We had the good fortune of connecting with Caroline Parrish and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caroline, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
My parents met while they were both working in risk management, so risk is something I was raised to consider. But I do think it’s wildly important as an entrepreneur to take calculated risks, especially when it comes to betting on yourself. I spent a few years in Corporate America before realizing I wanted to pursue a more creative career. Every night after getting home from my job as a management consultant, I took online classes from Parsons New School of Design. Once I earned a design certificate, I took the plunge and went off on my own. So I tried to educate myself before leaving the safety net behind, but I will say the biggest lessons I’ve learned have been on the job!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a home stager, art curator, and realtor. While those three things might sound really different, in my mind they make perfect sense together. Your home is an expression of who you are, and art is an expression of what you like. I love helping people find the place they want to call home, and I love helping them fill it with art that speaks to them. When I stage a house, I consider it a blank canvas that I get to fill with art and furniture that will help buyers imagine themselves living there.
It was not a straight or easy path to get where I am – there isn’t a roadmap on how to become a stager / curator / realtor. But I have a very supportive husband and family who encouraged me to keep going, and when I joined Sotheby’s International Realty, the pieces all fell into place. Since we are a subsidiary of the auction house that sells some of the greatest art in the world, art is very much embedded in the company culture. We host a pop-up gallery in partnership with the Fort Worth Art Dealer’s Association’s semi-annual Gallery Night. I became involved with planning it immediately, and I’m now in charge of curating it (which, to me, feels like staging walls). Through that experience, I’ve met a number of local artists who have allowed me to use their art in the homes that I stage – for the sellers who hire me as their realtor, and for my colleagues who hire me to stage their listings.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My day starts with coffee, and we have a ton of great coffee shops all over town. A few of my favorites are Casa Azul near the Stockyards and HustleBlendz in South Main Village (I cannot recommend the Kenyan Dirty Chai enough). On Saturdays I love going to the Clearfork Farmers Market, where you can buy the best sourdough I’ve ever tasted from Our Daily Bread Artisan Bakery (with everything seasoning…chef’s kiss) and hand-poured candles from Ryan House Candles. You can buy gorgeous bouquets at the farmer’s market, but if you want to make your own, the Flower Market on 7th is my happy place, and stems are half price on Saturday afternoons! I wouldn’t want my friend to leave without experiencing the local art scene. We have great museums, but I also love our galleries. Which one we visited would depend on where I knew artists with work on display – today, it’s Adam Fung’s Mystic Sea exhibit at J. Peeler Howell Fine Art.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, Charlie, whose encouragement and support gave me the confidence to pursue a creative career!

Website: https://www.comfortiscreated.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comfortiscreated/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clhparrish/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@comfortiscreated

Image Credits
Photos 1 & 8 – Photography by Spross
Photos 2-3 – Brad Evans
Photos 4-7 – Thomas Garza

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.