Who is Pamela Gurley?
Who I am is so many things to so many people. Who I am is a go-getter, a loving daughter, an overprotective sister, amazing aunt to 5 nieces and 5 nephews, “Pma” to two wonderful pseudo-grandkids, the empowering friend, and devoted significant other to a wonderful and supportive man. I am also a worldly traveler, wine lover, poet (not many people know that about me), and I love to cook.
What’s your backstory?
This is such a loaded question because I have done so much in my life. I guess the easiest is the backstory of how I became a writer, which is a full circle phenomenon. I pretty much grew up writing because as far back as I can remember I wrote poetry. Writing was also my outlet (I had many diaries). While in high school I attended the Upward Bound program at Savannah State and was the Editor and Chief of our newspaper. After high school, I left everything writing (other than academic papers). My first job was life guarding and my second job was the military. After leaving the military, I went back to school and worked as a front desk manager at a hotel before graduating with my Bachelor’s in Psychology and became a Family Advocacy Program Educator. When I went Federal in 2005, I started as a Management Analyst at the ATF National Academy, where I transitioned into Government Budgeting a year and a half later and stayed in that field until I resigned in 2020.
While in my Doctoral Program, I was working with a lot of non-profits and small businesses as a part of my curriculum. Away from class, I started writing quite a bit of business plans and marketing strategies for start-ups and loved it. That is what birthed my business writing company, Clark and Hill Enterprise in 2017. My services grew to media, press releases, and more after I was offered an opportunity to cover the Stellar Awards in 2020. Afterward, I expanded my writing services to cover all things media (articles, press releases, bios, EPKs, etc.
What was your childhood dream career? Are you doing that?
Oh, no, and far from that! Growing up I wanted to be a lawyer. And while I am extremely analytical and operate with the mindset of needing to base my decisions on facts, I did not take that career path.
You are a speaker, writer, journalist, author, entrepreneur and adjunct professor. How do you juggle all these roles?
If I must be honest, I don’t feel like any of it is “juggling” because of how most of these falls in place. Being an entrepreneur is a title like me having a Doctorate and being called Dr., but that is not what I do. I own a company that provides business writing services and that includes media articles (even if I do press junkets, I still have to do write-ups). My company is my full-time job and what I would now consider my “9-5” since it has priority over anything else I commit to.
Being an author is more of a hobby because I do that on weekends or late evenings when I am inspired. And being graduate school adjunct is seasonal evenings when I do commit to a term and only one day a week -I carve out specific days to read and grade.
Of course being a speaker is not all of the time, so I can commit early and prioritize those events – most are held on weekends.
You resigned from public service to focus on full-time entrepreneurship. How and why did you make this switch?
I would say the timing of the decision was not necessarily mine. I started planning a strategy to leave the federal government in 2018 and had created a 5-year-plan. By 2019, I had achieved what I wanted when I first started working for the government as a civil servant in 2005 – attaining a GS-15. Even then, I had still planned to work until 2023 as I had planned. But God has a way of making you real uncomfortable when it is time to go. I woke up one morning and felt like I was gut punched and it was so strong of a “now or never” for me that it scared me. I called my mom immediately and after speaking with her, I gave my supervisor my 3-week-resignition notice and gifted myself “freedom” for my birthday (making Nov 7 my official last day and waking up on Nov 8 my own boss). Even looking back, I would have never been able to accomplish what I have if I would have continued to work.
You are a United States army veteran. How was the experience working in the army? What lessons have you been able to carry along with you?
I am a military brat and my dad was a drill sergeant so being in the Army was very familiar to me. Even going through basic training was not difficult for me since my dad prepared me greatly for what was to be expected in so many ways. My experience working in the military was short-lived but great in many ways – I medically retired at just about 2 years of active duty service. I was a medical specialist and worked in a pediatric and well-baby clinic. What I didn’t know about children and the medical field, I certainly gained a lot of knowledge on. I also learned pretty quickly that nursing was not something I wanted to do for a career when I separated from the military. I mean, I loved my job, but not enough to want to continue for years. My expereince did make me want to go into social advocacy though.
