We recently connected with Pametria Brown and have shared our conversation below.

Pametria, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

There are several things my mom got right, from setting standards, to valuing education, to entrepreneurship. My mom owned a childcare center and charter school throughout my childhood until I was in college. She taught me the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, valuing others and giving back. Her school was where I learned to engage, educate, and entertain children. I also witnessed her advocating for herself and her community all while teaching young Black children the importance of saying daily affirmations, loving yourself, and learning about your culture. It is not lost of me that my first book was about teaching young girls to love their natural hair and that I host self-esteem workshops for teen girls. I am truly my mother’s daughter!

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.

My name is Pametria Dominise Brown, LMSW and I am a true Memphian born and raised. Proud graduate of Whitehaven High school, The University of Memphis, and UT Knoxville for grad school earning my Master’s degree in Social Work. As a social worker, I worked for years advocating for children in the foster care system. After one of my clients lost his battle with depression, I wanted to impact youth in a different capacity. So, I transitioned to a clinical path and began working as an adolescent therapist in mental health hospitals.

While growing my professional career, I was also building an empowerment brand simultaneously. This brand was dedicated to empowering Black women and girls to love their hair, skin, and culture. I created scholarship pageants and hosted events to educate and empower within the Mid-South area for years. But I knew my brand needed to reach beyond Memphis, so I wrote my first children’s book, I Am a Natural Cutie in 2017.

Becoming an author was the perfect way for me to merge my professional career with my passion work I was doing in the
community. To date, I have self-published 9 books and journals and affirmation cards, that cover topics such as anxiety, trauma, self-care, and confidence building for teens.

I revamped my business and brand to focus on writing books and curating events that normalize mental health and wellness in the African American community, and I have become one of the leading faces for mental health in the Mid-South community. Hosting my teen self-esteem workshop, Loving My Mirror, and my Self Care Sunday series that not only promote mental fortitude but actually connect the community with mental health providers of color.

My community work was recognized by the United States Congress in 2019, when I earned a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for my invaluable service. So rather you are looking for books on mental health, events on self care and wellness, courses on self-publishing, or want to learn how to shop for a therapist, Pametria Dominise can lead the way!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

For years, I allowed people to call me Pam because it was easier to say and made them more comfortable. I always hated that name growing up, but my 10th grade math teacher refused to pronounce my full name and eventually I stopped correcting here and just allowed everyone to call me Pam. This went on all throughout college and adulthood. For years, I had built brands, but I had not truly developed my identity outside of those brands. I was not confident or comfortable with selling or pitching myself outside of the business. I was bold in many ways but was shrinking and hiding behind my business in other ways. Around 2019, one simple change helped me to redefine myself. I reclaimed my name and created my personal brand using my full name, Pametria Dominise. While it seemed simple, it signified me owning my identity and not allowing others to define who I am. It took me almost 20 years to unlearn the lesson, but it helped me to build a personal brand rooted in my authentic identity.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I made the decision to become an author, I was driving back to Memphis after visiting friends in Atlanta. Before this trip, I felt defeated because I was laid off from my job at a mental health hospital. During this trip my friends encouraged me to explore focusing more on being an entrepreneur and to share my knowledge through books. I dismissed the idea completely but by the end of the trip, I was convinced and wrote out an outline for my first book. I had listed the chapters and overall subject matter. When I made it home, I logged onto social media and read a post about a young girl hating her natural hair so much that her mother was going to cut it off due to the bullying. I was saddened that it inspired me to write a story dedicated to her and just like that my first book, I Am a Natural Cutie, was born. This book was a huge pivot from the self-help book I intially outlined but it was the perfect story to introduce myself as an author. That book has been sold internationally, featured in national publications, became an Amazon best seller and paved the way for me to self-publish 8 additional books,

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pametriadominise.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/pametriadominise
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/pametriadominise
• Other: www.instagram.com/blacktherapistmatter

Image Credits
Andrea Fenise Ray Simone Ryan Stewart Amiya Jay