Pamela Bolado is the Founder and CEO at Women Who Do Wonders International, Director at Mission Wonder Women Foundation, Ambassador at AO Sports, and member of the 2021 Advisory Council for Smile Train. She personifies what women are capable of accomplishing, and I’m excited to share her inspiring and incredible story in this episode.
Listen in as Pamela opens up about her journey, from struggling with a cleft lip as a child to empowering women and transforming them on both the inside and the outside. You’ll learn about the mindset shifts that made that ambition possible, as Pamela truly encapsulates what it means to make a plan and roll with the punches. She’s a reminder to us all that we have it within us to do hard things and reach our true potential.
What You’ll Learn:
Pamela’s struggles with a cleft lip as a child.
How she got into the beauty industry.
How Mission Wonder Women Foundation was born.
How Pamela found her life’s purpose.
What she is most proud of in her life.
Ideas Worth Sharing:
“I always wanted to be better; I always wanted to prove myself.” - Pamela Bolado
“I wanted to make women feel beautiful every day.” - Pamela Bolado
“Last year was the seed of everything, and everything started to sprout this year, so I see big things coming.” - Pamela Bolado
Resources:
Transcript:
Molly Dare 0:07
Hello and welcome to On Air with Molly dare. I'm your host Molly dare, founder of Hillenbrand, media producer of the Spotlight Series, single mom to two amazing teen girls and host of this podcast. I am so excited for you all to meet the amazing Pamela Bolado. Today, she is an amazing Wonder Woman. And I can't wait for to dive into the conversation. But I just wanted to catch up with you guys on on current happenings in my life. And you know, Pamela, Pam, my conversation with Pamela really brought this home is that, you know, this past week I was traveling me and it's gotten frustrating traveling, this past month, every single flight has been delayed, or canceled. And then they reschedule me automatically on a flight for another day. Sometimes it's two days later, sometimes it's the next day. And even when there's other flights available that same day, they just booked me on another one. And it just becomes frustrating trying to fix it and trying to to, they don't even give you a voucher for like a hotel stay. So they just assume everyone has extra money to just, you know, stay in hotels for extra extended extended days. Anyway, it's just wild to me what's going on. And I get very frustrated, because my schedule is very, you know, back to back to back. And so I don't have time, not that many of us to really, for inconvenience, or to be late or to be hours late or days late anywhere. And you know, I was getting frustrated. And when I was in New York, I was having this experience at the hotel, I had already arrived very late the night before for this event that I was going to and you know, was rushing to get ready for that. And then you know, the next day, I had a bunch of, you know, meetings, the amazing people that I was excited to meet with. But while I was getting ready in my hotel room, there was someone trying to get in it, like not announcing the who they were not know knocking on the door to see if I was in there. But trying to use I assume a key of some sort to try to get into my room. And I kind of just froze at first and I figured I was probably somebody who is you know, thinks they're on the wrong floor. It's just it's the wrong room. So I kind of let it go the first time. And then I went to my meeting. And then I came back and it started happening again. And someone I was getting ready for dinner. And someone was trying to get into my room. Again, no knocking nothing. But I could hear, you know, I could hear them outside. I could hear them trying to get in. And so I like crept over to the keyhole. And I couldn't see out it. So I don't know if it was like blurred or what. But I couldn't see out the keyhole. So then I like quietly went over to the phone and I called down and I was like someone's been trying to get into my room twice today. And they put me on hold and they come back and they go oh, don't worry about it. Oh, during this time, by the way this person leaves, okay, so I no longer feel like I'm in threat. And they come back from being on hold it Oh, it's just housekeeping. And I'm like, No, it wasn't housekeeping housekeeping came in two hours ago. And they knocked first to see if I was there. And they used a key that worked to get in. It wasn't housekeeping. And like No, no, it was housekeeping. Don't worry about it, there's no security concern. So then I was like, you know, what can I speak to the manager because you know, I'm traveling alone, I'm alone I'm always traveling alone, like I don't want to feel unsafe in my hotel room. So the hotel manager comes on