Latest / The Bridges and Beacons Podcast / The Power of Becoming with Dr. Brigitte Bojkowszky

Transcript

The Power of Becoming with Dr. Brigitte Bojkowszky · The Bridges and Beacons Podcast

• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to the Bridges and Beacons podcast.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Kelly Meyerson.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're gonna have a really special conversation.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I think if you are a woman who is experiencing transition, if you're feeling like you haven't quite matched your purpose and what you're here to do, this conversation is gonna be really meaningful and helpful for you.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: My guest today is Dr.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Brigita Bachkowski.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: She is a global brand identity strategist, business educator, retreat host, and the visionary behind Bridget Brands with a background that spans from the skies as a flight attendant to the boardroom, the university lecture hall for over two decades, and the entrepreneurial world.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Bridget helps individuals and organizations uncover their brilliance and build aligned, authentic brands that radiate impact.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: She is the creator of the transformative personal branding retreat, I am becoming, designed for high-achieving women in transition, ready to reclaim their identity and rise into visibility.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Bridget is also the host of the Brands Talk Podcast, a sought-after speaker and a best-selling author known for fusing strategy with soul in everything she does.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my goodness, I am so excited to have you here.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Kelly.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's wonderful to be here today in this space to go deep and bring clarity into I'm becoming what it means and being authentic and other things that we are going to tackle.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: I I love this.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I always love to have a little touch base before I start recording a podcast with my guests because many times we've planned these recordings months in advance, you know, life shifts, work shifts.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: So we had a really nice conversation before we pressed the record button about what we both felt really needs to come through today and who needs to hear it.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: So we've really planned a very fun conversation for all of you.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Before we really dive into all that, Bridget, I think your story is one that I've enjoyed so much because I feel like if anybody has embodied the pivot, it's you, like that sense of like I'm going to completely rework my entire life and work.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: So what is it about you that made you feel that taking those leaps and making those pivots was a possibility?
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my god, this you're opening up uh a Pandora of a lot of questions.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: I try to make it short.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so it's always when I felt like you know, something doesn't is not quite right anymore, I feel not quite happy anymore, I feel like oh, I have accomplished this, or I feel like this goes into the wrong direction.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: And then there is the moment you you look yourself in the mirror, and then you see this woman looking back to you, and you feel like that's not really who you want to be and who you want to become.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: So I think this is one of the the moments then at the end that always got me thinking further and finding solutions to my current situation, and that always started the next.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: I think the transition starts much earlier, yeah, when you feel like something is not quite right anymore, and then you you try to understand.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, and I I always then look within and look look around and try to make sense of things, and then it's it's getting started, and I try to figure out what is my next chapter to be like.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: What is it that I always wanted to do?
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes I didn't know the ultimate goal because when you are young, you not always know.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: I knew when I was a child I want to become a flight attendant, so I went for it, and then always when I knew what is the next step, what do I want to go for, then things start falling into its place?
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's just unfolding.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: But you need to figure out what you want to achieve.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: So, what is your vision?
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: What is your vision at this point in time?
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: What do you want to become?
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: What do you want to achieve?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: And why?
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: Why are you doing what you're doing?
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Why do you want to become this?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: What is it?
