Call us a little bit biased, but we think T&S has some of the most interesting and creative contributors in St. Louis. Whether their instrument of choice is the pen or camera, they bring fresh perspectives and eyecatching images to every page of our publication. In celebration of our anniversary, we asked four of them to share their backgrounds and interests that eventually led them to be T&S experts!
katelyn young meyer, my messy mom life
When I was 17, I moved to New York to try my hand at acting after doing a reality TV episode on MTV. I finished high school online and moved to Hollywood. Later, I started a company called Km2 Shoes with my sisters Megan and Mattison, and we launched it at L.A. Fashion Week in 2009. We added accessories and kept up the business for six years. We were in 150 stores at one point, but when I had my second child, I decided to walk away and focus on motherhood. It was difficult to leave the business behind, but I’m an entrepreneur to my core and hope to return to fashion and design when my kids are older. Now, my husband and I are developing a healthy lifestyle and home website called kyleandkate.com. I love sharing my thoughts about motherhood in Town&Style! As a working mom creating my own business endeavors, I really see both points of view and all of the struggles and wonderful moments that happen.
bob paster, driven
I got interested in the automotive world through my grandfather and father. Dad bought a Buick the summer I was born, and I grew up working on it. As I got older, we would go to auto museums while we were on vacation; ‘car stuff’ usually was part of our travel plans. Now, I belong to several luxury auto clubs and am a certified performance driving instructor. I love the adrenaline rush of driving a great car, and I get a lot of satisfaction from the perfectly smooth gear shift or the perfect lap on a driving track. It’s like the pianist who plays an entire piece without missing a note. Whenever I get behind the wheel, I want to drive better than the time before, and I love passing on my knowledge to others.
suzy gorman, photographer
I earned a bachelor’s degree in art and sculpture from Fontbonne University in 1983, but I decided on photography as a fun, natural spinoff from that. It’s challenging, and I also liked the fact that people would pay me to do it! I have helped models like Devon Windsor launch their careers, and I’ve enjoyed working with other famous St. Louisans like Cedric the Entertainer, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Bob Costas, Joe Buck, Ozzie Smith and Nelly. Something most people don’t know about me is that I am half Chinese.
kenneth bland, bridge by bland
My interest in bridge started when I watched my mother and her friends play. They were very competitive but still had fun; there were always card games going on at our house. In college, I played student union bridge constantly. The sociability, competition and discipline of the game really fit my personality, and the collateral benefit of exercising my mind serves me well at this time of life. I’ve achieved the rank of Emerald Life Master and have accumulated more than 8,500 master points. Reaching this milestone has granted me world-class status as a player. Fifty years of competition have earned me St. Louis Player of the Year twice, and I’ve finished in the top five at national events. I’m a certified teacher and registered professional and was a restaurant owner and operator for almost 40 years.