and says, you know, I think there must be a communication barrier or sort of some sort of communication barrier, we didn't communicate, you and I might be having a communication barrier. But you know, this person didn't knock and knocking is a universal language for Can I enter and that didn't happen. So I am not feeling secure. So I'm concerned, there is a security concern. Anyway, they did not see that there was a threat of any kind, they assumed it was someone in their building, i However, felt differently, and I really wasn't sure what to do. And I think the whole reason why I'm bringing this up is for the women out there, you know, who are traveling or doing the darn thing and going here, there and everywhere and on our own sometimes, and I travel solo a lot. You know, it's just, I think it's really important to to be cautious and to be concerned about your surroundings and to speak up for yourself. If you're not feeling safe or in an environment in my the list of things that have just been weird. For the past five days, I feel like I've been in the twilight zone. And I've been really frustrated or overwhelmed or just, you know, exhausted trying to figure things out because nothing's going according to plan. And it reminds me of this conversation that I've had, where and Pamela and I kind of touched upon this with Mae Musk book which we talked about, which is a woman makes a plan and you'll see that Pamela has had many times in her life where she's just had to kind of pivot and make another plan pivot and make another plan to figure it out. And it reminded me of this conversation I was having with someone you know when we get frustrated when we're like in a traffic jam or we you know, our flight gets canceled. Old or, you know, any kind of inconvenience? You know, we lost, you know, the cash fell out of our purse, whatever it was, we get really frustrated and angry that that happened or that that's happening to us right now, man, what an inconvenience. But a lot of the times, we need to think maybe it's preventing me from something else that's worse. Maybe I'm supposed to be in this spot right now on the road. And I'm not supposed to be two miles ahead, maybe there was an accident two miles ahead that that just actually saved me from maybe that $20 I dropped out of my purse that I that I needed, someone else needed it more, maybe there's something bigger going on that, you know, in moments where I'm just so frustrated, like, why is this not working? Maybe it's not supposed to maybe maybe if we just stop and think you're exactly where you're supposed to be right now. And you're just gonna have to make an alternate plan because maybe if the plan had gone, you know, according to what you think it should have, it wasn't going to lead you down the right path. So I think it's a good thing just to remind, I'm just speaking this out loud to remind myself, I hope it helps you to sorry about my dogs, my co hosts always love to join me. But I hope that was a helpful mindset shift for you today. I hope you are inspired and motivated by my conversation with Pamela because she is an amazing Wonder Woman and I can't wait for you to listen to her mindset shifts, and all that she is about
Hello and welcome everyone so excited to introduce you to my friend Pamela Bolado, founder and CEO at women who do wonders International. She also is the founder of women who do wonders magazine DIRECTOR OF MISSION Wonder Woman foundation author, Ambassador at AO sports Advisory Council for Smile Train and the 2022 AFI NAS Pensacola military spouse of the Year. Welcome, Pamela, thank you so much for joining me today.
Pamela Bolado 6:53
Thank you for having me, Molly. What a pleasure. Absolute pleasure.
Molly Dare 6:58
You know, Pamela and I for those listening, just like with many people I've had on here we've met through this social audio app clubhouse. And I always think it's so funny. It's like even people when they meet, you know, their spouse through an app. They're like, um, how did you meet, like through this clubhouse app? But it really is this amazing. It's been just an amazing opportunity and app for me, and I'm sure for you as well, just meeting just some of the most incredible people that have really impacted my life greatly over this past year. I mean, how do you feel about social audio?
Pamela Bolado 7:31
Agreed. And at first, I wasn't really sure about it, because I joined last January. And but it was it really was a blessing last year, because last year was just crazy for everybody. And oh my god, I met, like you said, the most extraordinary women. And the fact that you have formed a spotlight, incredible women just like you do. It was like a goldmine. I was finding like, oh my god, I couldn't like who do you not want to spotlight because everybody, all these women on there were just extraordinary.
