We recently connected with Pearl Pugh and have shared our conversation below.

Pearl , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s one of the most important lessons you learned in school?

One of the most important lessons I ever learned in school had nothing to do with textbooks or exams, it was about identity, independence, and resilience. And I learned it not in a classroom, but in the quiet moments of loneliness and longing, far away from the people and places that shaped me.

I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, surrounded by a large, loving, and loud family where Sunday dinners were sacred and you could always count on someone being in your corner. But when I decided to attend the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, I packed up my life and moved 600 miles away to a place I had never been, with people I did not know. It was exciting… until it was not.

That first year in Pine Bluff was hard. I did not have the comfort of my mom’s cooking or the safety net of familiar faces. There were no quick hugs from cousins or last minute advice from aunties. It was just me. I remember sitting in my dorm room one weekend, everyone else had gone home or out with friends and I just sat there with this deep ache in my chest, realizing for the first time that I was really on my own.

But that is when the lesson came: being alone does not mean you are not supported, it means you are being shaped.

I had to learn how to navigate life without leaning on family for every decision. I had to find my own rhythm. I had to become my own anchor. And in doing so, I discovered strength I did not know I had. I started finding mentors, building friendships that became like family, and learning how to lead, speak up, and advocate for myself.

When I left Pine Bluff and moved to Norfolk, Virginia to pursue my Master’s at Norfolk State, I thought it would be easier, but in many ways, the lessons deepened. I was now balancing graduate level work with personal growth, and still… I was away from home. Then, eventually, I moved to Maryland to begin my professional journey, each move taking me further away from family, but closer to who I was becoming.

Being away from my family taught me how to carry them with me, even when they could not be physically present. Their love, their prayers, their sacrifices, they all became fuel. And now, as a wife, mother, minister, and entrepreneur, that lesson still guides me. I am strong because I learned how to stand alone, but never without remembering where I came from.

That is the lesson that stuck: sometimes, being away from everything you love is the very thing that teaches you how to become everything you are meant to be.

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 Dr. Pearl Pugh, and I wear many hats: wife, mom, ordained minister, entrepreneur, and behavioral scientist. I am originally from Chicago, Illinois, and my journey has taken me from the heart of the Midwest to Arkansas, Virginia, and now Maryland. Every move has shaped my purpose, voice, and mission.

How I Got Started
My professional background is rooted in over 9 years of experience in software engineering and program management, primarily serving in high visibility national security roles within the federal government. I eventually served as the Chief of Organizational Management for the Department of Defense, where I led strategic efforts and large scale organizational transformation. I hold a Doctorate in Information Technology with a concentration in Project Management, and my passion for both systems and people has always guided my work.

But there was more. I felt a divine pull toward purpose driven work that integrated my faith, creativity, and heart for women’s empowerment. That led to the birth of two distinct but connected platforms:

1. Treasures of Pearl (www.treasuresofpearl.com)
Treasures of Pearl is an online women’s clothing boutique that celebrates femininity, faith, and fashion. We offer stylish, modest, and statement making apparel curated for women who want to feel beautiful, bold, and confident without compromising their values. Each piece is selected with intentionality, helping women express who they are from the inside out. Our brand colors—teal green, copper, soft blush, and warm taupe—reflect elegance, earthiness, and grace.

What sets Treasures of Pearl apart is our commitment to storytelling through style. We do not just sell clothes. We celebrate identity, purpose, and personal transformation. Every customer is treated as a “pearl,” rare, valuable, and worthy of intentional beauty.

2. The Treasured Pearls Foundation (www.thetreasuredpearls.com)
The Treasured Pearls Foundation is my heart project. It is a nonprofit that provides scholarships and mentorship to young women, particularly those attending HBCUs. As an HBCU alumna myself (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), I understand firsthand the power of access, support, and representation. We are committed to nurturing future leaders and equipping them to succeed not just in college but in life.

Faith and Marketplace Ministry
As an ordained minister pursuing a Master of Ministry at Anderson University, I also train and mentor emerging faith leaders, especially those called to the marketplace. Through workshops, speaking engagements, and a signature leadership curriculum, I help leaders build vision aligned systems, define their leadership DNA, and confidently walk in both strategy and spirit. I am particularly passionate about empowering women in ministry, helping them embrace both their calling and their voice.

