The day I decided I had had enough of fear, failing and found the courage to leave it all behind.
Verified Member
Influential Woman · Advocate, Author, Survivor
Heather Pasmore
Motivational Speaker, HeatherSaysy2.com
GA 30016
3Articles published
2Awards received
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After six years of tears, arguments with God, and pandemic isolation while writing my memoir, I pushed through trauma and finally released my shame and pain through the pen.
Heather Pasmore · In Her Own Words
In Conversation
Heather Pasmore for Bold. Brilliant. Unstoppable.
Read the transcript
Heather Pasmore: An influential woman is one who. Is very clear. About taking a stand for what she knows. An influential woman is brave. She's brave at home. She's brave at work. She's brave in the marketplace. She is brave wherever she has positioned herself. And it's being observed by others. You see, an influential woman is not afraid to say who she is. She's holding the light so that others can see what it means to be strong. To be brave and to be influential. I use that word because people are attracted to influence. They appear where no one else is standing. You know why? Because influence is seen. So I say be who you are, where you are, wherever you are, so that others can take hold of what they're seeing and recognize I can be brave too. I can be strong too. I can be powerful too in the space where I am. Yes, influence, and that's who I am. An influential woman.
What's one piece of advice you would give to younger women chasing their dreams?
Heather Pasmore: You've been carrying this dream in your heart. Ever since you were a little child. And you wanted to become. One piece of advice I'd say to you is Be. Be then do it. Whatever that dream is, do it. You want to be a pilot? You want to be a physician? You want to be an astronaut? You want to be a chef? Any single idea that's burning within your heart that you want to be. Do it. Go ahead and do it. And then purposefully live it out. There is no other you than you. You are the only one that carries that dream with all of the nuances that goes with it. It doesn't matter that somebody else is a doctor. You are the only one that carries that DNA of a physician that you will be. So I say Go ahead. Keep going after it. It's yours. Own it and live it.
Full transcript available
Her Story
About Heather
Heather Pasmore is a recently retired registered nurse with more than 45 years of experience in nursing, community health, and patient advocacy. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Registered Nursing from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn and began her career serving in Community Health Care and then as Consulting Case management. As a Certified Case Manager, Heather has spent much of her career connecting individuals and families with resources to address their health and social needs. She has served as a Lifestyle Coach with the New York State Department of Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program, helping participants establish healthier eating and physical-activity habits. Her dedication in nursing was recognized when she was nominated as one of New York State's Nurse of Distinction in 1989 and in 1992 as Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges. Throughout her professional journey, Heather had expanded her work beyond traditional healthcare practice to individuals and businesses in navigating their financial competencies. She also became a Certified Christian counselor in 2020 and granted Ordination as a Minister of the Gospel in 2023. Drawing from her own experiences with domestic trauma, Heather now advocates for women who may be struggling with pain, shame, or difficult circumstances, encouraging them to recognize their experiences, seek support, and move toward purposeful and healthier lives. Today, Heather is building a new chapter through HeatherSaysY2.com as a motivational speaker, counselor, author, and voiceover artist. She is completing her memoir, When Pain Collided with Purpose and Destiny, which chronicles her experiences with trauma, personal challenges, faith, and spiritual growth while offering encouragement to women facing similar struggles. Heather has begun sharing her story through speaking engagements, podcast interviews, church events, and other platforms, with the goal of turning difficult experiences into a message of hope and purpose. She is also developing her voiceover skills with plans to narrate the audiobook version of her memoir, further expanding her ability to connect with and inspire others.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Heather
01What do you attribute your success to?
