This morning I chatted to a friend, Theran, about life and dreams. Theran is about to publish a book he wrote. He is someone I admire for being passionate about people and God.
We started chatting about how we ended up where we are in life, it turns out that Theran built his own house with the help of a few of his mates.I was impressed. But then he started talking to me about Eish Magazine, and how I started it. He asked me, if I had "intended" for it to take on the identity that it now has, or if it changed along the way?
I can get quite passionate, when I talk about how I started the magazine, because it came together as if a miracle had just happened.
You see, I never studied journalism or media studies, graphic design or marketing.All the academic qualifications you would require to get something like this off the ground. But from the age of 16 I recall being bought a subscription to a popular glossy fashion magazine for women. It was then that my fascination for media and glossy mags grew. But as I matured, I was quick to note that something was missing in hi-fashion pages, the cover call outs which promised life changing advice fell dismally short from my hopes and expectations. I felt a bit mislead.
And then I moved onto business magazine, which spoke of the lives of high powered businessmen and women and how they climbed the rungs to the top of the ladder. But there was always something missing in many of the magazines, a soulful connection with the reader.
I wrote articles on the side, for local publications as a contributor, which meant I never got paid. But the thrill of your work and thoughts published, having influence to a lot of people who share different lives, thoughts and ideals from me, is priceless.
I used the opportunity to secure interesting interviews with people who have inspired me, in so many ways I was changed by the life stories of the people I met.
I went on to study Law, knowing that I would probably never practice as an attorney. But I was drawn to the intricate and progressive thought processes which lend itself to the skill of decision making processes. I am a problem solver. I want to understand people and how we find our place in the communities that we are a part of. People of all walks of life, all kinds of people, why we do the things we do interest me.
But at the back of my mind, there developed this burning desire to want to inspire and change people's lives, by making them see the beauty and magic that surrounds them.
The freedom of campus life, allowed me to explore the various interesting places and sub-cultural spots that exist in Durban. Often I would be drawn to locations with the most interesting views of the city, I recall one night I climbed up the fire escape of the Student Union building to catch a glimpse of the most breathtaking panoramic view of Durban's bay lit up at night. It was magical.
Using Durban as a focal point, it's people- both the average person on the street to the affluent entrepreneur and my legal ethos of wanting to transform mindsets and break stereotypes, the concept of Eish Magazine was born. I knew if I told the the right stories of the right people, this would inspire other young people, to discover their own dreams and pursue it with relentless passion.
Putting this belief into practice was the next step. I researched all the books, magazines, websites, chatted to people and prayed for direction for this vision to materialize. Sure enough it did. I met Renesha Ramsudh, my sub-editor at the time, who co-found the magazine with me.We met as friends, and our coffee table chats at various coffee shops lead us to sourcing more of the right people who brought the magazine together. We were two young women, who were girls at heart and knew how to turn this job into something fun.
The process was exciting and we were hopeful. We were threading on uncharted territory, no experience, no formal knowledge..we just knew we had to do this. We often met people who would encourage us and inspire us- all at the right time. It all seemed part of the greater plan that we were destined for, and so you keep going. There is no sure goal in sight, because the goal posts they keep moving.
From the various successful people we met, the message was clear, "If you want to do something, even if you don't have the skills- you will learn and do what it takes to achieve your dream." - I knew then, that these are the kind of stories people needed to read about. The ones that make you get out of your comfort zone, dissatisfied with your ordinary life and really live extra-ordinarily.
But life and the dreams we have are not always about high elation, they come with their fair share of challenges, some foreseen some not. But it's all a vital part of the what makes the journey beautiful. A month before I launched Eish Magazine, I lost my life role model and mentor- my grandad. He was everything I aspired to be, humble, compassionate, determined and a child of God. It felt a little unfair at the time, like he was gone too soon and that I wouldn't have the mentor I needed, especially at that time. Everybody has someone in their life that they want to make proud...and he was that to me. But alas, life does go on. Our magazine launch was less than a month away.
The grief is quietly humbling, it cultivates a strong and determined mindset as you are reminded that we can either live our days just existing, or pursue each day determined to leave this world a better place than we found it. The dream journey will take you through some lonely places,- which will make you question if this dream is a blessing or a burden. Then turn a different corner you will meet an insane amount of people you never dreamed of meeting your whole life, people who add colour and flavour to your life. It all happens in the blink of an eye.
We had but a week left to our launch. The venue which we had initially banked on, closed down. Panic! At the time, I was also preparing to write my Civil Procedure examination. I wondered if it was bad planning on our part, but again we had to keep at it and hope for the best.
Next venue option, Suncoast, Vacca Matta. We invited friends, friends of friends, family, media, press,advertisers, Durban's socialite deputy mayor and the list went on. During the day of the launch, on our way to the venue to set up,as I drove, I heard the radio deejay say," Don't know where you guys are going to be tonight, but I'm headed off to Suncoast for the launch of this new trendy Durban magazine, called EISH! I'll tell you more about it tomorrow." At first it didn't register, then I heard Renesha scream out, "Oh my word. He's talking about us!!!"
And its those kind of cool moments that keep you following your dream, or when you walk into a restaurant and you see a random person reading Eish Magazine with a huge grin on his face. When I look at the new brand image, the quality and intensity of the content, the readers we attract- it's all naturally progressed from the passion invested at the outset. And that is my dream!
