Forget the perfectly plated dinner party where nobody touches anything until you say so. The most memorable gatherings happening along the coast right now are messy, intentional, and absolutely felt — not just photographed. Here’s the secret coastal women already know: a stunning grazing board does more for your hosting game than any centerpiece ever could. Load a wooden board with aged cheeses, prosciutto, honey, olives, grapes, and crusty bread, then let people go. A build-your-own board isn’t laziness — it’s genius. It gives guests something to do with their hands, a reason to lean across the table, and suddenly, conversation happens naturally. You didn’t plan it. The charcuterie did. Now, pair that board with a signature pour, and you’ve officially elevated the entire evening. Name your cocktail something cheeky — “The Gulf Breeze,” “Rosé All Bay” — and watch it become the most talked-about detail of the night. Grapefruit spritzers, chilled rosé, or a simple citrus punch served in pretty glassware signal I thought about you without spending your entire Sunday in the kitchen. The real magic? Small, intentional touches. Fresh florals in warm coral tones. Rattan placemats catching the golden hour light. Candles lit before anyone arrives. These aren’t just aesthetic choices — they’re an atmosphere. They tell your guests: slow down, stay longer, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. This summer, host like you mean it — effortlessly, beautifully, and with good wine. Always the wine. Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

The Gulf in late summer has a particular quality of light. It arrives sideways in the early morning, low and golden, turning everything it touches quieter than it actually is. There is a stillness to that hour that most people never see, because most people are still asleep. Cat Bradley is not most people. By the time that light appears, she has already been moving. Not because she has to. She runs because it is the most honest thing she knows how to do. Because the miles have a way of clarifying what everything else obscures. Bradley is an ultramarathon runner who regularly covers distances that make the body negotiate seriously with the mind: fifty miles, one hundred miles, mountain trails that rise and fall without apology. She has won some of the most demanding races in the country, including the Western States 100. She did it with a composure that quietly distinguished her from athletes who celebrate louder. “The discipline is invisible right up until it produces something undeniable.” THE DISCIPLINE OF CHOOSING HARD What draws someone to endurance is rarely what keeps them there. People begin running for the usual reasons. But the ones who stay, who keep showing up before dawn and choose discomfort over convenience, are usually working something out that has little to do with fitness. Bradley was not always someone who ran toward difficulty. Like many women who find their footing in something demanding, she spent time learning what she actually wanted rather than what seemed reasonable to want. Running became the place where she could ask that question honestly. Research on women in endurance sport reflects this pattern consistently. Women who train at distance report higher rates of mental clarity and a stronger sense of identity. The body learns, over long miles, that it can handle more than it thought. WHAT SOLITUDE TEACHES Hours on a trail without music or conversation will eventually produce something. It might be discomfort. It might be clarity. Usually both arrive together, the way they tend to in real life. Bradley has described the mental architecture of a long run in terms that go well beyond sport. There is a point somewhere past mile forty where the internal chatter quiets and something more essential takes over. She does not romanticize it. But she does not diminish it either. It is, she has said, the clearest she ever feels. Along the Gulf Coast, where the landscape invites a certain contemplative quality, this resonates differently than it might elsewhere. There is room here to think. And for women willing to take that space seriously, there is real power in it. THE FRAMEWORK UNDERNEATH What Bradley has built is not just a racing career. It is a framework for living inside difficulty without being consumed by it. She trains consistently, not dramatically. She does not rely on motivation because she understands that motivation is unreliable. She relies on structure, on showing up whether or not she feels like it, on the accumulated trust that comes from keeping small promises to herself over time. Cat Bradley did not win Western States because she was the fastest woman on the mountain that day. She won because she had practiced being uncomfortable so many times that discomfort no longer had the power to stop her. “She does not perform resilience. She simply exhibits it, in the way she absorbs a