for sure. I tend to snack all of the time. I like to swim, do some laps at the gym, and probably just doing something; I feel like there’s always something going through my head. I could also be studying; I’m taking classes at the moment. My life is pretty full.

Samir Husni: By the way, where are you based?

Kirstin Thompson: At the moment, I’m in Atlantic Beach, Fla.

Samir Husni: My typical last question; what keeps you up at night?

Kirstin Thompson: I could give you a whole list. I could be planning where I want to travel to in my head. I could be thinking about what I need to be doing for the journal; thinking about the issues of the world. I could be thinking about something I read earlier. It depends on which side of my brain is really activated that day. I could be analyzing everything, or I could be hopping out of bed and writing down ideas or something. An article idea or some sort of string of words that has appeared to me in my head. When you’re a writer, that happens often. You never know when it’s going to hit you. Creativity just kind of pops in when you’re trying to sleep or something. (Laughs)

And I’m usually just thinking about all of the things that I still want to do in my life. I want to get my private pilot’s license; I want to fly. I want to learn at least five languages; I’m going to grad school this year. So, my mind is always going and I’m always thinking about anything and everything. (Laughs again)

Samir Husni: Thank you.

A Mr. Magazine™ Launch Story…

“When I first saw the printed copy, I felt like I had come back to my roots of producing print, and what a pleasure that was. And just holding it and feeling the weight of it was amazing. And Ross’s absolutely extravagant design; basically, it’s over the top.” Ted Leonhardt…

Ted Leonhardt is a seasoned design professional whose mission in life is to help creatives fulfill their full potential. With that goal in mind, he created and launched a new magazine called Nail. The tagline reads: “Being A Creative Person In Today’s World.” Ted has a background rich in creative design and also in creative consulting. With his new magazine, Ted sees a way to look at the lives of creatives across the world and see how they are faring and thriving, and then share that through the pages of the magazine. It’s an intriguing concept and one that, with the reality of the first issue, shares analysis, career tips, and profiles of creatives.

I spoke with Ted recently and we talked about his idea of Nail and how it came about. We touched on his own background and on what he sees for the future of Nail. It was an easy conversation with a man who has strong opinions and beliefs, as the magazine shows, but also has a sincere and genuine humor that lives in his tone, making him very comfortable and open about his life, work, and his passion: the magazine.

When you’re a creative and you need some oomph and motivation to keep going in today’s chaotic environment, Ted said that Nail offers that support and looks beyond to greater ambitions and desires. So, whether you’re a designer, writer, creative director, musician, or anything that requires those skillsets one would define as “creative,” Nail is the magazine for you.

So, I hope that you enjoy this open and intriguing interview with a man who has lived creatively for most of his life, and now has a new magazine to help others who want to do the same, the Mr. Magazine™ interview with Ted Leonhardt, publisher, Nail magazine.

But first, the sound-bites:

On the origin of the name Nail: Well, nails have a very sharp point. They are very powerful instruments. They put things together. They’re strong and have an aggressive nature just because of the way they’re used. And I felt like a short, very strong name that represented physical action was appropriate for a magazine that was representing creatives in a difficult world.

On what it means to be a creative in today’s world: I think it means all people who make their way in the world through their creative skills. So, you could be in the advertising and design industry, and people are actually referred to as creatives. It’s a professional category: writers, designers, art directors, creative directors and others, are defined in their roles as creatives. And that’s my background.

On that “Aha” moment for him when he decided to create Nail: It was last fall. I was thinking about writing another book and I had a good team of people working for me already, helping me to promote my consulting practice, and I thought that a magazine would be a lot more fun. (Laughs) A magazine is visual and we could use those skills that we already had, and it can represent my point of view and points of view of lots of other people. And that way I could include others, whereas with a book, it would be typically just me. So, I thought a magazine would be a lot more fun to do than another book.