Molly Dare 8:01
I feel the same way. And again, everyone who hasn't experienced it, they're kind of like, I don't know. But it's it really gives you access to people that I would normally not have either met or had access to. And it really has just been amazing. And you know, meeting someone like you and just hearing your story. You're a frequent mod in the clubhouse room that I host on there, where we talk about all about the entrepreneur mindset. And what we go through in our journeys, and just listening to your stories, you know, over this past year has just been incredible. I'm like, I have got to get her on to share her with everybody. I cannot keep her to myself anymore. I have to I have to share. So I always love to start back with kind of the younger version of yourself. What were you like, as a child? I know you were born in Canada, and what were you like, how would you describe young Pamela?
Pamela Bolado 8:55
Well, if you go back really far, I mean, I used to this is funny, but I used to chase and, and pinch my sister sprint. And so let's not go back that far. I was I was only a year younger than her. But let's go to as I get a little bit older, I was born with a cleft lip. So I had, you know, self esteem issues growing up with that, and that really affected me. But it also made me strong because for a lot of kids, I mean, that could, you know, take them to a whole other place where they hide and they don't want to go out or they feel shame. There's so many things that can come with that. But I used it and I always wanted to be better. I wanted to prove myself that I was felt I needed to prove myself. So I used that as my fuel. And I mean I went for everything, every sport every you know, student council that you could go to, or you know, be I was vice president and then President and then high school council and then on every sports team and then I decided, well let's be let's you know, try boxing. There's no girls that box is Back in the late 90s. And, you know, my little brothers, they had box, my dad was an assistant coach. And I told my dad, I said, Hey, Dad, I want to I want to start boxing. And he's like, Well, there's no other girls in the club. And there's only one changing room. And I said, Well, there's there's a, there's a bathroom, that was pretty grimy, but I would change in there and I sparred against the guys, and I ended up competing. So I had nine fights. So that was my, my younger years, until I kind of stepped out of all of that, and started entrepreneurship and the global stuff and
Molly Dare 10:37
I want to back to you know, you talking about being born with a cleft lip. And now you do a lot of work with I know, Smile Train, I used to raise money and go on medical mission trips with Operation Smile, they're very similar. I think at one point, they even discussed about merging, and then that didn't happen, and they stayed separate. But it was so profound to me, these organizations because of what smiling does to a person, and the inability to be able to smile and, and some of these countries that we went to, not just the child, but the family is shunned because they think that there's something wrong with either the child or the family. And in one hour watching these children go from not being able to smile, to smile, and you know, it just what that does to their self esteem and how society reacts to people when they smile. And it just really was such a profound change that these organizations do. And that was one of the first things that you talked about that that really had me gravitate to you, because it's such an amazing organization and such an impactful one. And it really impacts everyone all around the globe. It's everywhere,
Pamela Bolado 11:47
and absolutely is. And that was actually one of the things that made me gravitate to you and Barbara, because I knew you both had done some work with Operation Smile. So I was very appreciative of that. And very interested in how you got involved. But But yeah, growing up with that was hard. That's the best word that I can put. And then as I got older, it's funny because I had grown up decided that I wanted to get into the beauty industry. So after high school, I had gone to college, did my aesthetics and then went on to medical esthetics and I wanted to make other women feel beautiful every day. And I did that for 20 years. And I was lucky because I was able to move to England. I live or I lived in you know, downtown, right? I doubt is there a downtown London. But in the middle of London. You know, I worked in Notting Hill and Knightsbridge. So that was fascinating. And then I had gotten married very young and moved to the Middle East, which is some people throws them off guard when I say that, but moved there and worked for hospitals over there for many, many years. And then I started studying how to fix my own scars on my own face. So because there wasn't really anything