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19 Recycling company coming to Haywood County Page 31

Local acts receive bluegrass awards Page 36

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BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

STAFF WRITER

T urning onto North Hill Street in downtownWaynesville, you’re immediately greeted by over-hanging maples sporting the latest in fall colors.

Pulling into the Twin Maples Farmhouse, the picturesqueproperty is silent, peaceful, as if pulled from some sort ofNorman Rockwell painting.

And just as you take a seat on the tranquil porch anarray of vehicles slide into nearby parking spaces.Numerous people soon appear, many holding plates offood, perhaps a bottle or two of wine. Before you caneven get up to welcome these newcomers, they get to youfirst, offering a hearty handshake with a confidence andstyle akin to only one organization in Haywood County— the Women of Waynesville.

“This is truly a congregation of women,” said NikkiWhite, president of WOW. “Once you get to know thesewomen, you’ll discover all these different parallels anddepths — everything that makes them who they are.”

Started as a simple idea in 2011 between White andco-founder Michelle Briggs (who also runs TwinMaples), the nonprofit has taken on a life of its own.With roughly 50 members (30 to 35 who consistentlyattend their first Thursday of the month meeting),WOW brings together female business owners, entrepre-neurs and community activists. It is the crossroads ofempowerment and change, where actions speak louderthan words, and these women can be heard from moun-taintops far and wide.

“The women in this group are feisty and scrappy,they’re go-getters,” said Kristen Delliveniri, a WOWmember and co-owner of Phil+Kristen Photography.“They don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, they make thingshappen. They believe in value and purpose — it’s hard tobe around women like this and not feel empowered totake over the world.”

In a club where the age range is 22 to 74, Delliveniriis one of the youngest. At 32, she joined WOW a yearago as a way to not only network and get her name outthere, but to also truly connect with other women inbusiness and around the community on deeper, moremeaningful levels.

“I like being able to talk to women I respect within

the community, whohave their own busi-ness, who are moversand shakers, who area few steps ahead ofme,” she said. “I canask them what thosenext steps are like,what to expect inthose next phases oflife and your career— it inspires me.”

At the WOWmeeting on Oct. 1,numerous conversa-tions swirl in the air.To the left, a handfulof members are dis-cussing the upcomingelections and theirthoughts on theissues. To the right, afew are showing pic-tures of grandchildren, nieces, nephews, sons and daugh-ters. You soon pick up the notion that WOW is morethan just an ensemble of women, it’s a social club, sup-port group and all-around positive influence on all whodecide to swing by Twin Maples and see what all the fussis about.

“To me, it’s incredible to see what we’re created, it’s

Connecting a communityWomen of Waynesville make their mark

WOMEN IN BUSINESS 2015

Want to go?The Power of Pink fundraiser will be held on

Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Haywood Regional MedicalCenter Health & Fitness Center in Clyde.

In an effort to raise awareness and funds for breastcancer, the Pink Relay will kickoff at 9 a.m., with the 5Kat 10:30 a.m., one-mile honor/memory/survivor walkthereafter. Proceeds go to breast cancer detection andproviding mammograms for underserved women inHaywood County. Help WOW and the Haywood HealthcareFoundation eradicate breast cancer by celebrating andremembering those individuals who have battled thisdisease by supporting and participating in this eventheld during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since2007, 742 women in Haywood County have receivedthese life-saving cancer screenings.

To register for the races or to donate to the cause,call 828.452.8343 or click on www.haywoodhealthcare-foundation.org. To learn more about Women ofWaynesville, go to www.womenofwaynesville.com.

A recent meeting of the Women of Waynesville (WOW) atthe Twin Maples Farmhouse in Waynesville. The nonprofitorganization raises monies for women and children chari-

ties around greater Haywood County, with over $30,000being collected and donated in the last three years.

Garret K. Woodward photo

“A lot of membershere are eithernew to town ormoved here fromsomewhere else awhile ago. WOWbrings them intoour communityand makes themwant to work forthe community.”

— Michelle Briggs,

Twin Maples Farmhouse

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Judy Davis is the Owner of WNCPromotional Products.

She has been in business25 years and gives duecredit to her husband“Thanks to my husband,who does all of myadministrative work, I havebeen able to work on salesand service over the years.”

“I love being in sales, Imeet new people everydayand enjoy helping promotetheir business.”

She encourages womenentrepreneurs to takeadvantage of onlineopportunities, pointing out“I am able to retain much ofmy Florida business thanksto modern technology.

WNC PromotionalProductsPhone, Web, etc.

mobrig@beverly-hanks.com

Marilynn Obrig-Serratt

GRI

828-550-2810

For 35 years, Marilynnhas been a proven leader in the sale and marketing of luxury homes. Please call for a

Committed to Exceeding Expectations

Laurel Ridge Country Club

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Marilynn Obrig, a 28-year South Florida Real

Estate veteran, earned a reputation as one of the most

trusted and respected professionals in the business. Her

hard work ethic and negotiating skills enabled her to cement

her position with a repeat high-profile clientele that relies on

marketing talent, confidentiality and attention to detail.

In 2007, Marilynn and her husband chose Waynesville for

retirement. After two years of “settling in” and volunteer

work, Marilynn felt the desire to get back in the Real Estate

business. Perceiving a need for specialized marketing for

high-end homes, she targeted that market, and now shares

her luxury marketing experience with her clients in North

Carolina. Marilynn joined Beverly-Hanks in 2009 and retained

her Florida real estate license to broaden her marketing base.

Marilynn’s primary career focus is to help her buyers and

sellers achieve their goals with a caring, “win-win” approach,

and a sense of humor.

Marilynn is honored to serve REACH of Haywood County

Board of Directors as the Fundraising/Special Events Chair.

In 2014, Marilynn led a committee to form the Friends of

REACH, an Auxiliary which provides volunteers for

fundraisers, the Within Reach Thrift Store, Crisis Hotline and

Emergency Shelter, supporting survivors of domestic

violence and sexual assault.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

almost like a monster of women whowant to do good for Haywood County,”Briggs said. “When you look out there,every single one of those women wantsto be part of this because we do immensethings for the county.”

And “immense” is the key word. Inthe last few years, WOW has raised over$30,000 for various charities aroundgreater Haywood County. With a keenfocus on women and children orientedcharities, they’ve given to the KidsAdvocacy Resource Effort (KARE),Resources Education AssistanceCounseling Housing (REACH), and BigBrothers, Big Sisters, among others. Intheir most recent fundraiser, they pre-sented a check for $10,000 to the localchapter of Meals on Wheels. They’ve alsobeen the chair of the Power of Pink forthe last three years, a breast cancerawareness event and fundraiser in part-

nership with the Haywood HealthcareFoundation, which will once again takeplace on Oct. 24 at the HaywoodRegional Medical Center & FitnessCenter in Clyde.

“It’s reallyimportant for WOWto not only provide aplace for women tocome and do some-thing powerful with-in their community,but also be animpact in helpingthose in need,”Delliveniri said.

And yet, within the last year, WOWhad to dial it back, but just a tad. With asomewhat rolling membership, thegroup swelled from 23 members thispast winter to over 60. In an effort tokeep balance amid ever-expanding num-bers and priorities, they began focusingmore on developing friendships withinthe organization and fleshing out keyobjectives in moving forward.

“For the last few years, we were tryingto drive this vehicle that is WOW, butnow we were driving it with 66 peopleonboard,” White said. “And we couldn’tcontinue to do that, so we decided to getto know each other better, to find outwhat this army of ours is truly made ofbefore we pushed ahead any further.”

As they call their meeting to order,White takes center stage. Soon, a free-flowing forum emerges, where hands areraised if they have a piece of news to noteor perhaps a suggestion for the group topursue. Some ask for prayers with recenthealth concerns, others throw an ideaout for a future fundraiser. It’s a dialoguethat is as open and honest as the voicesthat offer up whatever it is that’s on theirminds.

“We’ve all become friends. We’re notjust a group of touch-and-go women,”Briggs said. “A lot of members here are

either new to town or moved here fromsomewhere else a while ago. WOWbrings them into our community andmakes them want to work for the com-munity — they get to truly feel part ofHaywood County.”

“There’s a platform established hereby people that either found this place orwere already here and knew how incredi-bly unique Haywood County is,” Whiteadded. “And now we have this physicalplatform where there isn’t a glass ceilingover women, where we’re in this placewhere you can come, create, and you’llbe supported by the community.”

When asked if what WOW hasbecome is what White had initially envi-sioned, she pauses for moment, with asly grin soon rolling across her face.

“If you plant a seed, and if you’re abeliever in manifestation, this kind ofthing organically happens,” she said.“You don’t need to dissect it, you ride thewave — this is exactly why the womenthat are here have continued to be pillarswithin the community.”

