Lt. Governor Evette’s visit was covered exclusively by Fox Carolina. She spoke to a class at USC Upstate Wednesday about women in leadership and the impact they are making in South Carolina.
Tag: Women in Business
By Claire Purnell, posted October 17, 2023 on WBTW.com
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was in Myrtle Beach on Tuesday to speak at Grand Strand Magazine’s annual Women in Business event.
The event was held at Dunes Golf and Beach Club and hosted about 150 women. It highlighted successful female leaders along the Grand Strand.
Evette says South Carolina ranks No. 4 in the country for the number of women-owned businesses. She said as a business owner herself, it’s important to share success stories and make sure the next generation of women knows they’re welcome in all fields.
“I think that’s a statistic that kind of gets skirted sometimes and people are really excited when they hear that,” Evette said. “So, I love to come and talk about that and I just love to champion women.”
Evette said her and Gov. Henry McMaster reach out to colleges, attend events like Tuesday’s and talk to students in a way that encourages all people to lead in business.
That’s a message that Ashleigh Dean’s business, Resting Brow Face, is built upon.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to help people. I wanted to make a difference while I’m alive,” she said. “I had problems with my skin for a long time and I’ve always kind of felt like I wanted to help other women and make them feel comfortable.”
At the age of 24, Dean, a licensed esthetician, opened her hair and skincare studio in The Market Common. But being a young woman brought its own set of obstacles to the table.
“I felt like people at first maybe wouldn’t get to things as soon as when I needed them because they thought I wasn’t going to be as serious about it,” she said. “So, I definitely had to step up my game with my assertiveness as far as my age and me being a woman too.”
Now, Dean has been the one-woman show behind Resting Brow Face on Hackler Street for more than six months.
She said the best part of her day is seeing women of all ages, backgrounds and skin types who come in for her services and leave feeling better about themselves.
That, in turn, makes Dean feel good too.
She isn’t stopping at just one business. She said she plans to add another type of wellness studio on the south end of the Grand Strand.
Originally published by The Lancaster News on August 14, 2023
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was the keynote speaker at the “She Means Business” last Thursday at Catawba Falls Events Center.
She discussed how being a woman and business owner influences her political decisions at the Aug. 10 Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce event, which drew about 300 people.
The night included a cocktail hour, dinner and dessert, a welcome speech by Angelica Figueroa with Sharonview Federal Credit Union, an introduction by Scott Broome with MUSC Health — Lancaster Division and a gift from Beckee Garris with the Catawba Nation.
Evette’s background
Evette is South Carolina’s second female lieutenant governor out of the 93 in the state’s history. She is the second in command to S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster.
She is also a mother of three and owner of Quality Business Solutions, a payroll, HR and benefits services firm. She is from Travelers Rest, SC.
Evette started work as an accountant after college and then started her business. She grew it to the size of a national company, and decided to jump ship to politics through the advice of three friends.
“Those three women did a ton to get me on the path that I’m on,” Evette said. “I met the governor (McMaster), and he asked me to run as his lieutenant governor.”
“So, not only am I the first female Republican lieutenant governor, but I’m the first lieutenant governor ever elected with a governor,” she said. “Lots of firsts — it’s almost a dream when you think I’ll be in the history books for all these things. It’s so cool and so surreal.”
Evette has served as lieutenant governor for five years, and was reelected last year. She was sworn in for her second term in January. Evette said she has spent the majority of her time helping businesses around the state, including cutting taxes, create a thriving
her time helping businesses around the state, including cutting taxes, create a thriving environment for businesses to excel and “creating the workforce of tomorrow.”
Focus on education
“As a mom, I have three children of my own, and education is really important,” Evette said. “I think we just have to make sure that our kids know how to think for themselves, that they can critically think and that we’re giving them the tools they need.”
Evette said that no matter what she accomplishes in her career, her biggest accomplishment is her children being healthy, happy and stable. She said her success with Quality Business Solutions, coupled with her political trailblazing for women, has given her the opportunity to leave a legacy for her children to follow.
