Atlanta Small Business Profile – ValueStream Media Group

On this week’s episode of Atlanta Small Business Profile, Ted Jenkin welcomes Joanne Hayes, CEO of ValueStream Media Group. Ted and Joanne discuss ValueStream’s various publications, Simply Buckhead Magazine, 17th South and their newest acquisition, Atlanta Pet Life. They also tackle Joanne’s career in Atlanta publishing.

After working in retail, Joanne somewhat stumbled into the magazine industry. She was offered a job at a newspaper group in her home state of Rhode Island, where she was then recruited to produce a magazine. It was in this position that Joanne really learned about publishing from some great mentors. Nine years ago, she made the move down the Atlanta and saw a gap in the market for magazine publications.

Knowing she was the right person for the job, Joanne hit the ground running and created the Simply Buckhead magazine. Simply Buckhead has interviewed some very well-known names and famous faces due to the cultivation of incredible relationships over the years. The culture around the magazine is one of inspiration, not drama.

In order to create important business relationships, you have to have sharp networking skills. Joanne reminds us, “You have to be visible as a business owner; you can’t just sit in an office with a closed door and expect business to come to you.” So, Joanne researched the networking opportunities available in Buckhead like the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Ultimately, ValueStream Media Group has had strong ties to the Buckhead Business Association over the last eight years.

In the magazine industry, you obviously have to sell ads for the digital space. Finding clients to buy these ads in the toughest part of the business according to Joanne. However, she’s quick to point out that she has a good team behind her.

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