A New Home for The Folks of Amsterdam
The Final Chapter
A letter from the founder.
The Folks Magazine is a dream project, created by a dream crew. I love what it stands for, what it embodies, and what it has become. For the past three years, we've been lucky to connect, talk, and collaborate with daring makers, creators, and adventurous folks of Amsterdam. Folks that weren't shy of confessing that it hurts when you struggle and that failure is a necessary part of success. Or that their limitless commitment often impacted on their health, and personal lives. But most of all, they talked about how setting up a business should erupt from passion, not from the desire to make a quick buck.
Running The Folks Magazine has been an adventure on its own. Never in my mind, I imaged the hard work and challenges I would be faced with, nor the wealth of knowledge and encouragement we would be given along the way. We've had the opportunity to take risks, try new things, fail gloriously, and get up again. With dozens of published stories, video portraits, several sold-out events, and a growing presence on social media, The Folks has rapidly grown into a young brand that people want to connect with and belong to. An immense rewarding feeling.
Unquestionably, The Folks Magazine has my heart. Yet, our adventure has come to an end as we feel we've accomplished our goal, which was to challenge our creative abilities and give back to society.
That's why I've decided that as of now, The Folks Magazine will start looking for a new home. We're currently working on a limited edition, printed magazine featuring some of our best stories, but in the meantime, we'll start exploring options with parties who would want to continue or further expand the brand.
An important question for those interested: what would the future look like for your company or brand should you want to explore the possibility? In a way, The Folks Magazine is a ready-to-go-platform ánd community that could easily connect with any brand that supports entrepreneurship, adventure, or creativity. Perhaps your brand is considering launching a series of stories that are in line with our key pillars, or maybe you are a publisher with a client who's looking for new ways to showcase his product, service, or values. What about introducing an 'Urban Reporter' who will share the city's finest secrets, or introducing the first Podcast series, a medium type that is rapidly growing. Whatever your plans, The Folks Magazine is a vibrant, cultural, creative, and business-driven platform that can basically become anything.
I believe that The Folks Magazine is far from finished. People want to be inspired as much as people want to share knowledge. Creativity is within everyone. I see more and more brands conveying their message through interviews, connecting with aspiring people whose values are in line with theirs. And it makes sense. It's a way to build a community, spread knowledge, and at the same time, show people what your brand stands for.
Running The Folks Magazine showed me that people want to open up, connect, share, and learn. We are entering a new era where it's all about 'WE' instead of 'ME', and that is something we should continue to encourage.
I'd love to share our thoughts and learnings with you or talk about future adventures.
Email me. Let’s talk!
PS: Keep an eye on our social media channels for the pre-order announcement of our first and final printed magazine.
Dorien Franken
Founder & Creative Director