Caroline Pover
President & Publisher
Caroline Pover Inc

Waiting for the Weekender

When Caroline Pover was told that she was one of the winners of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan’s inaugural British Business Awards in April, she was quite surprised. Pover, who publishes Being A Broad and Weekender, was given the award for Best Entrepreneur, but she says she has never thought of herself as an entrepreneur during her 12 years in Japan.

Born in North Devon, Pover spent time as a child in Saudi Arabia before moving back to Plymouth. After obtaining an honors degree in mathematics at university in Exeter, she also studied education and drama and became a primary school teacher at her old school.

Looking for adventure, Pover came to Japan in August 1996 because she wanted to be somewhere completely different. Japan Today editor Chris Betros catches up with Pover to hear more about her adventures.

What did you do when you got here?

I got off the plane and went to Ebisu station. The person I was supposed to stay with forgot I was coming, so I spent the day at the telephone box at the station calling him again and again. While I was there, I phoned a bunch of schools as well and asked if they had any jobs available and set up some interviews for the following day. My first job was in Kanda. It wasn’t quite what I had imagined. Then I was offered a job at a Japanese high school.

How did you get into publishing?

Within about six months of living in Japan, I started a magazine for foreign women, Being A Broad. I just woke up one day with the idea to do it. That was in May 1997. It was basically me and a bunch of girls who were interested in creating a forum for foreign women to express themselves and share information. The situation for foreign women was quite different then.

Was it hard at first?

Well, it wasn’t really a business. I was still teaching and trying to sell some advertising for the magazine. Nobody working on the magazine got paid. But word got around and people from all over Japan would call and say they had heard about it and ask if we could send them 100 copies. At times, I would carry copies in my backpack and see a foreign woman on the streets and say “Here, I think you’ll love this.”

When did you start your own company?

Caroline Pover Inc was incorporated about 4-5 years ago. I had stopped the print version of Being A Broad, but we still had an active website. Then I wrote a book, “Being A Broad in Japan,” and set up a publishing unit, Alexandra Press, all the time operating out of my home and still teaching.

How was Being A Broad received?

When I started it, there were a couple of women who didn’t like the name very much. They didn’t like the word “broad.” Today, we are doing well, reaching about 15,000 women (95% foreign). It’s well received because it has always been about helping foreign women make the most of their lives in Japan.

Relaunching Weekender a few years ago must have been a gamble.

I never thought of it as a gamble. It had a very loyal following both with readers and advertisers, and it was such a strong brand in itself and with a strong presence in the foreign community. But it needed a facelift. I believed it was something that could and should continue with new energy and a new look.

Some advertisers told me that during the four months Weekender wasn’t around, they noticed a drop in their business. They indicated they were willing to support it. So I basically took it on with a small amount of investment from some people who thought it would be fun.

Where do you spend most of your time?

I spend most of my time supporting the staff. I have a good marketing system to support our advertisers, whoever is in place. On the editorial side, I do content planning and oversee everything before it goes to print. I have a good team.

What is the most gratifying aspect of publishing magazines like Weekender and Being A Broad?

It’s really nice when I meet people and they tell me how much they like Weekender. When someone who knew Corky (magazine founder Corky Alexander) tells me they love what I have done with Weekender over the past four years, that means a lot. And the same from people who have been in Tokyo forever. Corky’s wife and his four daughters get copies and they write and say they love it. That means a lot. People who read the “Being A Broad” book say it has really made their life and helped them. That’s a good feeling, too.

Sometimes, I am asked to be a guest speaker at events and that is fun. As you speak, you can see that what you are saying might be helping someone in the audience to think of something they can do with their lives.

Getting the BCCJ award must have been gratifying.

Yes, it was. I got an email telling me I was nominated for an award. I thought it must have been a mistake because I had never thought of myself as an entrepreneur.

What projects are in the pipeline?

I have several book projects lined up. Weekender has expanded from 20 to 28 pages in the last couple of months and will expand again in July. We recently started a career seminar series for foreign women. We partner with companies to do events for our network. Being A Broad has just become a partner with GPlusMedia’s Career Engine online job network.

Do you get many job applications?

I tend to get a lot of foreign women applying for jobs. They fit in extremely well in our environment. However, we do have a fairly high turnover through their partners leaving, pregnancy, or women leaving because they don’t think they can meet a partner in Japan.

What is a typical day for you?

I am not an early bird. I used to work 12 hours a day but not these days. I work from home in the mornings and tend to have lunch meetings near the office. In the afternoon, I am in the office and do the strategic side of things and support staff.

How do you like to relax?

I walk my dogs and recently, I got into interior design.

For more information, visit:
Being A Broad http://www.being-a-broad.com
Alexandra Press http://www.alexandrapress.com
Weekender magazine http://www.weekenderjapan.com

Latest 15 of 19 Total Comments Show All

timorborder at 10:14 AM JST - 19th June

Business success in Japan should be gauged in terms of successful inroads into the huge Japanese market, rather than just catering to the "expat set." While saying this, however, could somebody pass the caviar?
Sarge at 10:23 AM JST - 19th June

"polished fluff and little of worth"

Beat me to it. There's almost never anything worth reading in the Weekender. Unless you're interested in wasting money at expensive restaurants or other expensive establishments. Especially uninteresting are Bill Hersey's columns about the rich and famous lol....
pinga at 11:01 AM JST - 19th June

I find the tone of being a broad totally condencending towards women here. Lots of information on how to get an abortion, not much support for the women here raising a family.

