Today we’d like to introduce you to Blair Knobel.
Hi Blair, can you introduce yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My editorial career began in the art department of Furman University and found its literary calling in the publishing world of New York City. I studied photography in college, which led to an internship at Aperture, a nonprofit that celebrates photography through a quarterly journal and book program. The internship was an awakening; I fell in love with the artful side of publishing and became more drawn to the literary arts. After a few years of working in New York City, I moved back to my native South Carolina, where I discovered a publication that had just launched called G, The Magazine of Greenville. I was hired as a web design intern, but I began taking on more editorial and writing assignments because of my editorial and publishing background. Eventually, I was hired full-time as an assistant editor and then promoted to senior editor before the magazine folded in late 2010. In early 2011, a few of us from G moved on to a new publisher in Greenville, and we launched the monthly publication TOWN, highlighting the Greenville area’s culture and style. When its founding editor-in-chief moved on in late 2012, I was promoted to the top position, where I remained until spring 2022. I moved on from my rewarding role as editor-in-chief of TOWN to start my own company, Knobel Media. We have just launched our first original print quarterly called Vessel, which celebrates the modern South’s creativity, culture, and soul. Vessel began as a Substack publication in late 2022. Our print magazine launched in December 2023 and is published seasonally; it is available at select locations in Greenville, South Carolina, with more locations to come throughout the Southeast in 2024. The magazine is also available for purchase on our website, vsslmag.com.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road is rarely smooth, but the bumps are necessary to refine us. An ever-present major struggle is the fear of failure. But fear is only a story that our minds create. I have found that the key is to move forward, even in small ways. Taking action is an almost sure antidote to negative thinking.
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us a bit more about your work.
I am the founder and CEO of Knobel Media, which publishes Vessel, a lifestyle and culture publication of the modern South. As editor-in-chief of Vessel, I lead the editorial curation and creative direction of the brand, and as CEO of Knobel Media, I drive client development and brand partnerships. I am an artist, and my medium is publishing—weaving together stories, photography, and design to deliver a cohesive and compelling publication. I believe the best brands blend creativity, intentionality, attention to detail, and soul. I pride myself on the quality of my work, from two lines of copy to an entire magazine. I want to set the bar and then reach beyond it.
What does success mean to you?
Success is taking a step, then stepping again. It is being alert to one’s inner feelings and acting on these accordingly. It is living authentically.
Pricing:
- Print subscription to Vessel (4 issues) plus access to everything on Substack / $100
- Print subscription to Vessel without Substack access / $60
- Single issue of Vessel / $15
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vsslmag.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vsslmag/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092352437297
Image Credits
Blair Knobel, Bobby Altman, Chelsey Ashford Photography, Paul Mehaffey
