Pamlia Hereford

My daughters really keep me moving forward. With so many changes happening politically and in the environment, the world is kind of taking a step back, and there's so much work that we as women in leadership have to do to keep things moving forward and keep them from stalling out. I see my daughters, and I don't want them to feel like there is no place for them. I want them to know that if they do encounter a situation where they feel like there is no place for them, that they have the boldness, the courage, and the confidence to create their own path. I feel like that starts with what they're able to see, so I have to model that for them. If I can model that in a way that is inspiring and meaningful, then they will be able to pick up and hone in on those skills themselves as they continue to grow, even when it comes to a point where I won't be able to support them or help them. I don't have my mother anymore, my mother has gone on to Glory, and because of that, I can't reach out to her for advice. But through that relationship with my mother, I learned how to develop other connections with other women who are just as bold, confident, and outspoken, but also very much reserved. Even when their personalities don't mesh well with mine, they still have a way of being able to communicate with me with clarity so that I feel comfortable enough to continue to go to them to seek advice. My daughters push me forward.

The best advice I can give is advice that my mother shared with me so many years ago, from a kid to adulthood, which is: your gift will make room for you. What that means is, no matter what space you are in in your life at this present moment, if you continue to hone in on what you are gifted at, what you are great at, what comes easy and simple for you, allow that to be the driving motivator to how you support and help others. You don't have to move into a space where you don't have much to contribute. Learn enough about yourself as to what you can truly offer to the communities around you, to the industries that you work in and that you operate in. And through that, the right opportunities will always follow you.

Your gift will make room for you. No matter what space you are in in your life at this present moment, if you continue to hone in on what you are gifted at, what you are great at, what comes easy and simple for you, allow that to be the driving motivator to how you support and help others. You don't have to move into a space where you don't have much to contribute. Learn enough about yourself as to what you can truly offer to the communities around you, to the industries that you work in and that you operate in. And through that, the right opportunities will always follow you. This advice came from my mother, and it has guided me from childhood to adulthood. It's about being inquisitive and curious about what the life cycle is like for individuals in an industry, and allowing your natural gifts to create opportunities for you.