Business Spotlight - VIE people+places

The Business
VIE people+place
Owners: Lisa and Gerald Burwell
Contact: Lisa Burwell – 850-231-3087 ext 1.
Website: VieZine.com
Online Magazine: VieZine.com/Magazine
Blog: VieZine.comBlog
Facebook: VIE
Twitter: Twitter.com/VIEzine

● Give us your elevator pitch - tell us all about your biz.

"VIE was an idea that had been germinating for a few years but when the economy took a turn for the worse last year, I felt that the magazine could offer fresh insight for our beautiful area of the world as well as a creative outlet for our company. It’s been the toughest challenge I’ve ever known, my scariest endeavor to date (and there have been a few), and the most rewarding—all at the same time. VIE has a global attitude with a local perspective that continues to offer interesting stories about the people and places from COLA 2 COLA (Pensacola to Apalachicola). It’s about life and all it wonders. People are fascinating if you give them enough thought, time and attention to listen. To life!"

● Tell us a little about yourself.

"VIE is published by Cornerstone Marketing & Advertising, Inc., a small boutique public relations and marketing company. We are located in Grayton Beach [MAP] and have been in business since 1994. We’ve been blessed to represent great clients, both locally and nationally, and count it a joy to have a five-minute commute to work along 30A.

The company is owned by me and my husband, Gerald Burwell, an architect by trade, but also the best business partner one could ever hope for, as well as an overall great guy! Along with a terrific team of creative people, we published VIE together last year and are in the midst of working on our 2009 Fall Issue that promises to be exciting, and a little different than before."
[photo: Lisa and Gerald Burwell]

● What was your inspiration to start your biz in South Walton?

"Living in one of the greatest places in the world, we believe our area is poised for growth and once we get through this difficult economic hurdle, we’ll hopefully be in the right place at the right time. We live and work here, which was a novel idea 15 years ago when we started Cornerstone. With the ability to be connected to the world by the latest and greatest technology, we now have the best of both worlds."

● What is your best selling item/service?

"We say what we do and do what we say."

● Care to share your experience about starting a new business in South Walton?

"The people in our area are collectively very creative. They seem to embrace new ideas and businesses faster than other areas. A respect for quality and creativity are evident here and that is one of South Walton’s greatest strengths; its people. It doesn’t hurt that it’s so beautiful either."

● What else do we need to know about your business?

"We are receiving positive feedback about VIE and how it is portraying our area. We hear how our readers enjoy getting to know more about other people once they read the in-depth articles about their causes, opinions, or travels. We are appreciative for this but must say that we need advertisers to survive and hope that people will consider partnering with VIE for their advertising needs—it really works in generating business."

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