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so also maybe there is a soul mission behind it.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think the older you get, the more mature you are, the more you find your soul mission.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: I I did not, I couldn't grasp it when I was 18, 20, in my 20s, in my 30s.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_01: I was not there yet.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: And maybe I'm also coming from a different generation.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so maybe the Gen Zs are different already, you know, they are growing up in a totally different world.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: But in my world at that time, I was really trying to figure that out.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: It's really about going deep and and and finding who do I want to become.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: And this is this goes in cycles, this goes goes in chapters.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: And the beautiful thing is when you are in retrospect, like now, when I look back, all these different chapters uh from a flight attendant to a student.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: I was sitting in on the bench and I I was, you know, when you fly around and you only you know fill in checklists and standard procedures.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: I I had to learn how to write again to follow up.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_01: And when I started studying, the computers were just invented and used at the university.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: It wasn't like following and just recording something, and it was like with flip charts and all of that.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: It was a different, different life, yeah.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I started really from the bottom and coming back, and then from a student to a corporate, and then I knew okay, I need to do something else.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: I was not quite happy, I wanted to elevate further, so I did my doctorate, and then I went back to corporate again.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: Then there was, you know, sometimes you need to pivot not because you want to, but maybe because you have to.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you're getting nudged.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: It's when the universe tells you if you if we may call it the universe, whatever external forces, you know, geopolitical forces, industry, environment, uh the industry is changing.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I mean, we are not insulated.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: So he we have to react in one way or in another.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: So the company I worked for, it was a real estate development company in 2008.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I lost my job from till from today till tomorrow.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: And then I was so identifying myself with a corporate with this with this company.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: So I left the corporate brand and I was asking myself, who am I?
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, yeah, and then I had this aha, this this magic moment.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_01: There is one thing nobody can take away from me.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's my own personal identity, it's my personal brand.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I am allowed, I have it under control, and I can create it, I can become it.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that was one of the markers in my life to look at human beings from a branding perspective.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_01: And at that time when I lost my job, I already taught at universities in the area of global brand management, global branding strategies, global consumer behavior, global global management, global strategy, the whole global thing, market research, etc.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I always worked with global brands, with Harvard Case studies.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: So I was just doing it all the time.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then I also understood what can be applied to corporate identities to create these global brands that make you feel something.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: You can also break that down to individuals, to people.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And now with AI coming into the play, or have been now for a decade, or it's it was not obvious, but now it's all over the place.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: We feel it, we see it, we can we can apply it literally.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: I see that we even more so need to make people feel, need to make companies feel, and that means humanizing brands.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's really about giving it a soul and coming back to that because I think people are graving for that.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, how to feel by using a certain brand, by wearing a certain brand, by purchasing foods, beverages from certain brands.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: It means something, yeah.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, so I'm I'm guiding individuals and and and and companies to their authentic identity.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm guiding them, I'm empowering them to live it.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of people are not allowing themselves to live it.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: I think what really strikes me about your story, there's such a a huge breadth of experience, you know, both from the perspective of existing in several different industries.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I love how you brought up, you know, uh for those of us who grew up in 70s, 80s, you know, it we have had a completely different life experience, like you said, than the Gen Z.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: So we have gone through a time period where, you know, like you said, I'm sure part of your desire to be a flight attendant was to see and experience the world because back when we were young people, experiencing the world was not the same.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you you had newspapers, which could be local newspapers.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: So you're relying on the perspective of others, whereas now there's so much of a an easier connection to the rest of the world.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a different drive and a different sense of experience.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I also love how you brought up, you know, being in the university experience and like computers were kind of a new thing.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I went to college in the 90s, so I totally understand that that actually the computers were not reliable.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: I myself did all of my papers on a word processor, you know, just a slight step above the typewriter.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: So to me, it's such a cool journey and an experience.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I love that you said that.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the other piece that really struck me about your journey, all of the different pivots that you took, but there's a really important term that you use that I think a lot of people relate to, especially when you brought up 2008, but that idea of being recession proof.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's a really important topic to explore because I know many of the women I connect with and work with, that idea of being able to sustain themselves over time and to not experience the bottom falling out.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like that, we've many of us, I mean, at the very least, we've all experienced that through COVID and the reliability of the world like going away.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: So tell me a little bit about your take on becoming recession proof and the way that you feel that's easily done.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think there is like this two, these two terms, this financial step from a financial term being recession proof financially, and the from an identity standpoint.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so identity proof.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I think when the world gets uncertain, like we live in right now, what is more uncertain than right now that we are experiencing?
