May-Britt reflects

What an amayzine year

This evening we’re celebrating the first birthday of amayzine.com. Exactly one year ago, I sliced a magnum bottle of champagne open with Jort Kelder, to officially declare the site open.

Was it exciting to be starting up for myself and leaving the heavy Ministry of Magazine-making? I was asked this question at least once per day. Of course it was. No more big fat editor-in-chief salary at the end of the month. No more bonus. And no more car.

Still, I didn’t have to carry that irritating pass around, the one that I always seemed to lose yet needed for every breath I took. Pass, ports and revolving doors, I didn’t miss them. I also didn’t miss the coffee machine that spat disgusting canal water out at you, or the security who came around at five pm to check if everyone had left already.

What we had at amayzine.com was a supercool office. With a daylight studio. Colleagues (real men from ’the’ TV, us magazine girls are not used to those), the best Nespresso, a fridge full of wine and a company scooter.

The invites for shows kept coming. And if Josselin wasn’t at the office for two days, a stack of beauty packages would build up. That hadn’t changed.

We typed the shiny layer from our Mac Airs, and if we worked outside the office, our first question was: Do you have WIFI? Followed by the question if there was a plug nearby. We sent 5171 WhatsApps in our app group. About being on a photo with Johannes Huebl, or with David Beckham, Peter Jan Rens’ desperate bride, the passing of Oscar de la Renta and a thousand other things that we sadly, sorry can’t share with you.

If we had continued to celebrate each success with champagne, Amayzine HQ would have needed to move to the AA. And we probably would have had Wim Kieft as Look of the Day everyday. While I’m far closer to Fred van Leer taste-wise.

I want to thank you all. For reading, reacting, prompting. I have never had so much interaction with readers/viewers/visitors before. And this is only the beginning. Amayzine is only going to get better. Our next goal? Full speed ahead to World Domination.