Tag: Windsor Ontario
Happy Global Entrepreneurship Week!
During one week each November, thousands of events and competitions in 160 countries inspire millions to engage in entrepreneurial activity while connecting them to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors. Global Entrepreneurship Week is about celebrating the entrepreneurs who make our economy and our cities better. It’s about encouraging everyone to explore the opportunities entrepreneurship presents while connecting people with success stories and peers from around the world who share a similar mindset.
Although I may not be attending any big events or competitions this week, I’m happy to be reflecting on my decisions and my personal entrepreneurial journey. When I first dove into the world of entrepreneurship six years ago and began jotting down name ideas for what would become Blab Media, I had no idea what the future would hold. I started my business as a way to find a job within a market that didn’t offer me enough options. At the time, it was a difficult decision and I was honestly quite scared. Fast forward to 2016 and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Ironically enough, I still have my ups and downs but that’s just how entrepreneurship works. Some days you celebrate and others you struggle but when you close your laptop at the end of the day, when you walk away from your desk and turn off the lights in your office, there’s this sense of accomplishment thats beyond compare. It’s knowing that even if you do fail, you’ve done something that most wouldn’t dare try. You’ve survived without a steady/constant income, you’ve worked ridiculous hours, you’ve sacrificed and you’ve had to pave the way for your own success. There is truly nothing comparable to the feelings that entrepreneurship evokes. It’s a fire in your soul that can’t be put out and I’d have it no other way.
Happy Global Entrepreneurship Week to my fellow entrepreneurs and to all the inspired minds of the future #GEW2016
Be A Resource
Social media is about more than just selling and if I had a quarter for every time I had to explain that, I’d be rich! It’s no secret that businesses who achieve success online aren’t focusing on sales pitches, price structures and one-way communication. They’re investing time and effort into creating hubs online where customers (and potential customers) can come to learn something new. Providing valuable and insightful content is the key to social media but how do you know what your audience finds valuable? Instead of pushing sales, try listening for a change. You’d be amazed by the vast amount of information that’s available online when you take the time to stop speaking. You can learn so much about your industry, community and customers by simply making time to search related keywords and hashtags. There’s no doubt that it can be difficult to stay on track when it comes to content creation but before you push out content, always ask yourself “what value is this providing for my audience?”
Blab Delivers Free Windsor Goodies To Deserving Windsorites
Last week Blab was out and about around Windsor with Rose City Sport & Social Club giving out lots of free goodies and smiles to complete strangers. We’d been working together on this campaign for over a month and from May 2nd-6th we were finally ready to hit the streets! Myself and two RCSSC team members set out to a variety of locations each day to surprise an unsuspecting individual with a Play Pack full of Windsor goodies that were provided by generous local businesses. The Play Packs included coffee from March 21st Bean & Leaf Cafe downtown, tickets to the Windsor Spits home opener game, passes for Urban Surf, a fresh rose from The Bourbon Rose Florist, tickets to see a MasterWorks performance from The Capitol Theatre, a John Max gift card, a cupcake from Sweet Revenge Bake Shop, EPIC Winery Passes from Tourism Windsor-Essex, Steam Whistle swag and a voucher for a free sign-up with Rose City Sport & Social Club all stuffed into a branded bag and tied up with balloons. How amazing is that?!
We called ourselves the Day Makers and I can honestly say, we did a fantastic job of making people’s days a little brighter. Seeing people surprised, smiling and happy made all the hard work worth while. CBC even joined us to surprise a teacher who was nominated at Sandwich West Public School! Although the whole experience was amazing, the highlight for me was when the team and I were walking down the street and spotted a young girl giving her Subway lunch to a homeless man. We just had to pass on the kindness so we caught her at the street light and made sure she knew that what she did for that man did not go unnoticed. She was on top of the world!
In a city that can be so full of uncertainty and negativity, it was nice to go out and spread some happiness. After five full days of adventure, photos, smiles, excitement and genuine happiness, I can honestly say the campaign was a success but we couldn’t have done it without all the donations from our amazing business sponsors so thank you very much for your kindness. A big thank you also goes out to Rose City Sport & Social Club for spreading the love. I’m a firm believer that together we can lift up this city one surprise/smile/good deed at a time!
-Katie
Boost Your City Celebrates First Successful Event
The first-ever two day Boost Your City event was a whirlwind of creative ideas, strategic execution and a whole lot of fun! Day one was fast-paced and incredibly productive with our web development, photography, graphic design and marketing teams brainstorming, strategizing and delegating tasks. The Sweet Revenge girls contributed to the final outcome through mini meetings and sessions with each individual team. By the end of the day, everyone involved had a firm grasp on the direction and began executing individual elements. Day two was a lot more task-oriented, focused and efficient with team members editing, sculpting and finalizing elements. Each team was responsible for rationalizing and reviewing their aspect of the project as part of a group presentation. The Sweet Revenge girls were given an overview of everything the group accomplished over the course of the event and were later provided with a full booklet outlining all strategies, recommendations, and necessary information.
Our team of volunteers was unstoppable! A combination of St Clair College students and industry professionals made up our web development, graphic design, marketing and photography teams. They all demonstrated impressive time management skills, produced inspiring content and kept their cool all while working seamlessly together in a group! We couldn’t have accomplished anything without them and we owe them a big thank you for their time, dedication, insight, skills and contributions to the event.