Kristen Delliveniri

The Women of Waynesville board of directors are (from left) Laura Wehking, MichelleBriggs, Nikki White, Katie Higgs and Linda Chovan. Garret K. Woodward photo

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Michele Rogers turnswhatever life deals herinto a winning handBY BECKY JOHNSON

STAFF WRITER

M ichele Rogers had no job, no college degree, nohusband and no place of her own when she pulledup stakes in her hometown of Norfolk, Va., and

headed for Haywood County in the winter of 1996. “I rolled into town with a car, a little bit of furniture

and two little kids,” Rogers recalled. “I literally had tostart from the ground up.”

But Rogers was full of grit and optimism, a winningcombination for a self-made businesswoman.

In a 15-year span, Rogers climbed the ladder in thebusiness world from a desk clerk at Maggie ValleyCountry Club to the owner of a prominent rental homecompany, Select Homes.

Rogers had an uncanny knack for being in the rightplace at the right time — and winning over the right peo-ple — in her career journey.

Like most business success stories, Rogers stillremembers the turning point that catapulted her fromsales foot soldier to small business owner. She was aRealtor at the time and was shooting the breeze in herboss’ office — griping about the souring real estate mar-ket as she recalls — when an unexpected call camethrough.

It was Bruce Totty, the owner of Select Homes. Shewas short-staffed and wanted someone to pinch-hit as atemp worker.

“She said ‘Do you know anyone smarter than the aver-age bear who can come in here and help me for a fewweeks?’” Rogers recalled.

Ron Breese, the owner of ReMax Mountain Realty,swiveled to Rogers and asked her if she wanted to pick upsome extra work.

Rogers had been a Realtor for less than three yearsand was knocking it out of the park.

“I did very well. I was a very hard worker for one,”Rogers said. “I have always been an over-achiever.”

But by 2008, the market had slowed dramatically.“I love to work. I didn’t like sitting in my cubicle. I

thought, ‘It will give me something to do instead of sit-ting here and the phone not ringing for eight hours.’ Ithought I was going to do it two or three weeks.”

Rogers would ultimately come to own the business. “I have truly loved every job I had, and that’s the

truth. But I have never loved a job like I love propertymanagement,” Rogers said. “I knew after I was here twomonths this was my niche.”

Still, Rogers was torn over returning to real estate and

staying in the rental management business. But Tottykept asking her to stay.

“Bruce and I hit it off,” Rogers said.Of course, that’s true of just about anyone Rogers ever

meets.Rogers’ outgoing and open personality has been one

of her greatest strengths in her business endeavors. Shehas the rare ability to find a personal connection witheveryone she encounters. From the second she meets you,she’s an open book, and that translated to her salesapproach.

“Whether it was on the phone or in person, I alwaystried to find a way to connect with that person,” Rogerssaid. “I make it more about a conversation.”

That knack for building relationships in a heartbeatmade her a perfect fit for the world of property manage-ment.

“I love it. I love the interaction with the owners andthe tenants, I love finding people somewhere to live,”Rogers said.

Totty began turning more and more of the businessoperations over to Rogers, until Rogers was essentiallyrunning Select Homes.

“I just came out and said ‘Are you interested in sell-ing?’” Rogers said.

Rogers has steadily grown the business since becom-

ing the owner in 2010, more than doubling the number ofrental properties that Select Homes manages.

“Two hundred and sixty-five, as of today,” Rogers said.The growth of Select Homes can’t be chalked up solely

to Rogers’ charisma, but is the result of tireless network-ing in the business and real estate community.

And while her upward career trajectory might looklike luck, it was anything but.

Whether it was taking night classes for her real estatelicense or studying landlord-tenant law when the rest ofher family was asleep, Rogers worked tirelessly to posi-tion herself in the path of opportunity.

Perhaps most importantly, when doors opened forher, she had to be brave enough to go for it. It’s certainlybeen a motto in her life, going back to that early decisionto strike out on her own as a 25-year-old single mom tostart the next chapter of her life following a divorce.

“I can remember making the decision. I rememberthinking the big city is not for me. I love the mountainsand thought ‘I will give it two years,’” said Rogers.

Rogers inherited her independent streak from hermother, who taught her the virtues of tenacity and self-reliance as a child. Her father was diagnosed with life-altering cancer when she was a child, and it was up to hermom to make a living to support the family.

“I know this is cliché, but I attribute a lot of my suc-

Self-made,self-reliantand self-driven

Michele Rogers’office pays homageto pay homage to herlove of old LPs,autographed guitarsand concertmemorabilia. “It is agreat ice breakerwhen meeting newclients,” she says.Becky Johnson photo

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Carla Youse has been shopping at consignmentstores as long as she can remember. Just recently,she became the new owner of Pocketsaver.

Carla offers much of the credit for her strong desireto repurpose and reuse to her Mother. “As a divorced

single mom she taught me how to repurpose items someone elseno longer wanted. She was very creative and her fashion sensewas ahead of it’s time.”

As a result Carla has developed an eclectic style; “It’s funto have a store that represents my style. My

family and friends say that I’m in my el-ement, and I’m excited to come towork everyday.”

1507 South Main St, Waynesville (828) 452-5250 Consignmentwnc.com

Cassidy MorganLance has been inthe tattoo businessfor nine years.

Working with her husbandrevealed a need and interest inpermanent makeup in the areaand the change fell directly inline with her cosmetologycareer. Many of her makeupclientssuffer fromfailing eye

site, allergies or alopecia and Cassidyloves the instant change it offers them.

She says her favorite part of the jobis “making that difference, givingsomething to someone that they havenever had before, something thatmakes them feel normal.” Cassidy Morgan Lance is also ahairdresser at Blue Moon Salon.

292 N. Haywood St. • Waynesville(828) 452-2133 ForbiddenColorTattoo.com

cess to my mother. I grew up in an erawhen the majority of my friends had astay-at-home mom,” Rogers said. “It was-n’t that she was a feminist, she was justlike you never know what is going tohappen in your life.”

Like Rogers, her mother started atthe bottom and quickly came up throughthe ranks.

“My mother was a go-getter. Shestarted as a secretary and kept gettingpromoted,” Rogers said.

Rogers’ story is similar. After arrivingin Haywood County, she landed a job atthe front desk at Maggie Valley CountryClub but didn’t stay at the post long —only three months — before being pro-moted to sales and marketing manager.Her boss hand-picked her as the perfectfit to sell the country club as a resort des-tination to golf groups, a job that includ-ed traveling to golf trade shows all overthe country.

“Because I am so outgoing,” Rogerssaid. “She saw that sales quality in meand she took me under her wing.”

She later migrated to a similar groupsales position at Lake JunaluskaConference and Retreat Center, beforemaking another leap into real estate,landing an agent position with ReMax

Mountain Realty.Once again, Rogers made the right

connections, teaming up as partnerswith another agent, Scotty Schulhofer,who had vast connections as a local.

The two shared all their listings, mar-keting costs and commissions — basedon a “handshake deal” that gave Rogersforays into the real estate world it wouldhave taken years to build up otherwise.

“Scotty knew everybody and I did thework. That was our joke,” Rogers said.

Rogers’ enthusiasm that got herwhere she is today isn’t something youcan simply turn off, and that proved oneof her biggest challenges as a businessowner.

When Rogers bought Select Homes,she was working until midnight, andback again by 7 the next morning. Hersons were grown by then, and her daysas a self-described baseball mom wereover, freeing her up to throw herselfheadlong into her work.

“I had zero life. I was so afraid some-thing was going to go wrong. I was a newbusiness owner and felt like I needed toknow everything going on and needed to

handle it,” Rogers said.She knew she had to temper her own

drive, but didn’t quite know how.Rogers’ salvation came from her hus-

band, who quit his job and came to workwith her at Select Homes. She had twoemployees but needed a management-level broker.

“You grow to a certain point andknow you need someone else. It was ahuge leap of faith because we were givingup his salary,” said Rogers.

They’d been married for nearly 10years but had known each other muchlonger. They’d met when Rogers workedat Maggie County Club, where Rick wasin accounting.

Rick’s as easygoing as Rogers is out-going. He’s not only Rogers’ businesspartner and husband, but her bestfriend.

Rogers is a die-hard Steelers fan andcountry music nut, and quickly convert-ed Rick. And Rogers took up deer hunt-ing — they are in a hunting club togeth-er — and staying at a camper at the lakeon weekends. She even listens to his ‘90smusic.

“We go to listing appointmentstogether. We ride to work together everyday. We are one of those lucky couples

that truly get along that well,”Rogers said.

Most of the time, that is.“We have a joke that I fire

him occasionally,” Rogers said.Even with Rick on board, it

was hard for Rogers to let go ofthe wheel.

“I am very type A and feltlike I had to have my hand ineverything. It really was anepiphany. I thought, ‘What am I

doing? I have the best possible team Icould have. I have got to let it go,’”Rogers said.

