Charlie G
09-19-2009, 11:27 PM
Our 2 Year Anniversary Issue has been printed.trimmed.stitched and mailed. Never thought that day would come – 2 years!
And like a 2 year old; we are growing in spurts now!
With this issue we start a new column and we are introducing ourselves to the NE United States!
It started when I flew up to NJ to meet with Chris Schroeder, who is the Media Director of C4 Solutions and host of the recovery internet radio show, ‘The Afflicted and Affected.’
Honestly? I always thought of NJ as factories & toll booths because of the start of The Sopranos.
Boy, was I wrong!
That place is beautiful! – I mean deer walking across winding country roads beautiful!
Then, Bruce H., who has a recovery newsletter called The 12 Step Gazette that reaches Philly & South Jersey, e-mailed me to introduce himself and his newsletter. He told me his dream was for The 12 Step Gazette to become a real magazine like mine.
My first thought was that my magazine wasn't a 'real' magazine; that title belonged to Counselor and Addiction Professional magazines.
“You’re trying to be like me, and I’m trying to be like them.” I laughed.
As Bruce and I got to know each other, I agreed to trade him an ad in The 12 Step Gazette introducing It’s all in the JOURNEY to clubhouses, facilities & the community in his area, in exchange for me giving him an ad on my website.
The results were immediate: subscriptions came in and nine 12 step meetings in NJ and two in Philly called or e-mailed asking for It’s all in the Journey (Yo, Adrian! It’s free to clubhouses!)
Then, last week I had an opportunity to go to the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders; one of the premier conferences in the country for the addiction treatment professional field. Dee McGraw of C4 Solutions & I agreed to trade an ad in the 2 Year Anniversary Issue in exchange for the last available table at the conference.
My first thought was that I’d been screwed.
I ended up with a table away from the main conference hall, at the top of some stairs, next to the rooms where classes for extra CEU’S (Continuing Educational Credits) were held. My only company was an info table where pamphlets and brochures from companies that didn’t come had their paraphernalia placed.
But, as I walked around the main conference hall introducing myself and my magazine to the CEO’S and marketing people from facilities in this area of the country, and met all the counselors and therapists coming up those stairs to go to classes;
Like a 2 year old’s developing self-awareness, I began to realize the trade was a great decision.
Everybody loved It’s all in the JOURNEY!
On my flight home a mom in the seat next to me saw me pre-proofing this issue.
As we talked about JOURNEY, she asked if she could read my interview with Jeff VanVonderen. After she finished it, she looked at me and asked,
“So how does it feel to have created a real magazine?”
My first thought was,
None.
I sat and thought about it. Truth be told, after each issue I have that moment of satisfaction; but I’m already thinking of the in’s and out’s of what’s going to be needed for the next issue.
But now I thought of the journey JOURNEY has taken me on:
It’s all in the JOURNEY now goes to over 1,000 recovery facilities, over 500 AA& NA clubhouses and to almost 1,000 counselors, therapists & EAP’S across the country.
It’s taken me from Palm Springs to Cape Cod to Washington, DC to New Orleans for conferences. And it has allowed me to interview people including Richie Supra of Aerosmith, Christopher Kennedy Lawford; a nephew of President John F. Kennedy, Artie Kornfeld; the man who created Woodstock, Grammy winning artist Jim Warren; who loves JOURNEY so much he does our incredible covers for free, a U.S. Deputy Drug Czar, and in this issue Jeff Van Vonderen of the Emmy award winning TV show ‘Intervention.’
The highlight of my journey with JOURNEY? A picture of me and First Lady Rosalyn Carter as she holds a copy.
And, like ‘First Thought Wrong!’ - the name of the column written for JOURNEY by Mark’s Lundholm, the most renowned recovery comedian in the country: I realized that I had a ‘real’ magazine and ignored the committee in my head.
“It feels pretty darn good.’ I softly told my neighbor.
Peace
Charlie G
And like a 2 year old; we are growing in spurts now!
With this issue we start a new column and we are introducing ourselves to the NE United States!
It started when I flew up to NJ to meet with Chris Schroeder, who is the Media Director of C4 Solutions and host of the recovery internet radio show, ‘The Afflicted and Affected.’
Honestly? I always thought of NJ as factories & toll booths because of the start of The Sopranos.
Boy, was I wrong!
That place is beautiful! – I mean deer walking across winding country roads beautiful!
Then, Bruce H., who has a recovery newsletter called The 12 Step Gazette that reaches Philly & South Jersey, e-mailed me to introduce himself and his newsletter. He told me his dream was for The 12 Step Gazette to become a real magazine like mine.
My first thought was that my magazine wasn't a 'real' magazine; that title belonged to Counselor and Addiction Professional magazines.
“You’re trying to be like me, and I’m trying to be like them.” I laughed.
As Bruce and I got to know each other, I agreed to trade him an ad in The 12 Step Gazette introducing It’s all in the JOURNEY to clubhouses, facilities & the community in his area, in exchange for me giving him an ad on my website.
The results were immediate: subscriptions came in and nine 12 step meetings in NJ and two in Philly called or e-mailed asking for It’s all in the Journey (Yo, Adrian! It’s free to clubhouses!)
Then, last week I had an opportunity to go to the Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders; one of the premier conferences in the country for the addiction treatment professional field. Dee McGraw of C4 Solutions & I agreed to trade an ad in the 2 Year Anniversary Issue in exchange for the last available table at the conference.
My first thought was that I’d been screwed.
I ended up with a table away from the main conference hall, at the top of some stairs, next to the rooms where classes for extra CEU’S (Continuing Educational Credits) were held. My only company was an info table where pamphlets and brochures from companies that didn’t come had their paraphernalia placed.
But, as I walked around the main conference hall introducing myself and my magazine to the CEO’S and marketing people from facilities in this area of the country, and met all the counselors and therapists coming up those stairs to go to classes;
Like a 2 year old’s developing self-awareness, I began to realize the trade was a great decision.
Everybody loved It’s all in the JOURNEY!
On my flight home a mom in the seat next to me saw me pre-proofing this issue.
As we talked about JOURNEY, she asked if she could read my interview with Jeff VanVonderen. After she finished it, she looked at me and asked,
“So how does it feel to have created a real magazine?”
My first thought was,
None.
I sat and thought about it. Truth be told, after each issue I have that moment of satisfaction; but I’m already thinking of the in’s and out’s of what’s going to be needed for the next issue.
But now I thought of the journey JOURNEY has taken me on:
It’s all in the JOURNEY now goes to over 1,000 recovery facilities, over 500 AA& NA clubhouses and to almost 1,000 counselors, therapists & EAP’S across the country.
It’s taken me from Palm Springs to Cape Cod to Washington, DC to New Orleans for conferences. And it has allowed me to interview people including Richie Supra of Aerosmith, Christopher Kennedy Lawford; a nephew of President John F. Kennedy, Artie Kornfeld; the man who created Woodstock, Grammy winning artist Jim Warren; who loves JOURNEY so much he does our incredible covers for free, a U.S. Deputy Drug Czar, and in this issue Jeff Van Vonderen of the Emmy award winning TV show ‘Intervention.’
The highlight of my journey with JOURNEY? A picture of me and First Lady Rosalyn Carter as she holds a copy.
And, like ‘First Thought Wrong!’ - the name of the column written for JOURNEY by Mark’s Lundholm, the most renowned recovery comedian in the country: I realized that I had a ‘real’ magazine and ignored the committee in my head.
“It feels pretty darn good.’ I softly told my neighbor.
Peace
Charlie G