You have built a BBQ Empire in a stereotypical male dominated field; how have you managed to be successful?
Staying focused on daily success in this business is imperative. For me it includes consistency in the quality of my food, in my management style, and in being locked into my vision for One Hot Mama’s both now and in the future.

Has becoming a chef been a lifelong dream?
Have you had a mentor through it all?
It was my goal to open my own restaurant by the time I was 30 years old. Steve Carb, the OG of Hilton Head Restaurants and SERG Group, believed in me, and gave me the opportunity to shine and learn how to be a great restaurateur.

Pink readers, you know we love inspirational stories, and Carol Lynn Vrana’s is perhaps the most dramatic one you will ever read here. In a nutshell, she was walking across the street to open her brand-new business, when a commercial TRUCK HIT HER!
This story sounds so unbelievable. It sounds like a Hallmark movie, or a soap opera, or AI—completely made up. And yes, it will INSPIRE you! But first, the back story on Carol Lynn, the starring character.

Carol Lynn Vrana has always been a mover and a shaker. After a successful corporate career as a Home Healthcare and Hospice executive, she and her husband were faced with empty nest syndrome when their only child, Adam, graduated. Her husband, Marek, is a successful contractor, and while they enjoyed living in upstate South Carolina, they always loved visiting Beaufort. And Carol Lynn had an idea, a dream, a plan cooking…

Trinita Franklin has been cooking since she was in third grade. Both parents worked; her mother was a teacher and a nanny, and her father was an electrical engineer. Trinita had four siblings, and she was responsible for preparing their meals, and in doing so, a seed was planted that blossomed into a love of cooking.

Trinita hails from Birmingham, Alabama, and moved to Hilton Head at the end of the summer. She had worked her way up from kitchen supervisor to assistant sous chef at the The Westin Birmingham. The chef at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa contacted Trinita because he had seen her work and hired her as a pastry chef.

Tabitha Arsenault is happy to call Bluffton home. This hometown girl and her family moved from South Jersey to Bluffton when she was 15 years old. “Watching the island grow and change over the years has been incredible,” said Tabitha. “Some things have stayed the same, like the close-knit community, while others have evolved with development and growth.”

Tabitha is one of four siblings: sister Janice, and brothers Nick and Jimmy. Tabitha’s family has always remained close, and she got Nick his job at the same company where she currently works. Jimmy, just 22 months younger than Tabitha, used to work with his big sister at Red Fish Restaurant in Hilton Head. “Red Fish is the only restaurant I ever worked at, and it has shaped my life,” mused Tabitha. “I became more knowledgeable about food and wine, and it gave me exquisite and expensive taste when dining out.”

Dawn Seligman-McKay moved to Bluffton just 18 months ago from Indianapolis, IN, but she has quickly integrated into the community to offer her 30 years of experience in elder care and breast cancer care. Dawn is a social worker and a counselor specialized in gerontology who also volunteered in various capacities with the Alzheimer’s Association in Indianapolis. She offered ADL (activities of daily living) training for CNA’s and other types of caregivers. While in Detroit, she was instrumental in opening one of the first assisted living and memory care assisted living facilities.

However, it’s her personal journey that inspired her to do even more.

Cool art vibes saturate the air in every form and medium in the Lowcountry, one of the
most beautiful natural canvases on earth. With all the surrounding beauty, it’s no wonder
the Lowcountry is teeming with creative minds and talented artists. Some do it for fun.
Some do it for a living. All do it to nourish their inherent need to create.

Welcome to our fifth year featuring Lowcountry Originals, where you will meet six dynamic artisans, all filled with creative energy and verve for their work. They have allowed us a peek into their creative minds, revealed their fears and doubts, told us what inspires them, and given us insight into their processes.

Enjoy a creative stroll and step into the Lowcountry art scene:

Sandy Dimke

Art: Photography 

When and how did you discover your artistic talent?
I love creating art through the medium of photography. Luckily, the photography bug hit me early, so I’ve been able to perfect my art over the last 50 years. I photographed as a 16-year-old exchange student in France, and as an adult, my husband encouraged me to continue pursuing the art I love. My goal is to freeze a moment in time in a creative way by using unique camera angles, and I’m not afraid of adding a different perspective with post processing. A traveler at heart, I try to capture the excitement of the world we live in, whether at home in the Lowcountry or in more exotic locales around the globe. I use photography as a means of creative expression to see the world differently, with a fresh view of reality.

