From the moment I realized that my YouTube channel Sitting Pretty was bigger than myself - I’ve been taking on a responsibility to show up for the disabled community every day in the best ways I knew how to. I’m constantly thinking of how to authentically showcase disability lifestyle in fresh and exciting ways. I had been brainstorming Live Solo, a lifestyle brand and for young adults with disabilities for over 2 years. I knew the brand would need to be something that would impact the disabled community in a way I felt would be resourceful for others and done with the voice of the current generation in mind. The goal of this brand is to ultimately redefine what it means to live as a disabled person and dismantle the ableist societal rhetoric that’s been put upon the disability community since the beginning of time. The time is now to develop a universe of what WE want the perception and understanding of what disabled life is, give a big fuck you to an ableist society, and expand the possibilities for the current disabled community and beyond to encourage them to seek the lives they desire. All while Live Solo is there to help support them through achieving it.
Live Solo is a manifestation of my biggest dream realized to continue to contribute to the disabled community in an expansive way. The vision for Live Solo is just getting started. I won’t share all of the spoilers too soon, but just know there is much more that I plan for this brand to grow into. I’m honored to have created a platform for the young adults currently with disabilities and those who will acquire theirs. We all need the space to talk to each other to give advice from those who know disabled experiences best - each other. Life for a disabled person has always been predominantly focused on disability first, the person second. Live Solo is about putting the PERSON first and the disability as a cute accent to the experiences shared. It’s a must to start having those conversations that involve areas of our lives that speak to our humanity and adulthood. Why has it been challenging to find adequate dating resources specific to disabled people? Why is it such a challenge to find REAL tips on finding employment to jobs that can ACTUALLY turn into 6+ figure incomes? Disabled people should have a ton of resources about finding true independent living options, right? All of the questions I had as a young adult, was a priority motivation to create a platform where I would’ve been able to get some answers. And get the answers from other fly young positive future thinking adults my age too. The infantilization of disabled adults will not exist here at Live Solo.
Keep in mind, we are not here to inspire. We’re not here to motivate or make a change. We are here to exist as our true selves and simply support each other through the areas we may not have figured out how to master yet. I see Live Solo as a virtual living room where we are all together and chatting. Like -
“Omg did you know you can do this or that as a disabled person and get a job”
“I’ve been using this super tasty smoothie recipe that’s helped me lose weight since physically I can’t workout as much”
“When I showed myself in a sexy dress sitting in my wheelchair on my dating profile - my messages went wild. Here are more tips for you.”
That’s the energy we want in the Live Solo universe.
The Live Solo universe’s foundation is The Solo System. The Solo System is a quick e-book of 8 principles I live by to live the most positive life with a disability. These 8 principles are infused throughout all content and products found on Live Solo. From the blog topics to the items in the online store, it is all based on one or multiple principles from The Solo System. I wrote the e-book because I needed to share something personal, directly from my experiences that people have always been wildily curious to find out. I knew I needed to bring these ideas to a concise tangible element that everyone can easily access. Plus The Solo System continues to set the tone, energy, and vibes of Live Solo. You know what to expect and gain from spending time in the Live Solo universe because of The Solo System.
As Live Solo grows you’ll continue to witness me pop in with a blog post with updates and major announcements. But I want Live Solo to take on a life of its own curated by a wide spectrum of people with disabilities. This is our community. This is our universe. Have fun! Hit us up if you’d like to contribute.
And Welcome to the New Era of Disability.