On how easy it was for him to take on the role of publisher since he is a creative designer himself: It was easy, because basically later in my career I didn’t do any design work myself, I just helped other people reach their conclusions. So, my job was really as a creative manager for 20 years, where I wasn’t designing anything myself.

On his reaction when the first issue was delivered to him: I’m over the moon with it. When I first saw the printed copy, I felt like I had come back to my roots of producing print, and what a pleasure that was. And just holding it and feeling the weight of it was amazing. And Ross’s absolutely extravagant design; basically, it’s over the top. Some of my more linear friends tell me it’s actually unreadable. (Laughs) One of my mentors that I bounce ideas off of made a living, and actually became quite rich, in the direct marketing business, and he is very linear person. And he thinks I’m insane. (Laughs again)

On whether there are any changes he might want to make in the next issue after seeing the first one: No, I’m still over the moon about it. In fact, my biggest worry is what we can do for the cover of the second issue. (Laughs) How do we match the first cover? The concepts or the cover article is the “other.” Creatives throughout history have often been marginalized, burned at the stake; their work destroyed; scientific people, artistic people, thrown in jail, etc. And of course, there’s our current political climate. So, I want the cover article to be about the “other.” And how that affects creatives over time.

On the future of creativity in this day and age: I think it’s extremely bright, because I think that the advance of the computer to do repetitive tasks is going to change the face of who’s in charge. And I think we’re going to find way more creativity celebrated within human activities than we have in the past, and less spreadsheets, headcounts and pennies that are profit for items sold, being the driver.

On whether magazines can live on creativity alone or they’ll still need business models: My guess is that we will continue to evolve how our economy works. I’m not an expert in government or economics, but I suspect that some creatives will find more and more opportunity to sell their skills and work directly to others through this marvelous invention called the Internet, so that there will be a much larger cottage industry than ever, because of the ability to communicate with people all over the world. Maybe someone will design a coffee cup that only appeals to 1,000 people, but they’re all over the world.

On anything he’d like to add: I’m just finding my way with this project. I’m having a great time. I’m loving looking at it. I’m thrilled with what we’ve done together. I want to get more people writing in the magazine beyond me, and yet, I love to write. So, just balancing those things is a goal.

On what he would have tattooed upon his brain that would be there forever and no one could ever forget about him: Let’s replace hate with love.

On what someone would find him doing if they showed up unexpectedly one evening at his home: Talking with Robin, my significant other, about what she did that day and what I did during the day, comparing notes, and trying to understand more about the world and the people that we work with.

On what keeps him up at night: I’m moving my office to a big boat, so finishing the damned boat so that I can actually get on with my consulting practice. (Laughs) I actually have my first client meeting on the boat today, so I’m terrified that nothing will go well. I’m not qualified to run the boat yet, it’s too big. I have a captain engaged and we’re taking the client out on a little boat ride, so we’ll see how it goes.

And now the lightly edited transcript of the Mr. Magazine™ interview with Ted Leonhardt, publisher, Nail magazine.

Samir Husni: Tell me why you chose the name Nail for the magazine?

Ted Leonhardt: Why the name Nail? Well, nails have a very sharp point. They are very powerful instruments. They put things together. They’re strong and have an aggressive nature just because of the way they’re used. And I felt like a short, very strong name that represented physical action was appropriate for a magazine that was representing creatives in a difficult world.

Samir Husni: With your background as a creative person yourself; how do you define the mission of Nail? The tagline reads “Being A Creative Person In Today’s World,” and as you and I know, most creative people think with their creative side rather than any practical side, which is something that you mention in your editorial. What does it mean to be a creative in today’s world?

Ted Leonhardt: I think it means all people who make their way in the world through their creative skills. So, you could be in the advertising and design industry, and there, people are actually referred to as creatives. It’s a professional category: writers, designers, art directors, creative directors and others, are defined in their roles as creatives. And that’s my background.

But actually, creatives are in every possible professional career, and in every other way one makes it through life, from musicians to poets to writers to even lawyers. I’ve had lawyers attend my creative sessions, so I’m not limiting it to any one particular category in my mind.

