“Yes, it has been ten years since the idea of an English infotainment magazine was mooted. Those were the days when Vizag was a sleepy city and innumerable people questioned us on the intelligence of our decision. “What would a lifestyle magazine in a small city write about? Wouldn’t you run out of ideas in just a few months? Who would want to read about this town?”
Despite the well-meaning advice and not-so-well-meaning taunts, we stood our ground. We dug into the city’s history, we reached out to celebrities and we pulled out edition after edition of new stories, interviews and themes. Believe me, every month posed a challenge for fresh stories and pictures. But then, the city too participated in our growth, developing along, with the addition of infrastructure, opportunities, food joints and much more.
As the city walks on a new path towards smartness, our once-lesser-known magazine has made a place for itself. Yo! Vizag has become a name to reckon with and it is not the print magazine alone which continues to be loved, but the website has made a mark as well, crossing a million views every month!
While the city has changed, and we have grown with it, the disquieting panic and mayhem before each edition remains the same. Even as I write this, there are elements of the magazine that still need to fall in place. And as I wait for everything to unravel, with a little anxiety – staring at both the clock and calendar, hoping that we pull it off on time, my inner voice unseats insecurities with a determined “yes we will.” With all this trepidation and excitement that comes before every issue, the team and I still look forth to new editions and more decenniums of Yo! Vizag.
This year especially is a milestone and 2018 holds a lot of promise for me, on a personal level, as I enter the phase of motherhood. As I wait to turn mom soon, I will continue to nurture Yo! Vizag as my eldest child, as she turns ten. Excited to see my city and my magazine grow together, a huge shout-out to the Yo! Team, who make it possible. Here’s to putting a rest to all the doubts with many more stories to tell.
Thanking all my wonderful readers, advertisers, and staunch supporters, you add the Yo! to Yo! Vizag.”
Dantu Shilpanjani
Editor & Publisher
shilpa.dantu@yovizag.com
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