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_01: I have not experienced anything more uncertain than right now, than maybe in the financial crisis in 2008.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: It was really scary.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: Suddenly you're without a job, you're doing a leadership training, uh, empowerment.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_01: So you become a leadership trainer, you do this and you do that, you find things, but you also need to live from something, and the university money was not really paying well.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so then the world gets so uncertain, everything can disappear, your title can disappear, your role.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: As you know, for me, it just vanished.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it was not there anymore.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, your job vanishes, the industry was shifting overnight, was shattered, right?
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_01: And then what remains is who you are.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: So it comes down to the human, to the human being, to the person.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: Your identity remains, your values that you live and breathe every day, your voice, yeah, in your your your your voice, but also your non-verbal communication.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's you, yeah, it's your writing, whatever, how you express your voice, and then your brilliance, your greatness, your unique blend of who you are that remains because there might be several people doing personal branding, several people are dermatologists, but it's there's this unique blend that makes you you and also your unique energy.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: Everything that you're thinking, everything that you are creating on your mind will manifest sooner or later.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: So we better need to take care of what we are thinking, right?
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: So I think we gotta come back to that anyway again.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, but this is what I say here that branding is an inside out process, yeah, it starts with mindset.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_01: So, and what I talked about companies before, it holds for individuals and for companies.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: A company identity follows the same rules as a human identity.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it starts with your core values, it is anchored in your higher purpose, and it's expressed through these aligned actions that you are taking every day, and also we are taking every day.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_01: And it's sustained, what I have said before, by a clear mission and a vision.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: The vision, where are we going?
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_01: I had a boss who was kind of a mentor to me as well when I was a flight attendant.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: We had this vision, yeah.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: Service is our success, and that's how we do it, and we go for it.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: And each single individual, each single employee is going the extra mile when we had to.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: No questions asked.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: I love that so much.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: But you have everything behind you, yeah.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: That that also makes the leader strong.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, if you when you have this presence, we call it that executive presence, yeah.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: But when a person or a company knows who they are and what they stand for, they become unshakable.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and that means you have a recession-proof uh identity, yeah.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_01: You become resilient, and yeah, and because you can take everything away from someone who operates from the outside.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_01: This is you know, this people pleasing, it's all about you know the others and getting this external validation, yeah.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, but you cannot destabilize someone whose identity is rooted from within.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, I'm sorry to interrupt you.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's that that means you are it's it's like leadership, you know.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: Leadership starts also from within.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: You need to lead your ship first, and when it comes to recession, in recession we think about survival, but we when we operate from within, when identity is rooted from within, then you move from survival to sovereignty because it comes from within, it comes automatically.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, there is something in you.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: What I said, when you have your values in place, your vision, your mission, your your big why, and and and living your true essence, then only something good can come out of it.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: And there will always be opportunities for you, even though in a recession.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: That's why there are certain people in a recession that are very powerful and very successful and start thriving because they see that it's you know, it's we're living also in this polarized world.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: We can see everything, oh my god, and this is bad, and this is dark, and we're all gonna die, and we're gonna survive, and da-da-da-da-da.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_01: But you can also reframe that.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: So, what can I do now?
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: What can I take away?
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: What can I learn?
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: And here is is is is really deep learning.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's like the deep learning.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: Just kidding.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but maybe it's a good metaphor, yeah, because you really need to, you're you want to survive and you want to really do something.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: You have this this solution-oriented mindset.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: What can I do?
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: How can I take this to my advantage?
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: Use this to my advantage, how can I benefit and others with with that what I am doing?