And in fact, the next issue has an article about the use of comic books in medical schools to train doctors into how their patients feel and react to their advice.

Samir Husni: What was that “Aha” moment for you, when you decided the world needed Nail and you were going to creatively bring it to life?

Ted Leonhardt: It was last fall. I was thinking about writing another book and I had a good team of people working for me already, helping me to promote my consulting practice, and I thought that a magazine would be a lot more fun. (Laughs) A magazine is visual and we could use those skills that we already had, and it can represent my point of view and points of view of lots of other people. And that way I could include others, whereas with a book, it would be typically just me. So, I thought a magazine would be a lot more fun to do than another book.

It is a way more complicated endeavor, and whether I can ever sell enough to pay for it is another question. But I was just drawn to the idea as a great thing to do. And of course, early on in my career I was an actual designer myself. I designed magazines for corporations that were clients of ours. And I also designed quite a number of annual reports for public companies.

Samir Husni: That leads me to my next question; you being a designer and a creative director, how easy was it for you to take a step back and have someone else design the magazine and you take the role of the publisher?

Ted Leonhardt: It was easy, because basically later in my career I didn’t do any design work myself, I just helped other people reach their conclusions. So, my job was really as a creative manager for 20 years, where I wasn’t designing anything myself.

Samir Husni: What has been the most pleasant surprise for you since starting this magazine journey? When the first issue was delivered to you, what was your reaction? Was it “How Do We Survive This Bully” as the cover story on the first issue asks? Or was it “How do We Survive This Magazine?” (Laughs)

Ted Leonhardt: (Laughs too) I was thrilled and I’m still thrilled. The concept for that article was mine, but the way Ross (Hogin – Creative Director) depicted it was totally his idea. And I think I said this in my editorial, the cover line originally had the word “asshole” in it, but we decided that was inappropriate .

I’m over the moon with it. When I first saw the printed copy, I felt like I had come back to my roots of producing print, and what a pleasure that was. And just holding it and feeling the weight of it was amazing. And Ross’s absolutely extravagant design; basically, it’s over the top. Some of my more linear friends tell me it’s actually unreadable. (Laughs) One of my mentors that I bounce ideas off of made a living, and actually became quite rich, in the direct marketing business, and he is very linear person. And he thinks I’m insane. (Laughs again)

Yet, the way creative people respond to it is totally different. When we were at an AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) event in Seattle, creative people were diving into it like it was a swimming pool or something. They literally immersed themselves in it and found things and discovered things, which is exactly what our intent was. It’s not for everybody. I sold a handful to an acquaintance of mine and he actually asked me for his money back, because it’s so aggressive. (Laughs) I told him all sales were final though.

Samir Husni: Once you came down from Cloud Nine, and you took a real, in depth look at the first issue, anything come to mind that triggered any critiques or changes that you might want to make?

Ted Leonhardt: No, I’m still over the moon about it. In fact, my biggest worry is what we can do for the cover of the second issue. (Laughs) How do we match the first cover? The concepts or the cover article is the “other.” Creatives throughout history have often been marginalized, burned at the stake; their work destroyed; scientific people, artistic people, thrown in jail, etc. And of course, there’s our current political climate. So, I want the cover article to be about the “other.” And how that affects creatives over time.

In fact, we’ve already done a timeline of historical events of work being destroyed by the bureaucratic powers-that-be over history, works that they didn’t like. And people killed and burned at the stake. So, how do we depict that? I’ll leave it up to Ross, but I’d like it to be pretty dramatic. The feelings about the “other.” The whole idea of how someone would feel if they were singled out as the other. Depicting that on the cover is sort of what I would like to do.

Samir Husni: You have years of experience; you’ve worked with the bigger companies and you’ve worked with the smaller companies; you’ve worked overseas and you’ve worked here. With all of your knowledge and experience; what do you think the future of creativity is in this day and age?