Cindy Lou Palko

Art: Theatre Sets/Props

When and how did you discover your artistic talent?
I have loved creative endeavors since childhood. I have been blessed to be able to take classes in auto shop, wood shop, sculpture, jewelry making, and drawing/painting in middle and high school. I went on to major in drafting and manufacturing for my college degree, whilst having electives in upholstery and fine arts classes. This broad range of training in how to “make things,” led to my career in Manufacturing and Supply Chain. This is where I had the opportunity to visit a multitude of factories to review the processes used to create products. This brought me to the dilemma of how I keep busy in retirement by having an endless supply of opportunities to “make things” in a variety of mediums. The solution…theatre!

Karen M. Serafini

Art Medium: Resin

When and how did you discover your artistic talent?
I studied classical piano from a young age and have always dabbled in art: jewelry making, painting, crafts and now resin art. I owned a gallery in Leiper’s Fork, TN, showcasing my jewelry, along with other local artists’ work.

How and/or why did you choose your medium?
I was fascinated by pictures and videos online of myriad colors and fluidity of resin works that reminded me of blown glass, which I’ve loved since I was a child. So, I started playing around with it, making coasters and trays. But that didn’t satisfy me, so through a lot of trial and error, I developed a process to use resin to create vessels and sculptures that look like the blown glass I love so much. My chemistry background helped in this process since the critical variables in creating these pieces are driven by temperature, humidity, quantity, and time.

Brooke Danielle
Career: Musician/Singer 

When and how did you discover your artistic talent?
What do you love about it?
I was around 5 years old when I discovered I could sing. My mother taught me my very first song: “How Majestic Is Your Name” by Sandi Patty. At age 7, I sang my first solo at my grandmother’s church—“We Shall Behold Him” by Vickie Winans. My mother loved that song. It was quite a big song to sing at the time; it still is! I knew from a very young age I loved music! I could hear and understand intricate things, and I was already into jazz fusion, R&B, gospel, even rock and roll because these were things I was introduced to through my dad, so I fell in love with music right off the bat.

Art Medium: Oil painting with gold

When and how did you discover your artistic talent? What led you to your medium, and what do you love about it?
I was always an artist—but a performing artist. Painting wasn’t even on my radar until much later in life. At 50, I returned to college to finish my undergraduate degree, planning to pursue a master’s degree in theater so I could teach at the college level. To avoid writing papers and group projects, I signed up for painting classes instead. What a surprise it turned out to be!

The very first time I put paint on canvas, I was captivated. I loved the feel of the brush, the texture of the paint, and the way something invisible in my mind could suddenly take form before my eyes. I had never drawn or painted before except in coloring books as a child. But from that moment, I knew I had discovered something that was truly mine.

Art Medium: Dancer and Costume Designer / Co-owner of
Belle Âme Dresses

When and how did you discover your artistic talent?
This is something I have been asked by almost every client: “How did you get into making these beautiful costumes?” I guess we need to begin with my love for all things that sparkle! My childhood was filled with creative play and imagination! I’ve danced since the age of 3, trained in ballet, tap, and jazz. My grandmother, a sewing machine wizard, regularly created tulle and tutu creations for me and my sister to perform our own shows in the living room.

Mary Olodun, ND, has led a remarkable career of service to her country and clients.

As a sickly child who missed 56 days of kindergarten, Mary became well-acquainted with the modern healthcare system throughout her childhood. With a special talent for planning her career steps, young Mary obtained her nursing degree right out of high school and her license as a practical nurse in 1989. Along the way, Mary encountered many moonlighting clinicians who educated her about the power of natural medicine. Time and again, Mary bore witness to the positive effects of holistic medicine. Through the years, her interest in a career in holistic medicine only intensified, but her career path would first take a

In fifth grade, Erin Benjamin decided that she would be an eye doctor. It’s rather unusual for an 11-year-old child to know her life’s vision with such certainty—and to hold steadfast until realizing her dream.

