A Look Back On 2017 | The Good, The Bad, The Meh
The 2017 year-end review, just the thought of it makes my heart race. It’s during this time I get to see how far Bold Blind Beauty has come since the start of the year.
2017 got off to a remarkable start with two focus groups. What was so exciting to me about these sessions was the ability to gain valuable insight into my target market. Receiving confirmation we are on the right track was so gratifying it spurred even more creativity.
What Were Some Of The Biggies?
People
- I created a Steering Committee to bring together multi-talented community leaders to set our direction.
- I worked with a designer to create more images of Abby and images for store merchandise.
- I’m working with a web designer to update several elements on the site.
Website
- Upgrading from WordPress Premium to the Business Plan gives more flexibility in managing the site.
- The Business Plan has a built-in e-commerce solution, so we no longer needed a separate online store.
- Blind Beauty, the weekly mock fashion magazine highlights phenomenal blind & visually impaired women.
- Abby’s Corner, presents fashion tips, techniques, Q&A, and reviews.
- Cane Enabled, speaks to white cane safety, usage, and personalization.
Events
- Designed Bold Blind Beauty teal and white wristbands.
- Bold Blind Beauty was at Pittsburgh and Milwaukee’s White Cane Safety Day Awareness Events.
- Developed the White Cane Rules of the Road, a card (printed in large type for low-vision persons—and in braille for blind persons) as part of an information packet about boldblindbeauty.com
- Bold Blind Beauty was at the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind (PCB) Annual Conference and we donated a gift basket full of BBB swag and cookies.
The biggest accomplishment to date aside from the completion of the Business Plan was these fabulous Abby cookies made by my friend and Woman on the Move, Nicole Schultz-Kass. I’d love to say I shared these cookies with others but I’d be lying. Except for the three included in the gift basket, I wolfed down the remaining nine cookies.
While we didn’t hit all of our targets for the year we made huge inroads and put things in place to make next years’ goals. As long as we keep moving forward we’re headed in the right direction.
Thanks go out to all of you for sticking with me. It’s my hope that next year I will be able to spend more time on WordPress visiting you and making new connections.
Have a Safe and Happy New Year!! ~Steph
Thanks Kathy. Wishing the same for you!!
Whew! You’ve been busy Steph! I hope for your continued success in 2018!
Hahahaha, thanks Diana. I really, really tried to hold out on eating all of them but there was a disconnect between my brain and stomach. Next thing I knew there were all gone.
Wonderful accomplishments, Steph. Congrats for a busy, productive year for you and all those who benefit from your efforts. The cookies look fabulous and I don’t blame you at all for eating all but 3. 😀 Wishing you a wonderful 2018!
Thank you!!
You’re welcome. Commenting is the fun part of getting to know people. Have a good one!
Happy new year, beautiful woman!
Thank you for following my blog and I hope you will enjoy commenting on posts so get to know you.
I wish you well with all of it and look forward to seeing you around more!! Yay! xo
Tell me about it. If I could get all the ideas in a tangible format I’d be set. Oh well, this is what makes life interesting. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
Thank you, Kerry. It was looking a bit dire towards the end what with one illness after the other, so being able to look back and see how far I’ve come feels so good. Were it not for my good friend Carla Ernst I wouldn’t have fared so well. Here’s to 2018. There would typically be clicking champagne glasses here but on this new computer, I’m not sure where the virtual keyboard is. Maybe this will be a priority for today.
Awww. How sweet! I hope to figure out a way to post more often in 2018. I have lots of ideas and things that happen, just don’t seem to have to time to write about them.
Many, many congratulations on all your amazing accomplishments in 2017. That is a year well spent and you should be so proud. I am wishing you all the best for 2018. Love K x
Carla, you’ve been my sanity keeper throughout this year. I couldn’t have done any of it without you. You are precious beyond measure. I’ve been so blessed to have you cross my path and be a part of my life. Thank you friend.
Thank you Jackie, this means so much coming from you. You’ve been such a help with your encouraging videos and posts. Your motivating words and positivity have touched me in ways I could never repay. Thank you again and Happy New Year.
Awe, thank you Deb! I’m hoping to collaborate with more people who are really good at what they do to allow me to spend more time reconnecting with friends like you.
I only wish I could post everyday. When I first began blogging that was my goal but half way into the first year and it fizzled. What helped somewhat last year was putting a lot of focus on my content calendar but I’ve reached the point now where I’m going to rely on people who know far more than I to help us grow. This will allow me to spend more of my time visiting and interacting with bloggers like you.
Oh, and cookies, there aren’t enough words to express just how good they were. And of course my stinginess paid off huge in weight gain but it really was worth it.
Happy New Year!!
It really was. The only thing that could have possibly made it better would have been more time to visit with you. I’ve really enjoyed our conversations and reading about Tippy’s adventures.
Amazing year! I’ve only known about BBB for a year, and it has come a long way in that time, and will go much further! Carla Ernst
Girl, you worked so hard and I must say that I’m totally impressed. Keep building and the best of the coming year to you 🙂
Congrats on all your hard work!! How very proud you must feel and should. What wonderful work you are doing and the help that you provide to others is priceless….you deserved each and every one of those 9 cookies!! Well done Steph! Here’s to continued expansion in 2018!! 🙂
What a year! I am sooooo impressed and thrilled for you! Just posting every day is an incredible achievement, much less all the rest. Way to go! Yummy cookies! (I wouldn’t have shared, either)
Sounds like you had a fantastic year. Glad I found your blog. I’ve really enjoyed reading it and getting to know you.