Ted Leonhardt: I think it’s extremely bright, because I think that the advance of the computer to do repetitive tasks is going to change the face of who’s in charge. And I think we’re going to find way more creativity celebrated within human activities than we have in the past, and less spreadsheets, headcounts and pennies that are profit for items sold, being the driver.

My guess is that the future will be owned by people who do think out of the box, if we can get past these horrible needs that society seems to have to reach back to the past and generate hate and fear, and those kinds of things, to be the driving forces in the world. But I’m extremely optimistic that our technological advances will allow creative people to play a more significant role in the world, rather than less. And that tasks that formerly put people in charge who were less creative will be falling away.

Samir Husni: But how would you put food on the table? You mention in your editorial that if enough people buy this magazine, you can do a second issue. So, can we survive on creativity alone, or will we still need some kind of a business model to help us survive?

Ted Leonhardt: My guess is that we will continue to evolve how our economy works. I’m not an expert in government or economics, but I suspect that some creatives will find more and more opportunity to sell their skills and work directly to others through this marvelous invention called the Internet, so that there will be a much larger cottage industry than ever, because of the ability to communicate with people all over the world. Maybe someone will design a coffee cup that only appeals to 1,000 people, but they’re all over the world.

So, I suspect that small entrepreneurial efforts will be vastly helped to move forward with the Internet. The whole app craze that made it possible for people to offer specific services to people all over the world is an example of that. My guess is we’re going to see more and more of that.

But yes, we will always need big corporations, because big corporations are very efficient at supplying us, hence the low cost of goods and services that we enjoy. Things that formerly only rich people could have. However, I just spent a weekend down in South Africa, where I went to an union conference, and there’s over 24 percent unemployment there. The divide between rich and poor is right in your face. You see rich people living in houses with barbed wire all around them and signs that read “Armed Response.” And then you have grown men begging in the streets very aggressively. It was pretty clear to me that I had lived a very sheltered life.

Samir Husni: Is there anything you’d like to add?

Ted Leonhardt: I’m just finding my way with this project. I’m having a great time. I’m loving looking at it. I’m thrilled with what we’ve done together. I want to get more people writing in the magazine beyond me, and yet, I love to write. So, just balancing those things is a goal.

I just did a seminar for a group pf women on dealing with male privilege when they’re negotiating. You know, I want to talk about that. This magazine has opened up a creative opportunity for me personally that I have never had before. So, I’m totally over the top with it.

Samir Husni: If you could have one thing tattooed upon your brain that no one would ever forget about you, what would it be?

Ted Leonhardt: Let’s replace hate with love.

Samir Husni: If I showed up unexpectedly at your home one evening after work, what would I find you doing? Having a glass of wine; reading a magazine; cooking; on your iPad; watching TV; or something else?

Ted Leonhardt: Talking with Robin, my significant other, about what she did that day and what I did during the day, comparing notes, and trying to understand more about the world and the people that we work with.

Samir Husni: My typical last question; what keeps you up at night?

Ted Leonhardt: I’m moving my office to a big boat, so finishing the damned boat so that I can actually get on with my consulting practice. (Laughs) I actually have my first client meeting on the boat today, so I’m terrified that nothing will go well. I’m not qualified to run the boat yet, it’s too big. I have a captain engaged and we’re taking the client out on a little boat ride, so we’ll see how it goes.

Samir Husni: Thank you.

A Mr. Magazine™ Launch Story…

“We’re working on our third issue, so we’re still very young. And we’re still learning the ropes of the business. We’ve talked to people and asked questions. I know the statistics are small for success, but we’re doing both print and digital. We talked about doing just digital, but we love the printed magazine so much, we decided to do both. We’re finding that so many people love to pick it up and touch it and smell it and feel the paper.” Scott Speakes…

You can’t get much more southern than okra. Whether you fry it, boil it, or stew it with tomatoes; okra is a vegetable pretty much synonymous with the south. And now we have a magazine by the same name. Okra’s tagline reads: Real Southern Culture, and is defined by the magazine’s publisher, Scott Speakes, as finding out what’s beneath the surface; what’s real and true and not just what’s in the headlines when it comes to the south.

