Full Circle

Wednesday, 19 September 2012 09:08

Full Circle

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I'm pretty excited to end up on the cover of this month's issue of Real Living - for a few reasons... Some big, some small, some inbetween - but all mean something to me which I thought I would share with you guys... Because, let's face it - you're all part of the journey....

First of all, what a lovely way to celebrate all of the hard work that myself and my team have put into bringing the Shannon Fricke 'brand' to life over the past couple of years. We've seen so much growth - from the publishing of another book, the launch of a range of products that I love, the evolution of our workshops and the building of an inspiring and loyal following (that's you guys!)... All of this has been achieved from my home town of Bangalow - a small town, 10 minutes inland from Byron Bay... When I first moved here, there were a few voices (including the little one in my own mind) that said it wasn't possible to get a career in motion from such a great distance. A few that lovingly hinted at the possibility that I could just be 'dropping out' by moving here. But, I followed my heart, dug in my heels and got to work. To be recognised in this way is a pat on the back for us all and a great big nod to the power of doing what you know in your heart is true. A big thank you to you all for getting us there... You know, we couldn't do it without you...

And of course, it's incredibly flattering to even be considered as the cover choice of such a popular and influential mag considering... Well, it has to be said, they are a very brave bunch to be putting a 43 year old on their cover. There aren't many mags that do it, after all... Most think that a 43 year old - who's birthed two children, carried around a marriage of 18 years, who's worked hard and who wears the marks of it - isn't really cover girl material... That, the market, readers like you and me, aren't really interested in seeing - or rather, buying - into a lifestyle that carries a certain degree of maturity... But, that's where Real Living is different... Instead of making age the issue, they prefer to celebrate industry achievement - and it's a good thing. It represents a time of change that we are all driving and a part of. Love that mags like this are making it real - because real is where the heart is. (So please buy it!)

More personally for me though, this month's cover is a little like coming full circle. A little like coming home... And it's all about Real Living editor, Deb Bibby... Let me tell you why... You see, it was 28 years ago when I first met Deb Bibby... I was a 15 year old work experience girl - and she was the young and dynamic fashion editor at Cleo magazine... Those of you who know me, know that my fascination with magazines started when I was about 13 years old... I was desperate to be a part of one and so when my year 10 work experience programe kicked in, I began by making a few phone calls to see if I could get a week working in the fashion office of a magazine... My first call was Dolly - my favourite magazine at that time. It took guts to make the call - and I was freaking all the way down to my boots - but I did it (you won't know unless you try - my mum's words ringing in my ears) - but they were full. It seems that work experience at Dolly magazine is booked up to a year in advance - and calling a month or so before was cutting it a little fine! Not one to be deterred, my next call was to Cleo. As synchronicity would have it, I was transferred straight to their fashion department - and Deb Bibby answered the phone. I asked if she was willing to take on work experience. She said sure thing. Come on in. And that was it. My first foot was in the door. Meeting Deb was an inspiration for a young girl hoping to make it in the world of magazines and fashion. She was one of the best in the business and she put me to work right away. Sorting through clothes, taking things back to stores, typing up copy, helping out on photo shoots - really working as an assistant. The kinds of nuts and bolts things that any fashion department does to keep the cogs turning. And from there, I was hooked. All of my work experience from then on would be with Deb at Cleo, and then at Dolly when she became the editor there. Years passed before I was to catch up Deb again - she went off to pursue other things - and I stepped forth to make my own way in the industry. But, here we are again - she as the editor of the fastest growing home mag. She's such a gutsy gal - taking an untried masthead to the front of the pack. Connecting with an audience in a way that no other interior's masthead has so far. It's great to be a part of this issue and a big thank you to Deb, John, Carly and the team for bringing it to life so beautifully. If there is one thing that I know for sure (using an Oprah-ism!) is that to survive in any industry you need guts. You need to be brave enough to work hard, to make risky decisions, you need to be brave enough to risk losing everything in the pursuit of doing the best job that you can. You need to follow your heart. 28 years ago, as a young girl doing work experience at a magazine - these are the seeds that were planted. 28 years later, here are the fruits... xx

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0 # claire 2012-09-19 10:56

I loved the spread in Real Living (I am a subscriber for many years).

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