There’s no shortage of groundbreaking, protest-inducing, ridiculous—dare I say
iconic—headlines, cases and Supreme Court rulings that originate in Florida. The events and people in our state have the uncanny ability to become household names: hanging chads, Elian Gonzalez, Terri Schiavo, Casey Anthony, Trayvon Martin. Even the once revered CIA director and retired Army general David Petraeus fell in Florida.

Floridians, the sunny people that we are, have turned to humor to make sense of all the craziness. The Internet meme #FloridaMan, born out of the endless story leads that begin “Today a man in Florida…,” has gone viral, grabbing national attention. In spite of the headlines and hashtags, here’s what I’ve learned about my home state in recent years. For every torrid tale, there are five more fascinating people, places and pastimes worth writing the hell out of.

But without a grand place for these stories to gather, Floridians tend to hunker down with media in their own corner of the state, consciously and subconsciously, cutting themselves off from the culture, cuisine, outdoor pursuits, landscapes, waterways, and cool things being done and made across a thousand miles of sun-kissed territory.

Flamingo will change that.

More than a magazine, Flamingo is a movement to unify readers from Perdido Key (near the Alabama state line) to Key West (hopefully you know where that is) and, in the process, create the go-to destination for all great Florida stories, inspiring readers to do the things they read in our pages.

The movement is driven by a passion for storytelling. I’m a journalist, and when my family and I moved (back) to Florida from London in 2012, I began digging around and reconnecting with the place where I had spent my teenage and college years. I found endless sources for stories worth reporting and sharing with other Floridians but too few state-wide outlets to publish them. My steno notebooks overflowed with big ideas and tiny details that eventually led me to the prospect of starting a magazine.

At first, the proposition seemed as laughable as a #FloridaMan tweet. Plenty of people told me I was crazy. After all, print is dead, right? Well, none of those naysayers have tried reading a phone on the beach with a cold drink in their hand.

Last spring, I started creating a print identity, unique to our state, which I hoped would resonate with Floridians. This new magazine had to be special, not just another glossy luxury lifestyle title, light on editorial and heavy on ads. The writing and photography had to compete with national magazines but have an authentic Florida point of view. I pored over regional publications, researching and networking with the best editors, writers, photographers and illustrators in the state. I drove hundreds of miles to meet with people whose work I admire and convinced them to get involved with a new magazine called Flamingo. And I got lucky, finding professionals right here in Ponte Vedra with the same passion, not to mention A-list publishing experience, to join me on this journey.

Before taking flight, I considered the sacrifices I would have to make to start a business. I knew my lifestyle as a freelance journalist with the flexibility to spend every afternoon with my kids would end. But it was my family’s support and encouragement that nudged me out of the nest and allowed me to build something that would take many hours of my time away from them.

And now, a year later, what started out as chicken scratch on a yellow legal pad has turned into a big, beautiful magazine with lofty ambitions, an iconic name and thoughtful, Florida-grown content. I hope you will love it as much as I do.