The business was growing and need-ed more space anyway. So Rogersexpanded the office — located one blockoff Main in downtown Waynesville —and set up her own work space in anadjacent office suite with a shared lobby.

“I can’t hear what is going on overthere and I can’t stick my nose in it. I amable to focus on my job,” Rogers said.

It also gave her a chance to redeco-rate. Rick moved into her old office —which was decked out in Steelers colorsand paraphernalia — giving Rogers anew office canvas to work with.

She decided to pay homage to herlove of old LPs, autographed guitars andconcert memorabilia, including framingand displaying dozens of records fromher collection.

“It is a great ice breaker when meet-ing new clients,” Rogers said.

Not that Rogers needs any help inthat department.

“I have never met a stranger,” shesaid.

“Whether it was on thephone or in person, I alwaystried to find a way to connectwith that person. I make itmore about a conversation.”

— Michele Rogers, Select Homes

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Beginning Saturday & Sunday October 17 & 18Apple Creek Cafe Will Open on the Weekends!

TRADITIONAL LUNCH MENU Monday–Friday 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m.FAMILY STYLE DINNER Monday–Saturday 4:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

FAMILY STYLE LUNCH Sunday Only 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

32 Felmet Street off N. Main St. WaynesvilleTO GO ORDERS: 828-456-9888

www.AppleCreekCafe.com

Morgan Fisher, Co-owner of Apple Creek Café beganwork remodeling the café in February and openedthe doors at the beginning of April of this year.

Fisher has always been interested in going into businessfor herself, taking courses in college to head in thatdirection but after college she says, “I chickened out.”

When the opportunity to take over at Apple Creek Cafécame up, Fisher said “I knew it was time to take the chance.Everything happens for a reason.”

She talks about the restaurant business fondly, “I was ahostess at The Sweet Onion in college and I loved theatmosphere, I think maybe that’s why I started heading inthat direction in college.”

We talked about challenges women face in the workplaceand Fisher told us “The main challenge I have had is forpeople to take me seriously. I’m a woman and I’m only 25.

Once people saw that I was making an effort and workinghard it changed their minds. I have definitely had to standup for myself and put my foot down but it’s worth it.”

Fisher feels strongly that women need to support eachother “It’s important for women in business to never backdown. Don’t let anyone run over you just because they thinkthey are better than you.”

“Unfortunately, I have had a few jobs where the womenwere worse than the men. I believe as women we shouldstick together and prove that we are just as knowledgeableand capable as the men we work with.”

Managing Apple Creek Café “has become a breeze sincewe got all the right people in place.”

“I have a wonderful general manager and front of thehouse manager that make my job very easy. They consultwith me for the final say so with major decisions but havereally taken ownership in their jobs and I trust them to dothe right thing without me micromanaging. I couldn’t askfor anything better.”

Locals Love Apple Creek Café!

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Slusser’s spent hercareer in a male-dominated industryBY HOLLY KAYS

STAFF WRITER

M ost people don’t kick off their retirement bybecoming president of a company, but NickiSlusser is not most people.

In an era when women rarely ventured into engineer-ing fields, Slusser — now at the helm of Jackson PaperManufacturing as president and chief operating officer— finished a degree in mechanical engineeringand, after graduating in 1979, went to work forthe male-dominated paper industry. At the time,she was the only woman there who wasn’t in anoffice job.

For some, walking into a company full of menas the only woman in the room would have beenintimidating. But not to Slusser.

“Not really,” said Slusser, shrugging her shoul-ders when posed the question. “I didn’t have anydoubts that I could do it. I had something to prove,I think, when I first started, but that took about amonth to prove to everybody.”

It was the guys she worked with who had thequestions — “can she do this, can she do that, canshe get dirty, can she last all those long hours, allthose things that you get tested with,” Slusserrecalled — so she just had to show them theanswer was “yes.”

“I’m sure there’s all these glass ceilings andthat kind of stuff out there, and did I run up hardagainst any of those? I can’t say that I did,”Slusser said. “I’m sure there was some prejudiceout there, but I never felt like it really got in theway of my career.”

In some respects, she said, her gender may havehelped. She entered the workforce around the timethat industry was recognizing the dearth of womenin the workplace. Some companies were activelyrecruiting women to take on leadership roles. Atthe very least, being a woman made you a minori-ty, so whatever you did — good or bad — people noticed.

That’s not to say that discourse at the paper mill wasalways polite or delicate, but that’s the nature of thebusiness.

“Did you have to be kind of thick-skinned, especiallyworking around a lot of men and construction workers? Ofcourse you did,” she said. “You had to dish it out just likeyou had to take it, but I don’t know that’s all that differentthan anything else. I feel pretty fortunate in that I was in anindustry that was willing to accept women into it and waswilling to look for opportunities to give you a chance.”

Slusser quickly moved from engineering to opera-tions, rising through the ranks to work for InternationalPaper, Champion and Mead in a variety of managementroles, including managing the International Paper Mill inCantonment, Florida. She became the first woman to

serve as president of the Paper Industry ManagementAssociation, and she also joined the board of directors forthe Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry.

In many ways, her career mirrored that of her fatherJim Stewart, who was also in the paper business. LikeSlusser, her dad started out as an engineer and moved upin the operations side of things, eventually managingmultiple paper mills in the course of his career. Slusser’schildhood was defined by the paper business, with thefamily moving from paper mill town to paper mill townas she grew up.

“He was a huge mentor for me,” she said of her father. As a college student, Slusser found herself a shoe-in

for co-ops and internships at paper mills. She wasn’t real-ly planning on following in her father’s footsteps to make

it a career. It just kind of happened. “I liked the people, liked what was going on, liked the

excitement,” she said. “So when I got out of school I waslike, ‘This is a pretty good industry and I actually knowsomething about it.’”

But success didn’t come for free. “It required a lot of time. A lot of weekends, nights

and part of that’s because it’s a 24/7 operation, so whenthere’s problems going on or issues, you can’t say, ‘Oh, Iwas planning on playing golf today,’” she said. “You dropwhat you’re doing and address whatever the issues are.”

Slusser’s career eventually took her to Memphis,where she held high-level positions in the corporateoffices of International Paper. She was there for eightyears, but as she entered her late 50s, she started to get

burned out. The job involved a lot of bureaucracy,a lot of traveling, a lot of stress. Her husband washaving health problems, and she wanted to bethere for him.

She decided to retire. The Slussers had pur-chased a house near Lake Logan in HaywoodCounty, intending to spend at least part of the yearthere during her retirement.

She’d barely announced her decision when thephone rang. It was Tim Campbell, CEO and major-ity stockholder of Jackson Paper, wanting to knowif Slusser might want to hang in the business for alittle longer.

Campbell was a longtime family friend and hadstarted the business in 1955 with Jeff Murphy, whobecame Slusser’s brother-in-law. Around the timeSlusser moved to Western North Carolina,Murphy sold his shares and headed for Florida.

“It started out as doing some consulting work,”Slusser said of her talks with Campbell. “I wasn’tgoing to be working all the time.”

The job soon became more than that, withSlusser taking over operations responsibilities inJanuary 2013. She and Cambell worked it out soshe could do the job while still enjoying the vaca-tions she’d planned for her retirement — though,as is necessary with a 24/7 business, she’s alwaysreachable by phone.

Slusser’s grateful for the opportunity. It washigh time to step back from the hectic pace of cor-porate America, but quitting the business cold

turkey wasn’t quite what she wanted. “When this came along, it was just a perfect fit for me

wanting to retire but still keep my fingers in the busi-ness,” she said.

The comparatively small, family-owned paper compa-ny is a more flexible, less bureaucratic place to work. Shecan bring her dog to work. It’s a good fit.

And it’s still a paper job. Because, for all the chal-lenges and unexpected crises it brings, Slusser loves thepaper business — its ever-changing dynamics, the goodpeople it attracts, the security it provides to families andtowns — and she wants to be a part of that world for agood while longer.

“I didn’t really necessarily want to retire 100 percent,”she said. “I don’t know what I’d do with my time. I don’tthink I could play golf five days a week.”

A passion for paper

Did you have to be kind of thick-skinned, especially workingaround a lot of men andconstruction workers? Of courseyou did. You had to dish it out justlike you had to take it, but I don’tknow that’s all that different thananything else.

— Nicki Slusser, president,

Jackson Paper Manufacturing

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10 828.456.3211 www.smokymtneye.com

From Hwy. 19/23 take Exit 104 towards Lake Junaluska; continue 1/2 mile to Haywood Medical Park on the left. NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

Since 1981 Dr. CoyBrown and his staff havebeen a close-workingteam of professionalsdedicated to providinghigh qualitypersonalized eye care forthe whole family.

We value our patient relationships andstrive to improve your quality of life andvision wellness through uncompromisedservice and state-of-the-art technology.