out there. But I was in the industry, I was working with the doctors, I was working with the lasers and everything. And I started working on myself. And then I started saying, Well, why don't I do this for other women. So I started working with some girls with clefts, the Middle East, and then also when I hear moved here to the United States, but that it's just like you said, and changing somebody's smile and the ability to feel beautiful the way they are. But imagine being able to also correct the shape of the lip after the surgery is done. And that's what I was doing too with the medical tattooing was actually making the lip look more like a normal upper lip color and everything and covering the scar. And that's what I did to my own lips. And that was doing that to other people. So it makes a tremendous, tremendous difference. So
Molly Dare 13:51
you know, what's so interesting as I'm listening to you talk is, is in your earlier years, you were working on kind of like the outward scars, like the physical scars. And now later now you're working on more of like the emotional scars of women and, and all of that, that we don't see right that we carry around with us. And that's really, really powerful, because you're transforming people from the outside and the inside, and all of the work that you do, and it's just really incredible. You also touched upon something in discussing this. And I see it with my own child and what she's gone through and what I've gone through by being sick at one point in my life and having my own obstacle is that sometimes when we go through things young, and not that I wished for hardships or anything, you know, for people obviously, but it does teach you gratitude and it does teach you mental fortitude and strength that you can do hard things you can get through hard things. And just when I look at all the people like you and everyone else who I really admire, they've all been through really tough things or they were served kind of a raw deal at some point in their life that they really had to battle through and come out the other And, and becoming the Wonder Woman, right that that they are. So I don't want to gloss over this because I think this is really fascinating about you. You got married young, as you said, and moved to Kuwait. You You were there during Operation Iraqi Freedom, right?
Pamela Bolado 15:17
I was there actually when 911 happened, and then I stayed there while I was there. You know, 2001 2002 2003 that's when they announced it Operation Iraqi Freedom. And they were going into Iraq for Saddam Hussein. He had threatened chemical weapons, which was scary for Kuwait because he could have easily shot chemical weapons into Kuwait. And they had, you know, the Canadian Embassy, German, all the international embassies, American embassies, they advised the foreigners to leave just kind of it's the same scenario with Ukraine, sort of, you know, they're telling everybody to leave prior to what they think the inevitable is going to be. And I was very young, very naive, but very stubborn a little bit. But I didn't leave. And I didn't leave because my ex husband didn't want to leave his family. I had stepkids at the time. And I had my son was a year old, and I could have left but then I could have went back to Canada and, and watched everything from afar. And I couldn't do that. So I decided to stay. And we built a shelter and in the house, while makeshift shelter in our house, and a spare bathroom and you know, put a rug down and I need a little bed for my son. And every time the sirens would go off, we'd have to get up, it doesn't matter. Half the time it was in the night. So we'd have to get up and go in the bathroom and seal the doors with the tape and everything. And then we have a little radio this is 2003 Have a little radio, we'd have to listen to hear if it was okay to leave. Yeah, so that was, that was a scary time. That was a real scary time.
Molly Dare 17:02
I can't even I can't even imagine dealing with that, let alone with a one year old. Right? Your son was very young at the time and trying to get them to understand what's going on or why we need to move in the middle of the night over here. And I'm sure you know and I say this often even with like stuff that we're going through now and and what's going on in the world is the PTSD from what people are experiencing and going through, you don't even realize as you're going through it, you're kind of in that survival mode. And the effects of it aren't seen sometimes the years you know, later. You did okay, so you mentioned it's your ex husband so that you did end up getting divorced. Talk a little bit about because there's a lot of people on here who have either been through or going through that process. Life after divorce, you decided to move out of Kuwait back to Canada. What was that like for you with a young child? Are you did you have two at the time?