difficult race, in the way she does not require an audience to keep going.” WHAT THE MILES ACTUALLY MEAN The most interesting thing about Cat Bradley is not the medal or the finish line. It is the choice she keeps making every morning before the rest of the world is awake. The choice to go out anyway. To cover the miles that no one will see. To find out, again and again, what she is made of when there is no reward waiting at the end. That kind of consistency does not announce itself. It simply accumulates. And over time, it becomes the thing that everything else is built on. The Gulf light comes early and it does not wait. Neither does the kind of woman who decides, once and quietly, that she would rather move toward the hard thing than away from it. There is no dramatic moment of transformation in that choice. There is just the running. And then, eventually, everything it built. Photos courtesy of Google Images. Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

T here is a particular kind of quiet that settles over the Gulf in the early morning, before the day decides what it wants to be. The light is soft. The air yet holds a little of the night. And if you sit with it long enough, you start to notice the things you’ve been too busy to see. That kind of stillness is where honest conversations begin. And one of the most honest conversations women are finally having is this: the pay gap has never been just about the number on a paycheck. We have spent years looking outward at the structural causes, the industry biases, the policies that haven’t caught up. And those things are real. But there is another layer, quieter and closer, that deserves the same attention. It lives in the pause before a woman asks for what she’s worth. In the way she softens a request so it lands more easily. In the voice that softly whispers, just be grateful you have the seat. “The gap doesn’t always start in a boardroom. Sometimes it starts in the story we’ve been telling ourselves since long before we ever sat down to negotiate.” Research from McKinsey.com and LeanIn.org consistently shows that women negotiate less frequently than men, and when they do, they often ask for less. But the more interesting question isn’t the data. It’s the conditioning beneath it. From early on, many women are taught that ambition should be tempered, that assertiveness reads differently depending on who’s wearing it, and that there is something uncomfortable about wanting more out loud. That conditioning doesn’t disappear when you log into a video conference or take a hybrid role with flexible hours. If anything, the increase in remote and flexible work has complicated it further. Without the structure of a traditional office, visibility becomes harder to track. Raises and promotions don’t always follow explicit timelines. And for women who are already less likely to self-advocate, the ambiguity of modern work structures creates new gaps inside the old ones. “Flexibility is a gift. But it can also make it easier to stay quiet and harder to be seen.” This is not a critique of flexible work. It is, for many women, what allows them to lead full lives while building meaningful careers. However, flexibility without visibility is still a compromise. And learning to advocate for yourself in spaces that feel less defined requires a different kind of confidence than showing up to a scheduled performance review. That confidence is built in small moments. In the email you send, ask for the meeting instead of waiting for someone to schedule it for you. In the decision to name a number rather than invite the other person to name one first. In the willingness to sit with the discomfort of being direct and let the pause after it breathe. None of this is simple. And it would be too easy to frame internal barriers as the whole problem when the external ones are still very much in play. But the internal work and the external advocacy remain in harmony. They move together. “Knowing your worth doesn’t fix a broken system. But it does change how you move through one.” The Gulf doesn’t rush. It slowly shapes the coastline, returning to the same stretch of shore again and again until something changes. There’s something to that patience, and something to that steadfastness. The pay gap won’t close in a single conversation. But it does close, one negotiation at a time, one woman choosing to say the thing she almost left unsaid. That’s where it starts. Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