When you visit our office, our goal is

that you will leave completely satisfiedand confident with our doctor, staff andservices!

Voted Best Optometrist HaywoodCounty year after year, nothing is moreimportant to us than your vision.

Kim’s Pharmacy was established in February 2008

by Kim Ferguson, a graduate of University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill School of Pharmacy.

After completing her degree in 1990, Kim returned to her hometown

to serve her community as a pharmacist. She is a lifelong resident of

Waynesville and has deep roots in the community. Kim is also actively

involved with Altrusa of Waynesville, DSS Christmas and Foster Child

Program, and Relay for life.

Kim’s Pharmacy is proud to have been selected favorite pharmacy by

the readers of The Mountaineer 6 years running and is grateful to the

residents of Haywood County for patronizing an independent pharmacy in this age of big box chain

stores. Kim’s Pharmacy is honored to have been selected 2013 Business of the Year by the Haywood Chamber of Commerce.

As the only compounding pharmacy west of Asheville, the pharmacy’s patients range from newborns to geriatrics

and everything in between. It does a lot of compounding for vets in the area, and the animal patients range

from cats, to dogs, to horses and squirrel.

“We take care of the whole family,” said Kim.

366 RUSS AVE. (BiLo Shopping Center) | WAYNESVILLE828.452.0911

Find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/kimscompounds

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Pasquale’sMediterranean-Italian

Restaurant has been inbusiness since 2001.

Deb Hermida and herhusband Jose havebeen in the restaurantbusiness for years andit was always a dreamof Jose’s to have his

own place. While Jose takes the lead in the kitchen cooking upscrumptious meals, Deb takes pleasure in running the dinning room.Over the years she has enjoyed getting to know her regulars. Shespeaks of families coming in over the years and watching children growup with a fondness that shows how much passion she has for her job.

When asked what advice she would give to women just starting out inbusiness she said, “Make sure you find the balance between personaland professional early on and pay attention. It’s the details that count.”

1863 SOUTH MAIN STREET • WAYNESVILLE, NC828.454.5002

MEDITERRANEAN ITALIAN CUISINE

Kathy Sheppard, president of Sheppard Insurance hasworked in the insurance industry since 1982 aftergraduating from UNC-Chapel Hill. She bought the

agency in 1992. “Every account presents unique challenges. I enjoy the analysis

and creativity thatgoes into puttingtogether theappropriateinsurance protectionfor my clients. I alsoam blessed to havethe most wonderfulcustomers who havebeen with us a longtime,” Sheppard said.

Sara SheppardPacifici, vice president of Sheppard Insurance, began working forthe agency in 2009. Speaking on what drew her to the businessSara said: “I have always had a passion for helping people andthat is just what this business does. We help people make theright decisions for their families or their business, and ifsomething happens, we help them through very difficult times intheir lives. It is a very rewarding career.”

Kathy says she is so proud to be part of a business owned andoperated by women.

“Don’t even think about your gender in deciding on yourcareer,” she said. “Women can accomplish anything. Also don’tbe afraid to take on the risk and challenge of owning your ownbusiness.”

6792 CAROLINA BLVD., CLYDE • (828) 627-28264 WALL ST., DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE • (828) 226-2715

www.sheppardinsurancegroup.com

“Don’t be afraidto take on the riskand challenge ofowning your ownbusiness.”Eileen Corbin

has been working as a Certified Fitness Trainer foralmost 2 years.

THE FITNESS CONNECTIONWAYNESVILLE

Schedule your appointment with Eileen, CFT

828-421-8566fitnesstrainingblast.com

313-21

“I love helping folks workthrough their challenges andfind a good path towardshealthier and morefunctional lives.” — EILEEN CORBIN

After fracturing both of herwrists Eileen was diagnosed withosteoporosis

“That was when I realized howimportant a consistent bodyweight exercise program would beto change my physical well being.”

Eileen began working out with atrainer and “After 6 years ofworking with a personal trainer,my bone density tests improvedand I wanted to become involvedin helping others.” During thattime she discovered the TRXsystem she trains on now; asuspension system that leveragesyour own body weight.

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T he fun place to shop!

We Carry Antiques, Furniture, Gifts, Jewerly & Lots More

Tammy Fuller Owner for 2 years Enjoys finding & decorating unique items.

Sassy Frass is over 12,000 sq ft & offers 3 shops in one...it's truly a unique experience

“What I love most about my job is the people! I love my

employees, vendors, consigners, & customers - we are

like one big family at Sassy Frass!“ - Tammy Fuller

BON APPÉTIT Y’ALL

— Real Local People, Real Local Food —

207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, North Carolina | 828-456-1997 | blueroostersoutherngrill.com | Monday-Friday Open at 11am

The Rooster may crow, but these Chicks rule the roost!

Mary Catherine Earnest, a Haywood County

native, has been proudly serving her guests

for five years at the Blue Rooster Southern

Grill. Mary is a graduate of A-B Tech's culinary

program and Montreat College where she

earned her bachelor's degree in Business

Management. Mary has worked in the food

service industry for more than twenty years.

"We want to THANK the many wonderful and talented women who have helped us over the years at the Rooster. These team members are also moms,grandmothers, artists, students, community volunteers, foster parents, church youth leaders, award winning scholars, and competitive athletes. We aretruly proud to know and work with each one of the ladies, who each- in their own way make the Blue Rooster so special."

- Mary Earnest and Steve Redmond

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Sheppard Insurance is a mother-daughter,all-woman affairBY BECKY JOHNSON

STAFF WRITER

W hen Kathy Sheppard got her start in the insur-ance world 30 years ago, she was a pioneer in amale-dominated profession.

Some clients were taken aback — and even madesnide remarks — when a woman showed up as theirclaim adjuster following a lightning strike or tree fallingon their house.

But Sheppard wasgood at it and provedher mettle, enough so tojoin the elite network ofcatastrophe claimadjusters for the nation-al insurance firm,Maryland Casualty.

When her daughterwas a toddler, she foundherself flying around thecountry to hurricanes,hail storms, crop freezesand even the SanFrancisco earthquake.

“They had a pool ofstorm troopers as theycalled them,” saidSheppard, who was onceagain in the minority as a woman.

That’s not true anymore, however. Today, Sheppardowns her own insurance firm, Sheppard Insurance ofClyde, and all her employees and agents are women.

“I am surrounded by very smart women, and it does-n’t take long for people to realize we know what we aretalking about,” Sheppard said. “Our business comesfrom good old-fashioned relationship building and refer-rals. We know our community, we personally know ourclients. When someone comes here we don’t know, weget to know them.”

Sheppard’s transition from insurance agent to busi-ness owner came early in her career and rather out ofthe blue. She was approached by Ed Brock, owner ofwhat was then Brock Insurance, with an offer to sell thefirm to her.

“It is one of those opportunities that presents itselfand you either step out on faith and take a big risk anddo it or you don’t,” Sheppard said. “He had seen what Iwas already accomplishing in the insurance businessand it opened a big old door that I took the chance towalk through.”

While Sheppard knew insurance, that was only halfthe battle when it came to owning her own insurancecompany.

“You empty the trash cans and make the coffee anddecide when it is time to paint the building,” Sheppard

said. “That’s what it is for any small business owner —you don’t have an IT person so I am the one in the floorhooking up the new computer.”

Sheppard Insurance is a rarity. There aren’t manywoman-owned insurance firms, but with Sheppard’sdaughter, Sara Sheppard Pacifici, now part of the busi-ness, it’s likely to remain that way for another generation.

Sheppard never suspected her only child would jointhe business one day. Pacifici was working in Raleighafter college in the political arena, but she had slow peri-ods when the legislature was on break.

“I said ‘Why don’t you take a week off and getlicensed in insurance just to have something to fall backon?’” Sheppard recalled. “A few years later she said ‘Ithink I want to come back to the mountains and giveinsurance a try.’”

Pacifici, who lives in Asheville, is helping to grow thebusiness in a new direction. They have opened a secondoffice in downtown Asheville, where Pacifici has beenparticularly successful in writing policies for the bur-geoning entrepreneur scene in Asheville.

“It’s not something you can call an 800-number for,”Sheppard said. “We try to be problem solvers for peopleand customers appreciate our counsel and advice.”

But Pacifici’s first contribution to the company wasconvincing her mom to change the name of the firm.Sheppard was still operating as Brock Insurance, eventhough she’d been the owner for more than two decades.

“Sara joined the business and said, ‘Mom, it’s time,’”Sheppard laughed.

Sheppard is the fourth owner of the business, whichdates back to the late 1800s. Each time the insurance firmsold, it was renamed by the new owner, who kept it forseveral decades before retiring and once more selling it.

The stage is already set to continue the firm's legacywell into the 21st century with Pacifici now leading itsexpansion in Asheville.