I spoke with Scott recently and we talked about the new magazine and what it took to get it from the concept he and his good friend, Genie Jones, who is also editor in chief, talked about some nine years before, to the newsstands where it lives among other new and established titles today. As a passion that became a reality, Scott admitted that there have been struggles, as far as advertising and a steady revenue stream are concerned, but the dream has been realized and he is determined to keep it going.

For a magazine that celebrates southern culture, Okra has the right ingredients for an experience into the many aspects of southern living that a publication of its particular category needs. And as Scott said, the name is perfect. How much more southern can you get than a delicious helping of Okra?

And now, please enjoy the Mr. Magazine™ interview with Scott Speakes, publisher, Okra magazine.

But first, the sound-bites:

On the story behind Okra: The story of Okra actually started about nine years ago. A friend of mine, Genie Jones, who is the editor in chief of the magazine and a very good friend of mine since 1993; she and I started talking about this nine years ago. I was living in Atlanta; I’m a photographer and she’s a creative director, and we came up with the name immediately. What’s more southern than okra? We threw out a couple of other names, but I can’t even remember what those were, because Okra was the one that really stood out immediately. We designed the logo, and had some concepts and photography-type things that we wanted to do. We looked at it and the name and the design really stood out, and that’s what we wanted.

On the covers of both issues of the magazine having people who bear a strong resemblance to each other: (Laughs) A couple of months ago, someone asked me who our model was. Kevin Gillespie is a chef in Atlanta and is known throughout the South and really across the nation. And he was on our first cover. He was a finalist on Top Chef and owns several restaurants himself in Atlanta. We were very fortunate to get him, because we were unknown. The cover of the second issue; we had been talking to Ben and Erin Napier and they wanted to do it, but they were, and are, just so busy. But earlier this year we were able to do their story. And I didn’t even think about the similarities of the covers, and when they came out side by side, I still didn’t think about it; but yes, I finally noticed the resemblance. But that wasn’t our intent, to put people on the cover all of the time, or prominent people on the cover all of the time.

On how he defines the magazine’s tagline of “Real Southern Culture”: We thought about that one a lot. We went through some ideas of what we really thought about the south and what we believed other people thought about the south and then, what did we want to share with people about the south. We didn’t want the usual sights and places and people, that kind of thing. We wanted to explore what’s underneath the surface of it.

On the thinking behind the magazine being designed in chapters: Nobody is really doing that. It was something that just kind of happened. We think the south is like a good book; it’s full of stories. And every story has many chapters. So, we decided to make the magazine like a book, which is something that I haven’t seen anybody do. We’re trying to be different.

On where he sees Okra among other southern titles such as Garden & Gun: About two years ago, when we started researching this more and getting into it, I receive a lot of magazines to look through and I’m getting more every week, but Garden & Gun was always one of my favorites; it’s beautiful, well-done and designed great. When we started thinking about this, Garden & Gun was an ideal. And as Garden & Gun grew, to me they became more of a higher end publication. I feel like Okra is more of a companion piece to Garden & Gun.

On why he chose Cleveland, Miss. to publish from: We get asked that a lot and I’m from Cleveland. I went to school at Ole Miss and I’m a graduate from there. My father was a graduate of Ole Miss. I was doing photography there. The most southern place on earth is the Mississippi Delta. I lived in Atlanta for a long time, along with some other cities. We thought about going out of Atlanta, but there are so many things going on there. So, we said why not do a southern magazine named Okra out of the most southern place on earth, which is the Mississippi Delta, and it’s my hometown and I am super-proud of it.

On whether anyone told him he was out of his mind to bring another print magazine into this digital world: Yes, many people have asked me why I was doing this. It’s just a passion and something that I have wanted to do for a while. And it is crazy, I know. And I find out more and more everyday just how crazy it is. (Laughs) But it’s fun for me. The difficult part is having the capital to print. The printers are making the money, for sure. (Laughs again) That’s the hard part.