There is a particular kind of woman who does not announce herself. She does not need to. She walks into a room and something shifts. Heads turn. Energy lifts. Not because she demands it, but because she carries something you do not see often enough: a person fully at home in her own skin. Joanna Olsen is that woman. A 26-year entrepreneur, Florida-based owner of Coyote Ugly Saloons, property investor, and community advocate, Joanna has spent the better part of three decades building a life that belongs entirely to her. And after years of quietly dimming her own light to fit into spaces that were never quite made for her, she has stopped apologizing for taking up room. “I live outside my box, in my own way,” she says. “And I’m really proud of where I am in life.” That pride is earned. Every corner of it. The Defining Moment Most women who have found their footing in life can point to a specific season when things finally clicked. For Joanna, that season came in her mid-40s. “I was trying to fit into society’s box of what they wanted me to be,” she reflects. What followed was a divorce, and with it, a kind of quiet liberation. She leaned into independence. She began traveling. She invested in properties. She ran her businesses on her own terms. She rebuilt her home, her income, and her sense of self simultaneously. She is honest about the timeline. She married in her 30s, not because the relationship was the right one, but because she was ready to say yes when someone asked. It is a familiar story for many women of her generation, and she holds no bitterness about it. What she holds instead is clarity. “I love the idea of marriage,” she says. “I hope I fall madly in love and get married again. But having your own money and your own independence is so important, in a relationship and out of one.” Twenty-six years of entrepreneurship have a way of teaching you exactly that. The Business of Being Bold Joanna was among the first franchisees to join Coyote Ugly alongside founder Liliana Lovell, and she has since built the brand across every Florida location she owns. The bars are lively, unapologetic, and exactly as the movie promised: dancers on the bar, cold drinks, and an energy you cannot manufacture. “What you see in the movie is what you’re going to see,” she says simply. She has worked to preserve that integrity at every location, while carving out her own distinct identity within the brand. Getting there was not without friction. The bar industry is a male-dominated space. She knows this firsthand. Only about 3% of bar owners are women. In her early days, being taken seriously required something extra: poise, steadiness, and an almost stubborn confidence in herself when the room was not offering it freely. “When I started at such a young age, it was definitely a challenge to walk through that,” she says. “But you just hold yourself high, walk with confidence, and believe in yourself. And that makes all the difference.” Her leadership style reflects that same approach. She is not the kind of owner who sits above her team. She works alongside them. Nothing in her bars, nothing in her buildings during construction or renovation, is beneath her. “There’s nothing in Coyote, or in building out my properties, that I won’t do,” she says. “Lead by example. Work with your staff instead of standing over them. That’s really my style.” It is, too. You can see it in how her staff speaks of her. In how her managers have earned her trust enough that she has been able to step back from the daily grind and begin pursuing other interests, including flight lessons, yoga on the beach, and deeper community involvement. Real estate has been a parallel passion for decades. Since she was 22 years old, Joanna has been acquiring property and trusting her instincts about location above all else. “Location is always the key,” she says. Her most recent acquisition sits on the beach in Destin. She tells her circle the same thing every time they ask about risk in real estate: “The worst case scenario is you’ll just resell it for the same price. You can’t lose in the right areas.” The Trade-Offs Nobody Talks About One of the things that makes Joanna’s story so refreshing is that she does not perform any version of having it all figured out. She is direct about what ambition has cost her, personally and in matters of the heart. “You can’t have it all. That’s just not true for women,” she says. Not a complaint. A fact. As her business grew and she traveled weekly between Tampa, Destin, and Panama City Beach, relationships became harder to sustain. Dating while building an empire has its own complications. And now that she has found a rhythm that works for her, she is honest about both the freedom and the ache. She also carries something tender from that season. Child-bearing losses that were deeply personal and deeply quiet, in an era when women were not yet encouraged to speak openly about that kind of pain. “Everyone already feels bad enough,” she says. “And then you already feel like, I can accomplish everything, but I can’t do the most normal thing in the world.” She has taken time to heal. She has not closed the door. Adoption, she says, is something she thinks about often, particularly because of her longstanding relationship with the Anchorage Kids Foundation, where she has been giving her time and resources