Veronica Smyth: Some See a Weed, Some See a Wish

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your background.
I consider myself to be a patriot, I love our country. I also consider myself to be a professional student. I have a passion for learning. I’m a humanitarian at heart and after high school, I got my associates degree in human services. Shortly after completing my first degree, I worked for a while in the insurance world. I soon realized that, professionally, I had hit a dead end and would need a higher degree to advance my career. I went back to school and got my bachelor’s degree in communications. Years later, after I had left the insurance world, gotten married and did life for a bit, I decided to go back to school to study nutrition, which is where I learned about Fair Trade. I have always loved learning and discovering more about myself and the world.

What brought you to the Grand Strand area?
I was born and raised in Connecticut but for the past decade, I have lived in multiple states on the east coast. My father lives here in Myrtle Beach and my husband’s family lives in northern Alabama and Virginia. We wanted to move to be closer to family. Initially, I was only coming to Myrtle Beach to see my dad and to sell at the flea market. As fate would have it, here I am starting my journey with Forever Revolutionary and my first brick and mortar store at the beach, despite the pandemic.

How did you come up with the idea for your Forever Revolutionary Boutique?
The idea really stemmed from my passion for people and love for our country. Whenever I’m out shopping, I look to see where the products are made and I get discouraged when I see China, Taiwan or other countries that are known for sweat labor. I want to see “Made in the USA” so I really want to work on changing that.

It’s not even like I have a huge passion for fashion or products. I’ve been dreaming about finding “my groove” in the world and ways that I can give back. Forever Revolutionary is the way that I can achieve that. I can support the country I love, the community I live in and give back at the same time. Plus the added bonus of getting to shop all of the time now!

I try to offer made in the USA products as much as possible, but they’re not always easy to find. When I do offer products made outside of the USA, I make sure that they are sourced through and certified Fair Trade. Fair Trade is kind of like a global nonprofit. They ensure that industries are adhering to fair labor practices, paying fair wages, not using child labor and that they are giving back to the community. It’s hard for the USA to compete in the market when it’s saturated with products that are derived from sweat shops. Buying and selling Fair Trade helps keep the market competitive so the USA can compete. I’m hoping the folks here are just as enthusiastic about American Made and Fair Trade products as I am and that I’m able to spread the word on important issues like this through my work here.

I also feel it’s important to give back and that’s why I currently donate 3% of my profits to The Polaris Project to help fight human trafficking and to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

During the process of making Forever Revolutionary a reality, who or what are you most thankful for?
I’m thankful to God. It’s my faith that has guided me through this process and brought all of this to life. It’s my faith that fuels my love of people, country and the environment. My husband has also been a great support and full of encouragement. He’s a retired Navy Seabee, and has helped out a lot with the unique, physical structure inside my shop.

Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving memory or tradition?
I think one of the most exciting Thanksgiving moments for me was when I finally reached a place in my life where I was capable of being the one to host Thanksgiving dinner. It’s nice to have your own home and be in the position to take the weight off of family members who have done it for so many years – it’s a lot of work. My aunts always hosted Thanksgiving and it took a lot out of them, I was finally able to be the one to do all of the cooking, cleaning, and decorating. It was nice to return the favor of extending my home to them and they loved being able to relax and enjoy the time with family.