On anything else he’d like to add: We’re working on our third issue, so we’re still very young. And we’re still learning the ropes of the business. We’ve talked to people and asked questions. I know the statistics are small for success, but we’re doing both print and digital. We talked about doing just digital, but we love the printed magazine so much, we decided to do both. We’re finding that so many people love to pick it up and touch it and smell it and feel the paper.

On what he would have tattooed upon his brain that would be there forever and no one could ever forget about him: I want to do the right thing when I can and be a creative person and I’m proud of the south and I’m proud of my Delta. And I really want to showcase that in the magazine in the best way that I can. I just want to be known as a great friend and a great father.

On what someone would find him doing if they showed up unexpectedly one evening at his home: You would find me cooking, with a glass of wine, hanging out with my wife and daughter, cooking together and just having a good time. You would see stacks of magazines, some opened, some closed, while we’re cooking. Lots of southern magazines.

On what keeps him up at night: Finding the capital and revenue for the magazine. The content doesn’t keep me up; we have a lot of our editorial calendar already knocked out. It’s mainly how do I get people to advertise and be a part of the magazine. So, getting it to the right people to find media-buyers who will take a chance on us.

And now the lightly edited transcript of the Mr. Magazine™ interview with Scott Speakes, publisher, Okra magazine.

Samir Husni: Tell me the story of Okra.

Scott Speakes: The story of Okra actually started about nine years ago. A friend of mine, Genie Jones, who is the editor in chief of the magazine and a very good friend of mine since 1993; she and I started talking about this nine years ago. I was living in Atlanta; I’m a photographer and she’s a creative director, and we came up with the name immediately. What’s more southern than okra? We threw out a couple of other names, but I can’t even remember what those were, because Okra was the one that really stood out immediately. We designed the logo, and had some concepts and photography-type things that we wanted to do. We looked at it and the name and the design really stood out, and that’s what we wanted.

In 2016, all of those years later, we decided the timing was right and we should go ahead and do it. We were in the design business; we’re very visual and we read the books, researched many things. It took a little over a year to get this first issue out, and it has been a learning experience since, trying to get it distributed and get contacts. How to try and find advertising, which is the hardest part. But everything else seems to be falling into place. We’re getting large distributors and we’ve known a lot of people over the years who are in the business, photographers, designers and writers that we’re finding.

We were lucky to get the cover that we did for the first issue; the food issue. And the second cover, which is out on newsstands right now, we were lucky to get Ben and Erin Napier from Laurel, Miss. before their show started. After their show came out they became stars across the South and were doing very well. We were just fortunate with timing to have them on our second cover and it just kind of catapulted us throughout the industry and on social media.

Samir Husni: Was it on purpose or was it just pure coincidence that both men on the cover have red beards?

Scott Speakes: (Laughs) A couple of months ago, someone asked me who our model was. Kevin Gillespie is a chef in Atlanta and is known throughout the South and really across the nation. And he was on our first cover. He was a finalist on Top Chef and owns several restaurants himself in Atlanta. We were very fortunate to get him, because we were unknown.

The cover of the second issue; we had been talking to Ben and Erin Napier and they wanted to do it, but they were, and are, just so busy. But earlier this year we were able to do their story. And I didn’t even think about the similarities of the covers, and when they came out side by side, I still didn’t think about it; but yes, I finally noticed the resemblance. But people are now saying, who is the guy that you keep using for the cover? They’re, of course, totally different people, but you’re right, there is a resemblance.

But that wasn’t our intent, to put people on the cover all of the time, or prominent people on the cover all of the time. We do want to do it some; I think we need that for exposure, but we also want to go beneath the surface some with people who aren’t quite as known. They’re about to break through as a chef or a musician or an author, that’s the people who we really want to expose and show our readers. The people who never really get talked about. When our next issue comes out, it’ll be a lot of more that.

