Elise Burns—Evette Staffing CEO Builds a Business That Reflects Her Values, Her Story, and Her Why

In the staffing industry, it’s easy to get caught up in numbers—how fast a company grows, how many placements are made, and how big the margins are. For Elise Burns, Evette CEO, those numbers have never told the full story. When she started her own staffing agency, it wasn’t because she wanted to scale quickly […]

In the staffing industry, it’s easy to get caught up in numbers—how fast a company grows, how many placements are made, and how big the margins are. For Elise Burns, Evette CEO, those numbers have never told the full story. When she started her own staffing agency, it wasn’t because she wanted to scale quickly or follow a trend. Instead, it was because something didn’t sit right.

She had watched too many professionals—especially those in emotionally demanding roles—burn out or leave the careers they once loved. Even she knew what it felt like to be stretched too thin. Over time, those experiences laid the foundation for what would become Evette Staffing, the company Burns built from the ground up.

With over a decade in recruiting and sales across healthcare, legal, accounting, and IT, she had plenty of industry knowledge. It was her motivation, her “why, ” however, that truly made her different. She wasn’t interested in building a company that simply filled open roles. What she wanted was something more meaningful, something that helped people feel seen and supported, and gave them room to do the work they loved without having to sacrifice the rest of their lives to do it.

From the beginning, the company’s direction has followed that goal. Every decision has been grounded in lived experience, personal values, and a desire to create long-term change.

A Childhood and Professional Path Shaped By a CEO Mother

Long before she started her own business, Burns was watching someone else do it. Her mother, a single parent, began her career in recruiting, worked her way up, and eventually became the CEO of a healthcare staffing firm. She would go on to run two additional companies and eventually buy one herself.

That example stayed with Burns and gave her proof that it was possible to start over, grow something meaningful, and lead with care. So when she found herself raising two children while building her own career, she already had a rough blueprint in mind. Although it didn’t make her path any easier, it gave her confidence that she could do it, and do it her own way.

That mindset became even more important when she hit a wall with the traditional staffing model. Instead of staying in a system she no longer believed in, she followed in her mother’s footsteps and built her own.

The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything

Many founders can point to a moment that made their work personal. For Burns, it was when she realized how unsustainable staffing had become, not only in terms of operations, but emotionally. The system didn’t support the people doing the work, often leaving them overworked, underappreciated, and on the verge of burnout.

She witnessed this again and again, and it didn’t feel right to keep placing people into roles without addressing the structure around them. Burns knew she could keep going with business as usual, or she could create something that actually supported professionals in a lasting way. Starting her own company wasn’t strategic, but personal. She wanted to create a staffing agency that was focused on people first. That meant building something flexible, sustainable, and grounded in respect.

It meant being honest about what was working, and doing the harder work of changing it. That decision was a turning point, not just in her career, but in how she approached leadership moving forward.

The Core Values That Influence Every Decision at Evette Staffing

As her company grew, Burns held tightly to the three values that have guided her since the beginning: integrity, transparency, and humanity. Those aren’t things she writes down once and forgets—they’re the filter for the conversations and decisions she makes.

For Burns, showing up with integrity means sticking by her convictions even when it’s inconvenient or difficult. Transparency means being honest with her team, her clients, and the professionals they serve. Humanity means remembering that everyone is more important than their job title and having empathy for the person in front of her.

She’s also big on loyalty. Once you become part of her circle—whether as a teammate or a partner—she commits fully. That sense of loyalty is something she practices, not just talks about, and it’s one of the reasons why her company culture feels different.  At Evette Staffing, people are treated like people, not resources, and that influences everything.

Redefining Success Through Real-Life Impact

When Burns talks about success, she describes moments instead of numbers. She recalls speaking with a professional who had recently joined the company’s placement program. The individual shared that, before joining, she felt stuck between being present for her family and staying committed to the demanding career path she’d chosen. She believed that she had to choose one or the other. Because of Evette Staffing, she was able to find space for both, participating in family life again while also feeling more at peace and getting to enjoy her hobbies again.

That call stayed with Burns, reminding her why she started the business in the first place.

Stories like that remind her of what’s possible when professionals are supported instead of stretched to their limits. For Elise Burns, Evette Staffing is successful so long as it continues to help people reclaim part of their lives they thought they had to give up.

Protecting Time, Energy, and Mental Space to Show Up for Others

Building a business while raising kids has taught Burns the importance of protecting her time and energy. Over the years, she’s learned how to say no, how to delegate, and how to recognize when she needs a break. One of her go-to ways to reset is taking solo staycations. These short, quiet trips help her step back, rest, and return with more focus. She’s also become more selective about how she spends her time, making sure every commitment is aligned with her values and goals.

That same mindset applies to her leadership style. Burns looks up to entrepreneurs like Sara Blakely, who built Spanx from scratch while staying true to herself. She admires Blakely’s ability to lead with humor, follow her instincts, and stay authentic, even as the business scaled. That kind of leadership—calm, clear, and real—is something Burns tries to model in her own work.

To her, being a good leader means knowing when to push forward and when to take a step back. Her focus is on staying grounded and genuine as her company changes and grows.

A Family and Company Committed to Giving Back

Giving back isn’t an afterthought at Evette Staffing, but part of how the business runs. Burns and her family regularly support causes close to their hearts. They’ve volunteered at the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, donated through the Salvation Army’s “Adopt an Angel” program, and contributed to Genesis Women’s Shelter.

At the company level, the same spirit of giving applies. Evette Staffing participates in volunteer work each year and organizes donation efforts for nonprofits doing essential work. The team has contributed to hurricane relief, supported shelter organizations, and followed through on employee-led charitable recommendations.

When someone needs help, the company shows up, doing so with care, consistency, and respect. For Elise Burns, Evette Staffing reinforces the idea that good business starts with good people. It’s one more way she stays connected to the reason she built the company in the first place: to make people’s lives better, one decision at a time.