The biggest lessons I took with me are commitment, integrity, and discipline – all needed as a entrepreneur.
What about the Herspiration Happy Hour podcast; what is its purpose and target audience?
Herspiration Happy Hour is a cocktails and conversation podcast open to discuss culture, business, life, and all things people talk about at happy hour. The purpose is to give light and a voice to inspire and encourage others. Undergoing a rebranding strategy in 2020, to include hiring two professional Black women to cohost, the podcast more than doubled in listenership.
I don’t like to target a specific audience for my podcast since the podcast is meant to have happy hour conversations. I love a good happy hour and it often entails having dialogue with many people. We have had quite a few nationalities on, and the variety makes it so interesting. The stories people open about do more than inspire; they encourage
What is the mission of Dope A$$ Women Entertainment?
The mission of DAWE is to create content that is entertaining, educational, and inspiring. I wanted something that represents women (and men) who are dope and about leveling up one another. Honestly, DAW Entertainment was created to hold all of the media content on one place. I had my Vlog series, Virtual Red Carpet Interviews, and Podcast all on my personal page. When I began authoring so many books, I felt the need to separate my media brands. But essentially, the mission is guided by what I believe in and that is empowering others.
You have had the opportunity to be featured on various publications such as Forbes, What do you think is holding back female entrepreneurs from getting that much attention from reputable media?
I feel that one of the main reasons female entrepreneurs do not get as much attention from reputable media outlets is because they are not marketed properly. They may not have the same access to resources that can pay for a publicists (especially one that is connected to journalist and other media outlets). PR is critical when it comes to marketing and can make or break opportunities for exposure. Hiring a publicist was the best decision I made when it came to allocating dollars for a marketing strategy.
You are passionate about ensuring that all children develop literacy skills. Tell us more about this initiative, what inspired it?
It is important to me that children develop literacy skills because literacy is the foundation for all learning. Once a child learns to read, they can begin to explore the world around them. It can open up new opportunities for children giving them the chance to learn about new topics and discover new interests. Equally, reading helps children develop critical thinking skills and learn to express themselves clearly. For all these reasons, I believe that it is essential for every child to receive high-quality literacy instruction.
What inspired me was writing books to inspire and empower adults. When my children’s books came to me as I slept, I feel it was God’s way of showing me how to change the cause and effect of what emotionally and mentally broke adults – negative childhood experiences. Most things we are overcoming as adults were because of how we felt as children trying to navigate in this big ole world and find ourselves. I also felt Black and Brown literature is not always available the way non-minority books are, so representation is important when it comes to relatable social-emotional and psycho-social children’s literature.
As an author, which of your books do you love the most and why?
My children’s books are my favourite. I don’t have a favourite one in any of those titles. I fell in love with the characters when my illustrator brought them to life in full colour. Plus, I feel as I am creating each new book, it becomes harder to decide since each one is created to provide representation to Black and Brown children.
Please share with the Stellar woman subscribers, a book that has changed your life.
I absolutely loved “Condoleezza Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me.” When I first picked up her memoir, I was not expecting it to change my life. She was not someone I thought highly of given working under both Bush’s terms. However, as I continued to delve into her story and her experiences growing up in the turbulent racial climate of the 1960s and 70s, I began to see the world in a different light and life through a different lens. Through Rice’s honest and engaging account of family, community, and race relations in America, I gained a new appreciation for the struggles faced by so many people of colour during such a challenging period in history. Her personal journey, life decisions, and wisdom inspired me to work harder for justice and equality in my own community.
Tell our reader about the one woman who has inspired you the most.
My mother, Pamela Jones, is my biggest source of inspiration. She is street smart, book smart, and business smart. She is analytical in ways that have helped establish my grounding as a leader, manager, business owner, and more. I love that she is not perfect and handles her short-comings and flaws in the most emotionally intelligent ways. Her support for me is unwavering and I am super blessed to have her to call on and count on when I am having any meltdowns. She does not sugar coat things to make me feel better yet knows exactly what to say to change the way I am thinking in those moments. She empowers me to take risks and bet on myself – standing in my corner the entire time cheering me on.