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, I think that that's the key to be identity-proof.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: Bridget, I have to take you back.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: I would like had such an epiphany when you were talking about the the brand identity, when you're talking about it's the same for an organization and an individual.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that what you had to say there was so true and so important and vital that inside job and vision, mission, and values.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I think one of the challenges that organizations will experience is there's this pulse and this pace as an organization.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: And some organizations feel as though taking the time to pause or set aside time to really talk about your brand identity and help your people understand.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you said, for example, your as a flight attendant, you were following service as our success.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: So that was giving you that compass, that North Star.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is so what I do, and it I think it's taking it down to how I behave, what I do, the actions I take, because I understand what it means to be in alignment with who we are as an organization.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't need somebody to micromanage me in those situations.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: I know the heart of what the intention is of our organizational culture because it's become explicit.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I have the permission and the sense of the values and the and where we're going.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the other piece of that is when you have a very clear sense of your vision and your mission, and something happens that requires not just one person, but an entire organization to pivot.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Then that pivot, when we're all facing in the same direction, you don't have to spend time getting everybody to understand the vision and mission and values in that moment.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: You're like, we've already grasped this.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: We can move, like you said, towards that solution oriented place and not have to spend a lot of time helping people understand how they should have been doing their jobs in the first place.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: And not in a when I say that, I don't mean how you should be doing them in terms of like you're doing things wrong or you're a bad employee.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's more about how is Each action and activity you engage in as an employee serving the values, mission, and vision.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: And how do I know that what I'm doing in this moment in time, in every engagement I have, whether it's with you know people I serve within my company or constituents, that I understand how my behavior is shaped by that?
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_00: So, anyway, that that's what really came through for me, that piece of organizational culture.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna ask you, can you give companies who maybe feel like they could do a little bit of work around rallying their people towards their vision, mission, and values?
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: What's a good place to start if they feel like everybody is a little bit scattered right now?
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think companies try to overcome that by doing, doing, doing, doing and putting this out and without taking the time.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: I think when you're doing, doing, doing, and it doesn't help, obviously there is something not really aligned.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_01: So, in that case, and that's with individuals as well, in in this chasing and this rush, you need to hit the pause button.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: And for that, it also starts from within.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: It starts with the core, it starts with your core values.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: What are the values you want to live and breathe and embrace as people, as an organization, as an organizational culture?
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_01: It always starts from within.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and then you do all this internal work.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that means vision and mission work, it means internal culture, it means setting up yourself uh in front of the competitors, etc.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_01: etc.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_01: etc.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_01: So there is a beautiful model.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_01: I work with corporations to reinvamp the corporate identity.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's a Harvard model.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I and then they see oh wow, yeah, how this all is connected, our inner world, how we express ourselves internally, how we behave internally, and how it reflects to the outside world.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: And I also I remember, I mean, this is something that maybe people who have flown with an airplane, you know, were on a flight, and you have certain crews that are aligned, they feel happy, everything is working, you know, there is this vibe of happiness, and people are smiling.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_01: And then you have a crew where people are unfriendly and in a sense, what do you want?
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, or where you feel like there is something in the air.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, this is when some this is when internally within the organization something is not aligned, yeah, and it starts with the with the the smallest circle with the person, with the crew, with a certain department, and so on and so on and so on.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: And that affects the whole company, yeah.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it always starts with the core.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_01: And the interesting thing is, and I mention that all the time because it happens all the time, when people ask me what I'm doing, and I say I'm power authentic visibility, I'm a brand identity strategist and business educator and also leadership trainer.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: Then they say, Oh, okay, so what are you doing exactly?
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_01: And then I ask them, okay, and then I come to that question.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_01: So, what are your three to five core values?
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_01: Huh?
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I've never thought about this, but that's an interesting question.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: I have to think about.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: So people are not aware of what are their guardrails because a value is here for that guides you and helps you with making clear intentional decisions on your way forward to to reach your goal.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_01: It's not like you know, it's it's it's it's it's something, it's it's also if you're missing your values and your vision, how do you behave, how you are putting yourself out there in the world?
