Based in New York, Josh Shanks is the ex-Editor in Chief of Watchonista.

Describe, briefly, your childhood.

I was born in Newport Beach, California, to my loving parents, who originally hailed from Kokomo, Indiana. My parents, married at 19, drove my dad’s 1968 Pontiac LeMans cross country to start a new life. So, my childhood in California was filled with trips to Disneyland, the SoCal VW scene, and extended visits with my grandfather’s Filipino/American blended family. My parents moved us back to Indiana when I was five or six, which was the perfect place to grow up.

2. As a child did you have any driving ambition?

My childhood hero was a test pilot and the first person to break the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager. My favorite movie growing up was The Right Stuff. So, yeah, I wanted to be a test or fighter pilot and even trained to get my pilot's license at the age of 16.

3. What is your first significant memory as a child?

It was probably shortly after my sister was born. I was climbing up the steps of my parents’ house in Long Beach, California. They had just brought her home from the hospital, and my mom had purchased and hidden a few toys for me so that I didn’t feel left out. She always managed to make us feel so completely and unconditionally loved.

4. Have you ever had another profession?

I’ve had a variety of professions, usually all in the technology space. Notably, I worked at Apple for my first six years out of college. Then, I went to work in advertising. Finally, before joining Watchonista, I ended up in the financial sector, working mostly in private equity and high-frequency trading.

5. What made you decide to go in the direction you are currently in?

Quite simply, the watches! I started as a collector, met some unforgettable people, and then, quite unintentionally, developed a deep passion for watches and an abiding interest in the industry. And with the encouragement of my then-girlfriend, now-wife, Viviana, I left my day job to pursue a career in the watch industry.

6. What’s the worst job you’ve had to do?

Working as a corn detasseler for Orville Redenbacher! For the non-Midwesterners among us, detasseling entails walking through endless cornfields removing the tassels from the tops of corn stalk. It’s grueling manual labor, and I almost had my eye taken out by (more than one) flying corn stalk, but it’s the only job you can get when you’re 13 to 15 in Indiana!

While many consider it a rite of passage, in truth, you work all summer, get paid $2-3 per hour, and at the end of six weeks, receive a check for like $120. I didn’t eat popcorn for years after that job.

7. What’s been the hardest moment in your life so far?

It would have to be the loss of my mother to ovarian cancer this June. She was the bedrock of our family, and I’ve not quite come to terms with her loss. All I can do now is honor her memory and remember to, as she was fond of saying, “always stay humble and kind.”

8. Who has had the strongest influence on you?

My parents and wife. My parents because they raised me with good values, integrity, manners, and street smarts. My wife because she gets me out of my comfort zone and keeps me humble.

9. What are you most proud of?

On the professional side, I’m super proud of Watchonista’s upcoming inaugural print issue. On a more personal note, I’m proud of how my now five-year relationship with my wife has flourished and how we’ve both found success in the watch industry.

10. What advice would you give to a 20 something someone thinking of taking a similar path as you?

Don’t be complacent, know when to say no, set boundaries for your work and personal life (something I still struggle with), and always remember these three quotes:

“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” – Steve Jobs

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a ride!’” – Hunter S. Thompson

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.” – Steve Jobs

11. Name three things on your bucket list.

1. Take my dad to Vietnam; 2. Visit Australia; 3. Get a Rolex Daytona.

12. Where do you think the watch industry is going to be in 10 years’ time?

My hope is that this current hype-beast hysteria will die down. Very few people buy for passion anymore. Most buy as an investment or to flip for a profit.

The watch industry is also far too consumed by social media clout and influencers. So, my hope is that younger generations will discover the craftsmanship and history of the iconic watchmakers and manufactures. And that’s our job as Watchonista and Watchonista Creative Studios to create compelling content and great narrative to tell these stories.

However, I fear that the reality will be quite different. I’m hard-pressed to believe anything but that, a decade from now, watches will never be more expensive, harder to get, and there will be some new technology other than Instagram for sharing our passion. Let’s just hope people continue to participate in the watch industry for the right reasons and that the art of watchmaking and collecting is perpetuated.

To learn more about Josh Shanks