We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Pearl Pugh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Pearl thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea for Treasures of Pearl came from the pandemic. I really wanted cute, comfy, and classy clothes to wear around the house while I created crafts. This is how Treasures of Pearl was birthed, I called my good friend and asked if she could help and she agreed. We began to research other boutiques, manufacturers, and website hosting sites. We utilized our networks and found a business mentor who helped us not to make the same mistakes as others. Treasures of Pearl is still growing and developing, but I can truly see the growth from the beginning to now.

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

Hailing from the windy city of Chicago, Business Mogul, “Mompreneur” and Philanthropist Dr. Pearl Pugh, has a heart for Gods people. With her mom’s kindred spirit as an
early influence, her love of education was a trait Dr. Pugh adopted. Dr. Pugh holds a Bachelor of
Science in Computer Science from The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (’12), Master of
Science in Computer Science from Norfolk State University (’14), and a Doctor of Information
Technology with a concentration in Project Management from Capella University (’19).
Dr. Pugh has been a Federal Government employee for 8 years. Currently, she serves the
Department of Defense as the Chief of Organizational Health. While working in the Federal
Government, she honed her skills and learned to own her talents. During her tenure she has also
graduated from the program management development program, completed Defense Acquisition
Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level 3 training for Program Management, and had the
privilege of hosting the 2022 Let’s Explore Privilege event for her agency.

She is the CEO and Founder of Treasures of Pearl. She launched Treasures of Pearl in 2019
with a passion to create a one-of-a-kind shopping experience and her strong desire to create a
synergy between crafting and fashion. She is also the Founder and Chairman of The Treasured
Pearls Foundation, a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. The Foundation started with its signature
program “The Pearl and Friends ‘ My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams’ Scholarship,” which began in
2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to aid high school seniors achieve their educational goals
by minimizing the financial impact to attend a Historically Black College and University. The
Treasured Pearls Foundation, scholarship in combination with personal and professional
development are fundamental parts of the organizational mission. The Treasured Pearls
Foundation mission is to provide resources and tools for postsecondary education and empower
the community by meeting needs to overcome hardship. With taking the leap to develop her own
business empire, she now prides herself in her ability to cultivate opportunities for other women
to follow her example. Under her leadership as Founder and Chairman, the Treasured Pearls
Foundation,
● Provided over $7,000 worth of scholarships to students attending an HBCU in the past
three years.
● Continues to mentor seven HBCU scholars.
● Collected 375 children’s toys, which were then provided to the Baltimore Washington
Hospital Pediatric Unit.
● Blessed multiple families in need with toys for Christmas.
● Adopted two classrooms; providing classroom necessities was well as fulfilled two new
teachers wish lists for the new school year. Additionally, provided the classrooms
“reward parties” for their hard work.

Dr. Pearl Pugh is a proud member of Omicron Gamma Omega chapter, which serves Glen
Burnie, MD and surrounding areas, which is where she was initiated, December 2017. She is
currently her chapter’s Philacter and has been since January 2020. During her time as an AKA
Woman, she has assisted her chapter with the creation of end-of-the-year chapter gifts,
decorating chapter event (cookouts, meetings, retreats, etc.) and most notably she decorated for
the 2022 Cluster I Meeting.

She is a published author, having written three books:
o “Different But I am Here” which teaches that it is not about the color of your skin
but what is on the inside that makes people Different. We are Different and set
apart by our actions and what is on the inside. Choose to Be Nice. Choose to Be
Kind. Choose to Be Different.
o “Hey Taylor” reminds you that you can do anything you set your mind to. It
encourages everyone to be brave and daring, to give each day all you have, to
never give up, and to DREAM BIG. Children everywhere will find the motivation
they need to get out there, work hard, and be who you want to be.
o “Healing On Purpose Prayer Journal” is the perfect tool to build a stronger
relationship with Christ Build a Stronger Prayer Life, Hear God’s Voice More
Clearly, and Draw Closer to Him Daily. Filled with Powerful and Encouraging
Prayers. When you reflect on God’s attributes and faithfulness, it removes the
focus of your life from your own troubles and points them at the one who saved
your wandering soul.

While on her journey to become the mogul she is destined to be she has had the privilege of
being interviewed by Girls Go Global Podcast where the topic was to empower women to join
their faith and their works, in order to live the courageous life for which God created them. She
was able to share her thoughts/vision on how to Succeed, Educate, and Empower. In 2022 she
was interviewed by Voyage Baltimore, a magazine, where she was able to share about herself,
her challenges, and her philanthropic heart.

Dr. Pugh is a member of Destiny Christian Church located in Baltimore, MD where Bishop
James D. Nelson, Jr. is the pastor. A trusted and influential voice in ministry and leadership.
Pursued by churches and corporations to share biblical truth and collaborative leadership
principles, she travels throughout the United States and abroad serving women’s conferences,
facilitating intergenerational leadership seminars, and mentoring emerging leaders. She is a
leader of Children’s Church and former choir director.

Dr. Pugh is the wife of Terrence Pugh, a Software Engineer. Together they have two sons,
Tahj and Tycen. Dr. Pugh is a woman grounded with high ethical standards, steeped in her faith
to Christ. Dr. Pugh is a strong believer in meritorious academic achievement and a committed
servant to the needs of her community. She takes pride in everything that she does.
Ultimately, it was Pearl’s curiosity, belief in herself, and faith in God, which led her to
becoming the leader she is today, with a trailblazing brand. Pearl believes that everyone has a
story, and that hers is one that can be an inspiration to many young women, mothers, and
entrepreneurs. Dr. Pugh has learned to overcome fear and rejection and wants to encourage
others to do the same to sprout into who they do not expect!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There is always room for growth in every situation. Having to learn that all money is not my money was s huge lesson I had to learn. When I first started my business, I thought if you were paying , I would do the work. I quickly realized that my peace is more important than money. I had to understand that every customer is not my customer. Every closed door only left room for me to walk through a different one.

I remember a client asked for a quote that was based on the needs provided. After paying the deposit, the need grew, however they did not want to pay anything additional. They automatically assumed we would do everything they asked without any additional payments. I had to pull back and let them know that there are costs associated with every additional need. The customer was not happy with that, but from that day forward I knew that I would protect my peace and the integrity of my brand.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for Treasures of Pearl has been word of mouth. When a customer is happy with a purchase they will tell everyone that will listen about your business. When I first started, business was extremely slow. I thought my target audience was my family, however, I realized that it was not! I learned the hard way about My Network being My Net Worth!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.treasuresofpearl.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treasuresofpearl/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnlimitedTreasuresofPearl/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pearl-pugh-90080932/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dr_PearlPugh

Image Credits
Leo One Eye Harris