In 2002, they founded Motorcycle Mojo together.
I interviewed Gwen to find out what it’s like to run a family-oriented magazine, how she manages to remain on the market as other have long given up and how she handles the current challenges seen in the magazine industry.
Tell me a bit about yourself and Motorcycle Mojo. How did you end up starting your own publication and why?
After Glenn quit his job and joined me in my business, we soon expanded the company from not only design but image setting (film output). We also started to design and create publications for others, including high end magazines.
We both realized that the current Canadian magazines lacked a personal touch or experience that we were looking for.
As I took motorcycling lessons and joined Glenn on many great adventures, we found out our passion for motorcycle travel was growing. We felt we could start a new publication that appealed to a new scope of riders, couples who loved to ride together, and expanding more the option of women riding their own motorcycle.
We knew we had to be a bit different to compete in the market and took our own approach to the content and to personalize it more. At the time there were 5 or 6 other motorcycle magazines. We are currently the only remaining Canadian mainstream motorcycle magazine.
I applied to become a member of MagsBC about a year ago, when we moved to BC, as I enjoy exploring new opportunities.
Your magazine recently got a new employee, your daughter Emily.
Yes, that’s right. In 1992 our daughter was born and at the age of 6 she was also riding dirt bikes and started exploring with us. Today we are a very close-knit family.
Ever since our daughter Emily has joined our publication, she brings a new vibe to our pages. She has become a crucial part of our publication and the new face of Motorcycle Mojo. She has grown up with a family who has created a well-respected publication and thrives on contributing her thoughts and experiences with our readership.
What is the favourite part of your work?
We run a small publication so we each wear many hats. (Helmets.) Glenn supports me editing and publishing. He is also very creative.
I love numbers for some reason, even though I am a graphic designer by trade. That’s why I enjoy creating proposals and doing the odd ad design, if required. I think as a marketing director, design is still my main love, but we have an art director now who designs the magazine and keeps our pages looking amazing.
How do you manage to still exist on the market? What challenges are you facing right now, and how do you handle it?
You know, it’s always challenging finding new advertisers or ways to create revenue streams. People don’t realize the cost of paper, postage, wages, content creation, photography, and all the other things that go into making a publication. Many think, digital should be free, but we still need to pay writers, web designers, digital delivery companies ….
You need to be creative when making proposals to keep momentum in all areas, whether it’s print or digital.
Some advertisers rely on social media influencers …. That is frustrating, as they may not be experienced in the industry or have background knowledge. They are good at what they do, or have many followers, but [the followers] may not have the funds to purchase the products the influencers are promoting.
At Motorcycle Mojo, we base our reviews on similar products, comparisons to a previously released model of a product or motorcycle, so we can provide a more in-depth review of products and services from our seasoned journalists, who are respected in their fields. Our readership is an older demographic, who have funds to purchase luxury items or have saved to purchase additional products to make their motorcycle experience more enjoyable.
If you could wish yourself something that could change in both the local and Canadian magazine industry, what would that be?
It would be great to have more sales streams, e.g. more magazine stands with promotions, easier access to endcaps and airports, that may not be in every publisher’s budget. We just need to keep the message going, that professionals create publications and we have a trusted, experienced team on board. Find some creative ways to reach our readership and have them fall in love with print. The message is simple: get off the phone and leave the computer behind and experience for yourself what the world has to offer.
Do you have any advice to people who aim to run their own publication?
It will always be challenging, and you are always having to keep up with new technology. Like any job, you get what you put into it.
Your favourite quote?
“It’s a small world, but I’d hate to paint it.” (Steven Wright, comedian)
Find Motorcycle Mojo on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and their website.
