My Magazine Is Out....At Last!!!

My Magazine is out....Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! That's me screaming! I'm so happy and so excited and so happy and so excited, so proud, so happy, so excited, so happy! lol!

Seriously, I've been on this magazine for over a year and it feels so great to have it out at last. Of all the projects I've been working on, this is one I know I've gotten 100% right.

This magazine is the same quality with Genevieve, True Love Mags...(Direct Image). It cost me 830 grand to print just a thousand copies.

I'm penniless...but I'm so happy! Whenever I look at the mag...I don't care I have no money to buy recharge card! It's worth it!

This second edition is quite rich and an improvement from the first edition...I try sha!

First edition

The magazine will be in most leading stores in Naija from this weekend.
You can get it @
Collectibles Boutique, Surulere
Talk to me Boutique, Surelere
Bobby's Hair Salon, Surulere
Nu' Metro, Silverbird Galleria, V/Island
Nu' Metro, @ The Psalms
Lafayette Shopping Mall, V/Island
Airport Hotel, Ikeja
The Book/Magazine shop @ Eko Hotel, V/Island
International and local airport Magazine stands
Wrangler Boutiques, Surulere and V/Island

Second edition

I'll let you know some more places where you can find a copy to buy. I'll also see if I can upload some pages of the magazine for y'all to see...you will be so proud of me, like I am proud of myself.

Oh, by the way, did I mention that Virgin Nigeria want the magazines on their planes? Soon you'll find the mags on VN international flights to UK, SA and Dubai! We will also have our magazines in some local flights.

Anyway, here's what I wrote on the publishers' page...thought to share it with y'all!

Dreams do come true
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"

This Magazine came to me as an idea in June 2005. Exactly one year later, the first edition was published. How I managed to do it puzzled a lot of people, even myself, considering the outstanding quality of the magazine and the enormous amount of efforts and resources it took to put it together and get it out.

Before the first edition came out, I went to a few financial institutions to see if I could raise money needed to print the magazine. Nothing came out of it! So I put in my life savings, and got some credit facility to produce the first edition, hoping that when I do the launching I'll be able to raise enough money to pay back my debts and print the next edition.

For some reason, it didn't work out that way. I wasn't able to raise enough money, not even close. It was as if I'd failed, because before venturing into this, a lot of people had tried to discourage me from doing it. I remember a friend telling me that what I was about to embark on was bigger than me. A few others said I should leave the country and get a better life abroad. Some said I should stick to modeling and leave publishing to older and richer people. Did I listen?

The weeks following the formal launching of the maiden edition of my magazine were some of the worst moments in my entire life. I was more broke than I'd ever been. I was in debt. I was loosing money because I was selling the magazine for less than I printed it. I couldn't get the money from sales immediately and the magazine wasn't selling as fast as I'd hoped. Worse still, I couldn't raise money for the next edition. I remember feeling very gloomy and depressed, especially when I heard 'I told you so' from friends. It was disheartening.

Inspite of all this, I started work on my next edition. And for the next one year I went around Lagos to see if I could raise the money needed to print. I didn't get much help. But did I give up? Did I let my dream die? Instead I went down on my knees and prayed to my God, and every day I went to look for help with renewed hope, not only because I believed in the magazine and in myself but also because I believed in God and I knew one day a door will open...and it did!

The easiest thing we humans know how to do is give up, especially when we think we've tried our best and our best does not seem like it's enough.

Dreams do come true. The bottom line is to believe in yourself and in your dream. People will try to discourage you; most times they mean well. But understand one thing: Only you see your dream, only you know where you want to go and only you can make your dreams come true.

To make your dreams come true you need to have faith, be determined, work extraordinarily hard, don't be too proud to beg, take risks, pay attention and don't get easily discouraged. Remember, the road to success is rough. Winners never quit and quitters never win.

Most importantly, don't ever forget to get down on your knees. It works!

Because I didn't give up, I present to you another edition of FM&B Magazine...
Enjoy!

Linda Ikeji
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Ok, that was what I wrote on my publishers' corner...I always write the way I feel, see and know it.

Anyway, I'm looking at bringing out the 3rd edition in January. So please help me get my next edition ready by sending in articles and pictures that relates to Fashion, Modeling and Beauty. (I'll credit the write-up to you if that's what you want), anyone who can handle a column, please let me know. It's 108 pages...let's fill it up. Also, if you want to be featured or want to advertise in it...do get in touch with me.

Ok, let me go attend to some business...despite my busy schedule, I'll still find time to blog...because I love you guys and writing is my biggest passion...next to modelling.

Take care and always remember "Where you are going should look nothing like where you have been"

Don't let anyone tell you you can't do it...YOU CAN!

Love and plenty kisses! Linda