Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Lamb.
Ryan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The idea for West Coaster beer magazine was born in 2009 in Madrid, Spain. Myself and co-founder Mike Shess were living there after college, wondering what we would do for work back in our native San Diego (once we returned to reality). Reminiscing about the hoppy beers of Southern California, we searched online for a beer magazine that covered the industry. When we didn’t find one, we decided to come back and start our own.
Fast forward seven years and we decided to start up a new magazine, San Diego Beverage Times, focusing on all the local beverage communities: beer, cider, coffee, juice, kombucha, mead, sake, soda, spirits, tea, water, wine…
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest challenges have been trying to keep up with the industries we cover, and generating enough revenue to keep producing (and distributing) two print magazines that are free to readers.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with West Coaster + San Diego Beverage Times – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My job is to oversee the content in print and online. I wear tons of hats, and no two days are the same. My business partner Mike brings in the ads and manages our distribution. We are proud to support the local beverage businesses in our hometown, especially through a constantly updated beer event calendar on the West Coaster site.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
No big changes for 2018 — we just want to keep getting better at what we do. We’d eventually like for San Diego Beverage Times to be printed more than four times a year, but we don’t want to stretch ourselves too thin, either.
Contact Info:
- Website: westcoastersd.com / sdbevtimes.com
- Email: ryan@westcoastersd.com
- Instagram: @westcoastersd / @sdbevtimes
Image Credit:
Mike Shess, Former SD Mayor Jerry Sanders
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
