David Meets….Nick Gollic

Hi Nick, it’s great to have you here with us at Bear World Magazine. We have been watching your amazing magazine, Go Naked, grow and grow, and feel a little sense of pride at how well you are doing. It’s great to see.

DG: First of all, what made you start Go Naked?

NICK: I have been a writer since I was very little and I love to organize details, so naturally, creating a magazine was something I had always wanted to do. As you know, our paths happened to cross at a coffee shop in Charlotte, NC. I was immediately taken by your accent, your adorable face, and your brain! I asked you if we could meet over dinner to talk about a magazine idea I had been tossing around and you were so kind to oblige. I left that evening knowing that GoNaked was destined to happen.

There used to be a print magazine called “NAKED” several years ago that was struggled financially. Print magazines are cost prohibitive for the little guy. NAKED folded after about six issues, but it made an impact with the nudist community. I wanted to create a publication that would be a place where fellow nudists, exhibitionists, and voyeurs could connect and meet. That’s why 99% of all of our articles and photos list the email addresses – so that we can reach out and meet a fellow nudist.

Nudism has been around for many many years. Why do you think it’s still so popular?

Gosh, I don’t know. I think it’s different for a lot of different people. Many of our readers like the feeling of the open air all over their bodies. Clothing can be restrictive and having sunshine and a slight breeze tickle your fur is delightful. A day on a nude beach is a great way for me to pass time.

For other readers, being naked is taboo. Naughty. These guys feel like they’re doing something that they shouldn’t be doing and they might have a bit of an exhibitionist streak in them. I refer to these guys as my “nekkid” readers. You know the difference between a nude person and a nekkid person, right? A nude person is without clothing. A nekkid person is without clothing AND he is up to something.

For me, being naked forces myself outside of my comfort zone. Guess what? Like 99% of our readers, I have body issues. If I can get myself out of my clothes and in front of a crowd, I realize that the only issue I really have is what’s in my head. I think I have a funny shape. Other guys think that their dick is too small or that their bellies are too big. Turns out that we are all too worried about ourselves to worry about what you look like. The only person who cares what you look like is you — so get over it, go naked, and have some fun.

You are over one year old now? Am I right? That’s a great achievement! What do you think is most appealing to the many global readers out there?

I know, a year already! It’s crazy! There are over 15,000 readers on my mailing list and another 15,000 guys who read GoNaked on Issuu.com. Plus, the mag gets passed around, so estimates seem to be in the 40K-50K/month circulation. Crazy. I get a “heat map” every month that shows where GoNaked has been read. It’s being read in some of the most unlikely of places. Russia. The middle countries of Africa. Iraq. The UAE. Places where it is forbidden to be gay, men have are getting access to GoNaked and reading it; connecting them to other nudists around the planet.

I think the reason GoNaked touches so many people is because it lets our readers know that they aren’t alone. They are not freaks. They’re not perverts. There are guys like them all over the world. We marvel at the men who sculpt their bodies into works of art. We identify with the dude who is shaped like us, and we cheer the chubby guy for having the chutzpah and pride to share his body with our readers. Everyone has something to contribute.

Our last poll indicated that almost 3% of our readers identify themselves as straight. GoNaked gives these guys a safe place where they can virtually be connected to other male nudists. I also have a variety of men in our magazine – Bears, Twinks, Younger men, Older Men. Men of every color, stripe, and orientation. I don’t discriminate. We are all naked brothers.

How long have you been a naturist yourself, what first drew you to it?

I started sleeping naked when I was 13 years old and think I’ve only slept clothed a few nights since then. It felt good to be unclad under the sheets. When I was 15, I fell into a mixed group of folks (aged 17-25) who went skinny dipping. Again, the sensation of being naked under the moonlight and then in the warm water was so refreshing. When I hit my upper teens, my body didn’t fill out like the other boys, and I became withdrawn and took my clothes off less frequently in public. It was a long process to realize that not every body is going to look like those guys in the magazines or on TV. Now, at 50, I get it: Love the body you have.