Pamela Bolado 17:53
that time I had to so that the time I divorced I had two children, two boys. And yeah, I had gone back to Canada with my two boys. I told my ex husband at the time that I was going back to start my business which I actually did, but I started entrepreneurship but I'm my kitchen in Kuwait actually. So I was you know, brewing up skincare products in my kitchen and soaps and all kinds of things. So I said I'm gonna go back to Canada and actually start my company. And I did I started my my company I built I have a brick and mortar in Nova Scotia, and I used to distribute spa products, organic and you know, I used to work with Health Canada on kind of pioneering the, the organic spa industry because it wasn't that popular at that time. And yeah, and I distributed all across Canada, and then when my divorce finalized my two older my my oldest boy, you know, good dad, not a great husband. But he wanted to go be with his dad and I certainly couldn't hold them from doing that. So he had gone back and then my younger son went to be with their dad and of course they live on the other side of the world. It was it was it was difficult. I mean it's one thing to be divorced and your ex husbands in another state but being divorced and your ex husband being in an in another country and then your kids going there is that's a whole other whole other ballgame. So I sold everything I closed my store sold everything I had sold my car everything and I moved back with three suitcases. And I was lucky because I had worked in the hospitals there before so I had great relationships with my my old employer and they took me back and I got a little apartment in the middle of Kuwait by myself and started all over again. But you know, going through divorce certainly wasn't easy say tell people I went from the highs of the highs. You know, I had a great life in my marriage before. Meaning you know we had a beautiful home, and everything that I could imagine that I wanted at time, and to going to Canada with nothing starting a business from the ground up sometimes. And I tell people, and I'm very upfront about it, because it was a long time, we do go through things that are hard. But I remember sitting on the floor at one point and counting quarters because I had to wait to for, you know, the next check to come in on my new business or who was going to buy the next you know, product. So it's a Yeah, I'm I can relate to a lot of women on a whole, you know, all kinds of different levels. But that's one that I will never forget. So I certainly appreciate women and the journeys that we go through. And that could be, you know, through divorce, or really any kind of relationship really,
Molly Dare 20:46
you know, you remind me and I speak about her often in my mindset room on clubhouse. And also I've mentioned her on here, but you remind me as you're talking of Mae Musk, in her book, a woman makes a plan. And she, you know, was a single mom raising three kids, obviously, Elon is very famous, but she's got other two amazing kids who are also entrepreneurs. And in her book, she discusses what it's like being a single parent, she they had to move countries that it was really complicated. And she's like, Okay, we need to make a plan. Like it's, she never was like, Oh, this isn't gonna work, or we can't do this. It's like, Alright, how do we figure it out? We have to make a plan and, and her book just in you reminds me so much of that kind of mental fortitude. Like, all right, it's just everything is figure-outable. You just gotta make the plan and roll with it. And if the plan changes, you gotta roll with it. So another great book for anyone who's listening, that's kind of navigating the journey of single parenthood. It's a great one. Okay, so you moved back to Kuwait, but you actually met your current husband there right, an Air Force Force pilots. So it entered it a happy I hope
Pamela Bolado 21:55
it did. And I never thought in a million years that I'm gonna meet somebody else in Kuwait, I really didn't. But I just happened to be on the seaside. And it's funny because when you live in foreign countries alike, that most foreigners we tend to gravitate to one another and end up you know, going out for dinner after work or doing things as a group. And so I had met up and it would be there was a variety of we had Americans, Germans Romanian, like we have such a diverse group of foreigners that we we would get together and so I was sitting with this group and this, you know, gentleman, and a couple of people that I never met before came in and sat beside me and and now I'm here in the United States so that there's a lot of in between there, but that's where we met we met him at a restaurant in the Kuwait seaside. Yeah, he's, he's a United States Air Force pilot, and he was in Kuwait, training Kuwaitis how to fly and see seven teams and things over there. So yeah, you never know, we're getting to
Molly Dare 22:56
know you guys. You just never know where you're gonna end up and where you're gonna meet those impactful people in your life. Okay, so you moved back the united to the United States in 2016. Correct? Yes. When did you find your discover your nonprofit mission? Wonder Woman foundation? When did that all come to be?
