Living on the Lakes | John Lewandowski
Written by Brendan Douglas
Calmly resting on top of a hill in the southeast corner of Starke County, Indiana, one will find the tranquility of the mysterious Bass Lake. Indiana’s third-largest body of natural water covering over 1,400 acres and having a drainage basin that flows away from the lake yet able to retain its water stumped many in the early days. In a state more associated with its corn, basketball, and highways, the uniqueness of Bass Lake and the Tippecanoe State Park nearby make it a dream location for those lucky enough to live or visit there and partake of the countless year-round activities it provides.
One of those people is John Lewandowski. John grew up in Illinois but Bass Lake has always been a second home for his family. In 2007, John decided to stop visiting and officially make Bass Lake his home. After years of success as a sales rep selling ads for publications, a friend connected John with Tom Britt, founder of the Towne Post Network, a family-owned local magazine franchise system. Before that initial meeting ended, John had already decided to use his strong work ethic, determination, and the sophisticated digital tools of the Towne Post Network to create something of his own by starting a publication. Having a love for the small community he now called home, he wanted to find a way to let others know of its natural wonders as well as support local businesses. Wanting to connect the beauty of the eleven nearby lakes and Hoosier communities, John did what came naturally and hit the streets to meet with business owners around the region to sell his idea of how he believed the publication could benefit them. Logging many long hours and miles, John turned his idea into reality and within three months, his first publication of The Lakes Magazine was released in May of 2019. Well received by the communities, early success drove John to expand only ten months later. His first publication, The Lakes West was delivered to the counties of Starke, Marshall, Pulaski, and Fulton. His next publication, The Lakes East would be dedicated and shipped across the counties of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Noble, and Lagrange. The new outreach was a great boost, especially to clients who advertised in both magazines.
Today, over 33,000 homes receive The Lakes Magazine in their mailbox each month. Not wanting the outreach to stop there, John has made the magazines available as a free app on Google Play and can also be found on display at over 130 businesses in the area. To get maximum exposure to the magazines’ featured stories, John used the power of social media to regularly post articles to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Hard work and the many achievements that came with his background in sales helped to set in motion his new rewarding life in publication and the freedom of being your own boss. But it is the stories of success and growth of his clients found in the pages of The Lakes Magazine that makes him feel most satisfied.
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