“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” – Plato

Ken Weisner has worn many hats in his more than 35 years on Hilton Head Island. From bartender to personal trainer to staffing specialist, Ken has never been afraid to take risks and try new things. Still, by the looks of his newest title, this might be one of the most intriguing reinventions yet: Chief Playmaker.

In 2017, Ken founded Beach Play Company of Hilton Head, specializing in beach parties with a purpose. Understanding that today’s consumers are looking for unique, one-of-a-kind experiences, Ken helps people connect with each other through play, creating unique memories that will last a lifetime.
For some gatherings, such as family reunions or wedding parties, the goal may simply be a day of fun at the beach. For this, Ken offers a long list of activities including fishing and crabbing, beach Olympics, water gun games, and scavenger hunts, just to name a few!

Queen for a day?  Some of us would be happy to be queen for 10 minutes! Our busy, over-scheduled lives sometime scream for a little royal pampering, but what if that pampering wasn’t temporary, and the throne was a seat where your mirror always reflected beauty and confidence? Well, Personal Stylist, Image Consultant, and Color Analysis Expert, Wendy Jacobs of Bluffton’s House of Colour (HOC) just might be your fashion fairy-godmother.

The role of queen was recently played by Pink Magazine’s Advertising Sales Executive, Dawn Harris. A day of exploration into her color style and profile was great fun, but the method ... purely scientific.

“In my neighborhood all my friends’ mothers were like Betty Crocker. My mother, Bette, was 6-foot-tall and sometimes in jail for protesting nuclear power; we lived next to Three-Mile Island. Mom had been a Lt. Colonel in WWII, a nurse who saved lives. In retrospect, I’m damn glad she was my Mom—forget about the cookies!”

“My oldest son got pulled over for drag racing his Camaro. My smart-self decided to drive him to school to embarrass him. But I forgot I didn’t know how to drive the thing! I was so ashamed.”

“My MOMFAIL was in advising my girls not to date the bad boys. LOL! They never listened, as usual!”

George Tribilcox is a man who knows what he likes. He also knows how to get it when not within reach. George freely acknowledges that he is a fan of Pink magazine. Monthly, George would be on the lookout for the next issue. On one occasion a few years ago, George could not find a copy in the Beaufort area. Not wanting to miss a month of the magazine he so enjoys, he solved the problem quickly. He drove from his home on Fripp Island to the Hilton Head headquarters of Pink Magazine. Upon arrival, George shared he had driven over an hour for his monthly Pink fix.

“I love the stories and artwork in Pink. I even take them home to Maryland for my friends to read…”

“Pink Magazine is full of inspiring and informative articles. A lot of businesses that advertise in it are great. And, I’m all for being the best woman I can be. Staying in good health and the listing of top doctors and businesses to enhance any features you want to have taken care of—inspires!”

“I love networking with incredible women through Pink Magazine!”

“Pink makes me feel very supported by other women.”

“Pink is Fun, Beauty, Life and Love.”

One evening, as Wayne Beckley leisurely enjoyed a glass of wine, he found himself thinking about the ‘French Paradox’, a research study in which the French were found to suffer significantly lower rates of heart disease despite a diet rich in saturated fats. While many theories were proposed, one stood out—it must be the wine. Red wine, long a staple in French households, contains a high concentration of the antioxidant Resveratrol, which helps neutralize the toxic effects of natural cell metabolism.

As he slowly finished his glass, he pondered: If red wine was so beneficial to the inside of our bodies, what about the outside?

“On the way to Jamaica, at the tender age of 18, I immediately had guys approaching me saying something I thought was an offer of a picture, and of course, I said – ‘yes’. What they were asking was my hand in marriage!”

“I was traveling in Sweden by train, it stopped, and everyone got off except me and my friend; we were busy talking, not paying attention. The train started moving and rolled into a dark tunnel and turned itself off. We had to pull the windows down and yell for help!”