“In middle school I knew I was really good in biology and physics, where I excelled. I was not interested in history or English. There was no other option for me. I wanted to go into medicine,” Erin said. “I was fascinated by my eye doctor. I am very near-sighted and have worn glasses and contacts since I was 15. Mostly it was my dad who influenced me. He said it was a great field to get into because I would follow patients all their lives, it isn’t messy like surgery, and it has better hours.” Erin explained that she wanted kids and marriage, and as an eye doctor, she wouldn’t get called back on weekends.

Dr. Heidi Harrington has many qualities that you’d hope to find in a plastic surgeon.

She’s creative. She’s artistic. She’s unapologetically detail oriented. She’s passionate about the prospect of improving her patients’ lives and confidence through plastic surgery.

She’s no stranger to the concept of teamwork, either. While leading Beaufort Memorial’s Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics practice, she collaborates closely with board-certified, fellowship-trained breast oncology surgeons in the hospital’s Breast Care & Surgery Program. Together, they’re building a comprehensive breast reconstruction program—bringing life-changing procedures to breast cancer patients right here at home.

Jerri Barden Perkins, M.D. knew she wanted to be a physician from a young age.

Jerri graduated from Mary Washington College and was the first female student enrolled at the Medical College of Virginia in 25 years. During her medical school training, Jerri’s mentor secured a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research training grant for her, and soon she fell in love with medical research. Her career path set, Dr. Perkins became an award-winning and world-renowned researcher, scientific research paper author, educator, and lecturer on arthritis and infectious disease research. Following graduation from medical school, she began a three-year fellowship at the NIH where she helped rediscover and name an organism responsible for arthritis: the JB strain.

Danielle Miller grew up on Hilton Head Island when it was quiet and had two-lane roads. 


Gatherings of family and friends took place almost every Saturday and Sunday at her grandfather’s home, and they were always centered around a lot of good food. Danielle was raised in a large family where old ways of traditional island living, like fishing and crabbing, were taught to her at a young age. These special pastimes created many fond childhood memories for Danielle.

Her grandfather’s place also had a lush garden that was planted every year. They all referred to it as “the field”. Danielle helped harvest the fresh vegetables for the week ahead, picking sweet ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow squash, and the like. Wild berries grew in abundance nearby, and when mixed with a little chew on some sugar cane from the field, it was like heaven. These age-old Gullah traditions were instilled in Danielle at a young age and have been a part of who she is, ever since.

Amanda, you are the Library Director for Beaufort County, meaning you oversee the operations of all libraries in Beaufort County. This is a huge job, but let’s start at the beginning. How did you come to the realization you wanted to be a librarian?
I’ve always been drawn to the idea of being a connector, helping people find exactly what they need. In college, libraries gave me a quiet place to study, but it was also where I realized I was good at finding information and loved helping others discover answers. That’s when I learned that as a librarian, I could do all those things to guide people in finding answers to their questions.

Life is all about playing the hand you were dealt like it’s exactly what you wanted. That’s how 32-year-old Caroline Campbell, who was born with Down syndrome, moves through her days and approaches the things she sets her mind to. You may have heard of Caroline and her adventures and accomplishments because she’s done some amazing things, exemplifying dedication, positivity, and cheerfulness in all she does.

In the June 2014 edition of Pink, we first met Caroline as an active 21-year-old who enjoyed taking dancing lessons and singing at church. However, her biggest claim to fame is she had set out to handwrite the Bible word-for-word. We are thrilled to announce she has completed this task, filling up 47 three-ring notebook binders, all stored carefully in her bedroom. Her Christian faith is a big part of her life, and she loves and reads scripture daily.

Roberta Weber knows how to get things done.

Born and raised in the Badger state, Roberta attended and graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a degree in speech and hearing pathology. She moved to Chicago where she raised a family and began her 40-year career in healthcare. She managed a radiology department and a large orthopedic office before becoming the Physician Administrator at Highland Park Hospital for just over 10 years. In this position, Roberta gained valuable experience in physician relations and quality, patient-focused services. Moreover, she built an enviable reputation and became w

Do you remember feeling that sensation as a kid when you walked into a candy store—eyes wide as you scanned the multitude of candy jars? It was pure joy knowing you would definitely buy something, but oh, the choices!

Walking into the The Spirited Hand gift store gives one the same sense of delight and expectation as your eyes settle on something of beauty one second, and then gaze upon something different, equally as delightful and appealing.

