First and foremost, in celebrating Venice City Lifestyle's fifth year in print (we launched in January of 2019) I owe all my gratitude to the many business owners who have partnered with me since day one and who are still my partners and great friends. I thank you for trusting and believing in me when I presented you with nothing more than a mockup, a vision, a dream, and shared my passion for how we could all together make a huge impact in our community!
No pandemic or natural disaster in these past hard-pressed years has stopped us. Your loyalty has allowed us to continue to help brand your businesses, products, and services, all of which continue to add value to our community’s economy. It has also given us the opportunity to share hundreds of heartfelt stories with our thousands of readers locally and nationally on a monthly basis.
I honor each and every one of you, as well as those who have joined us in recent years. Thank you for celebrating our 5th Anniversary with us! Your tributes in the following pages literally brought me to tears! Our impact in the community greatly expands as we all grow together! It is about the people, and yes, the dollars keep us all in business and enable us to survive and thrive and to give back to those in need. But ultimately it is the people who impact each other.
My "why" to continue on is to “Engage, Inspire, and Connect” the hearts of the people and businesses in our lovely community, giving each of us a sense of belonging, a purpose, and a desire to help support each other in good times and not so good times. That, in turn, helps our community bond and flourish together!
Venice City Lifestyle’s purpose is to inspire people to engage with our community by sharing heartfelt stories, informative information about a local business, a nonprofit in need, an event to connect with others, recognition, participation in a community project, cheering on in support of each other's wins, and being there to comfort in their losses.
We’ve come a long way in the past five years. We started as “Venice Lifestyle,” and our first year was nothing short of amazing. We won two Addy Awards for our December 2019 cover, "Believe," a word I live by and actually wear a "Believe" ring that reminds me to keep believing.
The year 2020 was full of heartache and loss for everyone. However, the silver lining that kept us in business was that we direct mail to homes and businesses, and that our parent, Lifestyle Publications, introduced a technology-forward digital platform that was both national, at CityLifestyle.Com and local, at CityLifestyle.Com/Venice. That’s when we changed our name to Venice City Lifestyle: effectively combining our print and digital presence countrywide!
We also won a 2020 Finalist Certificate from the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce for Small Business of the Year. Now, at the end of 2023, as I write this, we are once again finalists, and I’m hoping we can share a win with you!
2023 has been a life changing experience for me and the growth of Venice City Lifestyle. My acceptance into the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Fifth Annual Leadership Class has opened doors to many business opportunities: priceless friendships and bonds were created between classmates and our amazing Leader, Barbara Hines. You’ll learn all about it in our February issue, “Love Local”.
They say—whoever "they" are—that most small businesses take at least two to three years to be profitable and become truly successful once they've hit the seven to 10-year mark. Businesses are built over years, not months, according to Forbes Magazine, and I agree. There's lots more to come!
As we wrap up our 5th Anniversary year, I’m looking forward to an amazing 2024. But I would be remiss not to recognize everyone who contributed to the growth and success of Venice City Lifestyle. That’s my first Editor, Tony D'Souza, and Harald & Petra Prion of Prion Photography, along with my current Editor, Emily Leinfuss, Stephanie Snow of Stephanie Snow Photography, and the City Lifestyle Team in Kansas City. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for helping me create a high-quality, luxury-focused publication that is inspired by our community!
Thank you, Venice, let's continue to grow together!
Passionately, Charmaine Tincher Owner/Publisher
--------- Fifth Anniversary Interviews
1
It’s easy to be loyal to Venice City Lifestyle: Charmaine is the ultimate professional, the magazine is beautifully crafted, and the articles are interesting. My customers love it too. When there’s an article about Paradise Grill in the magazine,they always let me know how much they enjoyed it. I don’t advertise many places, but I know our monthly ad in Venice City Lifestyle draws people to my restaurant. When always ask new customers how they heard about us, and it's often because they saw our ad. I’m so very proud of Charmaine and the magazine. I’m proud to be a part of such a vital and classy publication. - Mary Beth Hansen.
2
My experience with Venice City Lifestyle has been absolutely fabulous. I’ve completely seen the value of Karla Blake, Medicare Specialist partnering with the magazine. It’s forged great relationships with many of my clients, many of whom found me through my ad. And Charmaine is right when she says it takes advertising consistently to get results. I’ve also gained a great online presence from VCL’s website. Now, when people ‘Google’ Venice Medicare specialist, my name comes up. I’ve just signed on (to advertise) for another four years! - Karla Blake.
3
Venice City Lifestyle spreads good will throughout the Venice community and beyond, and its emphasis on local flavor provides a buy-in from the community that I couldn’t get any other way. Plus, the magazine is such high quality that people in the community hold on to it, which increases the value of my advertising dollars. When an issue contains an article about any of the Bacon Brands restaurants, I get a great response from the community. Venice City Lifestyle spreads good will throughout the Venice community and beyond. - Michael Bacon.
