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Full Name:  Chassity McComack

Business Name: River Region Chamber of Commerce

 Tell us a little bit about yourself and your business: Humbled and honored to have served as the first employee of RRCC since it’s inception in 2004. I am a resident and native of St. James Parish and mom to two amazing young adults whom I am so proud to call mine.

RRCC was formed to create unity with our 3 parishes. The mission of the River Region Chamber of Commerce is to grow, strengthen, and unify businesses:

1. by building relationships to advocate for a pro-business environment in St. James, St. John, and St. Charles parishes.
2. to serve as the voice of all business in the River Region.
3. to be the catalyst for business support by offering a regional approach to networking opportunities and collaboration that will ensure growth and sustainability.

Our vision is to be recognized as the leading voice of business in the tri-parish area. The core purpose is to serve its members as an advocate for all business needs by networking and providing supportive resources that ensures growth and sustainability.

Who are some role models you look up to, and why?  

This was almost a trick question for me. There’s not enough word space to list all of the amazing people that have served as role models for me. So, I went with my first, primary choice of my mom. The introverts like we are, she instilled in me a big heart for people. No matter where you live, what lifestyle your born in or brought up in, she always, always, showed the kindest of care to anyone she ever met and never hesitate to smile and hug them, even if they were a stranger. This is so important in our world today. And that, I’m grateful to have that trait from here and to have her model that for me and our family. Which to me at the end of the day, is what matters most.

 Why is it important to encourage and be a role model for other young women that want to get into business? My faith is my rock and pillar and none of us are here to fend for ourselves. We are here to here to serve others, to encourage others and provide hope as often as we can. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate the value of self-confidence and thinking big. I was young once, and I know that farfetched feeling of success wont’ happen for me. Sure, our upbringing and home lives have alot to do with how we’re molded as we grow up and sometimes, we end up feeling “we” can’t do big things in or outside of our small towns and “we” may not feel like we’re good enough or have what it takes to be “big” in this world.

I encourage all young woman to self-assess on what brings them joy. What makes you excited and happy to where you want to get up and go conquer the world. Sure, some days will be rough, we all have them, but get back up and keep moving.

If you feel starting a business is your dream, connect with your local Chamber of commerce to get connected to resources to help guide you on starting steps to get that dream on paper. Another good resource is your local parish Economic Development departments. They have a wealth of information available from the state and may know of current incentives that may be available for women owned businesses.

 What advice would you offer? 

Mindset is everything. Don’t expect any process to go smooth. And always know the failure leads to success. Believe in yourself and wake up and speak it to yourself out loud in the mirror. Positive self-talk is so key to this process and your overall well-being. Connect with the resources mentioned above and educate yourself as much as possible once your figure out what your “why” is.