Samir Husni: Your tagline is “Real Southern Culture.” Would you define “real southern culture?”

Scott Speakes: We thought about that one a lot. We went through some ideas of what we really thought about the south and what we believed other people thought about the south and then, what did we want to share with people about the south. We didn’t want the usual sights and places and people, that kind of thing. We wanted to explore what’s underneath the surface of it.

Which brings me to the real part of it, what’s underneath the surface; the people; the places? We wanted to meet the locals and find out what made them tick. Sure, also people we’d heard of, famous people, but we wanted to find out what really makes the south tick. There’s the good and the bad, and we wanted to showcase all of that through the magazine, through the photography as well as the content and the stories that we do.

So, to me, real southern culture is brought out to the everyday person; what is real about the south to them? And then we’re figuring out what we think is real about the south to us, and all of that seems real about the south to other people, whether it’s kudzu or a big-time chef, people want to know about food and places, history and culture. I would say our reader is a culturally-minded, independent, mobile readers, and they want to know about those kinds of things. So, we’re trying to find all of those things that deal with food, history, art and travel, and bring it to them. Find out what’s going on in the real south and not just what people see in the headlines.

Samir Husni: I see that you’ve designed the magazine in chapters, rather than sections. What was the thinking behind that?

Scott Speakes: Nobody is really doing that. It was something that just kind of happened. We think the south is like a good book; it’s full of stories. And every story has many chapters. So, we decided to make the magazine like a book, which is something that I haven’t seen anybody do. We’re trying to be different.

Genie and I are very visually-oriented; I’m a photographer and she’s a creative director, so we’re looking at ways to make things stand out differently with our design and our concept. And chapters seemed like the logical thing to do.

Samir Husni: So, being different; where do you see yourself among the southern magazines that already exist in the marketplace, such as the ever-popular, mass Southern Living, to Garden & Gun, to Good Grit? I just picked up a new magazine from South Carolina called Shrimp, Collards & Grits. Where do you see Okra within that competitive set?

Scott Speakes: About two years ago, when we started researching this more and getting into it, I receive a lot of magazines to look through and I’m getting more every week, but Garden & Gun was always one of my favorites; it’s beautiful, well-done and designed great. When we started thinking about this, Garden & Gun was an ideal. And as Garden & Gun grew, to me they became more of a higher end publication. I feel like Okra is more of a companion piece to Garden & Gun. The stories that we tell may not be in Garden & Gun, because that magazine just seems more of a higher end publication. I think that’s why we’re a good companion. We kind of found our little niche. That’s why our tagline is “Real Southern Culture,” we catch the everyday person. So, side by side, I think Okra is a great companion piece. I don’t see Garden & Gun as competition. I’m not going after that higher end advertising. And I’ve noticed they’ve reached outside of the south today. But it’s still one of my favorite magazines.

And as far the others, like Good Grit; I think our design and our content is totally different than theirs. Okra doesn’t resemble their publication at all, I don’t think. And Southern Living is a different magazine. They’ve been around forever and have millions of readers, so they’re also very different from us. I think our readers are really catching on to Okra as something they can relate to, whether it’s nostalgic or the look and feel of our paper, and even the advertising we have is a part of the magazine. And that’s important to us, making our advertising look like an easy part of the magazine. We don’t put an ad in there just to have it. We design it out and make sure it flows with the magazine, because it has to be part of it so you can really be interested in what is being advertised.

Samir Husni: Why did you choose to publish in Cleveland, Miss.?

Scott Speakes: We get asked that a lot and I’m from Cleveland. I went to school at Ole Miss and I’m a graduate from there. My father was a graduate of Ole Miss. I was doing photography there.

The most southern place on earth is the Mississippi Delta. I lived in Atlanta for a long time, along with some other cities. We thought about going out of Atlanta, but there are so many things going on there. So, we said why not do a southern magazine named Okra out of the most southern place on earth, which is the Mississippi Delta, and it’s my hometown and I am super-proud of it. And people will tell me, Cleveland, Miss., I’ve never heard of that. You have all of these magazines out of Charleston and Atlanta, and bigger cities; I just thought it would be great for us to come to people from a smaller town. But we still have access to everything else.