DO you get a chance to be naked a lot? Is it a naked office?

Folks are surprised when they find out that GoNaked is a “portable” gig for me. I don’t have a real office. I have a full time job on the road. I live in Cleveland, but I travel to other cities for work. I can create GoNaked anywhere I have a laptop and internet connection. I do my day job, and then in the evenings, I come back to a hotel and create GoNaked.

The second thing folks don’t realize is that I’m pretty much a one-man show. I come up with the content, write some articles, reach out to the contributors and help formulate their articles, rustle up photographers, work with advertisers and then lay the whole magazine out. I have an awesome helper who proofreads articles for me before they go to print, but he and I have never met! When I’m done with each issue, I update my websites, do the marketing, email customers, and work with the other guys who sell stuff through my publishing house, RedVark Publishing.

So, to answer your question, I am naked when I create GoNaked. Or in my big fluffy robe when it’s too chilly to be naked in the house.

Do you get many requests for anything particular to be featured in the magazine?

You never know what’s going to turn someone’s crank. The travel articles are well read. The other articles get a good set of views from my readers. But it’s the photos that really make our readers go wild. Readers love “the guy next door.” They also dig Bears and Muscle Boys. I devoted our July issue to “erections” which is normally taboo to the average nudist. That issue was well received. I feel that if you’re still able to get one, why not celebrate it? It’s not the focus of our magazine, but I’m also not shying away from the occasional boner. Also, our issue with Str8Cam Jeff was wildly popular.

Whats in the future? Any developments?

Of course! Three months ago I launched RedVark Publishing. I wanted to represent more than just GoNaked Magazine. I wanted to create a “house” that could introduce readers to great alternative male-centric material. I also have several great fiction writers who create awesome “one-handed fiction” (if you know what I mean), and Str8Cam Jeff is sharing his videos from his private shows at a really low price. It’s like a little frat house of cool artists producing some really indie material that you won’t find other places. Find RedVark at www.redvark.com

Looking forward, I’m working on putting together GoNaked Destinations, an eGuide of Accommodations, camps, beaches and more — all filled with links, and maybe video. It’s a huge project, but one that I think our community needs.

There’s also a chance of doing a handful of Meet and Greets next year to get to know members, and I’m tossing around the idea of starting some local GoNaked chapters. I don’t know. I always have a dozen ideas bouncing around my brain. It’s a matter of finding the time to do them. We hosted a GoNaked Weekend at Oz Campground in Unadilla, GA and I was floored at the number of people who showed up. It was so flattering. I’d like to think that we could help connect a bunch of other nudists in other cities as well.

You asked me a great questions about the covers for BWM, so will ask you the same, who is on the front cover/interview wish list?

If it were a celebrity, James Franco or Christopher Meloni. But honestly? There’s an adorable bartender here in Cleveland. He’s 20-something, soulful eyes, beautiful long dark hair he wears in a top knot, and one of those big bushy beards. He works at a restaurant I visit and he’s always so pleasant. I don’t know/care if he’s gay or straight. I want him on the cover because while he’s beautiful to me, I don’t think he knows how handsome he is. Capturing his image now when he is this handsome would be a gift for his future self. I mean, I didn’t realize how beautiful my body was when I was his age, and I let all of those years pass thinking I didn’t measure up. Take photos now. Twenty years from now, you’ll appreciate the power and beauty you had. I want to celebrate this very moment by putting his photo on the cover.

Where can we get it?

You can get GoNaked Magazine at www.gonakedmagazine.com. Get on the mailing list and I’ll let you know when a new issue drops (hint: it’s the 1st of each month). Or, go to www.redvark.com and see all of the titles that are available. Each magazine and book are electronic so you can download them to your computer, laptop, or even your smartphone.

Thank you for talking with me! I miss seeing you, David!   Aw we miss you too x