As we step into 2024, we’re pleased to announce that this year marks a noteworthy 30-year milestone for Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation (NAPC). Back in 1994, Sharon Bruckman published the first edition of Natural Awakenings magazine in Naples, Florida, launching what subsequently evolved into a national franchise which spreads natural, healthy, eco- and conscious-living content all across the country through a network of local magazine publishers/franchisees like us. 

In this month’s Wise Words department, Bruckman shares that the real “natural awakening” for all of us means we are each waking up to who we truly are, and then together creating the kind of world we want to live in today and onward. The magazine’s tag line, “Healthy Living. Healthy Planet” is therefore thoughtfully intentional, meant to empower individuals to choose a healthier lifestyle and contribute to a sustainable planet that we can all share for years to come.

Close to our hearts, as we celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary, is John’s late father and Bruckman’s original business partner—NAPC visionary, co-founder and Vice President John Voell, “J2”—whose adventurous enthusiasm helped expand Natural Awakenings’ reach exponentially. Today, communities throughout the U.S. enjoy the magazine’s monthly editorial highlighting the latest developments in natural health and green living while connecting readers with local wellness resources and events inspiring them to lead a more balanced life. Collectively, this nationwide community comprises a gathering movement of individuals that embrace the magazine’s mission. It is clear that myriad lives still benefit from the legacy Bruckman and J2 brought forth so many years ago. We are honored that we’ve been a part of upholding this for the last 18 years, and are looking ahead to the future with joyful anticipation.

The momentum behind all of this progress remains quite a ride. In 2022, NAPC welcomed Kimberly Whittle to the helm as its new owner and CEO, and she has since merged our magazine network with KnoWEwell, an online hub uniting readers and practitioners across the globe. This symbiotic collaboration means NAPC’s reach is expanding to even greater heights and the pool of resources available to bring you the cutting-edge information we know you have come to love and expect from Natural Awakenings each month has also grown.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to give a grateful shout out at this time to the advertisers, distributors, staff and contributors that help the six magazine editions we own to take wing each month. There are many special advertising partners that have been with us since our very first month, and we hope that you will also thank them all by shopping at their stores, using their services and seeking out their expertise. We’d also like to thank you, our beloved readers, for picking up Natural Awakenings each month and joining other kindred spirits in our collective journey of appreciation for an awakened life.

Our hope this month is that the content within these pages helps to renew your perspective on the future as we embrace another year and the opportunity to continue or start over as an older and slightly wiser version of ourselves. It really is the perfect time to take hold of the promise and potential within us. Wishing you all the bliss, magic and hope of a blessed new year. And here’s to another 30 years of Natural Awakenings!

With love,

John and Trina Voell, Publishers