Behavioral Science and Suicide Prevention
Currently, I serve as a Senior Behavioral Scientist on a federal contract focused on suicide prevention policy. This work allows me to combine data, research, and lived experience to develop compassionate, strategic, and equitable systems of care. Whether I am analyzing postvention frameworks or advising on culturally responsive peer support models, I am deeply invested in protecting life and restoring dignity in vulnerable populations.

What Sets Me Apart
What makes me different is my fusion of faith, strategy, and style. I move seamlessly between prayer rooms and boardrooms, between analytics and altar calls. I know what it means to grieve deeply and still show up for others. I know what it feels like to lose and still lead. And I have made it my mission to help other women, especially Black women, stand tall in their truth, purpose, and power.

What I Am Most Proud Of
I am most proud of building platforms that reflect both my journey and my joy. I have been through profound personal loss, including the passing of my daughter, Paris, and yet I have found a way to lead with grace. Whether it is watching my sons Tahj and Tycen thrive, launching a new collection for Treasures of Pearl, or teaching a leadership workshop at church, I feel honored to live out a life that is both healed and healing.

What I Want You to Know
If you are a potential client, follower, or supporter, here is what I want you to know:

My brand is deeply personal. Everything I create flows from a place of faith, healing, and authenticity.

You are seen and valued. Whether you shop with me, attend an event, or simply follow along online, you are part of a community that believes in legacy, beauty, and purpose.

This is bigger than business. This is about impact, voice, wholeness, and women finding freedom in every room they walk into.

Welcome to my world. I am so glad you are here.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

There are many moments in my life that tested my resilience, but one stands out as a turning point not just in my journey, but in how I came to understand strength, grief, and grace.

In 2012, I experienced the unimaginable: I lost my daughter, Paris, at 23 weeks. It was a moment that shattered everything I thought I knew about control, planning, and even faith. I remember lying in that hospital bed with silent tears streaming down my face, trying to make sense of how I got there. One moment I was preparing to be a mother to a baby girl, and the next, I was walking out of the hospital with empty arms and a broken heart.

That grief was not just emotional it was physical. I was in a new city, far from most of my family, and surrounded by people who did not know what to say. And yet, even in that dark place, something in me refused to let go of hope. I started to pray not because I had answers, but because I needed to feel God holding me when nothing else could.

I went back to school. I went back to work. I kept showing up. Not perfectly. Not pain free. But purposefully.

That experience became the soil where my resilience grew. It taught me how to lead with compassion. It deepened my faith. And it made me more sensitive to the silent pain others carry. That loss birthed my commitment to women’s ministry. It shaped how I mother my sons. It gave life to Treasures of Pearl and the Treasured Pearls Foundation—because I needed to turn my pain into purpose.

Resilience for me is not about bouncing back—it is about rebuilding with intentionality. It is learning how to breathe when the wind has been knocked out of you. It is learning how to hope again, trust again, live again, even when life looks nothing like you imagined.

That story—Paris’ story—is the heartbeat behind everything I do. And it is proof that even in the hardest seasons, God gives beauty for ashes.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Honestly, building a reputation is something I’m still working on every day. I don’t think you ever really “arrive” you just keep showing up with consistency, integrity, and heart. But if I had to name what’s helped me the most, I would say it’s character.

People may not always remember your credentials or your accomplishments, but they never forget how you made them feel. I’ve tried to be the kind of woman who is not just excellent at what she does, but also authentic in how she treats people whether I’m leading a team, preaching a sermon, fulfilling an order, or mentoring a young woman.

For me, reputation has been built in the quiet things: meeting deadlines when no one is watching, keeping my word even when it costs me, being kind in difficult spaces, and remaining teachable no matter how far I go. It’s also been built through my resilience. I’ve had to push through grief, transitions, and setbacks, but I did it with grace and faith, and I think people see that.

So yes, I’m still building, still learning, still growing. But if there’s anything that has helped lay the foundation, it’s staying true to who I am—even when it’s not popular, and even when it’s not easy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.PearlPugh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treasuresofpearl
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreasuresofPearl
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-pearl-ann-pugh-90080932/?trk=people-guest_people_search-card
• Other: https://www.treasuresofpearl.com

Image Credits

Leo “OneEye” Harris