We just launched our newest lady Nitengale and we couldn't be prouder! 2019 is off to a magical start!
Now, with the ushering in of 2019 the My Bud Vase team believe it's important to be grateful and reflect upon the fabulous moments we've had. That way, we can clearly and intentionally move forward into another year of abundance.
2018 was filled with so many amazing milestones it was difficult for me to choose just ten! So before I begin the countdown, I'd be remiss not to mention how so many of you are part of this epic journey - so many that I can't even list you all because I have to go back to making more bongs!
#10 The Cannabis Wedding Expos
From Denver to San Fran to Los Angeles it was so exciting to see Cannabis Loving Couples search for ways to incorporate our beloved plant into their special events. We attended all 3 Expos and really established My Bud Vase as a ceremonial centerpiece for someone’s special day. (and YES we are sponsoring the 2019 Cannabis Wedding Expos and look forward to seeing you all there!)
#9 High Times 'Top 100' Soiree
What a career high to have our leading lady Aurora be the shining centerpieces on all the VIP tables at this Cannabis Celebrity event. I can still remember getting my first High Times magazine to read, never did I think that one day something I made would be a part of such a special night for this Media Giant. Pinch Me I might be dreaming.
#8 Mother's Day
If you’re a mother you know all too well how hard it is to get the kids together for a family photo, and yet sometimes that’s the only thing you really want! Well, this Gem of a photo really shows the unconditional love and support I receive from my (adult) children. As more and more parents are discovering the many benefits of Cannabis and parenting, I believe that somehow, in some way our story will inspire others to see just how great your children can actually become. I tear up every time I see this picture because I know how much my children believe in me and what I’m doing.
#7 My first international business trip for My Bud Vase to Barcelona
One of my goals for 2018 was to gain some international insight on Cannabis Culture. Every state in America has a different culture surrounding Cannabis and so does every country. In Barcelona, Cannabis is sold and consumed in clubs which all have different styles and vibes. They are not as large as I imagined but they are full of the most awesome people enjoying cannabis in oh so many ways, from Chillums to Elaborate Rigs I got to explore consumption. We were brought to Barcelona by Hot Box Productions to have our pieces be the awards for the first Cannabis Club Contests and we made custom metal die cut signs to adorn Aurora for the winners It was an unexpected dream trip that I’ll never forget.
#6 Cannabition in Las Vegas
Talk about the most wonderful place on earth…this place is so SPECIAL that I can only imagine just how it will evolve. It’s a Cannabis Museum/ Immersive/ Environmental space that we are unbelievably fortunate to be a part of. In Cannabition you go through a Cannabis journey that encapsulates you in the plants' growth, teaches you about the plants' benefits and then puts you into a Cannabis playground that you're sure to have a blast in. All the while you get these classic photo opps that capture the wonderment and energy of Cannabis. At the end of this immersive tour, you get to a My Bud Vase display where our One of a Kind pieces and our Signature Collections are showcased and available for purchase.
#5 Speaking at HerbanExpo
Prior to making beautiful smoking apparatuses, I was about to launch my speaking career. In fact, I was writing a Marketing and Communications book on the top 30 projects of my career to sell on my future speaking tour. Then along came My Bud Vase and I pivoted it all. I’ve really been missing speaking and I was hoping to be able to develop my brand to a respectable level so that I could start to speak for our industry. My goal is to help new cannabis businesses with practical and affordable ideas and 2018 brought my first opportunity to raise my voice for Cannabis!
#4 Moonlight Movable Feast
This impeccable event was the first time that I actually got to attend a Curated Cannabis Dining Experience and I loved every second of it. For the past three years, I’ve traveled to and for this industry from my home in South Carolina. We vend, meet, greet, decorate, ship, set up, tear down and all of the other steps associated with growing a product based Cannabis business, however until this event, I never got to stop and enjoy it. They insisted I ship our vases in early and arrive as a guest, so our dear Coyote was launched in the desert, under the full moon and the entire night was beyond magical.
#3 New Year's Eve Billboard Campaign
This Go Big or Go Home moment was a last minute opportunity from Honeysuckle Magazine in NYC. This turned out to be a PR dream as we got mentioned over and over again in the company of other women and minority Cannabussiness. Here’s the deal…when this call came in…it wasn’t all buttoned up. It was a pull a rabbit out of the hat to get creative to the billboard company sized properly and on time. It was a decision based on instinct to participate, which dear friends, defines women working with women. We don’t need all the answers up front, we just need to trust our intuition, our contacts, and the process. You risk everything if you risk nothing and in this case, it was a BIG success.
#2 Publishing Our First Official Press Release
Talk about a big success, our release reached a potential audience of 82M and was picked up by 79 outlets including Business Insider and Yahoo Finance among others. That means our audience was a whopping 82,597,635!!!!
You can read the whole release here.
#1 The number one ultimate moment of 2018 was being voted 'Top Bong' at the Canadian Cannabis Awards
More than 75,000 people voted and we are floored that we won! So floored that I literally dropped my phone on the floor when I read WINNER My Bud Vase on the giant screen. It means the world to us that you all took the time to vote for us. We know your vote counted! We are also thrilled that our Canadian neighbors have been embracing our products and brand so beautifully. Just goes to show you, anything is possible and everything is worth the energy that you put into it.
And on that note…here’s to all our dreams and goals for 2019. We are here for yours and we thank all of you for supporting ours! May this new year provide all of us with the opportunities that align with our purpose, the energy that gets us through the process, the angels that protect us along the way.
