I’ve been writing for Bob Cut Mag for awhile now after pitching them on a hunch. A few weeks ago, a super cool twist of fate put me and Anthony Rogers, Bob Cut’s editor-in-chief, in the same room! Writing for Bob Cut has been a great experience for me, and a number of people have mentioned knowing it after seeing it on my resume.
I’m excited to share a quick Q&A with Anthony, whose bottomless enthusiasm will captivate you when you meet him IRL! I loved hearing about all the doors that starting Bob Cut has opened for him, so grab a low fat no whip coconut milk latte and read on.
Let’s get this out of the way: burritos or tacos? Where from?
Burritos from La Corneta Taqueria in the Mission. Some of the best food in the Mission and so worth the 2am bar crawl.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I actually wanted to be a full-time photographer, so it kind of worked out hahaha.
How long did you think about starting your own magazine before you took that first step?
It took roughly 4 years. A lot of test trialing the idea with friends and most of the time, the friends were not equally involved as I was. One night, on a winter break back home, I finally had the last straw and was like “I’m going to do my own thing and it’s going to WORK.”
Did you ever have an Imposter Syndrome moment in the early days of Bob Cut?
Oh totally, I think the feeling of the, “fake it until you make it” mentality is seriously embedded in all entrepreneurs. You want your idea or business or brand to look and feel valid in the public eye so in that mindset, Imposter Syndrome lives on in all of us to some degree.
What’s a fun fact about yourself that’s yet to be published anywhere else on the internet?
A fun fact that hasn’t been written on the bathroom stalls of the internet… I can actually speak, write, and read in Korean. I’m fair at it but I’m definitely not at the level of speaking upon politics or reciting Korean literature. I can order food, speak more casually, and do most day-to-day conversations.
How is today’s Bob Cut different than your original vision for the magazine?
We definitely tightened up the content and made it more diverse. In the beginning, I had a vision of making Bob Cut more minimalistic, like Kinfolk or Cereal—later on, I realized that I love color, eccentric people, and community beyond the minimalism section on Instagram. Bob Cut now speaks to a variety of issues, people, and topics that make the Bay Area such a diverse place to live.
What kind of doors has founding a magazine opened for you?
Connecting with amazing creatives who see value in Bob Cut. Getting to meet idolized magazine editors from other publications and having them say, “I know Bob Cut! I read you guys because I’m from the Bay Area and I want to keep up with my hometown.” Those doors are the most rewarding to me longterm.
Can you tell me about a cool connection you’ve made through Bob Cut?
I have gotten to meet the CEO and Founder of Glossier multiple times. Bob Cut and Glossier have worked together on a city level to spread the message of their brand throughout SF. It’s been so cool to work with a millennial team and really vibe off of good content.
What has one of your biggest challenges been?
I think, overall, just keeping it together. You have so much passion and want to make your dream work and in doing so, your sanity is put out of a silver platter for those to poke at. Some days, I’m so excited to be creating Bob Cut and other days, I want to give up and go back to a day job. It’s a challenging balancing act and there is always such a rush.
What song would you pick as the soundtrack to your 20’s?
The perfect song HONESTLY, is CL’s “Hello Bitches”— it’s a bad girls anthem that I highly relate to. Hahaha.
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