May 1, 2017

Meet Jack Tuszynski of Family Life Publications

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Tuszynski.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In high school, I was on the yearbook staff when I was hired by the yearbook company for my photography skills. A few years later, I received offers from both of the local newspapers and finally chose to them with Times Journal, Inc and shoot for the Cherokee Tribune, MDJ and other local papers. During my time at the Tribune, I started PhotoJack.net as a side business.

After about seven years and fourteen press association awards, I chose to team with Cal Duke & Associates in Americas, Georgia and travelled the southeast illustrating and selling advertising in local quality of life magazines for several chambers of commerce. Time on the road took its toll and I soon paired with the Lakeside Ledger in Woodstock doing sales, photography and design. After under a year at the Ledger, I went out on my own for a while as PhotoJack.net, but missed being active in the community. My former editor at the Tribune was now managing a local cable news channel and invited me to join the team, so I went to work with Prestige/Adelphia in the local broadcast arena for almost five years. Adelphia had some issues arise (misplaced $4.2B in shareholder monies) and downsized, eliminating the local broadcast arm. So, from 2003-2013 I worked solely for PhotoJack.net, working as a subcontractor for several local and regional magazines, covering special events and portraiture.

In 2013, I decided I was tired of seeing publications fold up from being mismanaged and leaving myself and others without employment. So, I decided to begin my own company, Family Life Publications and focus on the community, arts and education to build stronger families and better communities. My thought was to focus on the “why” not the “what” we do. We print on sustainably sourced uncoated papers to protect our woodlands and waterways. We have a different community partner each month; recognizing an outstanding organization for their role in making lives better for those in need. Our company sponsors and provides marketing for dozens of festivals and events that benefit the community. After just over three years, FLiP is the largest direct-mailed monthly community magazine in each of the three areas we serve printing over 78,000 magazines per month. Some may think this happened in three years, but it’s the culmination of decades of networking in these communities, a sincere appreciation of those who strengthen them and a desire to keep life the best it can be that makes things happen.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
What swung me from photography to publishing is the advent of digital. I was fortunate back in the late eighties to be given dozens of rolls of film to shoot to hone my skills and make a name for myself before shooting became “free”. It was a tough decision to consider stepping back from being a photographer to being a publisher, but I’ve developed a great group of people and now I can do both.

As a predominantly print publication, we have learned to embrace social media as a networking tool for not only our own business, but our business partners, advertisers and community that we serve. We have a schedule setup in which we share the accomplishments of our business partner, recipes, community knowledge and events via the social networks. We learned to use the “enemy” and have thereby made them our friend.

It’s interesting learning the different marketing “styles” within each of the three areas and the sub-markets within those. Looking at the numbers, we’ve a pretty good grasp on what works for everyone.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Day one. When five out-of-work friends walked one by one through the front door of an office suite I signed a three-year lease on. Still gives me chills.

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