Steve Snider started Carmel Magazine around 26 years ago and originally named it Carmel Style. He had a background in publishing ever since high school. He worked for the Monterey Herald for about 10 years, during which time the Herald ran a publication called Adventures & Dining that lost $80k every time it printed. They sent Steve over and told him, "Figure this out or we're closing it down. If you figure it out, you got a job." It was a heavy trade either way, but Steve took a leap of faith, and it ended up working out just fine. It's important to take risks like that, or otherwise, Carmel Magazine wouldn't be here.

He had an interesting story about how he got a map of Monterey County and put pushpins wherever advertisements popped up and found that most of his pushpins were collecting in Carmel. And as any businessperson does, you follow your audience to follow money.

Steve realized that having a celebrity on the cover, e.g. Clint Eastwood on his second edition or even Taylor Swift, is what really catches people's eye. He has every copy ever printed in a stack in his office. He mentioned that there are people on eBay who sell old copies of the magazine from 20 years ago for quite a pretty penny, which speaks to how much people value and cherish that type of memorabilia.

What inspired Steve to take on the business was that he needed a job. Originally, he went to a guy in Monterey and asked, "If you wanted a new magazine, what would you want in it, what would you want to be reading about?" The guy laughed at first, but then opened and said, "If you really want to make it even though there's about a billion other magazines running, model it after Games and Gossip," and that's what Steve did.

What gets Steve into work every day is his passion for the field. Passion is a key part of liking your job and sticking with it and making everything worth it, because if you don't like what you're working for, you should go do something you love. Another reason he keeps showing up is that since he started the business and he's in charge, he has responsibilities and people who depend on him, so even on a bad day he'd still need to come in and get things done for the people who rely on him. To him, it doesn't feel like a job. It feels like a passion he gets to enjoy every day and gets paid to do. He also has a daughter at UCLA that he supports, which is another reason to keep the business running strong.

There are so many stories that Steve wishes he could cover, and endless things that spark his interest, that there is never a subject he isn't interested in pursuing.

Something some people may not know about Carmel Magazine is that it isn't pay to play. Steve explained that the magazine covers what it naturally wants to cover. That's important, being genuine and true to yourself, compared to other magazines that may cover something because the business or individual is paying for the attention or is owed a favor.

Magazines usually have an eight-year "shelf life," meaning they won't stay relevant or in business much longer than that. Carmel Magazine hitting twenty-six years in business means they're doing something right that isn't just a stroke of luck. Steve is very particular and intentional with his moves in business and content. He is also humble about it, recognizing that someone else out there could have had the same idea and been just as successful, or done it even better. It's a humble view to have.

What Steve loves most about doing business in Carmel is the diversity, which might seem surprising given that Carmel caters to a certain brand, but he's able to connect and get along with everybody in the community.

Steve has a fantasy of producing a more raw version of Carmel Magazine, less on the fluff and puff side. Right now, Carmel Magazine is directed more toward the tourist demographic and memorabilia, rather than the meat and potatoes of the peninsula. He wishes there was a trustworthy local outlet that could cover stories in full detail, the kind of stories that don't always make it to the public.

The most valuable benefit he's gotten out of his Chamber membership is the partnership that created Guide to Carmel. Interacting with people at mixers has been essential for him in securing advertisements for the magazine, and he wouldn't have made some of those connections without the Chamber.

The Chamber has been an essential part of his marketing and exposure. Members who drop their memberships usually do so because they feel they aren't getting much out of it, but in reality, it's because they aren't participating enough, similar to a gym membership. Even beyond the benefits of meeting people in the community, Steve believes that a listing in Guide to Carmel alone is worth more than the $400 membership. There are additional benefits as well, such as the pamphlet holder in the Visitor Center, that go beyond what can be measured monetarily.

When asked if he would recommend a Chamber membership to other business owners, he answered without hesitation: everybody. He would be glad to recommend it to anyone, given the value it provides beyond the membership cost.

If he were to give one piece of advice to a college student or a new business owner, it would be to follow your instincts and trust your gut. He worked in insurance for about three weeks before returning to his roots in publishing, and knew all along that's where he belonged. It takes patience to figure out where you belong, but with time you will find what's meant for you.