05/28/2026
✨ CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: Carolyn White ✨
There are some women whose presence speaks for itself. Elegant, resilient, and quietly extraordinary. Carolyn White is undeniably one of them.
As part of our Hometown Hero’s Project, we had the privilege of welcoming Carolyn into the studio to honor not only her story, but the strength and grace that have shaped it. A retired professional and breast cancer survivor, Carolyn embodies the kind of resilience that cannot be taught, the kind that comes from facing life’s hardest moments with courage, dignity, and heart.
Spending time with Carolyn was a reminder that true beauty deepens with experience. There is something incredibly powerful about a woman who has walked through difficult seasons and still chooses joy, laughter, softness, and strength all at once.
And while retirement may mean leaving the workforce behind, Carolyn clearly did not retire from inspiring everyone around her. 💫 Here's her story!
"When I got Breast Cancer for the first time back in 2013, I had no idea what to do, where to go, what was next, or how to find the right oncologist. I was told what was going to be done, where to go, and how my cancer was going to be treated. At the time, I simply followed directions because I was overwhelmed, frightened, and trying my best to survive one day at a time. Once I finished radiation, surgery, and medication after medication, I realized that surviving cancer was not only about what happened in the doctor’s office. It was also about what happened afterward—how to live with the fear, the scars, the exhaustion, and the quiet questions that never seemed to leave your mind. That is when I decided to start a group in Florida called The Florida Pinks. I reserved rooms at a resort, and about 35 breast cancer survivors came for some rest and relaxation. To this day, we still meet on a yearly basis, and those of us who gather have found that just talking, laughing, crying, and even screaming helps us all deal with this disease. We have become more than a group. We have become a kind of family built from pain, courage, honesty, and understanding. In that space, no one has to explain what it feels like to hear the word cancer. We already know. We carry that knowledge together, and somehow that makes it lighter. I got Breast Cancer again in 2018, and this time I was better prepared about what and how I was going to handle having a mastectomy. The second diagnosis was no less heartbreaking, but I was different. I had learned that my voice mattered. I had learned that I could ask questions, seek support, and make choices for myself. Going through chemo, I had someone go with me each time, and I had people asking to sit with me during my 3–4-hour chemo sessions. When I walked into the room to start my chemo, I always arrived with a smile to show others that life was not over and that we could all get through this together. That smile did not mean I was never afraid. It meant I refused to let fear have the final word. Cancer changed my body, but it also changed my heart. It taught me that strength does not always look bold or dramatic. Sometimes strength shows up when you are tired. Sometimes it is saying yes to help. Sometimes it is sitting quietly with another survivor and letting them know they are not alone. Looking back now, I can see that my story is not only about cancer. It is about resilience, friendship, faith, and learning to find joy in the middle of uncertainty. I did not choose this journey, but I chose how I would walk through it. I chose to keep loving, keep laughing, keep gathering with others, and keep believing there was still beauty ahead of me. Cancer has been a chapter in my life, but it has never been the whole story. My memoir is one of survival, yes, but even more than that, it is a story of living. And as long as I am here, I will keep telling others the same thing I have learned for myself: we are stronger than we think, and even in the hardest seasons, hope still has a place to grow."
- Carolyn
It was an honor to capture this chapter of her life and celebrate the remarkable woman she is today. Stories like Carolyn’s are exactly why this project means so much to us, because every woman deserves to be seen, celebrated, and remembered for the life she has lived and the battles she has overcome.
Please join us in showing Carolyn some love in the comments below. 💕
Do you have a story you want to share? We'd love to showcase you too!
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