“I was at Disney World where apparently I had split my pants in the back and did not know. A couple hours later, when I went to ride the magical teacups, I noticed my behind was cold on the seat! Now my family has a joke: ‘Why don’t we do what Mandy’s pants did at Disney and split!’”

It was my great honor and privilege to meet and interview our February Motivational Man, Dick Rigler. The 94-year-old veteran of World War II is a tall handsome fellow with an engaging smile, sparkling eyes, and a quick wit. His visual impairment and walker don’t compromise his zest for living. He has gathered bushels of memories throughout his life.

The first memory he chose to share is one that indelibly shaped his life. He was a mere 18-year-old boy when Uncle Sam summoned him in April of 1943. As a member of the 104th Infantry Division, Dick experienced his first battle in Holland, after which he marched with his troops through Germany and met up with the Russians just south of Berlin. He saw front line combat in Germany and witnessed several of his army buddies killed. Dick recalls: “We were babies when we crossed the Roer River. I was a combat engineer, and it was our job to take the infantry safely across the river in rowboats before dawn with 11 mph river currents.”

“I met a really nice, well-educated guy back in my single days of the early ‘70s.  He turned out to be a warlock. He put a spell on my roommate and the following week she lost her job and her cat died!”

“I dated two guys at the same time. When they both showed up at my house at the same time, one held me down, while the other wanted to cut all my hair off so no one would date me. LOL! It didn’t happen. I still have all my hair!”

“The doctor I worked for and his wife were coming for a Christmas get-together, and I wanted everything to be perfect. I made two different dishes, covered them with foil, and placed them in the refrigerator in similar oven/fridge safe pans. Minutes before my guests arrived, I put one of the dishes in the oven to cook. When my boss walked in, he pointed out something was burning! I put the wrong dish in the oven; the congealed, strawberry pretzel salad was toast.”

“I gave the wrong present to my old boyfriend; it was supposed to go to my new boyfriend!”

James Hester, CEO and one of several counselors at Hope Performance Systems on Hilton Head, is the perfect Motivational Man for our January theme: #FindYourBalance. Both he and his company are all about new beginnings, keeping balanced, and most of all, hope.

James was born in South America to a Peruvian educator mother and an American father, who was in the oil business. Sadly, they both passed away last year. “The worst year of my life,” James said, “but they passed on a great heritage.” Among the gifts he received from his mother: the ability to speak fluent Spanish, a thirst for learning new things, and a passion for mentoring others. From his father, James inherited the desire and drive to become an innovative businessman with big plans on the horizon.

Ross Vezin is a tall, lanky redhead with a big smile and a firm handshake. He greeted me wearing a crisp, ironed uniform, indicating he’s a Captain with the City of Beaufort and Town of Port Royal Fire Departments. He looks a little young to have already attained this rank, but he admits to being 30, has over 10 years of experience with the department, and holds a Master’s degree. He is definitely a young man with lots to give to the community and does he ever deliver!

Ross chose a career in firefighting after his best friend’s father, Captain Jim Dillon of Miramar (Florida) Fire and Rescue was killed in the line of duty in 2006. Dillon’s role model as a selfless public servant of the community inspired Ross to attend the Fire Academy in Florida. After graduation, Ross sent out applications all over the Southeast, and the City of Beaufort invited him for a physical agility test and interview. A few days later they offered him the job, and Ross moved and made Beaufort his hometown. 

Meet Kathleen Mirin
Pink's December Mademann Makeover Candidate

Age: 64
Married to Paul Brophy
for 30 years, 3 children
Been part of the HHI community for over 20 years:
* Past Editor of the Island Packet
* Taught French for 20 years
* Presently friendly food presenter at Publix

It was a beautiful autumn day when Kathryn Mademann had the pleasure of meeting Kathleen Mirin.

