By Vincent Mesolella
For graduating seniors, job hunting can be a relentless and aggravating process, trying to find the perfect job that’s enjoyable and pays really well. Finding that job may seem impossible, but not entirely unattainable. Boston University seniors Lara Gast and Pablo Rojas took matters into their own hands, growing closer to the launch of their new men’s magazine, “Joe Magazine.”
Gast, 22, a business management major and Rojas, 22, a theater studies major, paired up while studying abroad in Australia to collaborate their idea for a new magazine.
“We were abroad in Australia and I started tossing some ideas around about a magazine with a friend of ours who was working for “Empire Magazine” and we just got the idea and decided to run with it,” Pablo said.
“Pablo brought the idea to me and asked if I would be the business manager and I accepted,” Gast said.
“Joe Magazine” is a Boston- based magazine for men between the ages of 21 to 35. “Joe” will be a blend of “Maxim,” “Esquire” and “GQ,” Rojas said.
“Our magazine is not going to be the generic men’s magazine,” Gast said.
The first bimonthly issue is set to launch on May 1, which will be distributed to all the major universities in Boston, several locations on Newbury Street, the Prudential Center and the Copley Mall.
“Joe” is staffed with 13 writers; all of them are Boston University students and alumni.
“We chose our writers very carefully, we interviewed each writer and reviewed their clips,” Rojas said. “We approached our writers with a ‘write for free, build your resume type’ attitude until we started making enough money to pay them,” Gast said.
Fundraising is a major necessity for the staff to bring “Joe” off the ground.
“Selling advertising has been a little difficult because we are new and it’s hard to show a finished product to prospective clients,” Gast said.
“Joe” will be hosting two fundraising events. The first will be on Thursday, April 8, at Great Scott on Commonwealth Avenue. The second fundraiser is the launch party held at Avalon on Saturday, May 1. Avalon is one of the major advertisers for “Joe.”
Rojas and Gast both agreed starting a new business is hard work and takes time and patience.
“You would be surprised what you can get for free, research is very important,” Rojas said.
They have used the resources from the university and other universities.
“The small business bureau has been very helpful in our business venture, just ask and you will receive,” Gast said.
The Web site for “Joe” (www.joemagazine.net) is still under construction but will be ready for release of the magazine.
