In July of 1992, Mike and Maricha Veselik invested themselves in a project that would go on to influence hundreds of thousands of lives. From the dining room of their Mazatlán home, the Veseliks created the Pacific Pearl. The paper began from a capital of $1,800 USD and two people who saw a market for a tourist paper in Mazatlán. When the first edition was published in September, it was a 12-page paper with a monthly distribution of 5,000 issues. Now eight years later, the size of the paper is two to three times it's original size, with a monthly distribution of 16,000 to 20,000.

The Pacific Pearl has come a long way in eight years, but it hasn't always been easy. In the beginning, the goal was simply to stay alive; to produce a stable paper that made it to press. Of course, there were many challenges, such as stalking sources for information by the deadline and acquiring monetary support from hesitant advertisers. Perhaps the toughest time faced by the paper was after the 1994 devaluation. Although the Veseliks suffered a huge financial loss, several dependable advertisers came forward and saved the paper by paying for a year's worth of advance advertising. This money helped with expenses until the economy picked up, and kept the paper alive. "There have been times when we probably shouldn't have been able to come out with the paper," claims Mike Veselik, Director of the Pearl, "but we haven't missed one month in eight years."

Getting the paper off the ground was a lot of hard work that eventually paid off. Maricha recalls the first year of publication and gives Mike credit for just about everything, including recruiting advertisers and collecting payments. Meanwhile, Maricha worked outside the paper to ensure a steady income. When Maricha did finally dedicate herself to the Pearl full-time, she hardly left the office, staying late many a night to put the paper together. For this, Mike ascribes Maricha as the "backbone" of the Pacific Pearl. Eventually, many more joined the team, contributing to the Pearl as it grew and flourished. It is to the staff of the Pearl throughout the years that both Mike and Maricha attribute eight years of success. In Maricha's words: "everyone at the paper works as one piece." "From distribution to collection, from writing to layout, from design and graphics to keeping the office clean, the entire staff have done the best job possible," adds Mike. Another major reason that the paper has been available to readers every month-- without fail-- is due to loyal advertisers who believe in the Pacific Pearl. Since the paper is available free to interested patrons, the Pearl counts on those dependable local advertisers to cover production and distribution costs. Enlisting advertisers was a tough sell at the start, but once established, advertisers were knocking on the Pearl's office door for a chance to promote their business in Mazatlán's most informative, independent tourist newspaper. While competitors have come and gone, the Pacific Pearl has remained an institution for English-speaking residents and visitors in Mazatlán. And the Pearl has shared their success over and over with the local community.

One step into the Pacific Pearl's office and you are overwhelmed by the certificates

In eight years, the Pacific Pearl has proven itself to be a first-rate newspaper with something for everyone; tourists, English-speaking residents, Mexican nationals and subscribers are all avid Pearl readers. Perhaps the large readership is due to the fresh and honest, entertaining and informative articles. Or maybe it is due to the handy maps, tourist tips and dining out guide. Whatever the reason, the Pearl is sought after every month. Even days before the next issue is due out, eager residents visit the office for the ensuing issue. And halfway through the month, phone calls to the office reveal urgent requests for a new batch of papers. In addition to the requests, the Pearl receives positive feedback in the way of office visits, letters and mail via the Pearl's free website. The Pacific Pearl website is an increasingly popular media for the paper. In December, 1997, the site received 353 hits per month. These days, the site receives an average of 168,000 hits per month. So popular is the website that a growing following of subscribers have opted for the online subscription. The success of the Pacific Pearl continues to grow and grow.

From the first year to the eighth, the paper has changed and grown. The only hopes that Mike and Maricha have is that the success of the paper continues to grow. If the paper can help more people learn about and love Mazatlán, help more advertisers succeed in their businesses and publish more stories to inform, entertain and inspire, then it will continue to be all worth it. "Thank you to everybody," states Maricha. "For the people who trust and believe in us and the advertisers who started with us in the beginning and continued advertising without stopping... You are why the paper keeps coming out."

In eight years, 1,480,000 copies of the Pacific Pearl have been published and read by those in Mazatlán and beyond. The paper has remained independent, unbiased and reliable because readers have proved to advertisers how important their advertising is for the paper to continue. The future of the Pearl is only as long as our readers want it to be. We hope that you will help prolong the future of the Pearl by encouraging your favorite businesses to advertise in Mazatlán's most popular English newspaper.

The future is ours.