#howilake - Haley May

The Lakeside Life magazine started out as just a dream. It was actually several dreams, all combined into one. Three women somehow ended up in the same room and they each loved the lake in different ways, for different reasons. 

Beth and Syndi both enjoyed the lake mostly through watersports. Their families are all about wakeboarding, wakesurfing and numerous other watersports that are just way too cool for my unathletic self. This was so interesting to me when I met them. I have been on this lake for 26 years - born and raised - and I have literally been on skis once. And let me just tell you, the one time was abrubtly ended by my dad in fear that my lack of coordination was going to land us in the ER.

​Around the time of our initial meetings about the magazine, there had been a recent flair up on social media regarding pontoons vs fishermen vs boat dockers vs wake boats vs weekenders vs locals. That is when we decided as a team our mission of The Lakeside Life was going to be unity. 

A mission was one thing, but I wanted to take things a step further. How could we learn to respect and love our fellow lakers even when they didn't "lake" the same way we did? Could we open our minds and hearts to understand why they loved the lake the way they do? That was the birth of the #howilake movement. I started thinking about the way I enjoyed the lake and the way my business partners enjoyed the lake. Then, I took it a step further and thought about the small business owners and how, for many of them, the lake is what allows them to make a living. Go even deeper and let's think about the people who were here when this lake filled up and how it has changed over the years and maybe even changed their lives. 

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I think about how the way my husband and I "lake" has changed since having our twin boys and how the lake will be such a huge part of their childhood.

When sharing my idea with my teamates, they were so excited. This was just as much their dream as mine. Mixing the cultures, creating an understanding and a respect, is exactly what they wanted too... I just so happened to come up with the perfect name for it - #HOWILAKE

We rolled out the How I Lake section of the magazine back in our very first edition released October 2017. Since, it has become a staple of each of our magazines as well as a piece used heavily on our social media. 

Would you like your #howilake story featured in the magazine? Click the link here and fill out the form!

See ya Lakeside, 
Haley May 

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