The events are non child friendly too.
northlondon at 11:08 AM JST - 19th June

Bill Hersey

Ah yes, here is a man who has made a career out of standing next to celebrities at parties (usually the Lex, yawn) and having their picture taken together which surprise, surprise, then ends up in the Weekender magazine.
Sarge at 04:32 PM JST - 19th June

In the June issue of Being A Broad, there's an article about the benefits of chocolate by Elise Mori. She writes "as I have been sitting here typing this article, I have also been eating away at a bar of Lotte "Mexico" which is, in my opinion, totally delightful."

Well, none of the stores where I shop for food sell it. Dang!
northlondon at 04:45 PM JST - 19th June

I have a great idea for a rival mag in Japan. It will feature articles advising on subjects such as the best TV dinner sold in 7-Eleven, how to avoid paying your Japanese Health Insurance, the best language to use when fighting with Japanese commuters on the trains (no chauffeur-driven readers thank you) and the cheapest yokocho izakaya to be seen in.
Sarge at 05:07 PM JST - 19th June

northlondon - Har! But we've already got that mag - Japan Zine!

The slang term "broad" used for woman is derived from the fact that the most defining characteristic of females are their hips, which are proportionately wider than the hips of their male counterparts:

"Hey, you see that broad over there?"

"Yeah, that's one smokin' broad!"

I think Pover could have come up with a better name for her mag.
Brainiac at 07:50 PM JST - 19th June

I quite like the Weekender and I think it fills a need in the foreign community. I say congratulations to Ms Pover for starting a business and succeeding. Those of you criticizing her are not only ill-mannered, but deep down probably envious and bitter. Why begrudge someone their success?

And no, I am not connected with Weekender in any way.
Sarge at 10:04 PM JST - 19th June

Braniac - Oh, the Weekender fills a need in the foreign community all right - the need for those who want their picture in the magazine, or want to try a new snotty restaurant or send their kids to a ridiculously expensive international school.

"Those of you criticizing her ( Pover ) are not only ill-mannered"

I guess the moderator removed those posts - I don't see any ill-mannered posts here.
northlondon at 12:47 AM JST - 20th June

Brainiac,

I am in now way envious and bitter of Ms Pover and the Weekender. Without sounding arrogant, I probably earn far more than she does in Tokyo but that magazine is totally classist and elitist. I make a good living in Tokyo, but I cannot ignore my working class roots. What I earn now has been earnt by myself. Not handed on a plate to me by my cash-rich family or their connections or the publications that my family sponsor. My two sons will have to make their way in life the same as me, by themselves. That is what Sarge and I dislike about the Weekender magazine and it's elitist promotion.
newsboy at 03:37 AM JST - 20th June

here here.....besides drinking in the golden gai, eating tebasaki at yamachans while drinking daijokki after daijokki of cold beer, far beats any party featured in the weekender
Sarge at 05:32 PM JST - 20th June

Today I opened the latest Weekender and on the inside cover is an ad for the Hyatt Regency Tokyo. You've got to be raking it in to stay there. Then on page 5 we've got the Fahy family with their four kids in Azabu-S Kindergarten, then on page 12 we've got the Cuisine(s) Troisgros French restaurant in the Hyatt Regency which is a 710 yen cab ride from Shinjuku Station with dinners starting from 14,700 yen, then on page 14 we've got "Flying High in High Class on British Airways...
Sobemer at 06:09 PM JST - 10th August

I had the pleasure of working with Caroline when when I was living in Japan in 2002. I can say without a doubt that she was not only a good boss but an amazing friend. I was going through a horrible time and she reached out to me in ways that no one else did and most people wouldn't. I truly believe that no matter what complaints you might have she is a woman with the best intentions. Running a business is hard work anywhere and in Japan it has its added difficulites. Balancing the needs of the readership and the need to keep the magazine afloat through advertising is something that all publications struggle with. To act as if she is somehow a failure for using British Airlines as an advertiser is a joke. Anyone who knows Caroline knows that she struggled as much as anyone and knows more than anyone how to get by in Japan on a dime. The idea that the title of Being Abroad is someone anti-woman is also a ridiculous and a total stretch. Is it a little cheeky? Yes! Is it witty? Yes. Does it get your attention and sell books? Yes. I bought it and frankly is saved my life many times. Yes, she caters to the expat set and thank god she does. To criticize her for that is laughable. Whenever I am going through difficult times I think back on some of the kinds words of encouragement she had for me. Frankly without those words my life would be just a little bit harder. If you have suggestions for Caroline and want to volunteer to write an article for the Weekender or a chapter for her next edition or book then why don't you contact her with your ideas? You will be surprised by the warm reception.
sagesage at 09:08 PM JST - 19th August

Well, Sobemer, she must have had a complete personality transplant since 2002. I worked for her too, and she was a terrible boss and a dishonest businesswoman.

The Weekender is an embarrassment of a magazine, and her so-called "best selling" book is completely useless, and not even a best seller.

I noticed you used the words "volunteer to write." She was always really into getting people to work for free. If the only articles she publishes are written by untalented writers too spineless to get paid, it's no wonder her publications stay terrible or go under.
Sobemer at 02:58 AM JST - 23rd August

I am curious Sagesage about what was "terrible" and what was "dishonest" with Caroline's business practices. I think that to make such claims you really should be fair and provide specific facts rather than opinions.

I too find it hard that someone can turn into a completely different person in the time I left Tokyo. So far I haven't heard any negative claim that has any substance.

I am sorry her book wasn't helpful to you but for others it has been a real help. Of course it doesn't provide all the information that every woman needs, but it does provide a lot of information that is difficult to find anywhere else when you are new to Japan.

I didn't work for free by the way and was happy with the flexibility the job provided me. Maybe I should have used the term "offer."

I can't speak to the Weekender because that happened after my time and frankly I don't know the history of it. However I have been in publishing myself and can say that anyone in the industry will agree it is tricky and not an easy job.