Dr. Pamela Gurley is a budget director for the federal government; founder and CEO of Clark and Hill Enterprise, LLC and I Am Dr. PGurley, LLC; founder/creator of merchandise brand un@pologeticbyDrG; adjunct professor for the Florida Institute of Technology’s MBA program; co-founder and host of Herspiration Happy Hour radio show/podcast; business and leadership blog writer, professional speaker, author, and training facilitator.
Before beginning her civil service career, Pamela spent three years as a program educator (independent business owner) for the Department of the Army, developing training and educating soldiers and their family members on the topic of domestic violence, child abuse prevention, stress management, and anger management. She began her federal career as a Management/Budget Analyst for the Office of Training and Professional Development for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and also spent time working as a Senior Budget Analyst for the Department of Defense, Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. Prior to working at her current agency, Pamela served as the Supervisory Budget Officer, having funding responsibilities domestically and in five international countries in four regions (Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Johannesburg, South Africa; Brussels, Belgium; Manila, Philippines; and London, United Kingdom).
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Saint Leo University; a Master’s in Health Service Administration from Central Michigan University; and a Doctorate in Management with a concentration in Organizational Development and Change from Colorado Technical University.
Learn more about this woman of many hats below.
Fancy: How would you describe your swagher? What makes Pamela, Pamela?
Dr. Pamela: Hmmm, that can be so many things. I would say classy, but at the same time edgy, caring, and unapologetic but in an intentional way. I don’t feel I have to fit into a norm or be like others; just to live by my own will and my own way.
Living makes Pamela, Pamela. I have a personal issue with knowing I have a life and not living it to my fullest potential…so I live it. I believe in knowing I have a purpose and knowing I need to constantly pour into that purpose. I can’t just be all work, all education, all mentoring, and more- life is more than just those things. That is not living. Living is knowing I can experience life (food, culture, music, and more). As they say, “All work and no play is no fun.â€
Fancy: Tell us a little about Clark and Hill Enterprises and the services.
Pamela: Clark and Hill Enterprise manifested from my passion for helping small businesses develop themselves. With the onset of entrepreneurship, having a business plan or other written content (i.e., contracts, blogs, articles, product or service feedback, etc.) is vital to the growth of businesses. In a nutshell, that is what Clark and Hill does. We provide written content for businesses.
Fancy: What inspired your Un@pologetic line?
Dr. Pamela: For my merchandise brand, it was important to have something that truly defined me. I had to put a twist on it though, so I used the @ symbol to define how I am: @ life, @ love, @ all things me. This is my “trinity†for living purposefully. Not in a spiritual way, but in the not just existing way. In other words, having a life and living a life is not the same.
Fancy: Is there anything in particular that you are unapologetic about?
Dr. Pamela: My energy. Though I live every facet of my life unapologetic, I am most protective of my energy and unapologetic about it. Energy is contagious and, if not careful, can change emotions, feelings, perspectives, and more. You are the product of your consistent environment and I would rather know that my environment is uplifting (especially in the face of overcoming hardships and adversity).
Fancy: So you’re releasing your book, “I Am Not a Stereotype I Am H.E.R.†this weekend. What is the book about and why did you decide to write it?
Dr. Pamela: My book is my truth about my journey, my perspective, and my thoughts on colorism. I am multi-ethnic and having bi-racial nieces I felt it was important to share my story on how wanting to fit in and be accepted affected the way I thought of myself and the world around me. I wanted to share how it affected the decisions I made and how focusing on being independent and having my career and academics was somewhat of a detriment because I lost focus on myself. It is time to change the narrative to recognize that black women (but also me, in general) will NOT continue to be a stereotype. I cannot and will not be boxed in by society.
Fancy: What is one obstacle whether business or personal that you overcame in order to be the woman you are today and how did you overcome it?
Dr. Pamela: Oh my, this is such an overloaded question! Laughs. I am laughing because there are so many obstacles (especially in business) that I have had to overcome to become who I am as a businesswoman. What you feel every day as a business owner is the need to quit all the time (good and bad times). While you want it to be all great and good, it also means more work. And more work means more financial expenses (unless a person is a robot and can “do it all†by themselves). Do you want to know how I overcome obstacles? I make one call to a very hard-working businesswoman and my accountability partner. No matter what I feel or what is about, she has a way of “slapping†me into reality with the raw honesty of being in business while also giving me all the reasons why it is worth it to continue to push on. If it were not for her, I would not have any of the two businesses I have now.
Fancy: Not only do you have your own brands, but you’re also employed by the federal government and an adjunct professor. How do you balance work/business and personal?
Dr. Pamela: My calendar is truly my best friend. I rely on it for nearly everything including most of my personal life. I have various color codes for things with family, social events, vacations, school dates, household appointments, and another category to capture scheduled home maintenance. I also block personal time off for me monthly. On the weekends, I rarely schedule calls or do work before noon. I also highly value date night and family time, so I never allow work to overshadow time with family (which is why I typically like to plan for important events weeks to months in advance).
One other way is having a companion that 100% supports you and is understanding of the fact that while in the car riding to places that I may be reading or returning emails. It is important to have someone to allow you to be busy in small pockets of time.
Fancy: In what ways do you practice self-care?
Dr. Pamela: While most people think I do not sleep, I DO! A LOT! I sleep in on weekends and on days off. To me, that is my biggest self-care time. The other important way I take care of myself is having self-date nights. I LOVE taking myself out on dates. Most times I dress up and sometimes it is a low-key movie date. I do this to stay connected to who I am (especially since I am in a relationship. I need to ensure I always define who I am and dating myself allows for this.
Fancy: Do you have any upcoming events or projects that you care to share?
Dr. Pamela: This Saturday, I have my official book release and book signing at Timothy Dean restaurant in Bowie, MD. I am also in the works of working out book signings in Atlanta, Ga.; Jacksonville, Fa.; Ontario, Canada; LA and San Diego; Seattle, Wa; and Detroit, Mi. My calendar is on my website and will have locations uploaded as they are confirmed. I also have a newsletter sent to email subscribers that will be sent monthly.
I have magazine features and radio show and podcast interviews coming up soon as well. All of this information will be updated on my website and to those on my email list.
Connect with Pamela below.
Website: www.clarkandhillenterprise.com | www.iamdrpgurley.com
Facebook: @clarkandhillenterprise | @iamdrpgurley
IG: @clarkandhillenterprise | @iamdrpgurley
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/clarkandhillent@iamdrpgurley
