• S2 Ep22: A Chat with Rusty Gaskins from Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments
    Sep 16 2025
    In this episode of Thrivin’ at the Beach, the focus is on workforce and economic development resources in the Waccamaw region. Our guest Rusty Gaskins, Business and Economic Services Manager for the Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments (COG), discusses the various services they offer to local governments and municipalities and the importance of community partnerships and collaboration in enhancing the local economy and workforce.

    Summary

    In this episode of Thrivin’ at the Beach, the focus is on workforce and economic development resources in the Waccamaw region. Our guest Rusty Gaskins, Business and Economic Services Manager for the Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments (COG), discusses the various services they offer to local governments and municipalities and the importance of community partnerships and collaboration in enhancing the local economy and workforce.

    Links

    Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments
    https://www.wrcog.org/

    SC Works
    https://waccamawworks.org/

    Where to watch Thrivin’ at the Beach podcasts
    YouTube: Watch here
    Amazon Music: Listen here
    Audioboom: Listen here
    Spotify: Listen here
    Apple Podcasts: Listen here
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • S2 Ep21: A Chat with Eileen Patonay, Regional Workforce Advisor, SC Dept of Employment and Workforce
    Sep 9 2025
    In this episode of Thrivin’ at the Beach, the focus is on workforce development in the Myrtle Beach area. Host Peggy Masterson introduces Eileen Patonay from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, alongside co-host BJ Beaver. Eileen outlines her role as a regional workforce advisor and shares insights on fostering a strong workforce pipeline, emphasizing the importance of partnerships with schools, businesses, and local organizations. Key initiatives discussed include the YES Program for youth employability, the 'Build Something Amazing' event for trades, and the Youth Leadership Camp at Coastal Carolina University. The podcast highlights the importance of community collaboration in preparing students for future careers and the positive impact of these initiatives on local workforce development.

    Links

    https://dew.sc.gov/

    Where to watch Thrivin’ at the Beach podcasts

    YouTube: Watch here
    Amazon Music: Listen here
    Audioboom: Listen here
    Spotify: Listen here
    Apple Podcasts: Listen here


    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • S2 Ep20: Highlight – Steve Mays, President of Founders Group International
    Sep 2 2025
    In this Highlight episode of Thrivin’ at the Beach, host Peggy Masterson, Director of Partnership Grand Strand, recaps past interviews with local leaders to showcase key insights and developments. In this episode, she recounts her conversation with Steve Mays, President of Founders Group International. Golf is a huge driver of both revenue and tourism for our community, and hopefully visitors have a great experience on our courses. Coming to Myrtle Beach permanently all starts with a visit, and Steve intends to be able to deliver a great golf experience. Steve is also an active community member. Tune in and learn more!

    Links

    Listen to full episode: https://audioboom.com/posts/8637484-a-chat-with-steve-mays-founders-group-international

    Founders Group International Website
    Learn more about the organization managing 21 Myrtle Beach golf courses, including their commitment to maintaining world-class facilities and community engagement.
    Visit Founders Group International

    Where you can watch Thrivin’.
    PGS YouTube: Watch here
    Amazon Music: Listen here
    Audioboom: Listen here
    Spotify: Listen here
    Apple Podcasts: Listen here

    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • S2 Ep19: A Chat with Casey Garavito, DPT/Owner at Performance & Rehabilitation (PAR) Physical Therapy
    Aug 26 2025
    Tune in to listen to Casey Garavito, DPT and co-founder of Performance & Rehabilitation (PAR) Physical Therapy. A strong advocate for conservative care, learn how the PAR team provides high-quality care, education, and preventive strategies that help individuals manage injuries early, improve functional health, and avoid unnecessary medications, surgeries, or emergency care. PAR also offers complimentary community workshops throughout the year, and much more to keep our communities healthy.

    Links
    https://www.parphysicaltherapy.com/



    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • S2 Ep18: Highlight – Bruce Bailey, CEO of Tidelands Health - Vision for the Future
    Aug 19 2025
    In this Highlight episode of Thrivin’ at the Beach, the focus turns to Bruce Bailey, CEO of Tidelands Health, who discusses their position as the largest not-for-profit healthcare organization in the Southeastern U.S. and their substantial economic impact. The new Tidelands Health Carolina Bays Campus project, which, in collaboration with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), aims to centralize multiple medical specialties, including cancer care and neurosurgery. The initiative seeks to enhance patient experience by offering quicker evaluations and treatments locally. Bailey's community involvement and future-focused leadership are also emphasized.

    Links:

    Listen to full episode: https://audioboom.com/posts/8652530-s2-ep3-a-chat-with-bruce-bailey-tidelands-health

    Tidelands Health – Official Website
    Learn more about Tidelands Health, its services, and its commitment to improving community health:
    https://www.tidelandshealth.org

    Carolina Bays Hospital Project
    Stay updated on the upcoming Carolina Bays Campus, a multi-specialty hospital opening in Horry County:
    https://www.tidelandshealth.org/carolina-bays

    MUSC Health Partnerships
    Discover how Tidelands Health collaborates with MUSC for specialty care and expanded services:
    https://muschealth.org

    Healthcare Workforce Development
    Explore initiatives and training programs addressing the challenge of attracting and retaining healthcare talent:
    https://www.ahec.org


    Where you can watch Thrivin’.