for over 20 years. “There are so many children that need that,” she says. The foundation is not a footnote in her story. It is threaded throughout it. Strong Does Not Mean Closed There is a misunderstanding that follows women like Joanna. People look at the independence, the confidence, the multiple businesses and properties, and assume she does not need anything from anyone. “They feel like we don’t need anyone or need help,” she says. “But you still want the door opened for you. You still want to be treated like a lady. You still want to feel comfortable enough to open that feminine side of yourself.” It is the tension that so many accomplished women know well. You get one side of the coin or the other. You are either capable or soft. Never both. She spent years softening herself inside relationships, dimming her light so the men around her would feel less threatened. She no longer does that. But she is also clear that strength and warmth are not opposing forces in her world. They coexist. They always have. Patriotism in Practice Joanna lives in Destin, surrounded by the quiet presence of Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field just down the road. She grew up with a father who served in Vietnam. She understands sacrifice in a way that is not abstract. She keeps it simple. Military personnel eat and drink free at her bars. She donates to the Wounded Warrior Project. She quotes John F. Kennedy with the ease of someone who actually lives by it. “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country. That’s my whole mindset.” Patriotism, for Joanna, is not performed at holidays or announced on social media. It is the quiet, steady act of giving more than you take. It is showing up for your city, your community, and the people who protect both. “Loving America is being part of making it a better place,” she says. “Whatever space you’re in, whatever job you do, wherever you live. Just always improve that space. Improve someone else’s life.” It is an uncomplicated philosophy. And maybe that is the point. Grounded in Something Bigger Every morning begins the same way for Joanna. She wakes up next to Utah, her French Bulldog. She unrolls her yoga mat on the beach. She does a devotional. She reads. Faith is not incidental to her life. It is foundational. She attends Hope Lutheran Church with her mother, and has also connected with Destiny, one of the larger churches in the area. “Being part of that church, having Bible studies, keeping everything in check,” she says. “Having family and your best friends around you. That’s what keeps me grounded.” In hard seasons, whether a hurricane, the BP oil spill, or navigating a global pandemic with multiple businesses on the line, she turns inward before turning outward. “What keeps me centered is taking care of myself. Mind, body, and soul. Getting good sleep. Staying close to myself during difficult times so I can be a strong leader for everyone around me.” It is a lesson most leaders learn the hard way: you cannot pour from an empty cup. She also fills that cup with intention. Steve Bartlett’s podcast is a regular rotation. She spends 30 minutes a day reading. She is taking flight lessons again, and finds a peace in the cockpit that is hard to describe. “Being up in the air, concentrating on just the instruments, no phone. That’s where I find true peace.” What She Leaves Behind Ask Joanna about legacy and her answer is immediate, and completely in line with everything she has already said. “Personally, I want people to know I was a kind and giving person. And through business, I want Coyote Ugly to be a world-known name for hundreds of years to come.” That is it. No complicated legacy statement. No brand manifesto. Just kindness, generosity, and the quiet pride of having built something real. Her advice to younger women is equally clear: “Go for that business idea you’ve been thinking about. Do it when you’re young. Calculate the risk and go. What are you going to lose? If it doesn’t work out, you go back to what you were doing before.” She lives by the Nike code, as she calls it. Just do it. And then, when the roadblocks come, and they always do, just do not quit. “Never giving up,” she says. “That’s why the strong entrepreneurs get through. Not because they were never scared or never struggled. Because they kept going.” No Toning It Down There is a question that has been circling this conversation from the beginning. What does it mean to live without dimming yourself down? For Joanna Olsen, the answer is not complicated. “I do not tone myself down anymore. When you’re young, you do. Because that’s what females are taught. We apologize. We adjust. We live a little smaller. But I live in my true skin now. I do what I want to do. I go where I want to go. And that comes from having strong independence, financially and personally.” She does not say this with bravado. She says it the way someone says a fact they have earned the right to say. And when she walks into a room, no announcement necessary, you understand exactly what she means. Photos by Nicole Thompson *Joanna Olsen is the owner of Florida’s Coyote Ugly Saloon locations and a longtime supporter of the Anchorage Kids Foundation. She is based in Destin, Florida. Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 APR-MAY FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

