Working in the media and advertising fields for over three decades, I have been the recipient of many emails inviting me to enter my work for various awards. I have never felt compelled to compete within a market where everyone is devising campaigns to entice people to buy things. It was just what I did for a living. It was just a job.
Becoming part of the 110° Magazine team, first as a designer and now as a writer and associate editor, has changed my outlook on the effects of media. I have had the honor of interviewing some amazing people who are part of our community, sharing their stories of triumph, business success, dreams coming true, and sometimes tragedy. 110° Magazine is the only publication in the area that can tell a person’s story so intimately. We are not a news organization; we are giving you the very private details happening behind the doors of our neighbor’s homes throughout the community. That is a sacred peek into the fabric of our society. For me, it has unveiled the truth that East Contra Costa is populated with people exhibiting strength, resilience, and honor beyond measure.
A random email popped into my personal email back in February 2022. It was an invitation to enter submissions for the 2022 Communicator Awards. Founded nearly three decades ago, the Communicator Awards receives almost 5,000 entries from companies, agencies, studios, and boutique shops of all sizes, making it, globally, one of the largest award shows of its kind. They are the leading international awards program, recognizing excellence in communication across a spectrum of industries, championing effective and meaningful work. The Communicator Awards is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, an invitation-only group consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative, and marketing firms. AIVA members include executives from organizations like Amazon, Big Spaceship, Chelsea Pictures, Condé Nast, Critical Mass, Disney, ESPN, GE Digital, IBM, The Nation of Artists, Nextdoor, Spotify, Time, Inc., the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones, and Wired. After seeing the impressive list of judges, I wondered if our little magazine out of Brentwood, California could catch their attention.
We had just published the story about Ricky Mena and his foundation, Heart of a Hero, in our January 2022 issue. January is historically the Health and Wellness issue. This year, 110° Magazine put the focus on mental health and shared Ricky’s very private thoughts on his very public battle with PTSD and misophonia, which resulted in suicidal thoughts. It was a brave topic to broach, for both Ricky Mena and Tricia Piquero, our Publisher. Writing this story moved me, as I thought maybe this one article could be the catalyst for a reader to become brave enough to seek help themselves if they should need it. I decided, that if any article deserved international notoriety, it should be this one. For the first time in my career, I put my work out there for judging by a panel of my peers.
On May 14, 2022, I received the letter confirming our 28th Annual Communicator Awards 2022 Award of Excellence for the article “Giving Until it Hurts.” It is with great pride that I share this with our readers, as there is greatness living within all the people of our community that we cover in this lifestyle publication—and that has just been recognized by the world!
Our staff here at 110° Magazine is a group of the most caring, creative, and intelligent women I have ever worked with. Bringing you award-winning media and a forum for topics that touch our lives here in Brentwood and beyond is a passion for all of us involved with this publication.
Thank you for being a reader and allowing us to share our good news!
Information provided by Tricia Piquero, Owner/Publisher of 110° Magazine
For more information about the magazine, visit www.110mag.com