Gazette Publishers Note Dec 09

Martin Stolzenberg

{ INTERVIEW BY AMY HOOD, PHOTOGRAPH BY SARA WILKINS }

Amy Hood: Hailing from Johannesburg (South Africa) how does Orange County compare?

Martin Stolzenberg: I have been in the states for so long now…give me a minute…okay…well that’s a difficult one because the cultures are so different you know. But I can tell you chocolates are better in SA for sure, but there are more flavors of ice cream here. No, seriously Johannesburg was very similar to OC when I was growing up and I might be revealing my age here. The climate, the geography, BBQs and sports, family lifestyles in general were the same. Obviously SA has gone through some major transitions over the last ten years or so but honestly when I was growing up there it was as amazing for me as it is for my daughter growing up here.

AH: Is that why you settled here as opposed to the other places you have lived in the world?

MS: Yeah, I was really fortunate to have traveled quite a bit when I was younger, a lot of times out of a backpack, and finally I ended up in OC because it felt like home.

AH: With multiple TV shows about OC it is no secret that there is nowhere else in the world quite like here …was there any culture shock when you got here?

MS: Again, I was really fortunate to have traveled a lot of the states before landing up in OC and by the time I arrived hereI don’t think there was any more shock to be had. NY was a huge shock because it was so big and loud and in your face. When I came to the OC I found my comfort zone.

AH: Have you assimilated into the surf culture here in the OC?

MS: No, I tried surfing in South Africa and strapped my third hand longboard to the top of my VW’s for years and I think my best ride was about 2.4 seconds [laughs] I did however get into windsurfing for a couple of years, which was great.

AH: What’s scarier: Road rage on the 5 fwy or being confronted by an angry baboon?

MS: Road rage on the 5 for sure.

AH: Really?

MS: Oh Yeah, in SA there are some places where you can find monkeys and baboons running around but my road rage is much scarier.

AH: What are three words that describe OC to you?

MS: A great place to live- well that’s actually five words- but how can you can really explain all there is to the OC in three words. The most amazing thing is the cultural diversity.

AH: What would you say are the three musts to be a true OC local?

MS: Rainbow sandals, fish tacos and boardshorts.

AH: So how did The Gazette come about?

MS: Well honestly Amy, The Gazette started in my garage as an idea. How can we promote local spending? How can we make it effective, interesting and create something different?

AH: You were a fashion designer and were very successful. How did you go from fashion to publishing?

MS: I learned about publishing from one of our investors in our fashion line and when I realized maybe fashion in America was not for me, I tried marketing and printing and really enjoyed helping people get their business and message out there.

AH: So what do you think about OC fashion?

MS: Sometimes I question my daughter’s choices …and I hope that what’s hanging in my closet will someday come back into fashion (no really) but I can see the changes daily by what my graphic designers wear to work and always find it amusing how fashion is so fickle. For me jeans and a T-shirt is always good.

AH: What’s your favorite section of The Gazette?

MS: My favorite- kind of funny- but it is the kids coloring competition responses. We get so many entries each month and I can see the unbelievable effort they put into their work. Getting these in the mail on a daily basis is great.

AH: What are your New Year’s resolutions?

MS: [Laughs] Hey Amy, like most I make them and never keep them. But my mom has just moved here from SA, so if at all possible I want to work less and play more, show her my part of the world, and maybe just maybe - all things being equal - take my wife on the honeymoon that is long overdue.

AH: Where do you see The Gazette in five years or so?

MS: A huge success not only for me but for my advertisers and my staff.

AH: If you could be anyone past or present who would you be?

MS: Bob Dylan. He was a huge influence on me personally growing up. His music made a huge difference in our culture and affected the way we accepted what was the norm. He changed the way I thought about the establishment. He made me question the traditional beliefs.

AH: Your words to live by?

MS: “ I am the only one that can ruin my good name.” No matter what anyone else says about you as long as you know that you are doing the right thing (at the most basic level) you will never have to question yourself!

AH: If you could listen to three albums for the rest of your life what would they be?

MS: Oh Geez, this is difficult because I listen to such a wide spectrum of music: I still listen to a lot of folk music from my youth and I really like Eminem so hopefully I will never have to make this choice.

AH: Any parting words for our readers?

MS: Really, I would like our readers and advertisers to know that it is because of our amazing staff: Candice, Kim, Jen, Amy, Sara, Blythe and Paul that The Gazette went from an idea in my garage to 100,000 readers a month, and it’s really thanks to them.