We got a tip this morning that there were layoffs at Entrepreneur magazine, but upon further investigation we learned that wasn't 100 percent true.

Ryan Shea, vice president and corporate publisher for the magazine, told us that four editorial staffers had recently left the mag but they were not fired. They asked to be laid off, although Entrepreneur management hadn't asked for volunteers, he said.

"It's actually the weirdest thing I've ever dealt with, but people never cease to amaze me," Shea told FishbowlNY.

Shea attributed the recent staff attrition to the departure of longtime editor Rieva Lesonsky, who left in April 2008 to start her own company. He said the staff lost a number of employees when Lesonsky left, and the recent departures were also former members of her team.

"We were not planning to lay people off by any means," Shea said. "But as much as possible, you want people who are happy to work here."

Shea said he is taking this opportunity to combine the salaries of the staffers who have left in order to hire "more professional" people to take their roles.

And regardless of the recent staff departures, Shea insists that Entrepreneur is doing better than ever. The magazine brought on new editor-in-chief Amy Cosper in July 2008 and has since redesigned the magazine and "refreshed the product," he said.

"We're getting new advertisers that we've never seen before because of the redesign," Shea said, adding that they plan to unveil a new Web site redesign soon, too. "The magazine is looking better than it ever has."