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: There is no concept, so that's why reflection and introspection is so important because there is so much to discover in yourself.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: You discover the wealth that you own, and it is like you know, buried down there, yeah, and there is so many layers of conditioning that happened, you know.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I think we should ask ourselves who we are because there is so much brilliance and greatness in there, and it's a shame that it's not more shared with the world.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I think the world could be a different one if we all are doing our homework.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_01: Do the homework, yeah.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_00: Do the homework.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_01: When I uh taught international internationalization strategies, right, for companies.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's also when you want to enter another market, you're also not going there unknowingly.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: You do your due diligence, so do your homework before you hit the beach, so that you are prepared.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so you do your homework to be prepared as much as you can because the road, the journey is uncertain anyway.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_01: But at least you know who you are and what you are capable of, and and you are capable of so much more because you have to overcome challenges, and you know, so I think that that makes your your ride so much easier because when something like this comes, at least you are prepared in a way you are flexible in your mind to pivot accordingly, because then you have to react quickly.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_00: But wait a minute, Bridget, that makes me think something else that that we talked about before we started recording, the idea of moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: And and I think that is a huge piece because if you have a fixed mindset, whether you're an individual or an organization, then you lose out on that sense of innovation and creativity.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: So tell me more about that.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_00: How do we move if we're in a fixed mindset?
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: We're we're we're gonna do the homework definitely, but how do we make that shift to really thinking more about our life and our experience from a growth mindset perspective?
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_00: Because you have certainly done that with all of the pivoting you've done.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: If you'd had a fixed mindset, you would still be a flight attendant and maybe unhappy doing it, right?
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: I think, first of all, I mean, I think that's a very powerful question to discuss.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_01: And what I learned through all of my chapters in my life is this moving forward isn't just one event and done, it's a decision, it's always in a decision, and you can you have a choice, you can make decisions every day.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: You have the daily choice to take one step more, even when the path isn't clear yet.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: And you know what?
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_01: Very often you go into nothingness.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: When I decided to stop flying, I jumped plane without parachute, basically metaphorically.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't know whether I have the brains to study.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: I knew I just knew I cannot go back.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_01: It's dumb, you know, once it once this decision, always this decision.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but I mean the pain was more than than you know, higher than leaving, you know, and I trusted my instinct, my inner wisdom.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: I felt this inner that this inner urge, this nudge, this inner calling, you need to make that decision and you need to do that step.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah I mean, I'm sure I would have a wonderful life, but I know I would never have learned and experienced that much in my life that I that I have now having done that, right?
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_01: So and also I think people that are just before making such a decision who are afraid to do it, it's it's it's they're kind of lost, right?
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_01: But then there is a shift, and when those people ask themselves, okay, what is going on here?
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_01: Who am I now?
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_01: Who wanna I become?
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_01: I hope they're asking these questions.
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_01: I think they already gave themselves the answer.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_01: And that's that's the work, that's the identity work, that is the look within, turn inwards.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and the worth, again, the worth doesn't come from living out, it's it's not out there, yeah.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: The worth doesn't live out there, it's within your identity, doesn't need permission from other people.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_01: I I think the point is you need to give yourself the permission to move forward, to make a different decision.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_01: And your brilliance is not something that you earn by people pleasing or earn from outside validation, it's something you uncover, and that's again, this is the identity work.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_01: You excavate all these levels of conditioning from the outside world.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_01: You know, think about your your upbringing.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe there are people told you this or people told you that.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_01: I was told you're too much, I was told you're not good enough, I was told you are too you're not worth it, right?
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's all these kind of things, you know.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_01: Stay silent, someone else knows better.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_01: This does something with us, and this keeps us in in this box in this small world, and yeah, and and that means you need to do the work, it's not perfection and it's messy work, but it's inner alignment, and I think this is the beautiful thing, and also when this inner alignment then clicks, then actions naturally flow from that, and these are different actions because when you take on a reframe, a different mindset, then you you feel differently with this different feel, there is a different energy that you radiate, and then there's different actions that you take, and then suddenly certain things are popping up and coming into your world.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_01: You think, oh, where does this come from, right?
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like, oh, I did not even ask for that, but suddenly it's there, right?
