The story behind The Coastal Buzz didn’t start as a business idea.
It started as a dream that kept falling apart, and somehow never went away.
Where It All Began
In the late 1990s, I had the opportunity to work for a local business newspaper.
I loved it immediately.
There was something about being part of a publication, connecting with local businesses, helping tell their stories, and building relationships through advertising, that just clicked.
But after only about six months, everything changed.
The publication was sold to a larger company, and the entire team was let go.
Just like that, it was gone.
I tried to stay in that world, applying to other publications, but I was still fairly new to ad sales and no one was willing to take a chance on me.
So I made a decision.
If no one would give me the opportunity,
I would create it myself.
The First Big Dream
That decision led to the idea of Savannah Business Life Magazine.
This wasn’t just a thought, it was real.
I reconnected with members of the original team that was let go, and they believed in the vision so much they were willing to help build it from the ground up. I had an editor lined up and was offering her equity. Investors showed interest. Momentum was building.
For the first time, it felt like the dream was within reach.
But at the last moment, the investors backed out.
And just like that, it was gone again.
At the time, it felt like failure.
Looking back now, I realize something different:
I wasn’t as far away as I thought.
I just didn’t yet know how to build it the right way.
Learning Through The Homesteader
Years later, the dream came back again.
This time, I launched The Homesteader, a local newspaper focused on new homeowners that was a licensed newspaper concept based out of Boston.
It was my first real step into building a publication of my own, with support behind it. I sold advertising, worked to grow it, and learned firsthand what it takes to run a print product, from sales to operations to the realities of sustaining a newspaper.
It wasn’t easy. It struggled financially, and like many first ventures, it taught me lessons the hard way.
But it wasn’t wasted.
During that season, what started as a publishing dream became part of something much deeper in my life. A trip to Boston to train for that newspaper became a turning point in my marriage, where hard truth, honesty, and real conversations began to change everything.
What looked like a struggling business on the outside was doing something far more important behind the scenes.
The Shift That Changed Everything
From there, I pivoted.
I launched LocalSavannah.com—and for the first time, things clicked financially. It became profitable quickly and proved something important:
The dream wasn’t wrong.
The model just needed to evolve.
Even after that, I found myself trying to build similar ideas in other cities: Jacksonville, Charleston, Nashville, and Charlotte.
Some made money.
None lasted.
And over time, I realized something I couldn’t see before:
I wasn’t meant to build somewhere else.
I was meant to finish what started in Savannah.
Because Savannah wasn’t just where the dream began.
It was where I needed to grow.
And it was where I needed to heal.
The First Coastal Buzz and the Pause
Along that journey, The Coastal Buzz was born on June 2nd 2016.
The idea was there. The vision was clear.
But life got busy.
Responsibilities grew. Priorities shifted.
And eventually, The Coastal Buzz was put on hold.
Not because the dream died…
but because it wasn’t time yet.
A Full Circle Moment
All along the way, my family has been part of this journey.
When my son Lil Chris was just six years old, we would take him with us to local business networking events. We’d put a name tag on him that said:
“Christopher — The Coastal Buzz.”
We had no idea what that would become.
That was during the first launch of The Coastal Buzz.
But today after the rebirth of The Coastal Buzz, he is stepping into his own role as Junior Executive of The Coastal Buzz and Director of Youth Buzz.
That’s not something you plan.
That’s something that grows.
The Rebirth of The Coastal Buzz
Years later, with more experience, more clarity, and lessons learned the hard way,
we came back to it.
The Coastal Buzz wasn’t just relaunched.
It was rebuilt.
This time, it wasn’t rushed.
It wasn’t based on guesswork.
It was built on everything learned through:
- early failures
- hard lessons
- personal growth
- and a dream that never went away
What The Coastal Buzz Is Today
The Coastal Buzz exists to help people feel more connected, more encouraged, and more aware of the good happening in their community.
Today, The Coastal Buzz is more than a website.
It’s a positive local media platform designed to:
- highlight local businesses
- support nonprofits
- showcase growth and development
- help people discover opportunities through Career Buzz
- give the next generation a voice through Youth Buzz
- and bring the community closer together through real, uplifting stories
We believe media doesn’t have to be negative to be powerful.
We believe local stories matter.
We believe businesses deserve to be seen.
We believe communities should feel connected, not divided.
And we believe the best things are built together.
As a family.
Looking Ahead
The Coastal Buzz is part of a bigger vision under Positive Life Media, a vision centered on impact, connection, and long-term legacy. We have big dreams for where this can go. But for now, let’s build together.
We’re not here to chase headlines.
We’re here to build something that lasts.
This didn’t start as a business idea.
It started as a dream that refused to go away,
and is finally being built the right way.
We’re not trying to be traditional local media.
We’re trying to build something warmer, more human and more community-centered.
Something lasting for our community.