WE’RE MOVING MY PARENTS used to warn me “don’t bite off more than you can chew; don’t get in over your head.” I have made a career out of biting off way more than I could hope to chew and jumping in at the deep end of the pool. When I launched Dirt Empire Magazine, I knew it was going to be an unbelievable amount of work. I had a fair idea of what it would take to make it a success. And I also knew I was getting in way over my head. I was confident I could do it because I had a great editor in Justin Zoch, and an amazing group of freelance photographers and writers who love this sport as much as I do. I’m wise enough to know I’m going to make mistakes and stumble a bit out of the gate, but I’ve learned over the years that to fail is not to fall. To fail is to fall and then just lay there. Skinned knees or no, we’ll be forging ahead, making changes when necessary and when they make sense to provide a better experience for our readers. That said, we’re already making a major change. We’re moving our headquarters from Watertown, New York, to Brunswick, Georgia. Why? Because launching a new magazine and media company just wasn’t enough excitement. If I was going to stay true to character and bite off more than I could chew, I needed to throw moving across the
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country into the mix. The reality is a simple one: I couldn’t take the winters anymore. In an age of mobile devices, internet, overnight delivery and Zoom video conferencing, it really doesn’t matter where you live as long as you have a fast connection speed. How did I get in Northern New York to begin with? Well, a decade ago I was head-hunted to take over the art department for a major US consumer brand whose headquarters were in Watertown, New York. We moved the family there and made a good life, learning how to cope with copious amounts of snowfall. The winters in Watertown are ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong, some people love snow and they love Watertown. That’s great! I’m not slagging you for loving something. But for me, there are too many old injuries that get aggravated by the bitter cold weather and having to shovel feet of snow regularly. When you hear on the news about a place in the US that gets four feet of snow from a single storm, that place is inevitably Watertown, NY. You don’t have to shovel sunshine. I only lasted at that company for a few years. I was not cut out for the skullduggery, back-biting and backstabbing that goes on in the corporate world. I was never interested in climbing the corporate ladder and playing politics. I just wanted to create something that people would enjoy. After leaving that company, I took a few years to pursue a writing career which had modest success. I penned four novels as well as writing and illustrating a children’s book. It was very rewarding. Then my writing took me into the dirt track racing industry and I found myself more and more entrenched in this sport. I’d grown up with Northeast modifieds and pro stocks. Though we always have an affinity for that which we grew up with, I’ve learned to love sprints and late models with just as much vigor as my Northeast mods. When it came time to launch Dirt Empire Magazine, we had to decide where we were going to do it. New York
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By Adam Cornell State has started to become less and less hospitable for small businesses. Our research indicated Georgia was more welcoming. But the most important reason we’re moving is because my wife is from Georgia. A much wiser man than me once said “Happy wife, happy life.” She has been a trooper dealing with the cold temperatures for the entirety of our marriage. Nineteen years of wishing you lived in the south is long enough. Year twenty will be celebrated in Georgia. And she deserves it. There is no way possible I would have dared to launch Dirt Empire Magazine without the support and strength of my wife. Fellas pro tip: marry somebody smarter than you. (I can hear my older brother saying “that wasn’t too hard for you, moron.”) Seriously though, without her, you wouldn’t have this magazine. So as you leaf through this issue, say a little thank you to Belinda. One last thing. Your experience should improve with the move. With this printing we’ve switched print vendors. The new one is in Georgia, not far from our new headquarters. This means quality control can improve and production time can decrease, perhaps by weeks. All in all, this is going to be a good thing for Dirt Empire Magazine, for you the reader and for me and my family. I love it when a plan comes together. Wish us safe travels.
DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 04 - 2021
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