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_01: So, and then you get more clarity, and clarity leads to the courage, and then you're courageous, and then you say, Okay, I can do that, and then that leads to momentum, and then and then these all this different, how do you call it, momenti, yeah, are then becoming a transformation.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I think that me but people move forward when they remember that their identity can never be taken away from them.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what I I learned when I lost my job in the 2008 crisis.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_01: I knew something can be stripped of you, your top your job, your title.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_01: This this can all be taken away.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_01: Everything that you get from the outside, but you what you build up from the inside can never be taken from you.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I think, yeah, your identity, the essence, who you are is is is, and then it's yours to shape and not others shape yours.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_01: Don't let others define who you are.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_01: You are in charge, you are in charge and responsible for what you're sending out, and you can do that intentionally, and this is what I help my clients with.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so your identity is always an anchor, a job and a title can disappear from now till tomorrow, or from today till tomorrow, you say it like that.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry, that's my my German uh native thinking, yeah.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so yeah, and then it's it's it's about making a decision, and you have the choice to make one every day and ask yourself, who am I becoming?
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_01: Because you're always becoming it's not who do I want to become?
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, maybe there is always something you become, but at the same time, once you have become it, you continue to grow, you continue to evolve, and your brand, your identity, your your brand, your your personal brand in that sense, yeah, evolves with you.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's always changing.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_01: I was someone else two years ago, one year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago.
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but I'm always evolving and updating and and reflecting, and that's why you're also checking in just not just once in 20 years, if at all, but yearly.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yearly check ins where I am now and and who do I want to become, but what about next year?
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_01: So, how did I how much did I evolve?
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_01: What has happened in the in the meantime?
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_01: For example, I have people in my my personal branding one-on-one exclusive coaching.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_01: There was one who I coached last year, or was it the year before?
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_01: And now she's coming to my retreat.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_01: I am becoming.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_01: We are doing similar work, but for her, it's a check-in with her, pushing the pause button to see where am I now?
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_01: Who I've become now, and what are my next steps?
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: What's my chapter going to be like?
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's so exciting to look into that.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_00: I love that you brought so much joy into this journey.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, for the listener, I want you to make sure you finish this episode and you come back to this point in time and listen to the past few minutes that Bridget's been speaking because she's giving you the path there.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_00: I think when you said, Who am I now?
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_00: Who will I become?
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_00: You're already giving yourself the answer.
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_00: I think that is so huge.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_00: And you also talked about conditioning and doing that work on your self-worth.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_00: I I love that so much.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I I resonated so much when you were saying that it's gonna keep changing, you know?
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_00: And that to me is such a personal thing because I I mean, with my podcast, I just celebrated a hundred episodes a couple episodes ago.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_00: And originally when I started my podcast, it was really to have these candid conversations for the curious, is what I called it.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_00: So, and it was the Mystic Nerd Squad podcast.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_00: And just really, I had a high level of curiosity and I wanted to know everything I could know about my guests and their perspective and where they're coming from and what they do and why.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_00: And then I chose to embrace the pivot and say, like, this doesn't feel like it fully fits where I want to go for the future.
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_00: If I'm gonna grow, if I'm gonna deepen, if I'm gonna get bigger, this name isn't really keeping me, it's keeping me in a safe space and it's not allowing me to grow.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_00: So it became the Bridges and Beacons podcast because I wanted to really tie more deeply into leadership and not just leadership in terms of understanding what that means, but how do we be the best leader here and now and going into the future?
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I think what you have to say here is so highly valuable.
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_00: And you brought up your retreat, and I want to give you some time to talk about this because if somebody is listening and they're really resonating with what you have to say and they would love to work with you, I would love for you to first tell us about the retreat, how it came about, and and highlight when the next one is happening, and then also share a little bit about how people can work with you and where they can find you.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, wonderful.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Callie.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, uh I created I am becoming because transformation requires space, safe space, a sanctuary, yeah, and so many high-achieving women walk through life carrying the weight of expectations, roles, transitions, responsibilities, while feeling completely disconnected from themselves, yeah.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_01: And they're asking themselves, where do I go?
