My second child came home from the hospital in June of 1998. I tucked her into her crib and her mom into her bed and headed to the basement to continue working on my new business—Northstar Publishing, Inc.
I was a whopping 27 years old with a full head of hair, seemingly boundless energy and a dream—to produce magazines that would be the shining light in their respective industries—guiding our readers towards the latest technology, best practices, and stories of personal success. Hence, the name Northstar—or maybe it should have been North Star (since that’s how most people refer to us).
Looking back, those first few years offered the classic start-up experience. Al Holappa—our creative director—and I went to work during the day and struggled to grow the business at night.