4
Being part of the Venice community is paramount for us at Ferris Wheel Finance, and Venice City Lifestyle is THE magazine that represents our community in its best light. Advertising in VCL gives us credibility. People see it when they go to the Dentist, or it’s delivered to their house, and they know that Kate at Ferris Wheel is legit. Our partnership with the magazine has brought in significant business because that kind of exposure and credibility is what turns those community members into clients. Having a relationship with Charmaine is valuable in its own right. She not only connects us to all the other advertisers in the magazine: she is an amazingly linked-up resource for the Venice area. - Kate Hyland Mercer
5
Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota County (HHSSC) is thrilled to have advertised in Venice City Lifestyle every month for the past several years. We are dedicated to supporting and partnering locally, and VCL is an important part of that for us! The magazine has definitely contributed to the organization’s growth and success–not only through our monthly ad, but by featuring HHSSC’s events in such a professional and stylish way that it’s attracted new volunteers, as well as donors. Similarly, VCL’s customer appreciation events have opened doors for new friends, volunteers, and partnerships, and the feature articles highlighting our volunteers are a very special way for us to give extra thanks to our dedicated crew. - Christina McCauley.
6
One of the most beneficial aspects of advertising and partnering with Venice City Lifestyle throughout these five years is how well it has been able to reach and inform the Venice and area community about Village on the Isle. From showcasing our beautiful campus on Venice Island, to chronicling the many changes we’ve made over the years, expanding and improving our facility and services, VCL has been there for us – it is a positive powerhouse for connecting with the local community. - Doug Feller.
7
I’m thrilled to express my utmost satisfaction with Venice City Lifestyle. It’s a high-quality publication that impeccably showcases various businesses and industries, including Gulf Shores Realty, to a discerning and affluent clientele. Since engaging with VCL I've witnessed a notable uptick in my gross annual income thanks to the numerous solid leads it has generated for my business. The exposure provided by the magazine increased my visibility within my professional circle and has garnered recognition within the local community. The impact has been widespread and truly invaluable. VCL is an indispensable asset to my business, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunities it continues to bring my way. - Pamela Phildius.
8
Davis & Beyer Dental Health Professionals is committed to showing a consistent presence in the community, and our long-term relationship with Charmaine is why we feel advertising in Venice City Lifestyle is good for our business. Every month the magazine provides a memorable experience regarding our business, clients or the community. Charmaine and Venice City Lifestyle create a unique and high-end magazine… Our clients love it, and they love that it showcases local businesses, as well as Davis & Beyer Dental Health Professionals.
9
When Charmaine first started Venice City Lifestyle, I’d already known her for a while. Pro Group Realty and Property Management LLC–where I’m a realtor who exclusively sells Pro Group properties–was just starting back to advertising in magazines. Charmaine came around. She had a good pitch, and I had the utmost confidence in her. I told her I really thought Venice City Lifestyle would take off! She said, “Stick with me!” We have, and we are not sorry! People are always coming in with my ad and wanting to see the property that’s being promoted, and they end up buying. That’s the value of advertising in such a quality magazine every month – for five years. - Jayne Parrish.
10
I’ll be honest. I show so much loyalty to Venice City Lifestyle because of Charmaine. She is very dear to me, and I value who she is as a person and a businesswoman. When she was considering starting Venice City Lifestyle, she came into Reflections in Gold to talk about it. She asked me what I thought, and I told her I liked the magazine more than any other in town. Today, after five years, it's clear to me that as Publisher of Venice City Lifestyle, Charmaine is a champion of the Venice community! - Tony Maggio.
11
We contacted Charmaine before The Contour Day Spa even opened for business because we recognized Venice City Lifestyle’s quality and the value it provided readers and advertisers alike. Over the years, we expanded from one full-page ad to two pages because VCL has proven to be our premier local referral source for new clients. Other print advertising opportunities have not provided a return on investment even close to this publication. Our business and staff members have been in feature articles, and the City Scene and Business Monthly sections of the magazine. These opportunities, in addition to our paid advertising, have exponentially increased our visibility. Readers recognize us around town, at Venice Area Chamber of Commerce events, and at local nonprofit fundraisers. - The Contour Day Spa
12
I’ve been the founder and president of Allen Media & Associates for a very long time, and I’ve been a media and marketing professional for much longer than that. So I know, and can recognize, a valuable partnership when I see one–and that’s what my company and some of my clients have, with Venice City Lifestyle. I’ve seen my business grow alongside the magazine for these past five years. Marketing is an ever-changing environment and it’s clear that Venice City Lifestyle stays on top of the industry on behalf of all its clients, including Allen Media. - David Allen.