Starting a magazine from scratch
Behind-the-scenes of Unearth Women + an easy Cuban dessert recipe
This week I did something cathartic: I decided to tell the full Unearth Women story. From how I came up with the idea of launching a women’s travel magazine to its meteoric rise to the painful decision of folding the print publication — I shared the full story over five posts on my personal Instagram.
The rise of Unearth Women is an easy enough story to tell. It has all the trappings of an inspiring start-up success story. The closing of one life door opens another. A dark night sparks the fire of a new idea. A far-fetched dream suddenly bursts into a full, technicolor reality. An unknown magazine independently selling 100 copies scales to a publication sold in bookstores worldwide. What is harder to tell is the other half of the story. Why, after only four issues, we stopped printing Unearth Women. Why, after only 1.5 years, we pivoted to a digital-only business. Why, after a year of carrying the weight of perceived failure, I’m only able to tell this story now.
At the time that I was living this story, I remember feeling vulnerable. To lift the veil and show the behind-the-scenes struggle and grind of Unearth Women felt like cracking our glittery facade. Now I realize how important it is to share the hardships. Not only for ourselves but for the many aspiring entrepreneurs who are often only shown overnight success stories.
Like most start-up stories, this one is filled with ups and downs, lessons and revelations. It’s a story I’m still processing and learning from. It’s a story I’ve been wanting to share with the people who took this ride with me and supported us along the way. It’s a story that is far from over. It’s a story you can read here:
Part 1: the beginning of an idea
Part 2: the makings of a first issue
Part 3: an unexpected and meteoric rise
Part 4: lessons learned the hard way
Part 5: learning to stand back up
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Guava-filled Cuban pastelitos
Guava and cream cheese-filled pastries to transport you to Cuba
I love guava. Love it. Whenever I find myself south of the equator, I Pac-Man my way through fruit markets in search of fresh guava. From guava smoothies in the morning to guava-filled pastries, I truly cannot get enough of guava.
Cuban pastelitos are flaky puff pastries filled with a savory or (in this case) sweet filling. This recipe is pretty much exactly what you want when you’re looking at a winter devoid of tropical vacations this year. Filled with guava and cream cheese, these pastelitos are super easy to make.
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Women to Watch: Lisa Li
From burnt-out New Yorker to founder of my favorite tea company, The Qi
The Qi (or Chi, meaning energy), is a female-founded company specializing in the sale of whole dried flowers sourced from Asia. Founded by Lisa Li, The Qi has a simple mission of promoting wellbeing through time-honored rituals such as sipping flowers. For Lisa — who went from burnt-out New Yorker to the founder of a wellness company — her flower teas are the result of thousands of miles traveled and over a hundred tastings. In this Women to Watch interview, Lisa tells me what it was like to start her company and why holistic care matters now more than ever.
Things to do this week
Strawberry Finnish licorice, old vinyl records, and the new Sofia Coppola movie
If you haven’t voted early or mailed in your ballot yet, make sure to vote on election day (November 3rd). Support one of NYC’s most iconic bookstores, The Strand, which is struggling to stay open. Some books I recommend ordering: Where the Crawdads Sing, American Dirt, and Three Women. Do yourself a favor and watch Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. Decide to pick up a new vinyl habit and order this Victrola record player (I have it in turquoise). Become an insufferable audiophile and spend the next few weeks impulse purchasing old records from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Order this hauntingly beautiful Julie London album and listen to it while eating this Finnish strawberry licorice (as of now, I’m currently halfway through my first box).