Carleton McGowin Young
Interior Designer
How did you get to where you are today? What decisions, obstacles or milestones have defined your success?
Since I started studying interior design in college, I have had a dream of owning my own design firm. After moving to New Orleans post-graduation, I knew I was going to have to learn to navigate this deep-rooted city before achieving my goal. When I finally felt I was ready to take the leap of faith to start my own business, I was also learning how to find my way being a new mom. While that came with its own challenges, it also allowed me to naturally grow my business, which fortunately has happened quicker than expected.
How have you used your artistic design skills and creativity to enhance the community and/or contribute to your role in the League?
With the Junior League being focused so much on fundraising and charitable events, it has forced me to think outside the box and get creative on ways to draw people in. Everything from ticket sales strategies to children’s activities at events have taught me so much and expanded my creative thinking.
How has the League influenced you personally and/or professionally?
While having my hands in various committees and events over the years as a Junior League member, I have been able to expand my strategy, leadership and teamwork skills. This has greatly helped me in business as I work with clients, as well as making larger decisions such as hiring my first employee. Since I now have someone working under my wing, I have used that leadership and teamwork experience on a daily basis.
Maggie B. Heller
Content Director & Photographer
How did you get to where you are today? What decisions, obstacles or milestones have defined your success?Â
To truly answer this question I would need a full two-page spread! Ultimately I would say a lot of hard work and dedication to my craft. One particular milestone was when I was fortunate enough to land an internship at Sports Illustrated/Time Inc. which turned into a full-time job. That time allowed me to build a lot of relationships with legends in my field; not only did I learn a ton but it opened doors for other opportunities.
How have you used your artistic design skills and creativity to enhance the community and/or contribute to your role in the League?
I had the pleasure of bringing the Women’s Leadership Summit Committee’s vision to life when I created the brand mark for the inaugural conference last year.
How has the League influenced you personally and/or professionally?
I love being a member of the League. I joined shortly after moving to New Orleans three years ago to meet other women and make friends, but it has been so much more than that. I have gotten involved in the community and been able to be a part of so many excellent service projects that I would have never known about if it wasn’t for the Junior League of New Orleans.
Charlotte Anderson Parrino
Artist
How did you get to where you are today? What decisions, obstacles or milestones have defined your success?
I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina and studied painting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I moved to New Orleans in 2004, one year before Hurricane Katrina, so that my husband could take a job at the Ochsner Clinic as a heart and lung transplant surgeon. I find inspiration everywhere. My abstract paintings involve layering colors and neutrals on canvas to create highly textured paintings. In addition to creating purely abstract canvases, I also enjoy painting abstract landscapes—often pulling inspiration from the beautiful Louisiana marshes as well as from the coastal environment of my childhood home in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
How has the League influenced you personally and/or professionally?
Over the years since moving to New Orleans, I am grateful to the Junior League of New Orleans for providing me with access to so many different volunteer experiences. Those volunteer experiences have given me (and continue to renew in me) a strong sense of being rooted in the community. I am honored to be able to say that many of my paintings hang in the private collections of League members. I also feel fortunate to be able to donate artwork to fundraising auctions benefitting local, non-profit organizations that the Junior League supports.
