As we celebrate our 100th issue of “Coastal Style,” we look back with gratitude toward the professionals, clients and readers that have supported us along the journey
Written by Jonathan Westman
When we started this idea to produce a lifestyle magazine about the Eastern Shore, we could have never dreamt of this moment — the publication of our 100th issue.
From a small, spare bedroom in our West Ocean City townhouse, Links and Living was born in March 2004. The first issue, 32 pages in all, was one-half golf and one-half lifestyle content and generated enough revenue to pay for its printing and those who helped us produce it. That was good enough for us to pursue a dream.
While Erin and I worked day jobs, and with the faithful support of trusting business owners like Betty Bush of Panache and Carol Ann Suttka of Interiors by Carol, we published two more issues that year, summer and fall editions. Links and Living’s Spring 2005 issue attracted two calls for franchise requests from the Baltimore and Hamptons Roads regions, but Erin knew it wasn’t truly taking hold here and that we needed to change the name and direction of the magazine.
Begrudgingly, I relented, and in a notebook that we still have today, we began jotting names of concepts that might ultimately work to connect our vision with local readership. When we combined Coastal and Style, words we’d used in different title ideas, we both put our pencils down.
Coastal Style debuted in the summer of 2005, and so began our journey to today — and in this moment, one word comes to mind above all others: gratitude. We’re incredibly thankful to have worked with so many talented professionals over the years, humbled by the support of businesses across the Shore and honored to have connected so strongly with our loyal readers. That, above all else, has been our goal all along. CS