COASTAL JOURNAL WRITING GROUP June 1, 2026 | 11:30 AM Free Event Coastal Branch Library Santa Rosa Beach, FL Contemporary Tai Chi Classes with Able June 3, 2026 | 10:00 AM Free Event Coastal Branch Library Santa Rosa Beach, FL Tallahassee Balloon Festival June 13, 2026 | 2:00 PM Ride Tickets $15+ North Florida Fair Tallahassee, FL 250th Liberty Bash June 20, 2026 | 2:00 PM Free Event Millville Waterfront Park Panama City, FL Destin, Hey, Girl! Beach Walk June 24, 2026 | 9:00 AM Free Event Parking: Located at: 3500 Scenic Hwy 98, Destin, FL Pensacola Blues Festival 2026 June 28 | 1:00 PM Tickets $17.85 each Phineas Phoggs Pensacola, FL Grayton Beach Yoga retreat June 27-29 | 3:00 PM Tickets Vary Hibiscus Coffee & Guesthouse Grayton Beach, FL JULY 2026 Events More events may be added as the season unfolds. Be sure to explore our July 2026 events! Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

There are dinners you plan, and then there are evenings that unfold into something you weren’t expecting. Perch is the latter. Perched — quite literally — above the dunes of Alabama’s Gulf Coast inside The Lodge at Gulf State Park, this isn’t a restaurant you stumble upon. You arrive with intention, and the moment you do, something shifts. The light catches the water just so. The air carries something salt-tinged and unhurried. And suddenly, the week you’ve been carrying feels considerably lighter. The setting does most of the talking, but the kitchen earns its place in the conversation. Executive Chef James Balster — Culinary Institute of America trained, with stints at the Ritz Carlton and Beau Rivage among his credits — brings a quiet precision to a menu that balances premium Gulf Coast seafood with beautifully executed steaks. It’s refined without being rigid, indulgent without being excessive. If you’re arriving with your people, order the Seafood Tower. It’s the kind of centerpiece that turns a table into a moment — stunning to look at, even better to share, and exactly the excuse you needed to linger a little longer. Pair it with the Berry Burst cocktail, and you have an afternoon that writes itself. Bright, beautiful, and completely worth clearing your schedule for. What Perch offers beyond the plate is rarer: the feeling that time here is genuinely yours. No rush, no noise, just an unhurried meal with a front-row seat to one of the Gulf Coast’s most spectacular sunsets — all flame and copper dissolving into the water below. Come for the tower. Stay for the sunset. Repeat as needed. Pro Tip: Gather your girls, claim a window table, and let the Berry Burst and the Gulf do the rest. Photos Courtesy of Google Images NAME THE NEXT MUST-TRY SPOT Where Women Go To Eat is a Coastalpolitan favorite for a reason. These are the places we actually go, love, and recommend when asked, “Where should we eat?” Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

Summer arrives on the Gulf Coast with a certain kind of presence. The colors feel brighter. The days feel fuller. There’s an energy that invites us to step forward with confidence, to gather, to celebrate, and to move through life with intention. This issue of Coastalpolitan is our reflection of that spirit. Radiant Strength is about the kind of power that doesn’t need to announce itself. It’s steady. It’s warm. It’s deeply rooted in who we are and how we show up for ourselves and for others. Across these pages, you’ll find women who embody that strength in ways that are bold, layered, and beautifully their own. In our main editorial, “All American, No Toning It Down,” we spotlight Joanna Olsen, a woman who leads with conviction and embraces life unapologetically. Her story reflects a fearless approach to business, identity, and living with confidence. Strength also reveals itself through discipline and determination. In “She Runs Toward the Hard Things,” we step into the mindset of endurance athlete Cat Bradley, where grit, focus, and solitude become a foundation for growth. And in Heart of the Coast, we highlight the impactful work of Anchorage Children’s Home through our conversation with Brooke Bullard, whose dedication to supporting children in need reflects a strength rooted in compassion, consistency, and care. This season also invites us to gather. In “Host Like It’s Summer,” we celebrate entertaining with thoughtful details, signature pours, and experiences designed to bring people together with ease and intention. From vibrant fashion to meaningful moments shared around the table, this issue captures the beauty of summer lived fully. Coastalpolitan remains proudly run by women, for women. Every story is curated with care. Every page is designed to reflect the confidence, creativity, and individuality that define life along our coastline. As you move through this issue, I hope you feel energized. Inspired. Reminded that strength can be soft, bold, quiet, or radiant, and that all of it belongs. Here’s to a season of color, connection, and showing up fully as yourself. Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 APR-MAY FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

