2018: Cancer Called & Cleared my Calendar, But the story doesn't end there.

  
The Fine Art of Failing AND Losing my way provided the PERFECT platform For a beautifully executed cOMEBACK STORY.
tune in to the the podcast to hear what happened nexT. 

i went from burned out & unmotivated to... fired, Then Fighting for my life.

I WENT FROM BURNED OUT & UNMOTIVATED TO... FIRED,
THEN FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE.

Learning from what we lost or let go of, often leads the way to the next beautiful discovery.

I’m a California girl who made my way in New York by way of Texas. Mad adventures were had in 8 jam-packed years in NYC. From East River sunrises, late night Village jazz jaunts in the city where I began my career. I photographed atop buildings in Tribeca and all over that wild and wonderful city. I attended NYU and the city offered such a vibrant educational backdrop. I photographed so many faces. Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Gloria Steinem, Alice Walker and on. So many fascinating people. My reality felt like I was dreaming. I loved it, but I missed the left coast that called to me & yearned for more.

NYU exposed me to film, publishing, and media. A friend asked for help with an idea. We made a pitch to NYSC; and it evolved our magazine idea into print! I published a wellness magazine with a friend at the ripe age of 22 from a loft in the seaport with a staff of almost 20. Success happened early on after tremendous work. Publishing wasn't my life passion. One wintery January day, the NYTimes forecast read, 17 degrees and scathingly cold in NYC; it was time to go. I had a wild rely landing in Southern California…the gold coast held such promise.

My experience took me on a journey as Photographer, Publisher, Artist, Curator & Editor, Teacher, Collaborator, Administrator, Storyteller, Founder, Entrepreneur, Developer, Events Manager and Professional Creative. I was a leader and a member of start-ups. Media & Advertising, Fortune 500 Companies, Hospitality, Government, and of course, Weddings & Events.

The brands I served were amazing, vibrant and a pleasure to work with. Hard Rock, Marriott, Tarsadia, Sony, Allure, & Modern Hairstyles. I loved what I was doing making images, art, events and all…Still I found I was trading shekels for time. In 2006 friends asked for my input on their projects; mentoring and coaching began to take shape. I’d had several great coaches, trainings and certifications along the way. I am a self-confessed organization junky. An art junky, too. I felt thrilled by process of creating something from nothing. I loved bringing that idea to a place of clarity and action. I helped others and I learned so much a long the way. I trained with Covey, Tony Robbins, GTD’s David Allen. I worked with Sue Bryce, Denis Reggie and so many more vibrant talents. I shared what I had learned. I polished rough edges. I refined projects for organizations. I brought stadium events to life working with Disney, Anaheim and many key officials.

Early in this journey, I lost my mom to breast cancer. I was 25 and it was devastating. The loss made me re-evaluate everything. After time healing, I became very clear about what mattered.

LIFE. In all it’s fullness….and living it well. My mom said go back to doing what you love. Make a plan and make it happen. After she passed, that’s exactly what I did.

Sometimes life makes abundantly clear what is important and what is not. I had a lot to share and I was going to work at that every single day.















I built a brand, a photography business, an event business and served others. I developed business strategy and rolled out concepts from inception to launch.

I produced print & video for media outlets, large companies, entrepreneurs and government agencies. I fought to keep my business alive after 9/11 and through 2008 and even after 2018, my own battle with cancer.

My job and goal had begun - Keeping myself alive. Pulling myself up by the bootstraps. I’ve been there, sister! I’ve been there.

And yet, the work doesn’t solely define me. It’s shaped my viewpoint and given me a unique perspective to serve and guide others.

In 2015, being was laid off was a blessing in disguise. There I was, super stressed out. Unmotivated. Disillusioned. Working in the midst of riots where SWAT Team had to escort government staff out (I was staff); maybe it was time for a change…? Ya think? Nothing that exciting happened in my job on a regular basis, anyway! That was the catalyst I needed for the next big thing; but the past years chaos & had worn on me. It led me to a place where I got sick, my relationship was upside down, we tried to have a family but couldn’t. My past history with cancer got in the way. Life was full of uncertainties. Trying to make sense of it all…Oh, have I been there, sister. 

In 2018, cancer called and it cleared my calendar. But the story didn’t end there. 