Success was the culmination of counselors, the support from those who guided and was the encouragement throughout my arduous journey. They also included Pastors, confidants, and sermons that I held on tightly to during the storm. This became the catalyst enabling me to share my experiences with others struggling with similar circumstance. This foundation fostered wisdom, and confidence to recognize the value of my story, how beneficial it could become to inspire and empower others.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You can do this, you need not be afraid of what is ahead. You will see many opting for financial gains but manage your career with a heart being kind, compassionate and caring. Let your heart speak louder.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I have had the opportunity to look in the rear view mirror of my career pathway. There were obstacles, challenges mixed in with opportunities. All presented as necessary, possible and unavoidable. My advice is to first align yourself with dedicated mentors. Their guidance should possess the ideals and integrity you aspire to become five years from now and beyond. Listen to your heart and then be courageous to hear the experiences, challenges, others are sharing. Let compassion and integrity lead you for those you are caring for. The issues they encounter may be exactly what connects them to you, knowing they are supported and heard.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I'll switch to the new area I have embarked on which is domestic trauma. Its runs like an undercurrent rippling quietly. But the turbulence beneath is unrelenting. Be observant, aware and non-judgmental. Be willing to be inclusive to those who are on the edge of losing it. It is easy to be dismissive, avoiding, citing feeling inadequacy. As I have shared before the first place is be a listener, stay in that space and sometimes just being still may yield insight for the next step.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are compassion, integrity, service and faith. Being there for others as they navigate challenging life situations. My experiences as a Registered nurse, Christian counselor, and Minister of the Gospel have strengthened my commitment to be a support others. To realize how much empathy, understanding, and purpose means to others. I also value authenticity and using my voice to share meaningful stories, which has inspired my goal to create an audiobook of my story. My quiet moments include reading, gardening, creating some unheard of culinary dish then singing about it. That's what brings me pleasure now. The eclectic company of friends are those who share these similar quirks.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Heather
HOW SHE DID IT.
The leap that changed everything
HOW SHE DID IT
That was it! Not another insult, nor any more disparaging words or physical trauma. I knew I was worth more than that, but I had lacked the courage to leave after all those years spent assuming things could suddenly change. I was afraid of leaving with nothing, terrifed of being without someone-regardless of how painfully self-loathing the relationship made me feel. But then it became clear: the sudden utopia I longed for was not going to happen.
Today was the day. I gathered the last remaining dredges of my self-respect and chose to walk away. It wasn't even that I had much self-worth left to draw on, but rather a response to what others had observed and said that day. They realized the horror of what was being done while I hid and tolerated it in silence for so long.
"You are worth more than that," I was told. So, I made the decision to leave him, the house, the physical belongings, and the heavy weight of shame and despair behind. A new destiny began taking shape: a memoir, a platform to guide women toward financial independence, and the deep peace I spent so long searching for-a peace I now call contentment.
A reflective piece exploring how women illuminate the lives of others through their expertise and influence, drawing parallels between physical light and the guidance we provide to help others discover their true purpose.
The power of light
Women as Beacons: Illuminating the Path to Purpose and Empowerment
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. What would have happened if He had never called on light to come forward? I cannot imagine our world in utter darkness, stranded.
A few days ago, upon arriving home, I discovered there was a power outage. The garage door wouldn't open, the doors weren't responding, and I couldn't see where to place the keys to manually unlock the door. Darkness! What was usual and customary became an issue. I wanted to see, but without light, it made everything more challenging.
Each one of us, as women, brings our light of expertise to shine in the darkness of those we influence, encounter, or mentor. Without it, so many could never see where to place the key and open the door to where and who they were purposed to be.
So I say, ladies, keep shining your light, guiding others along a pathway to freedom, success, enlightenment, and the vision they were meant to be.
A powerful reflection on finding new purpose and value in unexpected places, encouraging readers to embrace God's plan and recognize their worthiness beyond their past circumstances.
REPURPOSED
Discovering New Purpose: How a Discarded Box Reveals God's Greater Plan for Your Life
I was shopping the other day and needed a sturdy carton to hold the items as I carried them back to my car, so I picked up one of the boxes on my way out, placed the items inside, and proceeded to my car.
After emptying it, it dawned on me what a colorful box it was. Bright red, yellow, and blue strips swirled across the sides, but oddly, there were no words indicating what the original contents had been, except on the bottom. An idea quickly erupted: Don't throw it away. Since I consider myself a connoisseur of creativity, I knew this box had another life.
Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." NIV.
The manufacturer had a plan for that carton. However, there was an overriding discovery I made that allowed this box to become a staging platform for my exhibits. With a few more additions that no one could have imagined, its next stop would have been the garbage heap or, worse, the trash incinerator.
So many lives we encounter are loosely holding on to their existence because they feel all used up, have low self-esteem, feel unworthy, or lack any motivation. Someone has told them their existence is unnecessary.
I heard that before and carried that impression deep inside. But God disqualified the plans I had for myself. He had a greater, worthwhile, and different plan. And so do you!
Rearrange your thoughts about your life. Make it your focus to live again—to say, "I am so much more than this..." There is a master plan beyond what I am thinking or imagining.
And yes, I can.
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