This July marked Boerne Business Monthly’s 15th year! “When I think we have been publishing BBM for that long it is a little hard to believe. On one hand it feels like no time at all, and on the other hand it’s difficult to remember life without the magazine,” said Lauren Stumberg, owner/publisher of Boerne Business Monthly.

The very first issue of Boerne Business Monthly hit the streets in July of 2007. According to Lauren, “From that first issue, BBM was really embraced by the local community. It seems like people enjoy reading about their friends and their neighbors in a positive, pro-Boerne publication. Now, 169 issues later we’re still going strong! In that time we have featured every kind of business imaginable. It really has been amazing to discover the many unique businesses that we have here.”

“Boerne has changed a lot over the past fifteen years. The population in 2007 was around 7,100, now we’re upwards of 19,000 and growing fast. That’s a lot of growth. Boerne has new people, new schools, new businesses, new buildings, new subdivisions. From a magazine standpoint, that’s exciting. All that new just means more things to talk about. But Boerne Business Monthly wasn’t created to only feature the most recent additions to the local business community. In fact, my goal with BBM has always been to keep the Boerne business community informed of current changes and growth by highlighting new and exciting businesses, while remembering the existing businesses that created the foundation for opportunity.”

So how did Boerne Business Monthly come to be? While Stumberg would say that she didn’t necessarily see her career taking this particular path, the evolution of it makes perfect sense. “I love Boerne. I was born and raised here, graduated from Boerne High School, spent my childhood feeding the ducks, going to Berges Fest parades and swimming in the Boerne Pool. I’m one of those locals that reminisces about the good ole days eating at Beef N’ Brew. I love Mague’s tacos and I truly believe that nobody can make better broccoli and cheese soup or cheesecake than Bumdoodler’s. If you strike up a conversation with me, it’s highly likely that I will tell you that someone you mention is my cousin,” laughed Stumberg. “But also, I am genuinely interested in finding out about other people. I want to know what you do, why you do it, what your hobbies are. If there is something I learn that is interesting or exciting, I want to share that with others. So somewhere in there, my love of all things local and my need to know merged, and there you go, voilà – Boerne Business Monthly!”

Between the articles, the advertisers, and even the readers, Stumberg feels blessed to have been able to meet and connect with so many people within our local community throughout the years. According to Lauren, “It is very rewarding when I hear how the magazine has positively impacted someone. It puts a smile on my face when I see people reading BBM at breakfast or when an advertiser calls to tell me about a call they got off of their ad. Being able to give these local small businesses the attention they deserve makes me happy!”

“As most small business owners will tell you, more often than not your business is not what you do, but rather becomes part of who you are,” added Stumberg. “When planning this issue, my kids of course wanted to be in the picture too. After I thought about it, it really seemed only fitting to include my family in this celebration of BBM’s 15th year. My husband, Justin, is constantly being recruited by me to lend a hand with the magazine in one way or another and Dylan and Dutch don’t know life without BBM. We constantly have boxes of magazines in our car, they help me distribute the issues each month, come with me to photo shoots and on more than one occasion have been the ‘stand in kid’ for magazine photos. It’s safe to say that this business is definitely a family affair.”

Ultimately, the success of Boerne Business Monthly lies in the support from both our advertisers and our readers. “I want to thank both groups. There would be no BBM without our advertisers, several of which have been with us since day one. We have a great group of advertisers that I feel confident to recommend their products and services. And what about our readers? The readers give life to each publication. They pick it up, interact with it, circulate each issue, act upon what they read and tell their friends. Those are all things that are invaluable in the success of a publication,” said Stumberg.

“Boerne is a special place. It is a wonderful place to live, work and play. There is no one thing that makes our town so great, but rather the combination of our people, our history, our landscape and our small businesses. My hope is to celebrate Boerne’s unique charm in each issue – filling our pages with the culture, commerce and community that make Boerne one really cool town.”