My friend, Jeremy Blume, saw a problem and decided to fix it. And instead of me blabbing on and on about how he can probably give you a three-point speech on beard etiquette and bowtie a tie one-handed in his sleep, I’ll just let you read about how he got the idea for starting Bearings. A magazine for gentlemen. 

(Insert me sounding like a 65 year-old pentecostal woman on Sunday morning… “Mmmm, mmm, mmm, mmm! Amen!“)

Co-founders Jeremy Blume and Rob Forrester. Photo Credit: Andrew Lee

Bearings—A Men’s Magazine

An interview with Jeremy Blume

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What is Bearings?

Bearings is a bi-monthly, online lifestyle guide that points men towards a well-rounded life by connecting them to interesting and enriching aspects of culture, food, attire, music, art, the outdoors and knowledge. It has both local and national content specifically written from the perspective of the unique culture of the South, but we aim to appeal to the best in all men and believe that there is an art to living well. It’s not just about interesting events or a killer new band—we believe in taking a holistic view of life and want to encourage others to live deliberately. We also recently launched the Bearings Shop that offers our custom-designed informational illustrations—part knowledge, part art. We’ve taken some of our hand-drawn designs and made them tangible by partnering with a printmaker to create high-quality, letterpress prints.

Was their a light bulb moment that inspired you to start Bearings?

When we launched Bearings in 2008, there wasn’t anything out there that delivered what we wanted for ourselves. We tried to answer the questions: in a society moving at such a rapid pace, overloaded with information and choices, how do we make it all count?  And what if there was a publication geared specifically toward the modern man who loves the South, and who sees life as art, a gift and an adventure—making the most of his time, resources and relationships? Whether it’s a shirt we wear, a book we read, an album we listen to or any investment of our time—we want to celebrate products and experiences worth our attention that make our life more fulfilling.

What are some unexpected things that have resulted from your publication?

This past summer, we hit our 100^th edition mark and it was rewarding to look back over the past few years and see what all we had learned—through mistakes and small victories. We sat down and reflected on it and wrote about that from our perspective, but we also asked a handful of remarkable men what they had been learning since we last featured them. You can read about that here.

What kind of feedback are you getting from men about Bearings?

There are guys out there that really do want to be responsible, thoughtful, men of character. They don’t want to be just consumers and they know that manhood isn’t a gimmick like some commercials portray. This idea of living deliberately with authenticity has also seemed to resonate well. It’s great reading letters from guys who write in to say “I get it now”—and they understand something like how it’s important to know where their food comes from or valuing a particular handmade craft or realizing the need to slow down and be present in their relationships.

Is this a boy’s-only club or is there a version for girls?

We actually have a good number of female subscribers to Bearings. A lot of our content has a universal appeal, but women also tell us that they like to read it to learn more about how guys think, what we like, or what to buy for us for gifts. Also, we had so many requests to create a version for women that we recently launched a publication called Manner & Lane.  It has the same ethos as Bearings(celebrating uncommon quality, intriguing culture, and enriching stories), but geared towards women who want to enjoy a rich, less complicated life, defined by meaning and their own unique identity.

(This is fellow Illumination guest Hannah Joiner and me trying to convince Jeremy to let us be part of his club at last year’s Catalyst conference. Apparently we need ties.)

Questions

What’s your favorite Bearings article? What would you want them to highlight for you or think they ought to know about?

What do you think it takes to be a gentleman?

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Since 2008, Jeremy Blume has co-developed Bearings, an online Southern lifestyle guide, that points men towards a well-rounded life by connecting them to interesting and enriching aspects of culture. In 2012, their team also launched Manner & Lane – a similar publication, but created specifically for women and the Bearings Shop, which offers their custom, hand-drawn letterpress prints. He has also spent the last 13 years helping non-profits and cause-oriented organizations, events and leaders through public relations efforts and counsel.

Check out Bearings HERE. Check out Manner & Lane HERE. Subscriptions are FREE!