Pamela Bolado 23:15
Okay, so I moved here in 2016, of course, on a green card, and I still actually have a green card, but moved here in 2016. And I had no idea what I was going to do it every state was different. So to get licensed, it's a whole process to get your licensing done. And I mean, I had, you know, my stuff from Canada. I lived in the UK, they wanted things, you know, from Kuwait, and I was like, it was a lot. So I said to my husband, I said, I'm not really sure if I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing. Maybe I'll just as serve, you know, the women that I meet that have clefts and things like that. And then in 2018, or 2000, end of 2017. Sorry, we moved to Washington State of New Jersey, when I first moved here, moved to Washington State and then I just as a military spouse, I just felt there wasn't a lot of services. There wasn't a lot of wellness and care and events or anything, really for the military women community. And so I said, Well, I might as well do something about it. So I went around, I didn't know anybody. I had made maybe one friend there and I just hustled I went to every business that I knew I went to the convention center there is I've never put on a convention before a conference I said but I think I can figure it out. I'm good at doing dinner parties. And I figured it out. I put on this. This first year was 2018. I had about 200 attendees, amazing speakers, I gave away tons of wonderful gifts and the women just lucked out Not one woman didn't leave with a smile. So I said, Well, I think I found my thing here. So in 2019, I did it again, even bigger, and I had almost 500 Women at that conference, which was phenomenal. And then I made the decision. I said, Why don't I take it across the country, I can really make an impact on women across the country at different installations. And, and then COVID hit, so I was like, oh, boy, okay, now, what am I gonna do? So I said, Well, I've never done a virtual conference. And this was in 2020. So I reached out to an organization who is very well known for doing virtual events. And they sponsored it. They loved my pitch, thank goodness. And they sponsored the event. And I held my first virtual conference, which had about 800 Women 800 attendees all around the world. I had 60 speakers in total, because I had a lot of pre recorded that I had done. And then several panels that ran. And I mean, I had this is where I met Major General Jamie Levitt, the first female fighter pilot, Jen Welter was there. Several Olympians, just women who are just walking the walk doing extraordinary things. So after that, I thought, I don't want this to go to waste. So what can I do to keep spotlighting women, so then that's when I created my magazine never made a magazine in my life. And I figured it out. And I made this beautiful magazine. And I've since had six issues launched since fruition. And and now it's sort of become women who do wonders. So now I use my organization to spotlight incredible women around the world, I'm working on other avenues to really get them out there. You know, I'm not a professional interviewer like you, but I think, you know, what I can do is what I do, and you know, the small right now, maybe I won't be small forever. And then I can, you know, spotlight, just, you know, 50 women in one day, and then maybe it's 2000. And then who knows where it's gonna go. But the work that I've done so far, it's gotten recognition, I've been to some phenomenal events, I've been welcomed and interviewed with amazing people like you, you know, just, I've been I've been fortunate and and then bigger things are coming. So it's almost like last last year was the seed of everything, and everything started to sprout. And now it's blooming this year. So I see big things coming.
Molly Dare 27:31
Oh, I definitely see big things coming. You've done a lot of big things already. And so I don't want to undermine what you've done and accomplished already. But it's just the beginning. And I truly believe that in you. You know, it's interesting when I talk with other women about discovering your purpose, or when was that moment when you felt like, Ah, this is what I meant, you know, that kind of aha moment. And it's okay. You know, some people are, they haven't discovered it yet. I always say that's okay. I didn't discover my purpose till I was 37 years old, it took me 37 years, to really figure out what my gift was, because I truly believe and I say this all the time that every single person has a gift has a genius. It's just discovering what that is and how to use it to positively impact others. And when you can figure that out. You're winning, right? So what was what was the defining moment? Do you think when you discovered your purpose?
