AND WE’RE CELEBRATING. THE WOMEN WHO ARE ROLE MODELS EXCEL IN THEIR INDUSTRIES. GABRIELLE KOMOROWSKI. INTRODUCES US TO AN UPSTATE ELECTRIC COMPANY THAT IS THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN SOUTH CAROLINA. TO. WE HAVE COME TO CASSIE ELECTRIC IN GREENVILLE, A FAMILY OWNED AND WOMEN OWNED ELECTRIC COMPANY, AND THEY’RE HOPING TO GET OTHER WOMEN PLUGGED IN TO THIS INDUSTRY. IT STARTED DECADES AGO WITH A WOMAN WHO DID NOT WANT A DESK JOB. CASSIE BRAYBOY SUTTON DID AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AND BECAME AN ELECTRICIAN. WHEN YOU DO YOUR WORK IN A DAY, YOU GO TO SCHOOL AT NIGHT AND I LOVE IT, SHE OPENED CASSIE ELECTRIC IN GREENVILLE MORE THAN 25 YEARS AGO. THE COMPANY HAS A CATCHY PHRASE YOU HIRE. WE WIRE AND A STRONG BOND GRANDMOTHER, MOTHER AND GRANDDAUGHTER WORKING TOGETHER. SO WE SAY WE’RE A UNICORN. WE ARE THE ONLY WOMAN OWNED MINORITY ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. BUT CASSIE’S DAUGHTER, EBONY, WHO IS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, SAYS THAT DISTINCTION CAN CREATE CHALLENGES SO YOU WALK IN, NOT ONLY ARE YOU A WOMAN, BUT YOU’RE ALSO AFRICAN AMERICAN AND SO THEY THINK, OH, THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING. BEING A FEMALE IN THIS FIELD, IT IS, YOU KNOW, STILL CHALLENGING. AND, YOU KNOW, WE THINK WE HAVE OVERCOME THAT. BUT IT’S STILL THERE. YOU KNOW, THE THINKING AH, I DON’T KNOW. SHE SHE’S CAPABLE OF THIS, THIS TASK. BUT YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO PROVE PEOPLE WRONG. LAST MONTH THE GREENVILLE CHAMBER AWARDED CASSIE ELECTRIC ITS SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD. THE COMPANY HAS AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, AND THEY WORK WITH LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND CAREER CENTERS. WE NEED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE FACE TIME WITH THESE STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN SEE PEOPLE LIKE MY MOTHER, WHO HAS BEEN IN THE TRADE, YOU KNOW, IT’S NOTHING BETTER THAN A VISUAL. SO THAT THESE KIDS CAN SEE THAT, OH, WOW, SHE DID THAT. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY. WE HOPING TO SPARK AN INTEREST AND ENCOURAGE MORE WOMEN TO BECOME ELECTRICIANS. STAND YOUR GROUND, BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAM. AND IT CAN BE YOURS. IN GREENVILL