During her speech, Evette highlighted her three focus areas for political policy: businesses, education and post-COVID economic stabilization and success.
Under her watch with McMaster, teachers received the highest pay raise for teachers on the East Coast this year — a $2,500 salary raise and a $2,500 bonus.
Evette also discussed the need to change society’s view of trade schools and technical colleges, as not every student thrives in a four-year college environment. She encouraged guests to change the negative narrative around non-traditional higher education, and highlighted the amazing jobs boosting the S.C. economy from trade and technical schools. Her son attended Greenville Technical College, and Evette said she is proud to support technical colleges in the Legislature and her personal life.
McMaster and Evette implemented $75 million in workforce scholarships statewide. “We want to make sure everyone has a quality job, a self-sustaining job,” she said.
Evette also highlighted the importance of getting children to start working at an earlier age, because those lower-level jobs support small businesses and teach fiscal responsibility. Evette emphasized how pro-business she and the governor are, noting that South Carolina is fourth in the nation for women-owned businesses.
“I want to thank you all so much, and thank you to the chamber for what you do,” Evette said. “We couldn’t do what we do without you helping keep our businesses thriving and growing.”
“I love talking about South Carolina’s fingerprints,” she said. “I love talking about our amazing South Carolina spirit.”
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Lt. Governor Pamela Evette sat down with Lacey Eibert Keigley with Travelers Rest Here. During the interview they discussed Evette’s service to the state, her priorities, her values, her family, and living in Travelers Rest.
Please find an excerpt below. Access the full story here.
Pamela Evette has served as South Carolina’s Lt. Governor for the past four years (with a recent re-election for four more years) and she lives in Travelers Rest. She and her husband have raised their family on a farm in TR for the past twenty years or so. The family home and farm are next door to their business and when she’s not traveling throughout the state in her official capacity, you can definitely find her at home with her husband and three children and her 94 year old mother who also lives with the family.
“Everybody knows everybody,” Evette shared about TR. “That’s the beauty of small towns.” We joked about the added benefit of raising kids in small towns. “Yes, we really bonded over that,” Evette laughed. “I mean, in a small town, as a kid, all the parents knew one another. If you did something two blocks away, your parents probably knew about it before you got home.”
Her family’s farm is an operating horse farm and Evette said she still enjoys riding. “In fact, not long after I was sworn into office, I rode a horse in the Aiken Christmas Parade.” We shared a few stories of falling off horses, something we’ve both experienced and would rather not experience again, particularly as women over forty. As far as we both know, she’s the only female elected official in South Carolina to ride a horse in a parade – and, more importantly of course, Evette is the first female Republican Lieutenant Governor in our state of South Carolina. We’re proud she’s a local – and she’s proud to be one too.
Of course, TR continues to grow and to change – and has changed dramatically during the history of both Evette’s family life here and her personal and professional career. “Back when I moved here, downtown wasn’t really a downtown. It’s been so encouraging to see how everything has grown. The wonderful history that wraps around everything,” Evette said.
She believes the growth of Travelers Rest reflects the growth of the entire state. “I think the revitalization of the Main Street here in Travelers Rest is mirrored all over Main Streets in South Carolina.” She’s proud of TR – and we are too. Evette said she frequently talks about our shared small town’s growth and improvements. “The vision of the small shops, the Farmer’s Market – they’ve done a great job going back to their roots and finding their heritage. People are yearning to connect to that. It’s the best last stop before you go to the mountains.”
[…]
I found Evette to be sincere and direct. She cares about South Carolina, its economy, its diversity, its people.
“I want our kids to be proud South Carolinians, to be so proud of being from South Carolina,” she shared. “I talk a lot to people about South Carolina’s fingerprints. Sometimes we can take it for granted – how great this place is. For example, we are building more BMWs than anywhere in the world. That’s our fingerprints. We’re building boats in Charleston. Our fingerprints. We are building planes. Fingerprints of South Carolina. We make pharmaceuticals in the midlands that go all over the world. South Carolina fingerprints. I want to explain to our kids how proud they can be of where they live, how our South Carolina finger prints are all over.”