Most recently I was invited for coffee at ‘Coffee Time with Kauffman’ hosted by my accountability partner and dear friend, the amazing Women’s Leadership Coach Maria Kauffman, who is inspiring everyday heroines around the world.
Our conversation was supposed to circled around why personal brands will change your life. We eventually covered that later on in our conversation. However, at first we went a little off track with all my personal stories of my life journey that lined up to start BridgetBrands. Looking back at my whole life, it’s like all of these things that happened have been informing me and educating me. Having gone through this branding process myself equips me with the authority to teach and coach it now.
What have we covered in this full hour …
📹 Watch us live: https://youtu.be/Fxx1BqdXqA4
Get in touch with Brigitte Bojkowszky:
Get in touch with Brigitte Bojkowszky:
👉 Download Your Entrepreneurial Branding Starter Checklist: https://courses.bridgetbrands.com/f/entrepreneurial-branding-starter-checklist
Most recently I was invited for coffee at ‘Coffee Time with Kauffman’ hosted by my accountability partner and dear friend, the amazing Women’s Leadership Coach Maria Kauffman, who is inspiring everyday heroines around the world.
Our conversation was supposed to circled around why personal brands will change your life. We eventually covered that later on in our conversation. However, at first we went a little off track with all my personal stories of my life journey that lined up to start BridgetBrands. Looking back at my whole life, it’s like all of these things that happened have been informing me and educating me. Having gone through this branding process myself equips me with the authority to teach and coach it now.
What have we covered in this full hour …
📹 Watch us live: https://youtu.be/Fxx1BqdXqA4
Get in touch with Brigitte Bojkowszky:
Get in touch with Brigitte Bojkowszky:
👉 Download Your Entrepreneurial Branding Starter Checklist: https://courses.bridgetbrands.com/f/entrepreneurial-branding-starter-checklist
Ready for brand stories, get inspired and learned from thought leaders, CEOs, business owners, managers, entrepreneurs and experts who tell their brand stories and share their first hand insights. For all brand lovers this show is to help you develop and grow your brand in a more intentional, strategic, and most of all, authentic way locally and globally, whether it's your personal brand or company brand, or whether you wanna brand your product service or cause. Welcome to BrandsTalk. I'm your host Brigitte Bojkowszky I'm the founder and owner of BridgetBrands. I help my clients craft meaningful strategies that effectively elevate their brands to unleash their full potential and shine. Walk the talk. Let's get started and dive with me into the world of brands.
Maria:Good morning, and welcome to coffee time with Kaufman, the comfortable place to talk about women's leadership. Today. I am here with Brigitte Bojkowszky. Hey Bridget.
Brigitte:Hi, Maria. Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure being on your show today and having coffee with you.
Maria:Thank you. Did let me just check in. Did I say your name right? Yes. okay. Awesome. We are talking about why personal brands will change your life. Bridget is a global and personal branding strategist who helps clients craft meaningful strategies that effectively elevate their brands to unleash their full potential. She is the founder and owner of Bridget brands, a branding strategy boutique that offers workshops, one-on-one trainings and digital courses to empower personal and organizational brands together with her clients. She goes deep and helps bring the brilliance out of them to let them shine. Authentically. Bridget is also host and producer of Bridget's of brands. Talk a podcast for brand lovers. Who want to learn from thought leaders, CEOs, business owners, and experts telling their brand stories and sharing valuable firsthand insights. But before I get into that, my name is Maria Kaufman and I'm an engineer turned life coach today. I am drinking a dark roast called Panama Jaguar. I certainly picked this out specifically for Bridget because she is so amazing. And I wanted to have something that could elevate me to match Bridget excellence. It's gonna be a Jaguar kind of day. What are you drinking bridge?
Brigitte:Oh, wow. That is an introduction. Thank you so much, Maria. I'm also drinking coffee out of my Bridget mug, which I love very much. It's supporting me with lots of energy and I'm drinking todayan es presso it's flavored. Caramel. I like that very much once in a while to also have a flavored coffee. And today I thought I, I want to do so. And I I'm a coffee lover. I like to drink coffee all around the world. And I very much love real espresso done with a Porto filter coffee machine, like the Italian, like traditional exclusive in the traditional exclusive way. And then I know it sounds very, very crazy, but I love. Instant coffee and that has a history. There is a story behind because what I was a flight attendant in my very early days, it was not so common to drink coffee everywhere. And there was no Starbucks around the corner in Southeast Asia in or in the Caribbean or wherever you go, there was not really coffee that you could drink. So I always brought instant coffee with me because living out of a suit case in a hotel, staying at a hotel like 20 days a month I needed coffee. So instant coffee goes with me everywhere. It's always with me because you never know that's really, so that's what I like. Instant
Maria:coffee. that is so interesting. So thanks for sharing. And I love the, I love the mug. Thanks. Yeah. So just to share with the audience, you and I are friends and we are in an accountability pod together. So I meet with Bridget on a weekly basis. I've been doing that. We've been doing that for about a year, along with Mindy Rosser. So in that accountability pod, I not only do I get the, the pleasure of interacting with Bridget and hearing all about her business growth, but the focus mostly is on our businesses. We have a little bit of personal time. So of course we get to know each other in a personal way, but I am thrilled to have you on this show so we can go a whole bit deeper. So thank you so much for being on the show, Bridget, before we get into talking deeper about why personal brands will change your life. Tell us a little bit about your early signs of genius.
