That Girl Meets; Dr Pamela Gurley, D.M.

By Natasha Lee.

Professional Speaker, Media/Press Journalist, and Author, Dr. Pamela Gurley is the founder and CEO of Clark and Hill Enterprise, LLC and IAmDrPGurley, LLC; founder/creator of the brand un@pologeticbyDrG, Author of I Am Not a Stereotype: I Am H.E.R., Bl@ck Girl Activist (releasing March 2021), The Business Cocktail Model: Seven Elements to Building a Sustainable Business (releasing February/March 2021), and contributing author of Living A Non-Negotiable Lifestyle: My Life + My Dream+ My Ambition = MY SUCCESS. 

Dr Pamela Gurley is also an MBA Adjunct Graduate School Professor at the Florida Institute of Technology; Founder and Host of Herspiration Happy Hour podcast; Host of Vlog Series Un@pologetic w/ DrG; Editor/Contributing Writer for Medium, WE Empower Magazine and Hustle & Soul Magazine; and Business Blog and Content Writer.

Dr Pam is unapologetic about how she lives her life and does so to the fullest. An avid traveler and culture lover, she has visited 40 of the 50 United States, 1 U.S. Territory, and 31 countries to gain a holistic view of the world we live in. Her travels have shaped her views and given context to self-expression, self-acceptance, colorism, racism, and stereotyping. She is a savvy, busy, and ambitious woman looking to change the narrative of how black women are perceived in business. 

Before beginning her civil service career, Dr. Pam 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 served as the Agency Budget Officer for the United States Merit Systems Protection Board until her resignation from the Federal Government on November 7, 2020.

Dr. Pam has been featured in Forbes; as well as, on Good Morning Washington (abcDC7), Good Day Atlanta (Fox5Atl), The Quiet Storm w/ Lenny Green, The Book of Sean (FoxSoul), Fox34, NBC, CBS, and many other magazines and media outlets. 

Virtual Red-Carpet Credibility:

• 35^th Annual Stellar Awards
• Black Media Honor Awards
• Wendy Williams Lifetime Documentary/Movie
• Salt-N-Pepa Lifetime Original Movie
• Little Women of Atlanta Premiere

Press/Media Credibility:

• DIVAS Simply Singing (Cheryl Lee Ralph)
• HBCU Heroes NBA 2K21Holiday Gaming Tournament
• DJ Kool, Music Artist
• DJ Cut Creator, LL Cool J former DJ
• DJ Starting from Scratch, Iconic Canadian DJ
• Jackie’s Boy, Grammy Award Winning (4x Grammy Nominated) Songwriter
• Jade Tinner, Vice President of Investment Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce
• Tammy Allison, Esq., Former US DOJ Clemency Attorney
• And many more.

She is a retired United States Army Veteran and 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.

What inspired you to become an author?

I never really thought of becoming an author of a “book” and quite frankly I thought it would consume too much time. In a small way, I had been an author for a long while since I published two poems in compilation poetry books over 15–20 years.

For myself, I had blogged many of my life experiences and would post on a blog site I used to have. When I started speaking about living unapologetically and would share things, afterward people would ask if I had a book. Inspired by the many book requests, I decided to finally write a book, which honestly derived and manifested from a poem I had written called “I Am Not A Stereotype: I Am H.E.R.”

While I had been writing my own book, I was approached to do an anthology in 2019 and contributed a chapter to it. The overall experience was not great; however, I found it very easy to write for the purpose of a “book”. Writing for this book helped me gain a better view of my chosen style of writing…conversational.

Please tell us about I Am Not A Stereotype: I Am Her (2019)?

I decided to write this book not only from a conversational viewpoint but also from an imperfect one. I wanted it to be personal and worldly; while also being flawed. So I wrote about my life, my thoughts, and my perspective in the most imperfect way ever.

People see titles, material things, educational degrees, or social status and judge (often negatively from their own points of view). They have an expectation of what and who you should be based on their false realities. So, I wanted to create the imperfectly written book with the perfect message about self-love, self-forgiveness and being unapologetic.

We all have scars and flaws but they don’t define us or change our greatness in the present or in the future. We also have the power to not box ourselves to be what everyone else wants. We don’t have to subscribe to any stereotype.

How about Bl@ck Girl Advocate: Changing The Native for Black Women (2021)?

After writing my book about not being a stereotype and the depiction of Black women, I would often have conversations about change when it comes to women of color and how we need our community to shift the way we think of ourselves that falsify the narrative about us. I dislike the way society has a way of making Black and Brown women and girls feel unworthy based on the color of skin & other features. I also dislike the false representation of Black women on social media, television, and movies.

I wanted to start conversations about it and I would do so often. Someone on Clubhouse said I should write a book and when I sat and thought about it, I said to myself “what the hell, why not?” So, I did. It became an Amazon bestseller in less than 24 hours.

What impact do you intend to make through writing?

I write to motivate, share my thoughts and knowledge, and inspire those to speak up for change. I also believe in the importance of literacy, and the empowerment of Black culture. Words have power and writing is one of those ways you can release that power. It’s another way of lending your voice to change or knowledge sharing and I'm happy to lend my voice by writing and not just speaking.

What are some other projects you’re currently working on or involved in?

Currently, I am working on an anthology series for Bl@ck Girl Activist (releasing July 2021); as well as a children’s book series (releasing June & Sept 2021), and another book I am deciding on a late fall release date.

I’m also working on my fall collection for my apparel brand un@pologeticbydrg; as well as, working on my new entertainment company, Dope A$$ Women Entertainment. I have to balance these projects so they each take time to get completed.

As a female CEO, from your perspective, what defines a boss?

Impact. I don’t care how much money you make as a female CEO, people will remember you by the impact you have made (big or small). That impact can be through customer service, mentoring, community service, empowering others, coaching, and more.

What advice would you have for aspiring writing creatives and entrepreneurs?

Just write. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. There are professional editors for that. Plus, the more you write the easier it gets and the better you become at it. Last, I would say do not box yourself in. Write about what you like and love but don’t be afraid to write about what you dislike. In other words, as a writer, you can have more than one niche just like you can have more than one viewpoint.

Follow Dr Pamon social media at  @unapologeticbydrg @iamdrpgurley

For more information please visit https://www.iamdrpgurley.com/ and https://www.unapologeticbydrg.com/

Natasha Lee is a visionary, entrepreneur and advocate for all things SHE led. She has built businesses, raised a family and worked alongside some of the most inspirational women globally.

Her #ThatGirl brand is all about strong female leadership, and she wears what she preaches! Have you seen the red lipstick cute T-shirts?! From an early age (She was an 8-year-old DIVA) to the present day, she worked toward her dreams. Natasha doesn't allow anything to hold her back. You can read all about her journey to becoming That Girl here and if you want to ask her any questions drop into The Community