Entrepreneurs who succeed in New Mexico often do so by focusing on the state’s communities and character. Rich Ringrose, owner and publisher of Albuquerque City Lifestyle, has built his approach on the idea that people want to see themselves, their neighbors, and their landscapes reflected in the pages they read.
Ringrose grew up in Connecticut and spent years in Virginia before moving to New Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic for a position in health care administration. “I just decided at the time to get out and do something else and wanted to get back into my entrepreneurial spirit that never died,” he says. When he saw that the magazine was for sale, he decided to get back into running a new business. This spring marks two years since he purchased the franchise.
According to Ringrose, the magazine’s readership is intentional. “Our customer base is homeowners that have a home value of over $800,000,” he says. “We probably have the largest readership of any magazine in Albuquerque right now… we’ll be at over 100,000 readers by November or December this year.” Distribution is concentrated in Northeast Heights, Sandia Heights, High Desert, Tanoan, Los Ranchos, Corrales, and surrounding areas, with about 600 copies mailed to local businesses.
Ringrose says much of the magazine’s success is due to a strict balance between advertising and content. “We’re 50/50—meaning we’re 50% articles, 50% ads,” he says. “Nobody reads the magazine for the ads. They want to read it for the articles.” Each month’s theme drives the editorial direction, from profiles of local business owners to special issues celebrating community leaders. “This month was ‘Explore New Mexico.’ I really like this theme because there’s so much beauty and it’s very easy to drive to these locations. There’s very little traffic in New Mexico—it is a hidden gem.”
Ringrose has a team of local writers, editors, and photographers, which he says helps ensure authenticity. “I love New Mexico. I think we don’t learn enough about it.” He praises the community, saying “People here are so friendly. It’s one degree of separation here as opposed to six degrees everywhere else.”
Ringrose says more people should understand how to evaluate advertising opportunities. “I’m not the only magazine in town, but I think people just aren’t educated as to the right questions to ask. You need to find out what the audience is—what’s the demographic, what’s the income. If you don’t, you might be disappointed because it’s not reaching enough qualified people to have an interest in your product or service.”
He sees New Mexico’s health care system as a challenge for business growth. “We’re rated worst every year out of all 50 states in health care. That is one of the big reasons why a lot of companies don’t move here,” he says. “We need to attract the best and the brightest to not only stay in New Mexico, but come to New Mexico.”
Ringrose says other hurdles come from legislation. “One of the things is that there’s not enough people trying to push those laws through that have any concept of running a business or what those rules or laws are going to do to business. Many of them are going to put businesses out of business.”
Ringrose plans to expand the magazine throughout Albuquerque as well as to Rio Rancho and possibly Santa Fe, which he says has an “extremely affluent audience” that fits the model. His staffing has increased, with page counts climbing from 36 to 56. “We’re hiring additional writers because the magazine is expanding,” he says.
He credits the magazine’s growth to staying “hyper local” and telling the stories of New Mexicans. “We’re not trying to be everything to everybody,” he says. “We’re trying to fill that niche of the affluent audience and hyper local.”