    PGS YouTube: Watch here

    Amazon Music: Listen here

    Audioboom: Listen here

    Spotify: Listen here

    Apple Podcasts: Listen here

    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • S2 Ep17: A Chat with Frank Cranfield: Director of Operations for Germ Bust My Bins
    Aug 12 2025
    Join us as we chat with Frank Cranfield, the director of operations for Germ Bust My Bins, and learn about their success story and the services they offer. Don't miss this inspiring conversation!

    Links

    https://germbustmybins.com/

    Where to watch Thrivin’ at the Beach podcasts

    YouTube: Watch here
    Amazon Music: Listen here
    Audioboom: Listen here
    Spotify: Listen here
    Apple Podcasts: Listen here

    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • S2 Ep16: Highlight - Tracy Conner on Myrtle Beach Golf Tourism
    Aug 5 2025
    Highlights of Tracy Connor’s Impact on Myrtle Beach Golf Tourism In this special episode of Our Thrivin’ at the Beach Podcast, host Peggy Masterson recaps key insights from past conversations, specifically focusing on Tracy Conner, the executive director of the Myrtle Beach Golf Course Owners Association and Golf Tourism Solutions. Tracy discusses his role in promoting golf tourism, including bringing the World Amateur event and the One Flight Golf Classic to Myrtle Beach, which significantly boost the local economy. He also shares his interim leadership at the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, where he unified community efforts and maintained vital programs. Tune in to celebrate another local leader making a difference. Links: Listen to full episode: https://audioboom.com/posts/8569332-a-chat-with-tracy-conner-episode-3-thrivin-at-the-beach Myrtle Beach Golf Course Owners Association: Visit Website Golf Tourism Solutions: Learn More Transcript: So welcome to another episode of Our Thriving at the Beach Podcast. I'm Peggy Masterson, the Director of Partnership Grand Strand, and I have been so privileged to be your host for this podcast. If you've been a listener, you probably already know that we have been putting this podcast out in the world since the fall of 24. I can't believe it's been almost a year. And during this time we have interviewed over 30 local leaders or business owners. And have learned so much along the way. We've learned a ton about our local community. It's been a journey, so today's episode is gonna be a little different than the others. It's just me today, and I will be recapping some of the highlights from our past episodes. We're doing this to refresh your mind on what these local leaders had to share about the work they're doing when they were on the podcast, and that's if you've already been a listener. We hope that these mini sessions, or these mini highlights will provide any new listener with some real examples of the meaningful content that is contained in each Thrivin’ episode. So we're so glad you've join us today, and let's go ahead and get started. Today's highlight podcast is about Tracy Conner. And Tracy Conner is the executive director of the Myrtle Beach Golf Course Owners Association, and he's also the executive director of Golf Tourism Solutions. Obviously the Golf Course owners association speaks for itself, but Golf Tourism Solutions is a cooperative marketing organization that has been formed to really promote golf in our Myrtle Beach and surrounding communities. So Tracy's been busy. He's been highly involved in the golf world for a long time. One of the things he shared with me that I thought was really interesting is this Golf Tourism Solutions marketing organization is really responsible for bringing the World Amateur event here to the Myrtle Beach area. It is the world's largest amateur golf tournament and attracts over 3,200 amateur golfers to Myrtle Beach every year in August. After all Myrtle Beach is the golf capital of the world, as Tracy says, and he reminds us that golf is a whole lot more than just something fun to do. It is a huge economic driver, especially for our area. The golf courses across the Myrtle Beach area are not only great for tourism, but also for the residents. The revenue that is generated is big business, and they play a crucial role in what makes up what's different, better, and special about Myrtle Beach. Tracy is a very modest individual. He's one of those kinds of leaders that never needs to get credit for his success, but rather recognizes the team and their efforts. He has been in Myrtle Beach for quite some time and has stepped up to play an active role in supporting Myrtle Beach. Whenever asked, some of his most notable projects that have impacted the area are his role in bringing the One Flight Golf Classic to Myrtle Beach. This is an event that brings over $15 million in revenue to our area now, and you can easily see how the PGA would find it valuable to secure the support of local golf courses and golf professionals as they're determining whether to bring a tournament like that to our town. Another recent example was Tracy stepped up to serve as the interim CEO of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce from August through mid-June 25. While he was in that interim role, he kept programs running, retained our voice in Columbia, and worked to unify our 14 grand communities to rally around that whole notion of being a single voice. Another example of a tireless leader. Doing great things in the background to drive prosperity for us, and I hope you'll listen to the full episode to get a little more information about what Tracy had to say. Thrivin’ is now releasing a brand new episode every week. We are also evolving to make our episodes a little shorter, so you'll still get great content without a huge time commitment. We want you to know that we created this podcast for you, the local resident, ...
    Show More Show Less
    5 mins
  • S2 Ep15: A Chat with Alberto Semidei: Director of Sales and Marketing for Sheraton Myrtle Beach
    Jul 8 2025
    Links

    https://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/listings/sheraton-myrtle-beach-convention-center-hotel


    https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/myrsi-sheraton-myrtle-beach/overview/?_ga-ft=aGQAHw.AA.AA.AA.AA.UqG9AxJSTu6sjTkmKFtg6g..0.VISITMB.&utm_campaign=vmb-website&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=visitmyrtlebeach


    Where to watch Thrivin’ at the Beach podcasts

    YouTube: Watch here
    Amazon Music: Listen here
    Audioboom: Listen here
    Spotify: Listen here
    Apple Podcasts: Listen here

    Show More Show Less
    36 mins