Cape Girardeau businesswomen share stories of perseverance at chamber event

Personal success in the workplace and fostering success in others was the focus of a Women’s Leadership Panel at the most recent First Friday Coffee event held by the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce.

Three successful women in the Southeast Missouri community — Pam Vargas, Su Hill and Laurie Everett — spoke on a number of topics. The importance of mentors and pushing against adversity were prominent themes.

The panel was moderated by Bob Neff, chairman of the chamber board of directors.

Hill owns the Cape Girardeau restaurants Ciao, Bistro Saffron and Pho8. Her passion for art, culture and cuisine is what motivated her to open a Thai restaurant. She spent 20 years working in the corporate world — a job with MidAmerica Hotels brought her to Cape Girardeau, and the growth and development of the area gave her the confidence to go out on her own.

Running a restaurant requires long hours and considerable patience. Hill said ethnic cuisine is particularly challenging, and much of her time involves training staff on technique. It was difficult, she said, to find a work-life balance while raising children and having a demanding career. It’s hard, she said, but “I do it because I love it.”

Vargas is the director of research and grant development at Southeast Missouri State University, and her career success is thanks in part to the mentoring she received early in her career, particularly the advice to “make yourself known outside of your own ZIP code.”

She was encouraged to get published to make a name for herself, and get involved in professional organizations.

It’s a challenge, Vargas said, to be taken seriously in a field that is predominantly male.

When she got involved in electronic research administration, she found herself working in an environment where she was not necessarily taken seriously, and she had to assert herself to get her job done well.

Everett is the owner of Annie Laurie’s Antiques and The Indie House on Broadway. Everett talked about bringing a dream of The Indie House to life, having watched the building sit unused for years.

“I thought it was just so disappointing watching such a beautiful home go to waste,” she said.

She had a vision for the building, which is filled with studio spaces, shops and a third-floor apartment. This collection of artists and vendors is what makes the Indie House successful.

“It’s not just our business,” Everett said.

Everett has held a variety of jobs in her life, but about workplace challenges, she recalled her time serving in the male-dominated U.S. Army. She knew her job and knew it well, but found it often took time to gain others’ trust.

“There’s a time period of proving yourself,” Everett said.

But, she said, her time in the military taught her about grit and about endurance.

“And you develop a thick skin, which I think is important when being an entrepreneur or being in a leadership position,” she said.

Panelists were asked to share advice for young women seeking to get involved in professional organizations and those who are interested in mentoring. The key, the women said, is knowing what you want to get out of an experience and out of life in general.

“You are the only person who can make yourself happy,” Hill said. “Be responsible. Find your passion. Ask for help.”

Vargas said she finds the mentoring experience is incredibly rewarding.

“I like to help people,” she said. “I tend to take more pleasure in doing that than something I’ve done myself. Those interested in mentoring, she said, should look for people who always seek to learn more.

Everett concurred, explaining if someone doesn’t have the drive, the mentoring will be useless.

“You can mentor someone all day and give them advice,” Everett said, “but it also has to come from within.”

bbrown@semissouran.com

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