Pamela Bolado 28:19
That's a good question. So I would say, I mean, I've always supported women. I mean, that's being in the beauty industry. That's all you do. And I felt like I was also a therapist, many occasions, doing what I was doing for, you know, for 20 years doing that was phenomenal. But of course, that was probably just the seed being planted. And then that first event that I actually stood up in front of a room of women, and felt comfortable, and which I never thought I would feel comfortable standing in a room full of people. But I felt like I was supposed to be there and doing what I was doing. And then seeing everybody smile and happy. And and that made me happy. So I said, I think that was probably it. And then since then, I mean, there's another defining moment, because when my husband deployed for the first time, I decided to compete. I think you knew that. So I competed. I mean, I had three babies, two of them C sections. So you know, it's then I let myself go all the years that I was in Kuwait, so I really never exercised or took care of myself other than when I was in doing boxing when I was younger, so I I lost myself for many, many, many years. But I regained that confidence at 40 and then competed in my first competition at 41. And that then gave me the fire because I won, which was I that was shocking to me that I could accomplish that and transform myself. But then that was another another thing that made me think us women and we can do anything, anything and then last year I wanted to really do something that was going to take me out of my comfort zone. So I started chatting with a very who's become a very good friend of mine. And I actually went to Nepal with her last October. But she has climbed mountains several times. And yeah, she just, I talked to her one day came home and said, Babe, I think I'm going to climb Mount Everest. And he's like, What? Like, No, you're not, you don't like camping? And I said, No, I think I'm gonna do it. I need to prove something to myself. And I did it. I trained hard, and for several months, and then I went and I did the trip to Mount Everest base camp, and then the the summit of kilometer, which it looks over Mount Everest. And I never thought I could do something like that. But that that's another thing. Like, I mean, I was 43. So you can do anything? We can do anything. Right?
Molly Dare 30:54
It really is. It is one of my favorite things about us that you just personify you know, kind of the 360 of what women are and capable of being in. It's like you're in a pageant, and then the next week you're climbing Mount Everest, you're winning military spouse of the year and amazing spouse, you know, do your has, it's just like you can, you know, you can do it all, maybe not all at the same time. But you can do it all, we are actually made to do incredible, incredible things. And it really a lot of it is is our mindset, a lot of it is who we surround ourselves with, and no one who's going to know you can't, you know, we need to surround ourselves with the people. We're like, yes, go you you got this. And that makes a huge, huge difference. You say in one of your I always say to gently stalk people with kindness and love and I gently stalk everybody to and I was seeing in one of your social media posts, you said that you said, How far will I go? How hard will I fight? And I love that it reminds me of a quote that is often used, and I'm blanking on who says it. But until I go too far, I won't know how far I can go. And I just love that mentality. Because it's like, what is how how far can we go? How much can we do? It's actually quite daunting of a thought of how our limit lists potential.
Pamela Bolado 32:14
I agree, I agree. And on the note of the pageant, that was, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever do anything like that, Molly. And But although, as a young girl, I always admired those beautiful women up there. And I thought, oh, you know, I would love to do that. But I can't, there's no woman up there with cleft lip. Like, I can't get up there. I'm not beautiful enough. And then, you know, but I said, I'm gonna do it anyway. And the reason I really firmly said that I was going to is because when I went to Nepal, I had gone to visit one of the hospitals there and I went to the ward and I was able to visit 10 Babies who had had cleft surgeries from Smile Train, it was a small train clinic, and I get to meet the moms and the dads and tell them, you know, everything is going to be okay. It's okay, you know, they're going to be fine, because they don't know, they're not sure what their lives are going. But it was, that was a defining moment for that. But then I came back from Nepal. And literally three weeks later, I competed for Mrs. Florida at 43, five foot one with a cleft lip. And I said, I'm gonna get up there, and I'm going to show these girls that they can. They're beautiful. We're all beautiful. Anybody can do it doesn't matter how tall we are or how short we are. And, you know, we have scars. It's okay. We're all beautiful. So, yeah,
Molly Dare 33:37
I love it so much. When when you look back at everything, you've done all of these amazing things, but even just one of them is is monumental, let alone all of it together. What are you most proud of?