“A family friend wrote to us at Pink Magazine sharing Kathleen's story, so we contacted her for her lifestyle makeover.” Kathleen confessed she had been working her way out of a persistent type of funk by exercising more and seeing good results in weight loss. “I think this makeover will be just what I need!”

Motivation—that certain something that inspires us to do or be something we’ve never tried before – can come from many sources. It can come from inside, such as a childhood dream, or New Year’s resolution, or it can spring from the words and actions of others, such as a coach’s rousing locker room speech.

Not as dramatic, perhaps, but no less effective are those people who motivate others simply by showing up—quietly inspiring from the sidelines and helping us believe we can do the difficult or impossible.

David Pautler is one of those individuals.

Mike Holmes and John Duberley are not just client and trainer at the Powerhouse Gym in Bluffton. They are friends, and they are a team. Both contribute to the success of the other, and both feel that the other guy is the real hero.

Mike is 39, a Native American from Florida, a Naval Academy grad, and a retired Marine Corps F-18 pilot. Nine years ago, he had quite a different life path in mind until a snowboarding accident in Utah nearly took his life.  Hitting a tree caused a serious traumatic brain injury and paralysis on his left side. He was in a coma for two months, then a wheelchair for two years. Life was bleak, even with his wonderful wife, Meredith, and their little girl, Nora. 

I’m often asked by the Yankees I left behind up north,
“How can you stand the humidity down there?”

My favorite response is: “What humidity?”

 I’d never admit it to my buddies, who are shopping for winter coats about now, but the humidity really does get to me by the end of the summer. I have a powerful method of beating the heat, though. I use my “lemonade and vodka out of lemons” mentality to spin the stifling humidity into something “potable.” Okay, you really can’t drink humidity, but I gobble up the warmth with the appetite of one born and raised with four seasons. Well, it’s really two in New York, sweat and shiver, but who’s counting?

Meet Karla Weeden
Pink's September 2018 Mademann Makeover Candidate

51 years old
Married 26 years to Tom
2 Children ~ Emily and Charlie
Career: Ultrasound technician at Beaufort Memorial Hospital OBGYN Specialists

Karla wanted to…
> Update her hairstyle and color
> Get Makeup tips
> Wear a pretty dress
> Create a casual look, as well

Karla Weeden loves watching makeovers on television. You can only imagine her surprise when we called her out of the blue and invited her for the exclusive Pink-Mademann makeover experience. After talking with her and viewing an on-the-spot selfie she text us, we chose Karla because she was enthusiastic, open for suggestions, and most importantly, ready for a change.

“When I was in fifth grade students didn’t change classrooms, instead, the teachers came to us. One day one of the knuckle-headed boys decided to lock the English teacher out and run back to his seat before she arrived. Me, being of sound mind, figured I would politely unlock the door. To my mortification, the door stuck and wouldn’t open right as the teacher was arriving. I was so embarrassed because it looked like I had locked her out. Eventually, I got it unlocked, but the teacher gave me an accusing look. I never told her what actually happened.”

“Recently we added a doctor kit to our Home Living area of the classroom. I heard a little girl saying her “baby” was hot and needed her temperature to be taken. I looked over and she had the doll baby faced down, patting her on the back, telling her it’s ok and she would feel better, only to realize she was taking the baby’s temperature RECTALLY.”

When I met Sarah Bo Danzell she was full of energy, articulate, and charismatic. She shared with me her busy life, family, and passion for teaching. As we spoke, I realized that Sarah Bo has a depth in her life experiences and, as many single moms, she has a lot on her plate managing her kids, renovating a new house, teaching, and trying to fit some “me-time” in between it all. This summer, Sarah Bo realized that-—busy life notwithstanding —it was time to do something new in updating her “look” with a new hairstyle and some ideas for her wardrobe for the upcoming school year.

Often women look in the mirror and quietly think to themselves: “I would love to do something different with my look but how do I go about it?” and “Who can I trust with this transformation?”

I’m so glad our Pink Makeover folks found her!