How do you describe success?
I would describe success as achieving your goals and doing the things that fulfil you, recognizing your own abilities and utilizing them in meaningful ways that can positively impact or enrich others, and being able to move forward despite any setbacks or difficulties encountered along the way.
How important is strategy in achieving goals?
When it comes to achieving goals, strategy is absolutely essential. If you don’t have a clear plan of action for how you will get from Point A to Point B, then there’s no way you can attain your goals successfully.
What do you do to strategically position yourself or your business for success?
For me, effective strategies are considering both the big picture and the smaller details that are needed in order to achieve what I have planned. I also like to break down my goals into smaller steps by focusing on what I can accomplish today and tomorrow, rather than next week, next month, or next year. This way I am much more likely to accomplish things and set realistic expectations for progress. This has helped me reduce stress and keep things in perspective when things don’t go as planned.
What is the one thing that has surprised you about life?
That a lot can change in the course of a year that can expand your horizons exponentially!
Have you ever failed at anything before? If yes,what and how did you manage to get back on your feet?
Whaaaattt, have I! Nothing good could ever come from being perfect! For this reason, I don’t look at failure negatively, but as a process of growth. As an entrepreneur, I would say my biggest failure is wanting to help everyone because I have the knowledge and know-how to do so. But the end result leads to a “discount mentality” for both clients and I – where I lost out on money. I learned the importance of servicing clients in my target market and letting my rates be nonnegotiable. It has made a world of difference in my revenue.
If you had the opportunity to meet your 14-year-old self, what message would you share with her?
I would share a message of confidence and self-acceptance. That it is important to remember that she is unique and have so much untapped potential inside her. Whether it’s embracing her creativity, or finding her voice, to work hard and always strive to be her best self. And that she is capable of achieving amazing things by following her heart and having faith in herself! Last, I would say: The future is hers for the taking!
Do you have a life mantra? Can you please share
My life mantra is “always keep learning.” I firmly believe that there is no such thing as too much knowledge, and that the more we learn, the better we are. Whether it’s taking a new class, reading a book on a topic I’m interested in, or simply listening to a podcast, I’m always looking for ways to expand my knowledge. After all, knowledge is power, and the more I know, the better equipped I am to handle whatever life throws my way. Life is an incredible journey, and there’s so much to learn along the way. My mantra reminds me there’s always more to explore, discover, and experience.
What are the attributes of your ideal Stellar Woman?
The attributes of my ideal Stellar Woman are passion, intelligence, and resilience. I believe she should be passionate about what matters to her and willing to take risks to achieve her goals. This passion should be evident in everything she does – from how she speaks and interacts with others to the causes that motivate her work. I also feel intelligence is not just about being smart but also understanding emotion. She should be able to handle complex issues and have thoughtful opinions and feedback that will lend to others’ growth. And resilient women are definitely stellar. Being able to bounce back from setbacks and challenges without letting them affect long-term goals or outlook on life is so important. Overall, a Stellar Woman is someone who embodies all that is admirable, successful, and inspiring.
Where do we see Pamela in 5-10 years?
OH MY, I have no idea!! God has surprised me so much in the last 2.5 years I cannot even imagine what is in store for me. I guess if it were up to me, I would be more successful than I am now as an author and also be a New York Times Best-Selling Author. Outside of that, I would say alive, healthy, and be able to be more philanthropic than I am now.
Please leave one challenge to women reading this story to help them to strategically win in 2022.
Being stellar is more than just having success. As a woman, I know that we are often our own worst critics. We compare ourselves to other women and find ourselves feeling inadequate. We see the cellulite on our thighs and the wrinkles on our face and feel that we are not beautiful. But I challenge every woman to embrace her own unique beauty and to step outside her comfort zone. I want her to wear what she is afraid of – makeup or clothes. Go bold, go bright, and feel good about it!
Thank you so much for shining your light and sharing your story and knowledge with us.
Photo creds: DeAsia Photography