Skip to content

2017 We’re In The Homestretch!

White text "Its Bout To Get Nostalgic Up In Here" in on a black spiral bound journal with a pencil laying next to it.

A Look Back On 2017 | The Good, The Bad, The Meh

Steph is standing with her white cane in hand in front of Bold Blind Beauty's exhibition booth at White Cane Safety Day in Market Square, Pittsburgh on October 13, 2017

White Cane Safety Day in Market Square, Pittsburgh

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.
Gift basket contains Bold Blind Beauty tote bag, tee shirt, coffee mug, ball cap, Abby cookies and large print informational packet.

Gift basket for 2017 PCB Conference Raffle

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.
Image: In the foreground is a closeup of two teal Bold Blind Beauty braille bracelets sitting next to a red serving tray with an open eyeglass case on top of a table. In the background is beautiful lit Christmas tree.

One of my friends sent me this photo of her Bold Blind Beauty bracelets.

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.
Oval shaped cookies with a tall, slim, woman, wearing a dress and holding a cane in front of her as she walks forward, toward adventure and exploration, her hair styled and sassy. Half of the cookies have a teal background with a white Abigale logo and the other half have a white background with a teal Abigale logo. Most of the cookies have three Braille letter "B"s on the cookie to the right or left of the Abigale logo.

Abigale 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.

The Abby icon is depicted shopping by holding up a teal dress on a hanger in her right hand. She is wearing a stylish black off the shoulder dress, black heels with ankle straps and a white hat with a a black band with a loose end waving. In her left hand is her white cane.

Abigale (Abby)

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.

Abby is sitting cross legged in her PJs (gray bottoms & white top with a gray collar) with a teal Abby logo laptop on her lap. Sporting her signature explosive hairstyle, she is wearing a headset with microphone and her white cane is propped up next to her.

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

Tags:
0

Your Cart