In every corner of the Lowcountry and across the front lines of national defense, women are rising to the call of duty with unwavering resolve, strength, and compassion. From police officers walking neighborhood beats to firefighters battling roaring blazes, and soldiers deployed overseas to paramedics responding to crises at home, these women are redefining what it means to protect and serve. Their presence in roles once dominated by men is not just a testament to progress—it’s a powerful reminder that courage knows no gender.

What inspired you to pursue such a challenging career?
I originally went to Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) thinking I was going to be a science major, but what I found there was a different calling. EKU has an outstanding fire science program, and as I explored public service careers, I realized how drawn I was to the fire service—the challenge, the teamwork, and the opportunity to make a real difference. I earned my degree in Fire Safety Engineering Technology with a minor in Police Administration, and from there, my passion for serving and protecting others truly took root.

What inspired you to pursue such a challenging career with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and what do you love about it?
During college, I never thought about going into a law enforcement career. I happened to fall into my career path after finishing graduate school. I knew I wanted to do something related to natural resources and conservation, but I did not know to what level. The best aspect of my job with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is I have the ability to make it what I want. I get to use officer discretion with every interaction. Even if an individual gets a ticket, they rarely leave with a bad attitude. Interacting with and educating the public so they can continue enjoying our resources is my favorite part of my job.

Congratulations! You just graduated from the Naval Academy. Tell us about your journey in getting to and through the Academy.
When I was applying to colleges, I struggled to find my “why.” I knew I wanted to do something meaningful, and I couldn’t find an avenue to do that at a conventional school. My grandfather grew up in Connie Maxwell’s Children’s Home in Greenwood, SC, and enlisted in the Navy when he turned 18, during Vietnam. His time in the Navy dramatically shaped his life and made him into the man I look up to. I realized I wanted the opportunity to lead sailors like my grandpa, to provide them with mentorship and support in pursuing a job well-done and a meaningful community. So, I applied to the Naval Academy. Now that I have graduated and commissioned, I’m excited to get into the submarine force to work as a member of such an incredible team.

What inspired you to pursue such a challenging career? How and/or why did you What inspired you to pursue such a challenging career?
In 2021, I attended my younger brother’s boot camp graduation at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego. He truly inspired me and within a few days I met his recruiter. Before then, I never had thought of joining the Marine Corps. 

What inspired you to pursue such a challenging career, and what do you love about it?

Law enforcement is my family’s business, so it always felt like a natural path. I knew it would be both rewarding and exciting. My passion for service and commitment led me to policing.

I knew I had the strength, discipline, and mindset to do the job, and more importantly, I felt called to it. It spoke directly to my belief: If not me, then who? I couldn’t ignore the pull to serve, protect, and be part of something bigger than myself. I wanted to be the one who stepped up when others wouldn’t, to stand in the gap when others stepped back. That sense of purpose has guided me from the beginning and continues to shape how I lead and serve today. I love this career because it offers a front-row seat to humanity, witnessing the best in people and being present when others need you the most. I especially find purpose in working with the community to make Beaufort a great place to live and raise a family.

What inspired you to pursue such a challenging career?
I chose EMS (Emergency Management Services) because it brings something different every day. I never go into work and have the exact same thing as the day before or even the week before. It can be fast-paced, and it forces me to think and act quickly. At this department, we rotate between the ambulance and the fire engine. All of us have to be knowledgeable and know both sides. One day I might be assigned to the medic unit, the next day I’m on the engine. This keeps things even more interesting. I’m never bored, there’s always something to do—running calls, training, completing reports, learning something new, reviewing what I’ve learned, cleaning the apparatus or station, the list goes on and on.

What inspired you to pursue such a challenging career? How and/or why did you choose your branch of service? What do you love about it?
Upon graduating high school, I knew I wanted to be in a career where I could help people. I started going through EMT/paramedic school but found myself joining the U.S. Air Force, where I became a military police. Once I separated from the military, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but the opportunity of becoming a school resource officer came up and I couldn’t turn it down! This position lets me serve and help others, especially children.

A chance encounter on the Fourth of July in New York City brought Stephanie and JR Brown together. She had gone to see the fireworks where there were hundreds and hundreds of people. Wanting to get away from the huge crowds, she got a table in a restaurant, which was also very crowded. In a matter of minutes, JR appeared and asked if he could share her table. She said yes.