Pamela Bolado 33:50
That I can show my kids that they can they can do anything? And I know a lot of mums and dads say that. But yeah, I think it's my kids will my I know my son. He's with his dad and Kuwait. But last week, he was like Mom, I Googled you. He goes, Oh my goodness, all the things you're doing. I said, Yeah, that's what when you work hard, when you work hard and you believe in what you're doing. And you stand up for what you're believing in and people want to hear about it. You'll be you'll google yourself to you know, in that's just work hard that and I'm proud. I'm proud that they can see me moving on and just doing what I love.
Molly Dare 34:36
And when you look back at all these amazing chapters, which chapter of your life has taught you the biggest lesson?
Pamela Bolado 34:42
That's tough because I consider my life and like chunks you know, so I have to think which which part? I would say my life in Kuwait that was a decade of my life, my entire 20s Most girls in their 20s you know are or partying it up and enjoying life and just doing, you know, all the discoveries. And I really didn't do a lot of that. And it was, I'm not gonna get into that too. But it wasn't a great time. But I would not take it back for the world because without that, I wouldn't be where I am today. I really wouldn't
Molly Dare 35:20
love that answer because it reminds people that whatever they're going through, you know, right now, it may sometimes seem really dark or difficult, that there is always light, there's always something ahead. And sometimes you just don't feel like there is but there truly, truly is, if you just kind of hold on tight, the end get to that point, you're going to be so proud of yourself when you look back. And when you look back at all the things and that's for any of us, when you look back through all the things that you've been through in your life, it's like, Man, I survived that I got through that I can probably get through whatever's coming next to speaking of what's coming next, what is next for you,
Pamela Bolado 35:59
there's a lot coming up. And I have so much that I want to do, I just have to, I know I can do it, I just have to learn how to do. I've been learning every step of the way. But this year, I have some phenomenal things coming up. We're wrapping up sort of the back end of the women who do wonders platform and some great partners coming on with that mission, Wonder Woman, my foundation is doing great things, I have some mental health and wellness boxes that we're putting together for some of the girls here. I do a lot of support here in Northwest Florida for organizations that support to end human trafficking and working with the girls. So I have a lot of things going over there longterm mission for, Wonder Woman, I think people can can look forward to a documentary and that I'm the most excited about maybe we can chat a little bit with that another time, Molly, but I'm really excited about that for 2023. So that's the outlook for that. But we have some big events coming up this fall, which I'm so happy and excited about. A lot of them are military affiliated, but it's, you know, one, it's in Las Vegas, it's really going to do a lot of awareness for veterans suicide prevention and mental health. So I'm excited to be a part of that. And then of course, there's the big one coming up also in Las Vegas, the end of October, which is military. It's called military influencer. But women who do wonders will be a big part of that. And I'm putting on a very, very big event to support all military affiliated women with their wellness and mental health and shining a spotlight spotlight sorry, on on how incredible they are so, and of course lots of magazines. So I have my women and sports issue coming out which I am so excited about. And just whatever comes next, so there's always going to be something that's going to pop up. But those are the those are the most important things that are coming up this year so far.
Molly Dare 37:52
Oh my gosh, amazing. You guys, if you're not already following Pamela, you've got to follow her. You just You never know what's coming next. It is always like mind blowing. So where can people follow you and support you and what you're doing?
Pamela Bolado 38:05
Well, I appreciate that. And just so everybody knows I'm doing my best on social media. I'm getting there. But yes, you can follow me on social media. I am on Instagram at @Pamela_Boladot. And then also @womenwhodowonders. So you can follow me there. I am on clubhouse, not as much as I used to be. But I am on there. So you can just just Google I think Pamela Bolado and you'll probably find a lot of them. I'm very active on LinkedIn as well. So
Molly Dare 38:31
yeah, oh my goodness. Pamela, thank you so much for joining me today and inspiring so many of us with your incredible incredible story and your powerful mindset, reminding us that we all have a Wonder Woman inside each of us. And thank you to everyone for tuning in and see you next week with another powerful story of inspiration
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