With over two decades of field and corporate experience, Pam Sowder is a network marketing queen. Passionate about helping to match the daily needs of distributors to everyday life challenges, Pam was voted one of the most influential women in direct selling. For female entrepreneurs, she shines as a beacon of hope, continuing to cultivate a remarkable business, and sharing her tips for success along the way.
In 1994, Pam at the time was a full-time mom, she soon realized, along with her husband Dave, that they needed extra income. Pam looked up work from home opportunities and couldn’t find much until one day, she made a connection that set her on a path she never could have imagined. “One of Dave’s customers introduced me to the network marketing concept and I was blown away,” Pam says. Pam used her prior IBM sales experience along with her desire to work from home to reach the top ranks of that company.
In 2000, Pam transitioned away from this company after being with them for six and a half years due to the sudden change of ownership and lack of innovation. Because of her success and connections within her previous company, Pam was introduced to a new product that was developed in Mexico City: the Ultimate Body Applicator “Crazy Wrap”. We named the company, It Works because the product actually worked. I was called the original wrap girl,” she laughs. “It took a decade to get the product mainstream before it caught fire. We reached $49 million in sales, so we shot for $100 million in 2012. That year, we more than doubled our expectations, surpassing $200 million in sales.”
For Pam, transitioning from distributor to corporate founder was easy due to the support and vision she had. However, she gained the new perspective of having employees, having an office to walk into, and feeling the stress and responsibilities of building a sales field. “At one point in the first five years, I thought we would have to go out of business,” Pam recalls. “I went to a ‘warrior camp’ in upstate New York, worried, stressed, and doubtful. But I walked out on the other side of the five day workshop knowing that I had everything I needed to make my business and life work. I knew that I had to pull myself up and just do it.”
Today, despite the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, It Works! Global continues to grow. “People need a plan B during tough times, and our business model provides an incredible option for people that are looking for one,” she explains. “Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok are all vehicles for sharing the product and business model.”
By strengthening their digital presence, It Works! has boosted their influence astronomically. In turn, Pam, too, has leveraged the power of social media to share her methods, thoughts, and advice for other professional marketers. Blending the lines of entrepreneurship, network marketing, and everyday life, Pam also hosts a weekly podcast to empower female entrepreneurs.
Looking to the future, Pam has her sights set on billion-dollar status within the next few years.. She plans to continue setting the bar high for other women in business, giving them another look into her life as an entrepreneur through her upcoming book Rich Girl Poor Girl: How to Become the Rich Girl You Were Always Meant to Be, launching in January.
To find out more about Pam, you can follow her on Instagram here and check out her website at pamsowder.com.