Stab Mag's Sam McIntosh: Riding the waves of change | Straight Talk Podcast

As a kid from Punchbowl, I wasn’t your typical surfer, but I still became mad obsessed with the sport.
One of my fondest childhood memories was heading to my local news agency to pick up a surf magazine. Surf media has evolved significantly since those days, far beyond those paper magazines.
It was great chatting with the co-founder of Stab Mag to dive deeper into the surfing world. It was insightful to learn about the man who's leading the charge in surf media today.
We discussed his family's impactful move from inland to the coast during his youth, his beginnings working at surf magazines, a crucial book project with Taj Burrow that was a career turning point, the origins of Stab Magazine, the craziness that exists in the surf industry, the creative process behind Stab''s projects, our shared love for risk-taking and much more.
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Head of Production: Jonah Mclachlan
Head of Content: Samuel Morgan
Producer: Dimitri Gremos
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:56 Life in Byron Bay & Childhood
05:02 Moving to Sydney & start at working in Surf Media
08:00 The story of how Sam started Stab Mag
16:04 How much money Mark has made from his books
18:57 Insights into STAB's creative process
28:08 STAB's biggest risk 'The Dock'
31:55 The importance of storytelling & theatre in the media game
34:44 Sam & Mark's shared love of risk-taking
36:40 STAB's surf event at a wave pool
38:00 STAB'S transition from print to digital
41:23 STAB's global expansion & how they work with pro surfers
43:50 Who's the craziest surfer ?
47:25 Sam's love for big waves & risk-taking in business
49:44 The time Sam sold STAB & bought it back
54:54 The struggles in the media game
58:41 Sam's "magician" business partner & US move
59:53 COVID & STAB premium
1:06:17 Advantages of being in a smaller sport
1:08:37 Will surfing ever become truly mainstream?
1:11:06 What's next for STAB?

[@adeadcoffinclub]

One of the most iconic humans in the surf industry. Wheel is a game changer

[@grantchappell685]

Sam is a great bloke, I wish him all the success that’s coming to him. Chaps

[@trowdytrav]

Great interview. Sam seems to be quite the businessman and a pretty shrewd operator. Full of killer ideas that have reinvented surf media.

[@jackthomasmaddock]

it’s weird when interviews sometimes feel like therapy sessions

[@stevedart9964]

Great interview, thank you

[@OTCZeke]

Sam’s a Legend! This was a Great Listen

[@MarkBourisYT]

Thanks mate

[@koheimatsuda9223]

this guy is genius

[@samsquared3122]

Mad duo 👍

[@andrebotha662]

Sam the man!