There are places in a community that quietly hold everything together. Not with headlines or fanfare, but with consistency, care, and a commitment to showing up day after day for the people who need it most. Anchorage Children’s Home is one of those places. For decades, this local nonprofit has provided safety, stability, and support to some of the most vulnerable youth in our area—children and teens navigating abuse, homelessness, and uncertainty. Through residential programs, counseling outreach, and case management services, Anchorage meets these kids exactly where they are, offering not just shelter, but a path forward. At the heart of that mission is Brooke Bullard, Development Director, who is marking 19 years of service this month. “It is absolutely my heart,” Bullard shares. “I feel like teenagers are often forgotten at times, and the trauma they’ve endured—the cycle of abuse and homelessness—it’s our responsibility to make sure they understand they’re not forgotten. Their situation right now should not define their future.” That belief is woven into every program Anchorage’s Bridge Transitional Living Program serves homeless youth ages 16 to 21, offering an 18-month window of stability—time to finish school, find employment, and begin building an independent life. Right now, the program is at full capacity, with a waiting list, and recently, it lost a key federal grant. Instead of scaling back, Anchorage made a different decision: keep the program running. “We are self-funding through community support and private donations,” Bullard explains. “We’re not in the business of evicting. We want to make sure they have that safety and stability permanently in their life so they can thrive.” It’s a powerful statement—and one that comes with real urgency. These are students graduating from local high schools, working jobs, and trying to create a future for themselves, often without a stable place to call home. The need is closer than many realize. Referrals come from a wide network: the Department of Children and Families, local schools, law enforcement, and even the teens themselves. Guidance counselors, teachers, and administrators often recognize when a student is struggling—when “home” might mean couch surfing, staying with friends, or not having a place at all. Anchorage steps in during those moments, offering not just a place to stay, but structure, support, and the ability for these students to refocus on their goals. “We want schools to understand the services we provide,” Bullard says, “so if they encounter a child who could benefit from that stability, they know where to turn.” If there’s one thing Bullard emphasizes, it’s this: Anchorage doesn’t do this work alone. “I want to recognize our community,” she says. “We have built such strong relationships that when we face funding challenges or immediate needs, the community always steps up. That means so much to me. It’s comforting to know we can work together.” It’s a reminder that while Anchorage may be the hub, the support system extends far beyond its walls. Every donation, every volunteer hour, every conversation helps sustain programs that quite literally change the trajectory of a young person’s life. Child welfare organizations are easy to overlook until they’re needed. Bullard is candid about that reality. “Unless Anchorage or a child welfare agency has impacted your life directly, you probably don’t think about the services we provide,” she says. “But we all play a role in these children’s lives.” It’s not about guilt. It’s about awareness—and the opportunity to step in, even in small ways, to support something bigger than ourselves. Because behind every statistic is a teenager trying to break a cycle. A student trying to graduate. A young adult trying to build a future without a safety net. And right now, Anchorage is working to be that safety net. How to Get Involved To learn more, support the Bridge Transitional Living Program, or explore volunteer opportunities: Visit anchoragechildrenshome.org • Connect on Facebook and Instagram Contact Development Director Brooke Bullard directly at: bbullard@achkids.org Photos Courtesy of Anchorage Children's Home Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

