What Charleston Taught Me About Women in Leadership
How a Southern city's culture of collaboration empowers women leaders and entrepreneurs to thrive.
What Charleston Taught Me About Women in Leadership
Spend enough time in Charleston's business community, and you'll notice something that doesn't show up in the rankings.
People genuinely want one another to succeed.
They make introductions without expecting anything in return. They celebrate one another's wins. They share ideas, recommend businesses, and look for ways to open doors instead of close them. That's easy to miss when people talk about Charleston's beaches, restaurants, and historic charm. But I think it's one of the city's greatest strengths.
And it's probably one of the reasons Charleston continues to appear on so many national "best places" lists. The numbers certainly support that idea. Charleston was recently ranked:
- #6 in the country for women in the workforce
- #7 for professional opportunities
- #19 for quality of life
The city has also earned recognition as one of the nation's top destinations for female entrepreneurship, reinforcing what many professionals already know: Charleston is a place where ambitious women can thrive.
I've spent nearly 20 years in hospitality, though I never set out to build a career in it. I volunteered with an event-planning company in high school, painted faces at community events, served tables through college, and managed my first restaurant at 23. Looking back, every role taught me something different about bringing people together.
When I first moved to Charleston nearly a decade ago, I quickly realized this city was different. I had the privilege of working for a woman who became one of my greatest mentors. She taught me something I'll never forget: Empathy isn't a weakness. It's one of the strongest leadership qualities a person can have.
That lesson has continued throughout my career.
When I joined Republic Hospitality, I found another example of what I'd already come to appreciate about Charleston. We're a family-owned company with talented women leading across the organization.
Working alongside them has challenged me to grow professionally and reinforced something I've learned throughout my career: great leadership comes from diverse perspectives, collaboration, and a genuine commitment to serving others.
One of the unexpected perks of my job is getting a front-row seat to Charleston's business community. Every week, I meet nonprofit leaders planning fundraisers, executive assistants organizing holiday parties, entrepreneurs celebrating milestones, and companies bringing their teams together.
Different industries. Different reasons for gathering. The same willingness to connect. Maybe that's why this city feels a little smaller than it is. The more people you meet, the more you realize how connected we all are.
I think that's why I love hospitality so much. At its best, hospitality isn't about food or beautiful spaces. It's about creating opportunities for people to connect. Sometimes those connections last an evening; sometimes they last a career. And in a city like Charleston, those connections have a way of becoming friendships, partnerships, businesses, and communities.
That's a pretty special thing to be part of. Charleston's rankings may be impressive, but the people are what keep me here.