Samir Husni: Did anybody ever tell you that you were out of your mind in this day and digital age to bring another print magazine onto the scene?

Scott Speakes: Yes, many people have asked me why I was doing this. It’s just a passion and something that I have wanted to do for a while. And it is crazy, I know. And I find out more and more everyday just how crazy it is. (Laughs) But it’s fun for me. The difficult part is having the capital to print. The printers are making the money, for sure. (Laughs again) That’s the hard part.

It also took a couple of months to get distribution across the south, but now we’re everywhere in the south and beyond. We have some partnerships and things that we’re working on. But we don’t have investors or partners with deep pockets. It’s just us. So, if the money doesn’t come in, everything is up to us. The hardest part is finding media people to buy advertising.

Samir Husni: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Scott Speakes: We’re working on our third issue, so we’re still very young. And we’re still learning the ropes of the business. We’ve talked to people and asked questions. I know the statistics are small for success, but we’re doing both print and digital. We talked about doing just digital, but we love the printed magazine so much, we decided to do both. We’re finding that so many people love to pick it up and touch it and smell it and feel the paper.

Like myself, I can put it in my backpack and take it with me, or put it on my coffee table, or in my car. I like having that quick access, and I give away a lot of magazines that way too, because I can be in my daughter’s pick up line at school and someone will stop me and say they love the magazine and need another copy, and I just hand them one out. It’s fun to see people’s reaction to the magazine. We’re trying hard and we’re getting a lot of good feedback, and we’re going to keep going.

Samir Husni: If you could have one thing tattooed upon your brain that no one would ever forget about you, what would it be?

Scott Speakes: I got married later in life; I’ve only been married seven years and this is my first marriage. When I was single, I just did whatever I wanted to, lived from city to city; it was all about me. I now have a five-year-old and always try to do the right thing. I want to be a great father, a great husband and a great friend to people. And I always wanted to be a photographer, even when I was in journalism at Ole Miss. I wanted to do photojournalism.

I want to do the right thing when I can and be a creative person and I’m proud of the south and I’m proud of my Delta. And I really want to showcase that in the magazine in the best way that I can. I just want to be known as a great friend and a great father.

Samir Husni: If I showed up unexpectedly at your home one evening after work, what would I find you doing? Having a glass of wine; reading a magazine; cooking; on your iPad; watching TV; or something else?

Scott Speakes: You would find me cooking, with a glass of wine, hanging out with my wife and daughter, cooking together and just having a good time. You would see stacks of magazines, some opened, some closed, while we’re cooking. Lots of southern magazines.

Samir Husni: My typical last question; what keeps you up at night?

Scott Speakes: Finding the capital and revenue for the magazine. The content doesn’t keep me up; we have a lot of our editorial calendar already knocked out. It’s mainly how do I get people to advertise and be a part of the magazine. So, getting it to the right people to find media-buyers who will take a chance on us. It’s a Catch-22. A new magazine; people look at you and ask why would we pay X amount of dollars to advertise with you? Show us your numbers. Yes, we have good distribution across the south and we’re growing with each issue, but we don’t have the numbers. And they know that. It’s one of those things where you ask yourself, how can I convince somebody? And it’s not easy to convince somebody to buy media.

But we’re slowly getting it. The state of Mississippi is now onboard with us, and it took us a little while to get that. And the other states; we cover 13 states, so we’re literally trying to figure out how to get into all 13 states. Our social media has really taken off over the last year, so we’re getting a lot of feedback from that, especially Instagram. People are following us and finding us and reaching out to us, and they’re commenting about us. But what keeps me up at night is finding the revenue to fund the magazine. The rest seems to be coming a little easier for me.

Samir Husni: Thank you.