Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin O’Brien.
Hi Erin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve wanted to tell stories as long as I can remember. When I was a child, I would write and illustrate “books” to give family and friends as gifts. Writing was my favorite hobby for years until I decided to turn it into a career when I was about halfway through undergrad. I joined the university’s student newspaper and relentlessly pursued freelancing and internship opportunities with local and regional publications. This search took me all the way out to Southern California and back when I settled into my first “real” full-time editorial role – as an assistant editor – with a regional publishing firm in San Antonio, Texas, in early 2010. Six months after I started, my predecessor resigned unexpectedly, and I was promoted to executive editor overseeing three of the firm’s publications. I wasn’t qualified for that role or ready for it at the time, but I somehow kept it all together even as the role continued to expand (from three publications to six) for the next several years. I also continued to do some freelancing on the side.
Fast-forward to 2014: For a combination of reasons, by this time, I was feeling burnt-out and disillusioned, so I resigned from my aforementioned role and decided to go back to school and pursue a career in higher education. I entered an MA program and shifted my focus to university teaching and research. When the time came, I applied to doctoral programs across the country with the aim of becoming a (preferably tenured) university communications professor. At the time, I had no intention of returning to publishing beyond academic books and peer-reviewed journals. Fast-forward to March 2017: Halfway through my last semester of the MA program, all I had to do was finalize and present my thesis. Around Spring Break, I was up late one night working on my thesis when it suddenly occurred to me – out of nowhere – to start my own magazine publishing firm. Again, at this point, I had completely changed my professional track and focused exclusively on advancing in higher education for the last three years. But the feeling was very strong – it was something I *needed to do.* I didn’t quite understand it, but I went with it.
I began brainstorming with my (now) business partner, Mike Brannon and assembled the details I needed to formally start 71 Media Group in May and launch the business’ flagship publication, 71 Magazine, in November. I also switched my academic ambition from a PhD in communications to an MBA, and I started that program literally the same day I graduated with my MA. Everyone thought I was crazy (even me) but when something’s *right,* you just know. I originally conceived of 71 as a statewide fashion magazine, but in order to flesh out the idea a bit and make it more original, Mike and I discussed other possibilities and ultimately decided to focus on all arts, as well as STEAM fields. The result is a highly visual international digital magazine focusing heavily on photography and what we like to call “the arts less traveled.” Since our launch, we’ve featured a ton of international celebrities and talents; we’ve covered a wide variety of entities from SXSW and ACL to NASA and SpaceX; and we’ve won Magazine of the Year at the Texas Fashion Awards (2018). Fast-forward to 2021: We’re in our fourth year, and we’re still standing! I finished that MBA program in December 2019, and so far, I regret nothing about my career redirect. 71 is a passion of mine and Mike’s, and we’re excited to continue the creative journey!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road! Media is a tough business at the best of times and, as a BA graduate of Spring 2008, I’m pretty sure I’ve never even personally experienced “the best of times” in this business. In addition to the early struggles of finding (and keeping) relevant work during the recession, I ended up in several toxic work environments. I experienced a series of unethical behaviors in several workplaces, from bullying and gaslighting to issuing hot paychecks. All of this, on top of the often huge workload, ultimately led to the burn-out and disillusionment I referenced before. But in hindsight, although my “epiphany” to start 71 seemed sudden at the time, I think I probably had been subconsciously mulling over these experiences and building up to the idea all along. I loved the magazine work itself – it was abusive people who were the problem. So, with 71, one of my top priorities has always been to foster a positive environment for all involved. You could say that 71 was the result of my experiences across all these jobs: The positive experiences gave me the skills I needed to make 71 happen, and the negative experiences gave me a crash-course in “what not to do.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about 71 Media Group?
71 Magazine is the flagship publication of 71 Media Group. Launched in November 2017, 71 Magazine is an award-winning digital arts publication celebrating all forms of arts and creativity. Released bi-monthly, each issue highlights a specific theme, such as film, fashion, music or tech. All issues are highly visual, as epic photography is celebrated in each issue across themes. We’ve featured a wide variety of international celebrities and talents, including Helena Christensen, Lindsey Morgan, Kathryn Winnick, Steven Soderbergh, Emily Ratajkowski, Kendra Scott and KT Tunstall. We’ve also worked with some of the top photographers in the world, including Robert Ascroft, Reuben Wu and Keith Ladzinski. All together, we call this creative synergy “the arts less traveled.”
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We’re always happy to collaborate with our fellow creatives! We offer customizable opportunities for content, advertising and social media influence. We also collaborate with brands and work with creatives across the world to bring editorial and artistic original photoshoots to life. Follow us on Instagram at @my71mag to see what we’re all about, and contact me directly at erin@my71mag.com to explore how we can work together!
Contact Info:
- Email: erin@my71mag.com
- Website: https://my71mag.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my71mag/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/my71mag
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/my71mag
Image Credits
Headshot: Mike Brannon Covers: Nov/Dec 2020: Alexi Lubomirski Sept/Oct 2019: Chris Nicholls Nov/Dec 2019: Caitlin Cronenberg Jan/Feb 2020: John Bregar May/Jun 2020: Farrah Aviva Jan/Feb 2019: Chris Hunt