I got RESOLUTE. I mean absolutely RESOLUTE. Living was what mattered. I fought hard. I changed everything. I learned to tune in and not fight myself but find my center, my strength and my faith that had become a bit lost. I made my way through with great strength and quite a comeback. I am a Breast Cancer Survivor and so proud of that. I kicked cancer to the curb. If you want to know more about my story, visit the podcast. 

It’s what I learned as part of my story and I hope it will help you. Whether you’re fighting cancer, affected by it due to a family member’s struggle or some other struggle. Know you have a community here. "A Beautifully Curated Life" is about finding clarity & focusing on living better - together with less. 

And because nothing done Caroline style is ever boring….

SMACK-dab, in the middle of that crazy ride healing from cancer, we became parents. There are no coincidences. We learned of my cancer early on because of a health test to become fosters. It’s likely what saved me. I believe God brought me this far and has used me. And, He isn’t done with me yet! I told you it was crazy story. The day we learned I didn’t need chemo, we got the call a few hours later with my husband and my brother standing beside me, to become fosters. Our first foster child came to live with us on our anniversary and had the same birthday as my hubby. Life is curious, isn’t it? And I do believe God’s timing has a very interesting sensibility. This all piqued my curiosity and I was listening. 

During my recovery, I was resolute in crafting a plan to retool what I knew about life. This version was not about business building strategy, photography branding & media. I made sure there was plenty of room for wellness, healthy food, joy, and family. I made certain love always had a seat at the table. I’d become masterful at reinvention, rejuvenation and re-defining a life. 

Sometimes you have to talk yourself through the story of your life to figure out where you’re at.

We experienced 9/11, 2008 and now the pandemic and the unrest with race relations in our country. Having survived rollercoaster cycles; pulling myself up from my boot straps, was a skill I'd honed. It was time to share. This pandemic provided more time to share what I knew to get me through. 

I found in the space distilling down to less, letting go, is one way to make room for that to happen. 

My purpose is to cast a broader net. I want to help more women overcome hardships. I will help you learn to use your voice and creativity to impact change as you navigate your own course. And, I will be right here to be your guide. Sometimes you need to do creative work, soul work and clarifying work with someone else. Bouncing the ideas around has so much value. When you do things in a vacuum, sometimes the air gets stale. Bring creative ideas to light…even if you have absolutely no clue where you're headed. 

The biggest takeaway from this plan I crafted:
Self care is necessity. Not luxury. Put it first. 
Your self care, your wellness, everything that matters that makes you whole and who you are to survive in this world….putting that part first. 

Make sure you’re caring for yourself. 
From there, build your family, build your brand, build your home & ALL the things on that platform in community. 

While it sounds simple, so many things pull us away from just, that…Hustle. Busy. Social proof. Technology. And Time. Money. You name it. Comparisonitis. So how do we get back to what matters? 

We will continue to grow community with Coffee with Creatives, and Wellness & Wonder Wednesdays. I have plans to expand support especially women and kids in the foster community. Sign up to learn more.  

I’ll be sharing: 
Life & work tips, coaching & organizational tricks. 
Wellness ideas & Healthy eating from my personal journey.
Cancer care and inspiration to simplify your routine and focus on your wellbeing.
Adventures & travel along the coast and Morey Stories.

A Beautifully Curated Life, the blog & Podcast, presented by Caroline And Co. We're excited to share stories, resources, education & coaching to make your life better in so many ways. What if your next step in life is waiting for you? What if your best life is about to happen? What if you're moments away from all the beautiful things & experiences you dreamed of becoming your reality? 
We will support your comeback and bolster you reinventing the next stage. This. This is A Beautifully Curated Life.  

Click below to hear more of our stories. 

Join us on the podcast. Join the VIP List to stay in the know! on ALL THE GOOD THINGS for a more beautiful, effortless life together with with healthy, soulful, inspired living at the center. 

Welcome to A Beautifully Curated Life. I hope you’ll join us weekly on the podcast, the blog, in our adventures on Instagram Stories, and share yours. You can click below to join our VIP list to get all the latest.  

Much love, light, laughter and always here’s to the adventure!

Xo,
   Caroline

Learning from what we lost
or let go of,
often leads the way
to the next beautiful discovery.