TWM: Let’s delve deeper into your journey. What is the greatest obstacle you’ve had to overcome, and what advice would you give other women on navigating their path?
Negativity from unexpected sources was my greatest obstacle. You can overcome financial, educational and environmental setbacks, but voices of negativity will linger in your head long after you’ve ascended to places you never thought you’d land. Never allow others to judge your path, your missteps or your change of route to get to where you’re going. Grant yourself permission to experiment and to explore.
TWM: What made you say “yes” to Tallahassee Woman magazine?
Affiliating with a publication in a charming, historic Southern capitol like Tallahassee intrigued me—especially a market where women are known to routinely spread their
wings to venture to other cities, to relax, to shop, to exhale. Before saying “yes” to TWM, I inspected the past twelve covers and saw a rainbow of faces, reflections of myself that align with my multicultural roots, my lifestyle brand and my social sensibilities that embrace everyone, regardless of whether they’re white or black, gay or straight or wearing Versace or a voguish consignment bargain.
TWM: You’ve always displayed a confident sense of style in your travel escapades. What inspires your fashion aesthetic? My style has never been the flaunting of ostentatiously gaudy logos, but it’s more eclectically organic. I don’t follow the crowd. I don’t need a trophy of a handbag as a security blanket or a badge of honor. Give me a choice between the latest massconsumed fad and a unique item that’s curated by a chic shop in Bal Harbour or designed exclusively for me by an
tallahassee woman | 35 | june • july 2019
artisan on a cobblestone backstreet in Barcelona, and I’ll choose originality every time. My travel features will frequently open doors to emerging designers and indie boutiques.
TWM: In addition to retail therapy, you’re a known connoisseur of spa treatments. Will you lead Tallahassee’s women to fountains of youth?
A bit of little-known trivia is that I held an esthetician’s license in the ancient ’80s in Dallas and contributed to Dermascope, a leading skin care trade magazine. Yet another hat that I wore in a previous life! (She laughs.) The fountain of youth isn’t found in a froufrou crystal jar. It’s lifestyle. It’s internal maintenance. It’s abstinence from alcohol, sugar and junk food. And if you need a little help with Botox, facials and fillers, you identify the best beauty practitioners in the region. Years in spa environments enable me to distinguish between the gold mines and the gimmicks.