“The most important lesson I learned from my momis that women can do anything and also have a family.She ran a very successful business and was also involvedin the community, yet she never missed a moment of mychildhood,” said Pacifici. “She instilled in me an entre-preneurial spirit that I am so grateful for.”

Hanneke Ware:Making a home in the mountainsBY HOLLY KAYS

STAFF WRITER

B ack in 1990, Hanneke and George Ware’s odds forsuccess were long. A pair of non-locals living inwhat was then an even more remote corner of the

state than it is now, they’d just purchased a 23-acreproperty between Dillsboro and Whittier with the hope ofcreating a sought-after bed and breakfast destination.

“It was quite a challenge,” Hanneke said. “That’s theunderstated word of the year.”

But in the years since its launch, the Chalet Inn hasseen success and its reputation has grown, largelythrough word of mouth. Hanneke is proud of what sheand George have built, saying that division of labor hasbeen key to their success.

“We go with our strengths and our weaknesses andour little idiosyncrasies, and you work with that,” shesaid. “It’s all about teamwork.”

Hanneke is originally a city-dweller from theNetherlands; she met Ohio native George Ware in the1980s during his Army days when he was stationed atNATO headquarters. George had fallen in love withWestern North Carolina during an earlier visit, and afterhe retired the couple moved to the mountains, intendingto open an inn.

As both a woman and a foreigner in a communitythat, especially in the 1990s, was largely populated bymale-run businesses and composed of families withstrong roots in the area, Hanneke was definitely not a“traditional” businessperson. But she — as well asGeorge — jumped in with both feet. Hanneke served sixyears on the Jackson County Chamber of CommerceBoard of Directors in the earlier years of the business,and George has served three terms on the county’s Traveland Tourism Board of Directors.

There have been difficulties — misunderstandings,setbacks and lots of hard work — but overall Hannekehas nothing but good things to say about the place she’schosen to call home and the people she shares it with.

“It’s all an amazing difference, how you do business,how you conduct yourself, how you talk to people,” shesaid, comparing WNC to Europe. “I found this area to bereally low-key, really friendly. Of course you have youraberrations all over the world, but I felt reasonablyaccepted. Good experiences.”

Building a legacy

“It is one of thoseopportunities thatpresents itself andyou either stepout on faith andtake a big risk anddo it or you don’t.”

— Kathy Sheppard,

Sheppard Insurance

Hanneke Ward(left) poses in

front of the innwith one of her

guests. Donated photo

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BY JESSI STONE

NEWS EDITOR

T hree women in Franklin have been able to weavetheir multiple talents together to run a successfuldowntown business.

As a longtime weaver, co-owner Virginia Murphybrings her creative talent as well as her sales abilities toher shop Silver Threads and Golden Needles.

Her daughter and co-owner Kristin McDougall is agraphic designer who is responsible for maintaining thewebsite, social media and other technical support needs.Amy Murphy — no relation — who joined the businessin 2011, retired from the banking industry and uses herfinancial expertise to guide the small business.

“We each have a different skillset we bring to the busi-ness,” Amy Murphy said. “I bring the financial skills,Virginia and I are both good at customer service butVirginia is the best at sales, and Kristin is great at graphicdesign and other computer skills.”

Virginia moved to Franklin from Alabama to retire,but it wasn’t long before she needed something to keepher busy. She purchased the store on Main Street in 2008.

As a close-knit family, McDougall decided to followher mother to Franklin and join the business.

“The first thing I did was design our new logo … andthe second thing I did was learn to knit,” McDougall said.

It may have been a small fiber store under the previousowner, but Virginia, Amy and McDougall have turnedinto so much more. The store now has more retail spaceand offers a number of classes for members of the com-munity, including knitting, weaving and crocheting.

Customers are greeted with a rainbow of colorsstacked from the floor to the ceiling as they walk into thefiber store. The fibers come from as close as SkyviewRanch alpaca farm in Franklin and as far away as China.In addition to supplies, the shop also carries woven, knit-ted and crocheted gifts — hats, scarves, baskets, jewelry,handbags and sweaters.

“Virginia bought the store for a number of reasons —I think mostly she wanted to breathe a little life back into

downtown and she and Kristin wanted to do somethingtogether,” Amy said.

McDougall said working alongside her mother hasbeen a great experience that has also given her the free-dom to work from home while raising two children of herown.

“I thank God we’re the best of friends and get along sowell,” McDougall said. “And it was a blessing for Amy tocome along — she’s become immediate family as well.”

Silver Threads and Golden Needles became Amy’s go-to place for knitting supplies after she moved to Franklinin 2002 and then became a partner in the business afterVirginia and Kristin bought the business.

All three of the women truly enjoy being a part of thedowntown Franklin business community. Amy said it’sno longer a rarity to find women-owned businesses inFranklin. She can look outside the shop and point tomany other female-owned businesses doing well forthemselves.

Amy admits being a woman in some industries maystill be a difficulty, but she feels fortunate to be in a cre-ative and artistic industry where women are the rule andnot the exception. That wasn’t always the case in thebanking and financial industry that Amy worked in orthe manufacturing industry Virginia retired from.

“Retail is a much kinder experience, and Franklin has

a wonderful textile community — we have great quilters,potters and other artistic mediums,” Amy said. “Peopletravel here for those reasons, and I think we benefit fromthat.”

The challenges they face aren’t necessarily becausethey are women — it’s just the typical challenges thatcome with being a small business owner. Many down-town business owners somehow manage their businesseson their own, but Silver Threads is fortunate enough tohave three owners to help carry the load.

“Owning your own business is fun but really challeng-ing because it takes a lot of time,” Amy said. “But it’smuch better if you have a good partnership — it becomesmore fun and less difficult.”

Even with the challenges, McDougall said the smallfiber shop has been thriving.

“Every year gets better and better,” she said. There are a few men who visit the store, take part in

the classes offered and even a few who teach the classes,but the store is typically full of women. With a flurry ofconversation and laughter and a lot of creative projectsbeing made, the atmosphere at Silver Threads is fun andlaid back.

“The yarn shop is a happy place,” Amy said. “Lives arestressful enough — we do this because it’s a peaceful funexperience.”

Lisa Potts: Every dayis ChristmasBY HOLLY KAYS

STAFF WRITER

F or Lisa Potts, Christmas isn’t just a holiday — it’s away of life. Potts owns Nancy Tut’s Christmas Shop inDillsboro, an occupation that means she spends every

day surrounded by Christmas paraphernalia of all sorts.“For 20 years,” she said, “I’ve been in Christmas world.”Potts didn’t set out to own a Christmas shop. It just

kind of happened. While in college, her sister Amanda wasworking at the shop — a 114-year-old home full ofChristmasy items — part-time under its previous owner,Betty Hamilton. When Amanda heard that Hamilton wasthinking about selling, she started to bend her sister’s ear.

“She mentioned to Betty that I was interested, andBetty’s a very good salesperson,” Potts said.

So, Potts entered the Christmas business, with her hus-band Mike, a Realtor, insupport as her “silentpartner.” She’s enjoyedeach of the 20 yearsthat have passed since,building relationshipswith customers andseeing their childrenturn into adults, andthose adults turn intoparents who come backwith their own children.

As a female business owner, she’s in good company inDillsboro, with plenty of other successful businesswomenlining the streets of the small town. She said she’s never felt

any sense of exclusion or hardship resulting from her gender. “I didn’t feel unique or anything being a woman in

Dillsboro, because there were already women here,” she said. Instead, she’s been able to focus on what she enjoys

about her job — which is to say, almost everything. “I enjoy making my own decisions and doing all

aspects of the business,” she said. “I do the bookwork, I dothe buying, I do all that stuff. On the flip side, that’salmost the most challenging part too. When you own abusiness and you run it by yourself, you’re committed tobeing there all the time.”

But Potts wasn’t naïve as to the commitment that busi-ness ownership entails. Growing up, her father Kelly Bradleyowned Harold’s Supermarket in Sylva, and she witnessedfirsthand the dedication that went into his care for the store.

“I always grew up thinking, ‘I would like to do thatmyself,’” Potts said. “My dad was definitely a businessinspiration for me.”

Women weave talents into successful yarn store

Business partners andfriends Amy Murphy (left)

and Kristin McDougall ownSilver Threads and Golden

Needles fiber store indowntown Franklin alongwith McDougall’s mother

Virginia Murphy. Jessi Stone photo

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Affairs of the Heart—————————————————————————————120 N. Main St. • Waynesville, NC • 828.452.0526

Patricia Miller has ownedand operated Affairs of theHeart on Main Street indowntown Waynesville sinceMarch of 1996.

Her motivation to open theretail store was simple: shewanted a local place to sell thecrafts she and her mom madetogether. When she made thedecision to open her own store,her mom was at her side tooffer moral support.

Today Patricia and her sisterRoseann work side by side inthe store. They pridethemselves on having goodproducts at good prices. Theylove meeting the customers andproviding great service.

