365 days. Wow. It’s hard to believe it has been one year since the release of the first Arvada Lifestyle Publication. One year ago seems so long and distant, and yet so incredibly near.
I remember when my buddy Matt called me while I was overheating in traffic on Colorado Boulevard. He reveled in these ideas about community impact, small business recognition, stories of success, people helping people, and a magazine that housed it all. He knew I enjoyed writing and taught language arts to teenagers, and so he asked if I’d be interested in covering editorials. Duh, I replied.
And then all of sudden, we were in it. Doing it. Listening to trainings and taking notes, driving to Thrive Workspace to plan and make appointments, visiting businesses and creators, and piecing together 36 pages of all-things-Arvada. It all happened so fast.
Our photographer, Scott LeBaron, was right by our side, fulfilling all of our nagging requests: 3 vertical shots and 4 horizontal, black and white only, be sure to capture the guitar strings, outside and inside and a close-up of that italian vino, and don’t be late! Robyn Phipps became our very first client, signing with a three year contract, sticking by our sides through ameteur mistakes and trusting the vision entirely.
Sometimes we’d arrive at Thrive early, 8 am, welcomed by the host, Becky. “The conference room is all yours,” she’d say. We’d scour the pages of our most adored Lifestyle Publications from around the United States, pointing and praising and taking copious notes. And there we’d pause, in the biggest conference room, with our big ideas and our big plans. And we’d just sit, and stare, uncertain of how to proceed. We’d venture back out into the community lobby and pour a big, cold beer, cheering for the liquid courage to set us in motion.
When Matt first called, it was February of 2020. When Arvada Lifestyle was first published, it was August, six months later. While ambitions were thick and building momentum, so was COVID. It seemed like the world was on fire.
We could have stopped. Stalled. Changed. Caved into failure.
The excitement and the possibilities and the energy were all too overwhelming, however, and simply could not be tamed.
In-person-everything became Zoom-and-telephone-and-email-everything, and time slowed down for us it seemed. With patience and compassion and hope, the pages came together.
One year later, we’re still doing it. The world is still on fire in many ways, but there’s a whole hell of a lot of love and optimism, too, both in the world and in this little publication you hold in your hands. It symbolizes resiliency and reflects pride, and we are so damn glad it exists.
We are now a 44 page publication, and the team is changing. Scott is still crushing his photography business, but Sarah Dawn Schierkolk is on board now, and we are so thankful for her playful spirit, attention to detail, and quality work!
As for me? I have decided to embark on a journey that’s been calling my name for what feels like forever, and that journey involves a one way ticket to Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Jody Carlile is on board now, coordinating the content and handling all digital business including social media platforms. We are so ready for her young energy, creativity, and outstanding talent!
Though more changes are inevitable, the production and quality of this publication will remain constant. Cheers to our one year anniversary, and cheers to many more, Arvada!