It’s been a busy season for us! In February, we published LEAD Magazine and launched this website. Now, we’re excited to announce the Spring 2015 issue of Venue Magazine! The magazine will be on sale at Joseph Beth Booksellers and Booksellers on Fountain Square  beginning April 13th. We will be publishing select articles from the magazine online at leadcincinnati.com over the next several weeks. From the staff at LEAD Magazine, Venue Magazine and LEAD Cincinnati, thank you and have a wonderful spring!  

Here’s a note from our president and publisher, Steve Wanamaker.

Hello,

This year has already proven to be a landmark year for Cincinnati. In February The New York Times highlighted the Queen City’s rapidly growing downtown sector. A month later Forbes magazine deemed Cincinnati the 5th most affordable city to live in the United States. Rapid economic revitalization, combined with affordability, translates into a remarkable place to live, work and raise a family.

We have some of the most talented and respected people in the county. It’s no surprise the rest of the nation is taking note. We have world-class restaurants and hotels, the most Fortune 500 companies in the nation per capita, a plethora of entrepreneurial startups and countless thriving and life-giving non profit organizations. Most of all, Cincinnati exudes a positive spirit that simply cannot go unnoticed.

I am honored to call myself a resident of Cincinnati. When my wife and I started Venue Magazine we did so to share the local stories that inspire others to love and serve one another. To sum it up, to focus on the very best attributes our community has to offer.

We recently received a heart-felt email from one of our encouraged readers and I wanted to share it with you with her permission so that it would inspire you like it inspired me:

"One cannot underestimate how your publication touches lives. Your article regarding the Lindner Center of HOPE’s new wing for adolescence treatment opened the door for me and my family. Our youngest son, not an adolescent, spent this past January at Sibcy House due to depression with suicidal tendencies and is now on a much more positive road toward recovery – and is motivated to help those who struggle with mental illnesses."

When I read this email it reminds me of the power of volunteering and giving yourself away to make a difference in the lives of others. The work of Craig and Francis Lindner and Rob and Pam Sibcy, and all the talented staff of the Lindner Center of HOPE and the Sibcy House, is truly making a difference in not only this young man’s life, but the lives of people across our region as well.

This is a powerful example that reminds us all to use our talents and resources towards selfless endeavors that bring joy and healing to others in whatever your unique calling and passion might be. This idea is core to the vision behind starting Venue Magazine and has always been our hope.

So, let’s continue to focus on the very best attributes that unite us as citizens and be a reminder to our nation why we are the Queen City.

–Steve and Kim Wanamaker