About the Publisher

The Publisher, in 2008.

My forefathers came to America in 1685, from Ireland and England. I was conceived in a Perdido Street apartment down the street from Louis Armstrong’s house in New Orleans, then born into a beautiful residence on lovely Versailles Street in the Garden District. Raised around Dallas and cottonfields of Louisiana, I miss the cotton swaying in Southern breezes, the rambling old homes, the taste of fresh sugar cane, clinking of dominoes (“bones”) and mud oozing between my toes at Grandmother’s house, in the Red River Bottoms.

In 2003, after living throughout the US and Europe, I defected to the Northeast. I was almost a Yankee, but my speech is still slower and slightly syrupy compared to everyone around me. If I have some delicious adult beverages, my drawl becomes ever stronger.

Pursing growth of BLU, I relocated the Publishing office to California in 2008. The town I landed in is quite adorable, like a storybook and a far cry from the mean streets of Philly. I call it “Pleasantville.” We’ll see how this goes, but I question if I can adapt to suburbia and often miss the hustle and bustle of both Philly and NYC.

Kimberly on the Jersey Shore, 1973

I started my work life in 1982, as a pre-teen party planner for other children’s birthday events. That didn’t last too long, as other circumstances led me to a patient service position in a medical practice by the age of thirteen.

At age fifteen I did my first commercial advertising campaign, as a fashion model in a Dallas area boutique’s spots on television. That was my first taste of both ad work and the preparation and scope of behind-the-scenes details of directing such a shoot. I caught the bug, the Marketing, PR and Communications bug.

In college, I was still pre-Med, thinking I would go the “intellectual” route preferred by my parents. Dad wanted SMU, I was thinking of something a little more creative and artistic. I won, briefly. Then, my love of science took me back to pre-Med while in Europe for five years. My goal was either Forensic Pathology or Craniofacial Surgery (for correction of birth defects and facial deformities). While I was taking classes, I had to support myself. So, Marketing and PR remained at the forefront of my life. They became second nature, although the front of my brain was saying, “Go to medical school.”

After my college days were done, I had an epiphany, of sorts. Many factors made me realize that I could not throw away all I had accomplished since the age of 12, in varied capacities of MarCom and PR. I was only 21, yet had worked in those fields fairly consistently in diverse positions, since my preteen years.  Despite the pre-Med 4.0, the artsy world that terrified my father into thinking I would be forever impoverished and unable to “spread my intellectual wings” took permanent hold.

Over the next fourteen years I consulted for some of the most amazing, successful and lucrative organizations in the world. They included the US Air Force, US Postal Service, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, BP, Arco, Microsoft, Medtronic, Medifast, Sony Pictures, Burger King and many more.

Kimberly's last official advertising pose and the photo that inspired the genesis of Magazine BLU.

In working for such diverse clients, I started forming a base for continuation within the publishing world. Advertising work was always a staple, as were Marketing and PR. Added to that, I started desktop publishing in 1992, Internet design and MarCom in 1993, fulfillment and distribution work in 1996, editorial writing in 1997, circulation in 1998, so on and on and on, to talent acquisition/representation, commercial production/direction, and other media-driven accomplishments since the late ’90’s.

As I grew within my field, my once-basic Marketing work also took on a life of complex strategic planning, tactical marketing, salesforce development, public speaking, administration of multi-million dollar budgets and even the obstacles I love, such as trying to develop businesses on zero-budgets. Given a look at my resume, my experience doesn’t seem to piece together a publishing career. When considered bit by bit, year by year, a publishing path is quite clear and almost “destined.”

In 2003, I originated the concept for Magazine BLU. By 2005, I had completed my phase of mulling over its potential and decided to become active with the business plan. I was immediately surprised how much interest was sparked within the age 30+, affluent demographic. There was such a need for a vehicle of information and diversion for this group of people who are just like me.

So, here we are, years later. I spent months upon months learning all I could about the back end of the publishing business, so the actual product stood a solid chance of being appropriately positioned and available within the market. Survival of the publication is my only option, as far as I see it. So many magazines fail each year, so I wanted to do all I could to learn enough that Magazine BLU stands a solid, fighting chance.

The real nail-biter was in release of the first digital issue. Would people like it? Would it speak to the demographic? Would the photos look good? Can we pull this off? The answers were all resounding affirmations of positivity…yes, yes, yes!

Now, the big question, as we grow, achieve and work to thrive, is: Will Magazine BLU make it to the cherished Top 100?

Let’s all give it a shot, shall we?

Thanks so much for reading!

Kimberly Toms
President/Publisher
Magazine BLU