Champion Credit Union was founded in Haywood County in 1932, with its first employee, Mary Alice Roberts, being a woman. Over 83 years later, women continue to play an important role.

Champion Credit Union

Empowering Women for Business Success

for Over 83 Years

ChampionCU.com Find us on Facebook. Federally Insured by NCUA

Women make up 88% of the workforce at Champion Credit Union,

with 67% of the management team being women. They balance their jobs with

their grandchildren. We are blessed at Champion Credit Union to have a

members and the community.

Cataloochee Ranch

“Women run this place,”

says Mary Coker, the current

manager of Maggie Valley’s

venerable Cataloochee Ranch.

And she should know. When

Mary’s grandparents, Tom

and Judy Alexander, opened

the first Cataloochee Ranch

in 1933, it was her grand-

mother, affectionately known

to both family and guests as

“Miss Judy,” who took on the

responsibility of creating the

Ranch’s now-legendary

tradition of hospitality.

By the time of Tom

Alexander’s death in 1972,

the second generation of

Alexander women and their

husbands had assumed the

day-to-day management of the

Ranch. Today, under Mary’s

third-generation management,

her mother Judy “Juju” Coker

still greets guests every day at

breakfast, her aunt Alice Aumen

is there to greet them at dinner-

time, and both help out with

other duties on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Mary’s sister Judy B.

Sutton manages the barn and

pitches in wherever else she’s

needed.

Although her duties had

been taken over by her daughters

(and ultimately by her grand-

daughters), Miss Judy continued

to be a gracious hostess at the

Ranch until her death in 1997.

And, for the women of her

family, she left some enduring

footsteps to follow.

When women take over the reins:Three generations of the Alexander

family at Cataloochee Ranch.

119 Ranch Drive, Maggie Valley, NC (828)926-1401 www.CataloocheeRanch.com

Ranch general manager Mary Coker with sister, Judy B. Sutton, manager of the Ranch barn.

Miss Judy on Target, 1938

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Macon Furniture Martmarches onBY JESSI STONE

NEWS EDITOR

L ike many women, Karen Buchanan Bacon loves toshop. She loves skimming through Pottery Barn andSouthern Living magazines looking for home décor

pieces that mesh together to create the perfect room.“When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an interior

designer,” Bacon said. Growing up in her father’s business allowed her to

realize that dream — in a roundabout way. MaconFurniture Mart has been serving Western North Carolinasince 1954, and Bacon has spent the last 27 years learningthe ends and outs of the business.

She took over ownership of the company in 2007when her father Branch Buchanan retired. While somekids are reluctantly groomed to take over the family busi-ness, Bacon happily stepped into the role because sheloves every aspect of it.

“I love to go to the market and I love to buy all the dif-ferent things for the store — setting up displays and help-ing people create a room,” she said. “From a blue print toa finished product, I just love seeing it come together andthe idea of creating something.”

Bacon enjoys what she does, but that doesn’t mean it’san easy career. She lives, breathes and dies to keep thefurniture store going — perhaps at the expense of a per-sonal life — but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love it, but I work hard. I’m here six days a week,”he said. “It’s a lifestyle, not a job.”

The industry has changed over the years and the eco-nomic downturn in 2008 forced Bacon to make sometough decisions just as she was taking over the business.Macon Furniture Mart once had three locations in thearea but is now consolidated into one building on DepotStreet in Franklin. A franchise that once employed morethan 50 people is now down to about seven employees.Letting employees go that have been like family for manyyears was one of the most difficult things she’s ever had todo.

“Talk about laying awake at night and crying,” Baconsaid. “But I see it rebounding now — we’re having a goodyear so I think it’s starting to turn around.”

WHAT WOMEN WANTThe economy isn’t the only challenge Bacon has over-

come during her tenure at the furniture store. She’s spentyears trying to earn the respect of many customers whoexpect the store to have a man at the helm.

“When I first started, people would come in and ask,‘Where is the man in charge?’” Bacon said. “It’s gottenbetter as time has gone by. I feel more respected than Idid years ago and also I think the clientele has changed.”

At one time, men made more of the large purchasingdecisions in the household, and a majority of furniturestore sales employees were male. These days she’s foundthat women are now the primary shoppers in the family,especially for home furnishings.

The sales team at Macon Furniture Mart reflects thatchanging trend — two of Bacon’s best sales people arefemale.

“I think women in business are more respected nowthan they used to be,” she said. “Even our sales reps com-ing in are women now — the La-Z-Boy sales rep is a 26-year-old woman and that has always been a male-domi-nated business.”

The image of a stereotypical, aggressive male sales-man hounding customers as they walk in the store issomething Bacon has tried to overcome. She doesn’t wanther customers tofeel pressuredwhen browsing thewide selection atthe store. In herexperience, Baconsaid her femaleclients feel morecomfortable with afemale salesper-son.

“Women enjoycolors and makinga house a homewhile men aremore functional —they want to sellyou something byhow well it willhold up — andthere’s nothingwrong with that,”she said. “Butwomen sales peo-ple want to know ifyou have kids and how good something will look. Theyare just more artistic and nurturing.”

KEEPING CUSTOMERS IN MINDBacon always keeps her customers’ needs in mind

when purchasing items for her store and even with howitems are displayed in the showroom. She does a lot ofresearch before making purchases and tries to offer avariety of price points to make her furniture obtainablefor anybody’s budget. During the economic recession,she purchased mostly inexpensive furniture because sheknew her customers weren’t able to invest in expensivepieces.

Bacon sets up her 22,000-square-foot showroommuch differently than her father did during his tenurewith Macon Furniture Mart to accommodate the new ageof home décor shoppers. The store is setup to show cus-tomers the design possibilities using the furniture as wellas distinctive touches using decorative pillows, lamps andother home décor.

“I make it more of a lifestyle store with differentrooms styles displayed instead of trying to see how manybrown chairs I can cram into the store,” she said. “Wealso try to keep everything modern. We just installedmore energy efficient lighting in the showroom.”

Every little detail is important to keep up with her

competition. It’s become increasingly difficult to keep upwith the big chain stores even though Macon FurnitureMart carries many of the top brands — Ashley Furniture,La-Z-Boy, Simmons Beauty Rest and solid wood Amishfurniture.

To keep a competitive edge, Bacon said she offers cus-tom design furniture, upholstery services, financingoptions and even delivers furniture for free within a 50-mile radius — something a majority of her competitorsno longer do.

Bacon said her sales staff does not work for commis-

sion, which she believes makes all the difference in thecustomer service experience and employee morale.

“To me, you get better service because people are notlooking after themselves,” she said. “They’re getting thecustomers what they want and it also helps employees getalong better too. It’s not dog-eat-dog like at other places.”

ALL IN THE FAMILYBacon’s leadership skills have been learned during her

on-the-job training at the furniture store. She said there isa reason many of her employees have been with the com-pany for more than 15 years. Having a level playing fieldis what makes Macon Furniture Mart’s employees feelmore like a family.

“My employees feel like I’m a friend, but they alsorespect me,” Bacon said. “They’re good employees andthey work hard.”

One of her employees is her son and store managerAndrew Alligood. When she retires someday, she ishappy to know the business will stay in the family foranother generation.

“My son is third generation and he loves it as much asI do thank goodness. I brought him to work with me as ababy so he grew up here too,” she said. “He has a 5-month-old son, but I guess it’s too soon to know if he’lltake over one day.”

Family pride and persistence

Karen Buchanan Bacon, owner of MaconFurniture Mart, shows off one of her favorite

bedroom suite designs, displayed in theFranklin showroom. Jessi Stone photo

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Bridges balancescareer and motherhoodas casino executiveBY HOLLY KAYS

STAFF WRITER

If you’d asked Leeann Bridges 20 years ago what herideal career would look like, she probably wouldn’t havetold you she hoped to become a marketing executive at acasino.

But here she is, 14 years into employment at Harrah’sCherokee Casino Resort and 10 years into the marketingdepartment, and Bridges, the casino’s vice president ofmarketing, couldn’t have more good things to say abouther job.

“I like that it’s very dynamic,” she said. “It’s not bor-ing. There are new challenges every single day.”

In her tenure at Harrah’s she’s been part of a masterplanning process. She’s been part of a casino expansion.She’s helped launch the Valley River Casino and Hotel inMurphy, which opened Sept. 28. And at 45, she’s likely toconquer many more mountains in the course of hercareer.

“Did I ever think I would end up in marketing?” shesaid. “Absolutely not. But I had a mentor who saw some-thing in me that I certainly didn’t see.”

She took the plunge, and that landed her here, headof a division of 130 people.

