Time Well Spent

IT’S HARD TO believe I’m celebrating my 10-year anniversary with Big Picture. A decade ago, I joined the brand as an associate editor with zero knowledge of the digital print space and an eagerness to utilize my skills and passion from my magazine journalism degree.

There’s been a lot of change over the last 10 years. New bosses, new team members, new company. Working in the Cincinnati office to becoming 100-percent remote (two years before this became the cultural norm). Removing the “The” from our name. Redesigning the mag and our website not once, but twice.

During Printing United Expo in Las Vegas this past October, I reflected on the nervous 22-year-old girl at ISA Sign Expo in the same city 10 years earlier. I had no idea how incredible my career and my life were going to become. I’ve traveled the globe visiting print shops and manufacturer headquarters, walking show floors, speaking at conferences, and recognizing leaders in our industry. I’ve been so privileged to get to know so many of you, personally and professionally. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, the magazine, and wide-format digital print.

Keen readers may have noticed our BluePrint feature highlights an Editorial Advisory Board member each issue. During one of our meetings, I shared my upcoming work anniversary. The board decided it would be fun for me to be the BluePrint focus. I was hesitant. The magazine is about you, not me. I created a survey for the board members to vote on this idea. It was unanimous. So, here I am, your BluePrint feature for November/December. My creativity flows through words not drawings, so I requested some help from my dad, Randy Palmer, a talented artist and graphic designer to create my doodles. Take a look on page 58.