I’ve spent most of my career writing or editing magazines. I love everything about this industry and I have the great fortune to work for a publishing company that has created a rare culture of creativity and integrity, with an artisan-like focus on quality and a philosophy that values independent editorial.
This kind of culture is exceedingly rare — and it doesn’t happen by accident.
As organizational expert (and this month’s cover personality) Ian Chisholm says, “The way you choose to conduct yourself creates an atmosphere inside others. That’s what leadership has always been and what it will always be.”
I want to shine a spotlight on two entrepreneurs who are great examples of what Ian is talking about — Douglas magazine’s publishers Lise Gyorkos and Georgina Camilleri. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Page One Publishing, the company they founded and grew into a media success story. Today, Page One is the publisher behind three of our region’s best-read magazines: Douglas, YAM and our newest magazine, Spruce, and a host of custom publications, including Victoria’s Vital Signs.
It’s never been easy to succeed in the publishing industry, especially in the age of digital disruption, but Georgina and Lise have proven that magazines could not only survive — they could thrive — if you remained agile, were willing to take risks and respected your readers and advertisers by refusing to compromise on quality.
After years of dire predictions, the magazine industry has not died. Instead, it underwent a massive renaissance, largely driven by independents like Page One. And I think it’s due to that independence that Page One never lost its entrepreneurial spirit or its spirited culture of people.
I think that spirit comes through in every issue of Douglas or YAM or Spruce, magazines developed by people who are dedicated to creating the best possible experience for our readers and the best value for the advertisers who support our publications.
Going back to what Ian said, that’s the atmosphere Lise and Georgina have inspired. I have no doubt that at this point Lise and Georgia would want me to stop singing their praises and instead return to doing something they’ve been passionate about since day one — shining the spotlight on the people, businesses and community who inspire great content.
So Happy Anniversary to Lise and Georgina and Page One, and here’s to many more stories and years of success.
This article is from the December/January 2019 issue of Douglas.