Rewind to the era of Y2K, and Bridges, an enrolledmember of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, waspretty sure she’d left the Qualla Boundary for good. Afterearning her bachelor’s in anthropology from WesternCarolina University, she moved to Raleigh to pursue amaster’s of business administration from MeredithCollege, at the time believing that’s where she wanted tobe.

But then homesickness struck. She missed her family,and she missed the mountains. She finished the degree,but afterward she drove back west to take part in a jobdevelopment program the EBCI had instituted for tribalmembers. That’s how she came to work at Harrah’sCherokee, then just two years into its existence.

She hasn’t regretted the move. From speaking withBridges, it’s clear she believes in the mission of the casino— to provide jobs for people, especially Cherokee people— and is excited about the sheer breadth of marketingefforts she’s involved with, ranging from event promo-tions to mailers to media relations.

It’s also clear that she appreciates business’ profes-sional atmosphere.

“We’re all on one hallway, so there’s a lot of yellingback and forth to each other about different ideas we mayhave, an upcoming event, an upcoming concert,” Bridgessaid.

It’s congenial and collaborative. And according toBridges, it’s also pretty equal-opportunity. When she firstcame to Harrah’s in 2001, most upper-level positions

were held by men, but nowit’s about a 50-50 split. Shesays she’s never felt demeanedor ostracized from leadershipbased on her gender.

“One thing that I experi-enced was just a willingnessto help by everyone, acrossthe board,” she said. “For meit never felt like a very exclu-sive boys’ club at all.”

The influence of Cherokeeculture might have somethingto do with that. Increasingly,enrolled members are takingon the casino’s highest-levelpositions, and becauseCherokee is traditionally amatrilineal society, there’s adegree of inherent respect forfemale leaders.

“We all have big personali-ties,” Bridges said of theCherokee women on the casi-no’s management team. “Weall speak what’s on our minds.Perhaps those are traits thatgot us where we’re at, butbeing raised in an environ-ment where girls are encour-aged to speak up and you don’t have to stay in the back-ground — it’s being raised by strong women. We have alot of that in this community.”

For Bridges, the main challenge of being a woman inprofessional leadership comes from the conflict betweenperformance in the workplace and being a good motherto her 9-year-old son, a responsibility she takes seriously.

“If I let it, it can get really out of balance, and I don’twant that to happen, but at the same time I want to give

my child everything that I didn’t have,” she said. “For methat’s the what I struggle with the most because I don’twant to miss anything with my son, but sometimes Ineed to be here and I need to be focused on what is goingon here at the casino.”

Though divorced, Bridges says she has the most idealsituation possible under those circumstances, as her son’sdad lives in town and is very involved in the parenting.Still, it’s hard, and she’s grateful to have a boss who’s sup-portive.

“He was sick last week. I took a day off,” she said —

“last week” entailing some of the final days beforeHarrah’s opened its new casino in Murphy, a jam-packedweek in Bridges’ world. “Probably not the best day to takea day off, but that’s life.”

Bridges constantly amazes herself at what she’s able tojuggle when it comes to career and motherhood, makingit work in ways she would have thought impossiblebefore becoming a parent. When you have to make itwork, she said, you make it work.

“You get it done,” she said. “And sometimes it’s reallytough. But it’s very rewarding.”

Rewarding, she hopes, for her son as well as for her-self.

“I like projecting that strength and that determinationfor my son, and hopefully he’ll emulate that,” she said. “Iwant him to know you don’t get anything for free. Youhave to work hard for everything that you do. You have totake care of yourself.”

Taking care of others is also a mark of success. Overthe years, Bridges has seen her management team shiftand change, the people under her move up or move alongtoward goals of their own. When that happens, shecounts it as an accomplishment — because, a decade ago,she was one of those workers in need of a mentor to showher the path to the top.

“For me, that means I’ve done my job pretty well if Isee people advance or go into new roles, whether it’s inmy own area or somewhere else,” she said.

“It’s great helping people get to where they want tobe.”

Taking on thechallenge

“I like projecting that strength andthat determination for my son, andhopefully he’ll emulate that.”

— Leeann Bridges

Serving up Southern cuisine and camaraderie

BY BECKY JOHNSON

STAFF WRITER

T here was little fanfare in 2010 when Mary Earnestopened the Blue Rooster, a Southern diner in a stripmall past its prime.

“The day we opened, we pulled the paper offthe windows and unlocked the door and waitedto see what was going to happen,” said Earnest,a native of Haywood County. “We wanted folksto find us gradually.”

Its following was anything but gradual, how-ever. The Blue Rooster in Clyde found an instantfan base, one that continues to build five yearslater judging by the lines out the door. It’s hardto say what draws people more — Earnest or themenu.

“I tell folks we are just like church. It hasnothing to do with the building but the peopleinside the building that make it special,” Earnestsaid.

Since she was a teenager, Earnest dreamed ofowning her own restaurant.

“I love to cook. And I thought I was prettygood at it,” Earnest said.

In hindsight, it’s not surprising that the culi-nary arts captured her imagination. Earnest’smother was an amazing cook, defying thecanned-soup crock-pot rage that had paralyzedthe dinner tables of housewives in the ‘70s.

It all started with a copy of Julia Childs’ firstcookbook, a strategic present from her father toher mother.

“If my mom had a book on how to build arocket, she could fly to the moon,” Earnest said.“So she started reading.”

And soon, she was cooking like Julia Childs.“I am a little girl and she is boning a duck. We ate

crazy food for Waynesville in those times,” Earnest said.

When Earnest was 20, she enrolled in the elite andreputable culinary school at Asheville-Buncombe Tech.

“It was very tough,” said Earnest. “If you wore thewrong color neckerchief, you were excused for the day. Itwas survival of the fittest.”

It was also a male-dominated world, one that Earnestlearned to navigate well, thanks in part to her arrestingpersonality. She had a knack for disarming the competi-

tive nature of her male peers.“I was like, ‘Your knife can be bigger than mine, I am

perfectly good with that,’” Earnest said. “I don’t knowwhat they thought of me. I think that was questionable.”

The boot-camp culture of culinary school took no

prisoners, however. Instructors were mean by design —one even spit her food out duringher final exam, simply for effect.

Owner of The Blue Roosterin Clyde, Mary Earnest.Becky Johnson photo

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Diane CutlerCo-owner Bryson City BicyclesBoard Member – Nantahala Area SORBA(SORBA: Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association)www.brysoncitybicycles.com

Smoky Mountain News: What do you think about being partof the female business sector?

Diane Cutler: You know, I never really think of it as anythingspecial. Whether it’s female-run or male-run, it’s still hard work,something I’m going to do, and do it to the best of my ability.Like for most people coming up to our area these days, it’s aboutstarting a business and creating your own life here.

SMN: What do you think when you look at the landscape ofmountain biking these days?

DC: There’s a big push to get more female riders. The bikeindustry, off-road and on, is mostly men. They’re male-dominat-ed sports. When we attended a mountain bike industry confer-

ence recently in Las Vegas, women probably made up one in 10in the crowd. In terms of thebusiness side of things, I’dsay about 10 to 20 percent ofour customers are female.But, it’s also a great time tobe a female rider, becausewe’re really seeing the scalestip in female involvement.

SMN: Being part of thelocal SORBA chapter, you’realso doing a lot of work toattract female riders.

DC: We have a weeklywomen’s ride on Wednesdays,where we switch between thetrails at the Tsali RecreationArea and the trails behind Western Carolina University. The ridesare growing, where we now have up to 12 riders or more each week.

SMN: And what does that say to you, that increasing interest?

DC: Recently, we did a casual survey and found that mostwomen didn’t ride either because they were busy raising theirchildren or they felt intimidated riding with men. But, with thesefemale rides, we’re changing that. I had a woman come throughour doors not just because we’re a bike shop, but because therewas a woman working behind the counter, and that gave her theconfidence to realize biking is something she can do. To me, thatmakes it all worthwhile, that just my physical presence getswomen out riding.

SMN: Any advice about starting your own business?DC: I think when it comes to business in general, some

might say, “Oh, you don’t want to run a business,” as if only aspecial type of person could run a business. As they say, there’sno secret to success. It’s a result of planning, hard work andlearning from your failures. If you can do that, anybody can do it.It’s hard work, period.

Editor’s Note: Bryson City Bicycles recently won “Best MountainBike Shop” at the 2015 Interbike Award Show in Las Vegas.

— By Garret K. Woodward

Diane Cutler.Garret K. Woodward photo

“I would cry,” Earnest said, recalling how toughit was. “But I am not a quitter. I just kept comingand kept coming. It was a life-changing experi-ence.”

Ultimately, she was one of only a handful whograduated from her initial class of 114.

It’s not surprising that Earnest would dig in andpersevere. She comes from a long line of strongwomen. Her mom went to prestigious EmoryUniversity in Atlanta on a National MeritScholarship, not a common path for a HaywoodCounty girl in the late 1950s. After graduating, shegot a job with the Peat Marwick accounting firm inAtlanta — not as a secretary, but as an accountant.