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_01: And then who am I now?
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when they're just sitting there totally overwhelmed, where do I go?
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_01: What is this?
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_01: Who am I?
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_01: And what is it that I want to be?
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_01: What is my next chapter?
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_01: Do I want to remain in this right race?
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_01: And so I wanted to build this sanctuary and a place where women can really strip away from the noise, silence the world, and finally hear themselves again.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_01: And the retreat helps these women reconnect with the truth they have buried under all these layers of conditioning I've talked about before.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and and understanding, and I think this is it, understanding that everything they seek is already within them.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what a lot of people here in general they're seeking in the outside world, but it's already in there, and that's the beautiful thing, it was there all along, and some sometimes simply it takes a guide, yeah, a mentor.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_01: But also when it comes to re-retreat, this sisterhood, and I kept it to women because I asked my women on my last retreat.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_01: So, what do you think?
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_01: Should I open it up for guys as well?
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I said, Yeah, I mean, it's nice, yes, but you know what?
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_01: We're going so deep here that I feel like I want to share that with women only, actually.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_01: So men can come along, but they're not participating in the program, they're experiencing the vibe.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_01: That's how I how I do it now, yeah.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_01: So that we can really go deep.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I only uh current eight people, maximum 10, but this is really the maximum because everything else, and since I've been teaching for 25 years, I know group dynamics.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_01: And the smaller the groups, the better it is, the deeper you can get, and you take away more, right?
• 43:53
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a five-day immersive retreat here in Austria, in a in a serene countryside, and it's designed for high-achieving women, high-achieving professionals, so women that really want to pause, reflect, and realign.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_01: And it's a it's an integration of personal branding strategies.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_01: So we're doing a lot of personal branding identity work.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_01: So who am I now?
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_01: And my next chapter, inner leadership practices.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_01: So we really are trying to align this strategy with uh soul strategy alignment, let's say it like that.
• 44:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, soulful introspection, so reconnecting with who you truly are, and it's really about not becoming someone different.
• 44:37
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's not what we want to talk about.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_01: We want to become more of us, you know, because it's already there.
• 44:45
  SPEAKER_01: Now, you know, since I've been doing this work, it's like, why are not people just more of themselves?
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_01: And there is the power.
• 44:54
  SPEAKER_01: The power is within you, and this this is just so beautiful, yeah.
• 44:58
  SPEAKER_01: And that's that's what we are doing, and it's a it's it's a it's it's it's really transformational, and it's so beautiful when when these women leave and say thank you, and oh my god, so much happened, and then holding my hands and say, Bridget, you have a gift, you truly have a gift, yeah.
• 45:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so that's what I'm doing on this on this retreat.
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_01: And the next one is happening June 24 till 28 here in Austria.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_01: I've already two people uh from Los Angeles and from Germany, so there are some spots left, but I think it's going to fill up rather quickly because I start promoting it now.
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_00: Amazing.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_00: So tell us if if somebody is really interested in getting into your world, where are the best places for people to connect with you?
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, certainly.
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_01: So they find me on my Website.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_01: It's bridgetbrands.com.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you put the the link into absolutely show notes.
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_01: I'm extremely busy on LinkedIn.
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_01: I'm also on Instagram.
• 46:11
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, not so much, but I I definitely be there.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes I show up on Facebook, but it's not my preferred social media channel.
• 46:21
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, they can always book a call with me.
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_01: And we have a 20-minute discovery call and have a chat.
• 46:30
  SPEAKER_01: And on LinkedIn, I regularly offer events like two-day power days webinars about personal branding, now leadership branding in in December.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_01: And then I also offer small group coachings, online group coachings.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_01: Nice.
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 46:49
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, this is how they can connect with me.