All of our volunteers worked so well together and it was great seeing each of them contribute their unique skill set and ideas to the final product. We all had a great time despite the strict deadline and could not be happier with the outcome! The Sweet Revenge team was involved throughout the whole process and was able to work with each group to help sculpt the end result. They left with a rolodex full of professional contacts, new branding, print materials, a fully functioning website, custom icons and a full marketing and promotions strategy to help them plan for the future.
On behalf of the whole crew, we wish Saskia and the Sweet Revenge team nothing but the best! Your passion is so evident in everything that you produce and your delicious sweets were no exception. We’re so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented and motivated young entrepreneur whose passion and positive outlook are contagious. All we ask is that you don’t forget about us little people when you get your own baking show on TLC!
First Boost Your City Business Chosen
We’ve finally chosen the first ever Boost Your City business and we’re incredibly excited to get this project started! We’d like to send a big congratulations out to Saskia Scott and the whole team at Sweet Revenge Bakery in Olde Riverside. Young, fun and motivated to the max, Saskia sees big potential for her bakery to expand in size to start taking on my orders and expanding services. We can’t wait to learn more about her inspiration and her goals so we can give Sweet Revenge the boost it needs to succeed! Stay tuned to our social channels for event teasers and post-event updates as we progress!
Boost Your City Announces Partnership & Launches Applications
We’re very excited to announce that our project, Boost Your City, is officially launching today! We’re also very happy to share our partnership with St Clair College School of Media Art and Design and Genesis Entrepreneurship & Innovation Centre! The first ever Boost Your City event will be held on Saturday June 13th & Sunday June 14th 2015 and it will take place from 9am-4pm both days at the St Clair College Centre for the Arts downtown campus. As a partner, St Clair College and the Genesis Centre will also be generously providing food and beverages for the hard working team of industry professionals and students during this two day project.
Part of the team will include junior positions and we’re excited to announce that these positions will be filled with qualified second year St Clair College students. These students will have the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals in their field of study and will gain valuable real-life working experience they can highlight on their resumes.
Boost Your City is now accepting business and team member applications so small businesses, students and industry professionals who are interested in getting involved can learn more by visiting the website at www.boostyourcity.com and fill out a business application here or a team member application here.
Let’s do this Windsor! We’re counting down the days until we can Boost Your City!
Blab Media Rocks WIFF 2014
Well it’s official, we had a absolute blast being part of the engagement team at the 2014 Windsor International Film Festival! Experiencing the festival from the inside after having attended for so many years as patrons, gave us a very unique and different perspective on the festival as a whole. We had a great time preparing and executing special film activities with our team of volunteers, interacting with attendees, making new friends, and in general, doing our part to lend to the overall festival experience.
9 days, 111 films and 12 special activities later, we already can’t wait for next year! Thank you to everyone who made us feel welcome, embraced our ideas and had fun with us along the way. May WIFF 2015 be even bigger and better!
Blab Media Proud Sponsor Of WIFF 2014
We’re super excited to announce that Blab Media is an official sponsor of the 2014 Windsor International Film Festival! The festival is celebrating 10 years by showing 111 amazing films from around the world over the course of nine days running from Saturday November 1st to Sunday November 9th in the heart of Downtown Windsor at the Capitol Theatre. Throughout those nine days, Blab Media will be the official sponsor of the Engagement Team and will manage a team of volunteers who are dedicated to enhancing the attendee’s festival experiences by chatting with them in line, asking/answering questions, administering surveys and delivering a few surprises with themed film activities.
As part of the sponsorship, we’re also happy to be sponsoring the film God Help The Girl which is playing Thursday November 6th at 10pm and Sunday November 9th at 7:20pm. Writer/director Stuart Murdoch creates a poignant coming-of-age story that doubles as a sublime indie-pop musical from one of indie pop’s biggest songwriters. The project began as a suite of songs, written while Murdoch was between records and tours as lead singer of Belle & Sebastian. He nurtured it for nearly a decade into a fully formed film, set in the bohemian fantasia of Glasgow’s West End, which is populated by mods, rockers and emo kids who have no qualms about breaking into song and dance. Check out the trailer and come to one of the screenings!
WIFF is one of our favourite local events and we look forward to it each November. This year we’re so happy to be part of the excitement and to experience the festival from a completely different perspective. Whether you’ve never heard of WIFF or you attend religiously each year, we encourage people of all ages to check this event out. There is an incredible lineup of films ranging from upbeat and feel good to dramatic, dark and sadistic. You’ll even see famous faces such as Maggie Smith, Shailene Woodly, Kathy Bates, Joaquin Phoenix, Kristen Stewart, Dustin Hoffman and Kirsten Dunst in a variety of films. You can view the whole schedule, watch film trailers and buy tickets online at www.windsorfilmfestival.com.
We’re counting down the days until Saturday and we hope to see some familiar faces so check the schedule, pick your favourite films and come visit us!
Blab Media On CTV Windsor News
On my walk home from lunch this past Tuesday, I ran into Chris Campbell from CTV Windsor while he was speaking with some passersby about the death of Robin Williams. Being a huge fan myself, I offered to provide some commentary for the news story and was lucky enough to be featured on Tuesday’s 6pm news segment! Below is the link to the clip and if you skip to 11:28, you’ll catch me talking about my favourite Robin Williams movie! -Katie
Click here to watch the CTV Windsor News Clip that Blab Media is featured in