Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Pamela Benson Owens. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Pamela , thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Over the last year I did a peace pivot. It was a huge risk because with that comes a smaller circle of support, less clients potentially, harder conversations and a reset on priorities. It was the best decision I ever made. A peace pivot is when you actually prioritize your peace in such a way that you execute it at all costs. By doing so, I’ve been able to show up in the world in a different way. Time is the one thing you cannot get back, I’ve not only reclaimed my time, I’ve unleashed an new and improved definition of self worth.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I started my consulting firm years ago, and it has taken on many forms over the years. Overall, I’ve built my career on saying yes. There were times when I knew exactly what to do on the other side of my yes, and other times when I wasn’t exactly sure of how to execute the request on the other side of the yes but I know I’m darn good at figuring it out. Whether it is to take on an interim roll for a nonprofit or build a comprehensive DEI plan for a corporation, one this is for sure, I thrive when it’s time to navigate complex issues. The name of my firm came about when my father mentioned that while I was doing a keynote at a professional conference he was attending, he felt like he was on the edge of his seat as I wove humor into so really hard truths about leadership. The name stuck and here I am many years later at the intersection of doing the work and being volun-told by respected elders in the community what I need to be doing. That’s how I became the CEO of Six Square- Austin’s Black Cultural Arts District. Managing two organizations plus a variety of other roles is challenging, and I’ve been a conscious decision not to be robbed of my peace, to not delay enjoyment, and to be okay with people disagreeing with me or not liking me.
Have you ever had to pivot?
One of my biggest and most profound pivots was when my youngest child was born in 2010. Being a parent/mom is hard. Working outside the home and being both responsible and accountable for the success of an entire organization is really hard. I noticed within about nine months that Preston was different. A Mom just knows. Several months went by and with each passing day I recognize interesting behavioral outputs. When I mentioned this to family members, they told me it was my imagination. To this day, the residual impact of not having people who love you, affirm and validate your perspective is a sticking point for me. When the diagnosis came- I was relieved and scared at the same time. It was empowering to have a name for what was occurring, it was scary to think about the learning curve. I didn’t know anything beyond, I loved this child and I was ready to do whatever was needed to help him. When the doctor said, Autism Spectrum Disorder, I felt like I was in the movie the Matrix. I could barely stand to my feet. My husband sat in the chair in doctor’s office for what felt like days. I stumbled home and fell on the floor sobbing. After a few days of tears, several tubs of ice cream, and lots of prayers, I attacked the diagnosis like I do anything else. Learn. Listen. Lead. I learned everything I could, I read every book, medical journal, and article. I would sit and hold him and stare at him and say, never talk? potty train? no school?- I don’t think so. Meanwhile I still have a business to run, and at that time I was traveling for clients a lot. All of that came to a hard stop. I reframed my work by taking more clients locally and built a strategic plan for Preston. First up, therapies that help with behavior, sense of self, and heaping doses of loving on him. Then, speech therapy, occupational therapy. Finally, building a team of experts to help us navigate the best ways to support him an help him reach milestones. The day he button a vest himself- which took us eighteen months to master, I cheered like he won the lottery. Since then, he’s been thriving and accomplishing everything the doctors said he would never do and more. The real lesson in all of this is, my business survived the hard stop and I am better for it. It was a hard lesson in priorities and I’ve never looked back as a result.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
The unlearning has been the entire second half of my career. I’ve had to learn not to force things. Not every client is worth having, not every relationship is worth maintaining, not every opportunity is the right opportunity. It seems like common sense but common sense isn’t common practice with the societal norm is we have to please and be liked or we get cancelled. I no longer operate in the neutrality of trying to be everything to everybody. My yes is a yes and my no is a no- and I don’t have to provide explanations either.
Contact Info:
- Website: pamelabensonowens.com
- Instagram: @pamelabensonowens @edgeofyourseatconsulting
- Facebook: Pamela Benson Owens
- Linkedin: Pamela Benson Owens
Image Credits
Olympia Roll at Korey Howell Photography