About Kougar Magazine
AN INTERVIEW WITH KOUGAR MAGAZINE'S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PAULA FICARA
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA OF KOUGAR MAGAZINE?
It started out as a joke with a friend of mine at work one night. I was bartending in a North Hollywood bar and my young, sexy barback had just been hit on by an older woman. As he blushed, my friend and I started joking about how cougars were going to take over the world. Everything would be cougar! Cougar TV, Cougar Magazine...and we just stopped and stared at each other, knowing we had just hit on something bigger than a joke. Add that to the fact that I was a struggling actress in my mid-thirties in Hollywood where everyone was telling me I had one foot in the grave and should give up, and knowing there were millions of women out there dealing with the negatives of getting older... recipe for success!
It started out as a joke with a friend of mine at work one night. I was bartending in a North Hollywood bar and my young, sexy barback had just been hit on by an older woman. As he blushed, my friend and I started joking about how cougars were going to take over the world. Everything would be cougar! Cougar TV, Cougar Magazine...and we just stopped and stared at each other, knowing we had just hit on something bigger than a joke. Add that to the fact that I was a struggling actress in my mid-thirties in Hollywood where everyone was telling me I had one foot in the grave and should give up, and knowing there were millions of women out there dealing with the negatives of getting older... recipe for success!
WHAT GAVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ON SUCH A HUGE VENTURE? HAD YOU EVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE?
This is the first time I've been involved in publishing but the process is very similar to other art forms. I've had the experience of gathering talent, putting it together, and creating a final product. I've been in the entertainment industry for over 25 years and have choreographed dance performances for dance companies and produced and directed plays in New York and Los Angeles. I've also taught acting and dance classes over the years. I've done everything from acting, modeling, dancing, singing, and writing screenplays so my experience covers many aspects of the industry. What it boils down to is having enough experience and drive to pursue the endeavor, then having the ingenuity to find the help you need to learn and move forward. It's been a very exciting, educational experience.
WHY THE "K" IN "COUGAR"?
The media has such fun with the term "cougar" and paints a real campy - scary - picture of the women who fall under that category! And it can be funny! I liked the name originally for that reason - it's campy, fun association. It gets attention! But what is it REALLY about a cougar that earns her that title? What is it that makes her want to date younger men specifically? Isn't it her energy? Her sense of adventure? Her confidence, wit, intellect? Her wild side that maybe older men have trouble keeping up with? These are attributes EVERY woman should have, but as we get older and life has thrown us a few punches, it's hard to retain those traits. It's easy to feel tired and defeated. With the new spelling, we redefine the term to mean "ANY woman in her mid-30s or older who has been able to retain these qualities and live life to the fullest." Kougar Magazine is for women who only get better with age.
WHAT EXACTLY IS KOUGAR MAGAZINE?
It's a lifestyle magazine geared toward women 35 and older who are looking for empowerment and ideas on how to better their lives. It's sexier and more playful than other magazines in its genre, but still intelligent and informative. Our goal is to provide a product that speaks to the new "older" generation. KM's high-fashion layouts proudly feature women only 35 and older. The goal is to impress upon our readers that just because women get older, they don't have to "age" - age is just a state of mind.
IS KOUGAR MAGAZINE STRICTLY FOR WOMEN?
Absolutely not! Like I said, it's geared towards women but many of the articles are non-gender specific and the pictorials and layouts are definitely designed not only to inspire women but to enlighten men on the beauty and sex-appeal of the Kougar. Men make up about one third of our readership.
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR KOUGAR MAGAZINE?
I would like to see Kougar Magazine become a destination staple for women. For it to have the reputation of a place women can go to for solid advice, information, fun, and encouragement on a regular basis. I would also like for it to eventually have a social networking aspect where Kougar women can go to get support from one another as well as our experts and share ideas.
OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, WHO ARE SOME KOUGARS IN THE NEW SENSE OF THE TERM YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE GRACE THE COVER OF KOUGAR
MAGAZINE?
I immediately want to say Dolly Parton! Kathleen Turner! TINA Turner! Cathy Griffin! Betty White! Sharon Stone! Oprah, of course! Gosh! Those are just a few - there are so many ! And that's only in the entertainment field because it's what I know best but there are so many incredible women in every industry who inspire and influence and set an example. I hope to learn of them along the way.
WHAT IS THE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU HAVE FOR KOUGAR WOMEN OUT THERE?
Well, I actually have two. First, don't buy into the stigma that's plagued our society for so many decades. We're living in one of the best times in history for women (supposing we're talking to women of western culture) where opportunities present themselves every day. Anything is possible. All you have to do is take action. Secondly, if you take care of your body and your mind, there isn't anything to fear about getting older. You don't have anything to lose. Just wisdom to gain.
