Once Upon a Time
20 Years with Enjoy Magazine…
They’ve celebrated births and marriages, mourned deaths, gritted their teeth through a pandemic, changed locations multiple times, and perhaps watched a few more wrinkles and gray hairs arrive on the scene.
What hasn’t changed, however, is the passion and commitment that Enjoy Magazine’s founders have poured into their publication — on the exhilarating days, the tough days and every day in between — for 20 incredible years.
“In the beginning, we wondered, ‘Are we going to have enough things to write about?’” says Publisher Michelle Adams. Adds fellow Publisher Yvonne Mazzotta: “Even 20 years later, in every issue, we learn of a new business or destination or cool business.”
Michelle, Yvonne, Ronda Alvey, James Mazzotta, and Matt Briner worked at haircare giant KMS together in the early 2000s, and when the company closed its local operations, they took an epic leap of faith together to launch a magazine to spotlight the people, places and things that make the North State special. Michelle and Yvonne took on the roles of owners and publishers, while James solicited advertising and contributed photography. Ronda sought out writers and managed the magazine’s editorial content, and Matt brought his graphic design talents to the team. Curtis Davis, who was working at Redding Printing at the time, soon joined the effort to help with advertising sales, followed soon after by Michael O’Brien, who also worked with the team at KMS.
Ronda’s brother, Al Olson, also played an important role in getting the magazine off the ground. With his journalism background, he offered guidance and plenty of sage advice as the team navigated the many things they were learning along the way.
“We started when the economy was really sad, and we took that risk because we knew where we live is really important,” Yvonne says.
In October 2006, the first edition arrived, which Ronda considers her proudest moment in the company’s history. “I remember the feeling when we got the actual magazine. That was pretty amazing, and then we did it again and again and again,” she says. “I thought, ‘I think we’ve got something here.’”
The magazine started on Lake Boulevard, then moved to Park Marina Drive before relocating downtown to Placer Street, where Enjoy the Store and Enjoy Movies in the Park were also born (neither are in operation now). They subsequently moved to Market Street before shifting to remote work a few years ago.
The venture has also led to significant personal growth for each of them. When they started, Michelle was pregnant and the Mazzottas had twin babies, so in those early days, Ronda was often the face of Enjoy to the outside world. “Somebody had to go out there in the community, which was not my thing,” Ronda says. “I remember going to my first Redding Chamber of Commerce’s Greeters and shaking as I was introducing myself.” As the magazine grew, each found their own way to contribute. James stepped into sales, while Michelle gravitated toward the behind-the-scenes work of designing the magazine and managing the day-to-day details. Ronda and Yvonne went through Leadership Redding together, and both became increasingly involved in local organizations and causes, serving on several boards and steering committees over the years. Michael brought his many years of sales experience to the magazine and has been a steady part of its growth. And after several years, Matt left Enjoy (with five of his biggest cheerleaders behind him) when he had the opportunity to establish his own successful graphic design business.
The team is proud of what Enjoy has brought to the community, including maintaining a non-political and non-controversial stance. “It’s made the community proud,” Ronda says. “One thing we hear a lot is, ‘I can’t believe this magazine is in Redding.’” Adds Michelle: “That’s been our focus, to bring the positive and the uplifting. We get that privilege.”
James says the magazine has inspired people to do things they might not have thought possible. “I feel like it has really given everybody in our North State permission to activate, and do things they might have been sitting on forever because they see their neighbors doing things without having any other reason other than it’s in your heart,” he says. “A lot of people get stuck, and they read a really cool story about somebody who has opened a nonprofit or new business and they think, ‘I can do that, too.’”
Looking to the future, James would like to “bring the pages to actual life” by integrating more technology, and Yvonne wants to continue “amplifying things that are happening, finding new trends in the area and finding things we can help grow, like weddings and tourism.”
Michelle hopes to maintain strong partnerships with readers and businesses. “I want to see it continue to grow and bless our communities, and really be an avenue that helps businesses thrive,” she says.
Sticking with the key ingredients in a recipe that still works after 20 years is critical, too, Alvey says. “Of course we want to change with the seasons, but we need to do the stories about the people, places and things that make this place what we love.”
Yvonne agrees that’s what makes the magazine magical. “It’s a surprise every month,” she says. “Even if we’re having a bad week, a bad month, a bad day, it’s something we look forward to.”
They’re also grateful to their sales team, writers, photographers, graphic designers, delivery drivers and advertisers, old and new, including some who have been invested since that very first year. In addition, Lynn Fritz has hosted Enjoy Exceptional Living for 16 years, where she delves deeper into topics that have been featured in the magazine. James and Ronda have had the privilege to be guests on Carl and Linda Bott’s radio show the first Monday of each month for the past 16 years to talk about the newest issue.
One advertiser that has stuck with Enjoy since Month One is Shasta Regional Medical Center. “It’s helped us get our messages out and stay connected with the community we love serving, not just as a hospital, but as neighbors,” says Shasta Regional Medical Center Marketing Director Lynnann Foster. “And honestly, Enjoy Magazine itself has been a gift to Redding, always finding the good, the local and the heartwarming stories that make this place feel like home.”
That spirit has sustained Enjoy. “The community adopted us right from the very beginning,” Yvonne says.
As they start the next 20 years, the team says they’re also grateful for each other, the coworkers who became business partners who became family. “It’s huge to still like the people you’re working with,” Michelle says.
“We’ve experienced life, death, children, pandemics, finances,” James says.
“All the marriage topics,” Michelle adds with a laugh.
“And trust,” Yvonne says.
“And a lot of prayer, believe me,” Michelle says.
Another surprise? “How much I still love it, and how excited I still get when we’re done, with every issue,” Ronda says. “I think it’s such a great thing for the community.” •
Article Written by:
Kerri Regan grew up in the North State and earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Francisco State University. A freelance writer and editor, Kerri enjoys exploring the North State with her husband and three children.