• 46:52
  SPEAKER_01: And also, I think you also have the link to my retreat website.
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_01: And when they hit the RSVP button, an email, email window opens up.
• 47:05
  SPEAKER_01: And so just send me an email, say hello, I would be interested.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's have a chat.
• 47:12
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_01: And then I think I also gave you the download link for two of my freebies.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_01: There's one entrepreneurial branding blueprint for those who want to start their entrepreneurial journey.
• 47:29
  SPEAKER_01: I have a three-step branding blueprint that is a checklist.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_01: What are the steps that you need to go through in this order?
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because yeah, branding starts with mindset and not with a logo or a color or a tagline, but that's the that's the end result, basically.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_01: Then you you come in with marketing later on.
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_01: And then I have also a brand building freebie.
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_01: I think you don't have that.
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to send it to you.
• 47:57
  SPEAKER_00: Perfect.
• 47:57
  SPEAKER_00: We'll make sure both of those are in the show notes, writing myself a note right now.
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_00: Bridget, I appreciate you.
• 48:04
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for being here.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for sharing your journey.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_00: And there is just such a whole lot of wisdom.
• 48:11
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're somebody like me who listens to your podcasts in the car, you might want to enjoy it in your car and then come back to it with your journal and maybe some of these questions that Bridget posed during our conversation, pause and really think about these questions.
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_00: And if you find yourself really connecting with Bridget and interested, I highly recommend you check out her website, which is beautiful and very essentially your brand, which is super cool.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, connect with her on LinkedIn where Bridget and I are connected.
• 48:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I feel like that is such an amazing space that's ever evolving.
• 48:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I feel, I don't know about you, Bridget, but I feel like there's a lot more soul there these days, or maybe it's just the people spinning in my circle, but it's a really great place to be as an entrepreneur.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_00: You mean like here on the podcasts or I think LinkedIn is feeling like people are more interested in that authentic connection, that like personal brand, you know, all those things more so than like trying to just pitch a sale or you know get people into their paid programs.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_00: I think that it first of all it has a lot to do with algorithm.
• 49:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I think once you're interested in that sphere, once you become a player in that sphere, it resonates, it attracts like-minded people.
• 49:44
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's about energy.
• 49:45
  SPEAKER_01: And energy is building up.
• 49:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I think also it's also a time now that I think we become more.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, there is more people that are are yeah, referring back to our understanding that there is more than strategy, there's also soul work that is needed, and we are going back from, I mean, numbers are definitely for for sure important, statistics are important, but it's not everything.
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_01: You also need to refer back to your wisdom, to your inner gut, to your experience.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_01: Because my mistake was sometimes I didn't trust my instinct and experience because I thought I'm not good enough.
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_01: There are the numbers, there are the data, and they do it differently.
• 50:34
  SPEAKER_01: They should know.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_01: And it was a hard learning for me.
• 50:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's always good to have that information, but the question is, what are you doing it with it?
• 50:45
  SPEAKER_01: What are you doing with that?
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I ran with the others because I always came with an empty cup and I thought I'm not good enough.
• 50:54
  SPEAKER_01: Then I thought if I had decided my way, it would have been a better choice.
• 51:01
  SPEAKER_01: But it was a hard learning, but eventually you figure it out.
• 51:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I think we are attracting that, and that we are kind of in this bubble, right?
• 51:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I hope that this bubble is growing with more people going forward.
• 51:15
  SPEAKER_00: Me, yes, yes, and I think that that's a great place to end it and a great place to to hold space for that wisdom.
• 51:24
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for being here and for sharing so wholeheartedly.
• 51:29
  SPEAKER_00: I really appreciate your your perspective and and your authenticity and sharing from the experience that you have.
• 51:39
  SPEAKER_00: If any of you are interested in connecting, all of the information will be in the show notes.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I look forward to seeing you next time on the podcast.
• 51:48
  SPEAKER_00: Bye for now.