We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Pamela Abbott. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Pamela below.

Pamela, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Retail is in my blood. I had many retail positions throughout my youth, but the one that impacted me the most was Nordstrom. I really learned my strength in sales, merchandising and management, HR related issues, and most importantly, customer service. I went on to work retail management positions for Ann Taylor and Victoria’s secret. The recession of 1998 had a tremendous impact on my career and work/life balance. People weren’t shopping, and I had to continuously decrease my staff, couldn’t give raises, and worked 60 plus hour work weeks. At that point in time, I decided to return to school and pursue a career in Occupational Therapy (Which I still practice today). My husband and I opened a brewery business in 2018, in an area that was quickly growing. The brewery business was not my passion, but I brought my skills with me to grow that business. It was then, I had the courage and drive to open my first store. After working in clothing for so many years, I did not want to sell clothes. I wanted a new challenge, so I chose gifts. Opening a business is always a scary endeavor. I opened March 2019. By March 2020 I had outgrown my space and moved into a much larger space in the same building. Then Covid 19 hit. I had to close my doors for 3 months, but survived and thrived! WE sold the brewery in 2021, taking that of our plates was a huge relief. It was a lot of work, but great experience. Fast forward to 2024 I am opening a second River Laurel Gifts & Boutique in Historic Downtown Ball Ground. I always knew I wanted another location, but was waiting for the absolute perfect location. I have had so much fun recreating my vibe in this new space. I am excited to open in a wee and a half.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

What I feel sets me apart, is my ability to connect with others. I enjoy customer service. I like people to feel welcomed when they walk in the door. I build good relationships with my employees, so they feel valued and pass that energy on when they work with customers. I tell everyone that I graduated from The University of Nordstrom. I learned so many important skills from them, that have benefitted me in every career/business venture I have had. I am very proud of my staff, and they have been with me for years. Even though I have employees in school, working full time jobs, they still want to be with me part time. That, I am very proud of that. As for my brand, it kind of was quick decision that just grew from there. The name came because my store is located on the river, and I adore mountain laurel. River Laurel was born. . My logo has mountain laurel on it, so pink became my color. It all fell into place rather quickly. I love the feel of my store. I like to incorporate old antique fixtures with new, for a relaxed comfortable feel. People take their time looking. My signature piece for my stores is an old Hoosier cabinet. I get comments all the time.

Any advice for managing a team?

Your team is the backbone of your business. I always say, “don’t ask them to do anything you won’t do yourself”. I always place myself with them as a leader. Never “the boss”. We all work as a team. I let them know every time when I feel they have had a successful day. If there is something they require coaching on, I always start with something they do very well, then have my coaching moment. Treat your team with respect. I create a good environment for my staff. Turnover is the hardest to recover from, so you want to work hard to keep the great staff you already have. You don’t want to be spending all your time training new people. We are also passionate about giving back to the community. We have different fund raisers throughout the year, that the team gets 100% behind.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have had many pivots in work and career. I worked in retail and retail management for 10 years, when the market took a turn. I realized that I needed another path of employment, and decided to return to school. I stepped down as store manager from Ann Taylor, and left for a sales position for a jewelry store while I completed prerequisites for an OTA program. I received the letter of acceptance for the program on my 40th birthday. After school, I worked full time as a COTA for 4 years before changing my status to PRN (as needed). I was self employed at that time as well, managing my cabin as a short term rental. My husband and I then decided to open a brewery, as I stated prior, selling it 3 years later. In the midst of running the brewery, I decided to open my gift shop. After we sold the brewery, we had moved. My store was running so well with my staff, I was not needed to go a frequently. I needed another challenge, deciding to open another location closer to my home. I can’t sit still. I love a challenge.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.riverlaurelgifts.com
• Instagram: @riverlaurelgifts
• Facebook: @riverlaurelgifts

Image Credits
Kim Foster is the photo credit for the picture of me leaning on the table, as well as the phot of the four of us at a check presentation.