“Her daddy was a business person and hergranddaddy was a business person and she wantedto be a business person,” Earnest said.

Her mother ultimately returned to HaywoodCounty and helped her father start HaywoodPediatrics, the first group pediatric practice in thecounty. Her mom ran the business side of the prac-tice for years.

Her mother hasn’t changed, announcing recent-ly that she planned to go to Mount Everest nextyear.

“She said ‘I’m not saying I am going to the top,but I’m going to base camp,’” Earnest said.

After graduating from culinary school, it wouldbe nearly two decades before Earnest would openthe doors of the Blue Rooster, however.

Earnest took a detour, spending eight years as acommercial food distributor for Sysco, a job thattook her behind the scenes of dozens of restaurant

kitchens in the Waynesville area. While Sysco is the largest restaurant food dis-

tributor in the country, the Waynesville territoryhad just three accounts when Earnest came onboard in 2003. Seven years later, Earnest was gross-ing $4 million in sales. But building a client basefrom the ground up was work — especially with ayoung child and no husband.

“I was a single mom. I put my daughter to bedat night and I worked. Because that’s what we do,”Earnest said, citing the sacrifices of working momswho live with a foot in two worlds.

BUILT ON LOYALTYBlue Rooster’s 32 employees are incredibly loyal

for the typically fickle food service industry.“We have folks who were with us the day we

opened. We are so proud of that,” Earnest said.Earnest can’t point to a single factor that keeps

her employees around. But she wagers a big part isthat they aren’t open on weekends.

“We only work five days a week here and thathas been part of our culture,” Earnest said. “Thathas been our decision thus far, to sacrifice that rev-enue in favor of family time and a quality workenvironment.”

Earnest used to hang a “Gone Fishin’” sign on

the door on weekends — her partner SteveRedmond is a competitive bass fisherman so it wasoften the case, but mostly, she thought it was a cutesign. One Monday morning, an angry customerwho’d tried to come eat over the weekend was wait-ing for her when she opened up.

“He said I must not be a serious business personif I would just go off and close for a day to go fish-ing,” Earnest said. “I told him we were seriousabout our business but we were also serious aboutour families.”

She decided to retire the “Gone Fishin’” sign,however.

Cultivating a loyal work force stems in part fromEarnest’s own loyalty to her employees.

“You can’t drag people in off the street and dowhat we do,” Earnest said. “We are professionals. Ittakes a lot of skill.”

Earnest pays her employees higher than theservice industry average, but routinely tells themwhen she hands out paychecks “it’s not what you’reworth.”

“I wish I could pay them more, because youcan’t pay someone enough to make them care, butthat’s the most important thing, is that someonecares. That is something that has to come frominside,” Earnest said.

Earnest hasn’t pulled off the Blue Roosteralone. It has been a team effort every step ofthe way with her partner, Steve Redmond.

Redmond knows his way around a kitchenas well, but he lets Earnest lead. He agreed tothe role of supporting actor when they opened.

“He said youjust have to showme once how tomake it and whatis it supposed tolook like and howto do it,” Earnestrecalled.

But Redmondhas some of his own recipes on the menu, andhad long shared the dream of running a restau-rant.

Earnest said her biggest learning curve with theBlue Rooster was the ins-and-outs of administra-tion.

“The business aspect — from payroll to taxes to‘what the heck is QuickBooks?’ — it was like howdo you do this?” Earnest said.

Now, with a robust following, Earnest faces thetough decision of whether and how to grow.

She’s been burned once, in a failed attempt toadd breakfast to the lunch and dinner lineup. TheBlue Rooster gave it a noble try for over a year.

“It was an attempt to grow and it never clicked.It was a big loss,” Earnest said. “The money wewere making on lunch and dinner we were using tofund breakfast, until we realized we couldn’t dothis any more.”

Earnest is now at a crossroads once more, facinga monumental decision of whether to take a leap offaith and expand the restaurant.

One thing is certain, however, that the BlueRooster will continue to remain a signature in theHaywood County restaurant economy for years tocome.

“My mom always told me I could do anything Iwanted to do,” Earnest said.

Monica BrownInnkeeper – Fryemont Inn, Bryson CityChairperson – Smoky Mountain HostBoard Member – Swain County Tourist DevelopmentAuthoritywww.fryemontinn.com

At a glance: In her 25th year working at the storied 92-year-oldFryemont Inn, Monica Brown aims to continue the proud family busi-ness, which was first purchased by her in-laws, George and SueBrown, in 1982. The business is now entering its third generationwith Monica’s children, Kathryn and Tyler, also working alongsidetheir parents and grandparents. At age 16, Kathryn, an accom-plished student at Swain County High School, looks forward to oneday taking over the inn, with her work ethic and business sensecoming from those strong women before her.

Monica: A strong component to innkeeping is knowing every-thing, from the top to the bottom. You’re got to know everything fromplumbing to payroll. Our kids have seen us have a hands on experi-ence with every aspect of it, and they’re grown up around it, spend-ing most of their lives on this property.

Kathryn: My mother and grandmother are both huge influenceson me. If it hadn’t been for seeing them constantly working anddoing what they can to improve the business, I never would havehad that confidence and drive to participate in student governmentand other organizations. I’ve seen my mother do so many greatthings on the boards she’s currently on, and my grandmother do somany extraordinary things, that it makes me want to pursue and domore within my own community, and within our business.

Monica: Kathryn has such an outgoing personality and theguests love to see her, love to see the continuation of our family’sstory with running this business. Our guests share their familieswith our family, where it’s all about that communication that meansthe most to us.

Kathryn: I love seeing the joy that the Fryemont brings to others,because it’s such a huge part of my life. I love this town, it’s soinviting, family-based and beautiful here. And being a woman inbusiness, it’s not just about playing the host, it’s about getting yourhands dirty. You’re dealing with all sides of the business, not justthe relations part. It’s about being passionate in what you’re doing.

Monica: And when I think about my mother-in-law, I think ofsomeone who can and does everything, from stitching the curtainsto tile work, painting to cooking breakfast for our guests. She’s agreat role model for us, and for women, in that she shows us we cando anything.

— By Garret K. Woodward

Monica and Kathryn Brown.Garret K. Woodward photo

“I tell folks we are just like church. It has nothingto do with the building but the people inside thebuilding that make it special.”

— Mary Earnest

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It’s Your Life ... Live it in Health!

TARA HOGAN, DC • MICHAEL HOGAN, DCChiropractors

828.246.9555 • 270 N. HAYWOOD ST. • WAYNESVILLEIN HAYWOOD SQUARE NEXT TO THE MUSIC BOX

www.bluemtnchiro.com

Now accepting most major insurance including Medicare

Thank you for voting us Best Chiropractor in Haywood County!

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“I graduated with an English degree and I hadno idea what to do next. Numerous signspointed me towards chiropractic care and Idropped everything to go back to school andcomplete my science prerequisites. Once Ientered Chiropractic school I was pain free andfeeling great. I knew I was headed in the rightdirection with my career.

I love what I do so much because I neverknow who is going to show up in my office. Will itbe a pregnant woman with a breech baby? Aninfant with colic? Or an old lady who has hadvertigo for 20 years? I have seen miraculousresults with each of these types of cases and ittotally fires me up. I just love being able to helppeople in our community enjoy a better qualityof life. Most days I feel like I have the best careerin the world.

Looking to the future of Blue MountainChiropractic Tara says:

"I will be attaining my pediatric diplomatefrom the International Chiropractic Pediatric

Association which I have already completed allclasses for. I would like to be more involved withall the exciting research going on in our field. Ialso have my eyes on writing a natural parentingbook and want to be doing some morespeaking engagements, but I will always be inthe office seeing patients because that is thereally fun part.

I think a huge challenge most women face inthe workplace is balancing home life with work.It can be overwhelming with all that there is todo. Women have to be able to switch gearsquickly and stay really focused on being in themoment. I am always having to work at this.Keeping myself in shape and eating right reallyhelp keep me on track.

My advice to women just starting out inbusiness is to stick with what you are truly inspiredby and passionate about. Don't settle. You mustknow what you want and make it work. Believein yourself. We all can accomplish so much morethan we sometimes think is possible, especiallywhen we prepare. The more we prepare, theluckier we get!

In health & happiness,

— Dr. Tara

Dr. Tara Hogan DC has been in practice as a chiropractor since May 2011

Using digital X-ray, palpation examination and neurological tests, she evaluates the spine for

misalignments causing nervous system stress which can cause numerous symptoms. After an exam

she delivers patient specific, safe, gentle, and effective adjustments to the spine. This adjusting will,

over time, realign the spine for more optimal biomechanical and nerve function. This relieves the

nerves of stress and irritation so the brain can better tell the body what to do and the body can tell

the brain what it is doing.