HOW IT ALL STARTED

I will never forget when in March 2013 we published our first issue of LUXCIOR, back then named “Houston Latina”, originally a Spanish magazine.

As I was driving along I-45, I decided to stop by IndiGO Auto Group -Lamborghini Houston and Porsche of North Houston-, where I handed a copy of the magazine to the receptionist and asked her to please pass it on to her manager. I never expected her to actually stand up and walk to the back, magazine in hand, to a few minutes later come back to tell me: “They want to see you”. “Who are they”? -I wondered-, but I went with the flow and followed her back to an office where I was greeted by Todd Blue -founder and then CEO of IndiGO Auto Group- who was in the middle of a meeting with then-General Manager Kelly Wolf (Mr. Wolf today is the CEO and Dealer Principal of indiGO Auto Group, overseeing the company’s 20 luxury dealerships, which include Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, VW, Bentley, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, Aston Martin, and Ferrari in California, Texas, and Missouri.

I couldn’t believe Todd and Kelly interrupted their meeting to invite me in. As I sat down, I distinctly remember as if it was yesterday, when Mr. Blue went on to tell me while going through the magazine: “What you are doing is very smart. A luxury magazine for Latinos, what a great idea” . Then he went on to explain that one out of three cars he was selling for both Lamborghini and Porsche -the only two brands IndiGO had in Houston at the time-, was purchased by Hispanics, 80% of whom lived in The Woodlands (remember, this was 10 years ago). We shook hands and Lamborghini and Porsche became my very first luxury clients. Later IndiGO added McLaren and Rolls-Royce to their list of high-end brands, to become Houston’s #1 ultra-luxury automobile campus, and also brands we proudly continue to represent.

Later on, I decided to change the name Houston Latinos to LUXCIOR (what a great move!). As time went by I noticed everyone was trying to get their hands on LUXCIOR (our covers are the ones to blame), but because it was in Spanish I was missing out on a great proportion of Houston’s population. So I gradually went from Spanish to bilingual, and from bilingual to English, as it is today. After all, most Latinos from our following are bilingual anyway, so we didn’t actually lose any audience. On the contrary, we gained tenfold from all other segments.

Martin Gondra, Publisher

Another great story I can’t forget was with ACPS - Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery-. I tried for a straight year to gain their business. I met with them at least three times, but the answer kept on being a big “No”. In mid-2014 -at the completion of our first year- I got a call from Jeremy Hartling, to this day their Chief Development Officer, who told me, and I quote as I will never forget: “We have been following your magazine, and we really like what you are doing. Our clients love it. So we decided to come on board. Is your back cover available?” Nine years later, they are not only still our back cover but also great friends. And I must say the same about Richard Vander Dys, owner of Vander Dys Fine Jewelers in The Woodlands, someone I admire for his extraordinary knowledge, passion for the world of fine jewelry, and integrity. Over the years we became close friends. Lastly, from those early days, I must recognize Gianfranco Percovich, founder of Sal y Pimienta, my client and friend since he started with iconic Tango & Malbec on Sage Rd. in Galleria, as you probably remember.

I won’t get into listing all the great businesses we had the privilege to represent, as I don’t want to leave anyone out, but it has been a wonderful experience, even through the usual challenges of any growing enterprise.

I am grateful to all of those businesses, whether they are still our clients or not, and I pray that God may continue to bless and prosper them all.

I must also recognize our team, in Houston, and from other states and abroad. I always believed that success in any enterprise can only happen when you surround yourself with the right people. Not one single person can achieve much without the right people. So I must start with Manuel Reuter, who from the very first year helped me make LUXCIOR a success, and still to this day continues to contribute. Carlos Castroparedes, an extraordinary architect and interior designer, cultural contributor, and friend. Richard Vander Dys, a dear friend and great supporter. And of course, lastly but always first and foremost, to our awesome God, for his direction and never-ending goodness.

Today, after ten straight years of publishing in Houston, the most amazing city in the nation, and having seen all of “The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly (like Harvey, Covid, Santa Fe, etc.), I still feel like singing “like it’s 1999”!