Her Workspace Her Story The light in Rebecca Pierson’s studio shifts gently throughout the day, moving across sketchbooks, graphite pencils, and carefully arranged stems gathered from walks along the coast near St. George Island. Her workspace feels layered and lived-in, filled with potted greenery, pressed flowers, coastal paintings, and shelves lined with well-worn art books collected over years of illustrating. Pierson grew up on a farm in the mid-South, where creativity and nature became inseparable early in life. She has been drawing for as long as she can remember, often sketching plants, barns, and wildflowers before she fully understood what it meant to become an artist. After graduating from art school, she built a career as a freelance illustrator, developing a signature style rooted in graphite and colored pencil. Today, her work captures the quiet elegance of native flowers and coastal botanicals, blending precision, softness, and the calming influence of the shoreline just outside her studio window. Photos by Rebecca Pierson Her Workspace Her StoryCoastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

She moves like the tide; effortless, steady, quietly strong. Soft structure meets open air, where every detail feels like a breath in. Ease is the new elegance. In the stillness, she refines her rhythm. Clean lines, grounded tones; confidence without the need to speak loudly. Strength, softened. Patterns that feel like joy, worn without hesitation. Color returns like sunlight after a long winter. Bold, but never loud. She is not becoming, she already is. From the polished ease of Joseph Ribkoff to the vibrant femininity of Gretchen Scott, the effortless wearability of Jude Connally and Sympli, the everyday luxury of Hammitt, and the timeless structure of Foxcroft, each designer offers a distinct expression of modern coastal style.  Photos Courtesy of M&F Casuals M&F Casuals 380 Fairhope Avenue Downtown Fairhope (251) 928-5564 shopmandf.com Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

Originally from Jamaica, Gillian Hernandez has called Fairhope home for the past 18 years. With a natural love for people, she began her career in Human Resource Management and spent several years working in the cruise line industry in South Florida. After meeting her husband, Paul, the couple settled in Fairhope, where Gillian continued to nurture a long-standing interest in the beauty industry. Over the years, what began as a personal passion gradually grew into something more, inspiring her to explore the opportunity to turn that interest into a meaningful business. That exploration led Gillian to open her Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio in the Fairhope French Quarter, where she now blends her passion for beauty with her gift for connecting with people. Though the business is still new, she has already begun building a loyal community of customers who appreciate the care and attention she brings to every interaction. For Gillian, the most rewarding part of her day is seeing familiar faces walk through the door and watching clients leave feeling confident, smiling, and sometimes with a hug goodbye. For her, those moments are the true measure of success. “My mission is to empower women to feel confident in their own skin by helping them look and feel their very best.” Gillian Hernandez|Beautician 251.517.7289 gillie@merlenormanstudio.com makeupbygillianfairhope.com In a previous version of this feature, Gillian Hernandez was incorrectly identified as Gillian Rodriguez. This has been corrected in the blog post. We apologize for the error and appreciate the opportunity to make it right. Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan

With more than 20 years in the real estate industry, Meredith Folger Amon brings deep market knowledge and a highly personalized approach to buyers and sellers along the Gulf Coast. Based in Orange Beach and a homeowner on Ono Island, Meredith offers clients a genuine, first-hand understanding of the lifestyle, architecture, and communities that make the region so distinctive. Her insight goes beyond transactions, focusing on helping clients find homes and investments that truly align with how they want to live along the coast. Known for delivering a concierge-level experience, Meredith takes a thoughtful, hands-on approach with every client. She carefully considers their priorities, preferences, and long-term goals to create strategies tailored specifically to them. In addition to her work in real estate, Meredith is also a contributor to Coastal Lifestyle Magazine, where she writes about Gulf Coast homes, culture, and music. Her passion for storytelling and connection with the local creative community reflects the same authenticity and attention to detail that define her work in real estate. “Guided by Integrity. Backed by Experience.” Meredith F. Amon |Realtor 970.389.2905 meredith@searchthegulf.com searchthegulf.com Coastalpolitan Magazine | 2026 FEB-MAR FOLLOW US @coastalpolitan