24 • MAY 2021TiesthatBindMothers & DaughtersWorking Together
TempStaff ’sCarolyn Boteler & Jamie HigdonDani EdmonsonsiMaking a difference can be a family affair.Carolyn and Sidney Boteler, of Florence,raised two daughters who chose careers thatinvolve helping others. Daughter BethanySabins is a nurse practitioner in gynecologiconcology at UMMC, while Jamie Higdonco-owns and oversees the operation ofTempStaff along with her parents.More than 40 years ago, Carolyn Botelerventured into a position with then-calledNorrell Staffing Company, now TempStaff.After years of working her way up the ladder,Carolyn, along with husband Sydney, boughtthe company in 1991. It is here, as a child,Jamie discovered her interest in officemanagement through tasks such as wateringplants, taking out the trash, and the now-extinctart of filing paper.Even while working on her undergraduatecourses, Jamie continued helping out atTempStaff. “When I attended MississippiCollege, I became Carolyn’s college grunt for awhile, but then she kicked me out of the nestand told me to find my own job,” Jamierecalled. “I worked for a year at the Phi ThetaKappa headquarters in Jackson,” at whichpoint an interesting opportunity presenteditself at TempStaff.“A position came open in the accountingdepartment,” Jamie said. And since Carolynhad always encouraged Jamie to focus on theaccounting aspect of her business major, thedecision to rejoin forces with her parentsseemed obvious. Twenty years later the familialco-owners of TempStaff have found that thesecret to maintaining a working relationshipwith anyone, especially a family member, issimply trust.“The previous owners trusted me completely,which is something I’m very thankfulfor,” Carolyn said. She learned this was oneimportant way to create an environment thatpeople wanted to work in. “The trust factor isprobably the most important thing. I don’tever have to be concerned that our companywill not be put first by every member of ourteam. We both feel that way.” With their highemployee retention rate, it is clear staffmembers believe they, too, will be put first byCarolyn and Jamie.Both women share a passion to help others,and together they created a benevolencemission that connects their workforce with thecommunity they love. Jamie explained thatover the years their staff has voluntarilyparticipated in an outreach program they callThe Sprout Initiative. “We wanted to ‘helpgrow Mississippi through charitable giving’with a focus on local non-profit organizationsand the name just made sense. We find localnonprofit organizations that might bestruggling to meet their goals. Whatever ourstaff chooses to donate toward this effort, wematch dollar-for-dollar,” she said. Over theyears, they estimate their collective efforts havegiven out more than $40,000. “We feel theneed to give back because our community hashelped us to reach 40 years.”Both women heap compliments onto theother, but they admit making it work all theseyears meant they had to “trust” their personaland professional instincts regarding workingtogether. “When Jamie came into the business,it was a big adjustment to both of us becauseshe sort of wanted to tell me how to do myHometown MADISON • 25