Brigitte:Okay. I'm very happy to do so. Because I think we never talked about this before and we get to know each other even even better. Right. So my early times of genius I have to go back really, really early. So when I was about five years old and most of the time of my childhood, I spent at my grandmother's farm where my mother comes from. It's somewhere. It's really in the middle of the mountain, in the heart of Austria. And yeah, so I, I spent most of the time there and we also had a huge pond with fish and it in the middle of our land and to get there one had to pass by our farmhouse. And the village priest was granted access and was allowed to fish there. So, and since I was very small, what I can remember, I was totally into moving around furniture and, building tent houses in front of our house during summertime. And I really was, it was fulfilling me and I mean, a lot of kids built 10 houses. Right. And so I knew the times when the priest was usually coming to fish. And so I prepared coffee and cake and sweet. So respectively, my grandmother did because she was instructed by being, yeah, the priest is coming and he has to pass by. I need to earn some money. Yeah. So when he came, I offered him some coffee and I literally had coffee time with the priest. Like I have coffee time with you right now. So I took coffee time with the priest and offered him some cake as well. And for him, it was like going through customs. He was allowed to pass by to get to the pond. So I asked for money because I was owning this thing. So this was the first, the first time.
Maria:Definitely an early sign of genius. I've never heard that story, like you say, and, oh my goodness. Entrepreneur at five years old. Yeah.
Brigitte:And I loved to make him feel comfortable. To service him to exceed his expectations of such a, you know, what, as a, a small little young girl can offer, but I offered him coffee and cake and the conversation. And so I really felt really good being of service. And I continued that 15 years later as a flight attendant, but before we come to that, there's another story. And I was like around. 8 9, 10 years, something like that. And we also had a servant working in the stables and he was the handy man for everything. He was living with us and when he was an orphan, he came across the mountains to find work at our farm. Then he was a child and my great grandmother took him in and I always was feeling with him because he never learned how to read and how to write. He never went to school. That was like in, these days, in the last century. Right. So my goal was to teach him to read and write. And my family watched me teach him and they said, one day you will make a dedicated teacher. So I started. Around 20 years later, I started and got the master in business education. So this is kind of two things where I figured in my early childhood. And it's always about what did you do between kind of the age of six and eight, something around that? So I was totally into design and making things beautiful and optimizing things and shifting things around. So they are beautiful and change that over time, you know, because you also change over time. So it was always about that and about educating others, whatever I knew I had to pass on right away. And also helping other people to feel comfortable. Yeah. To feel comfortable when they come to me being a host. I just love that. Yeah, so that that's what is my genius. And yeah, so it it's, it's basically me, my humanity, my kindness, and then also more the, the hard ingredients. It's, all the learnings, my degrees that I have in international marketing and management and business education. Well, tell us a little
Maria:bit about that. So five years old, that's an amazing story. I never knew that love the stories but when you're getting into high school, kind of getting to that graduate high school, what happens at that point in your time, in your.
Brigitte:So actually I always wanted to study architecture because of design, but then when I was in my early teens, all my girlfriends and friends went to business school. So there were a lot of factors that came into, and then I decided to do business school. And also my parents told me, yeah, you're better off with a business school than being an architect. And so I just dismissed that somehow. Yeah. I'm, I'm integrating it again now with designing, but I went to business school, but I knew this is not it for the rest of my life. And I was like, I wanted to see the world and, I was raised in a very like protected and predominantly playing small environment. So I needed to get out of there. I needed to make my own experiences. And so. I decided to break free and, and I always wanted to, to, to become a flight attendant because when I was 14, the first time I, was flying as a passenger somewhere, I think, to, 10 Arifa. And I was like, oh my God, this beautiful flight attendants. And they see the world, I wanna be one of them
Maria:so that's like fun. Right?
Brigitte:that's like fun. So I said, okay, when I'm done with business school, I become a flight attendant. And
Maria:so I did. And, okay, so you don't even, you get business school done you're you could have a business job, but you decide to go into flight attendant. Now, when you become a flight attendant, is that pretty much like they train you and you start that job right away.
Brigitte:Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know whether you know him, my boss was Niki Lauda. He is, he wants celebrities. He still is. He already died two years ago, but he is the famous former formula one car race driver. And he was the owner of Lauda air, the airline I worked for. And there's actually a movie on him on Netflix. It's called Rush. So watch it if you haven't done yet, because it, it tells a lot about his personality and he's, he was really the one everything had to be perfect. And he expected us to serve hundred hundred, 1050%. So this was the minimum. So we, were really trained to provide the best possible service.
Maria:And how did you get this opportunity? Like I knew this little tidbit, but help us understand like. What happened? So you decide, you take a flight, you see these flight attendants, you wanna become a flight attend and you go to work for Niki Lauda.
Brigitte:Yeah. So I applied for the job and as natural as I am, I said, hello. So we were, we had to go through an assessment center kind of, and we had to play a flight attendant and they asked us different kinds of questions and certain situation kind of really tested us. So I, I passed that and I think a couple of weeks later, I was already sitting in the course and it was supposed to be four weeks long to get all the training. You know, the service training, the technical training, the flight safety training, everything. But after three weeks I said, You guys, you do not need the other week, the whole night, you're going to do the flight safety training and pass that. And tomorrow you'll have your first flight to the Caribbean. So I didn't even expect that. So within 24 hours the whole night, I was learning flight safety and passing the test in the morning, driving back to the airport with a suitcase on my first flight to the Caribbean. I think I stayed there for one week. Yeah. Wow. Wow. There.
Maria:Oh really? Oh
Brigitte:yeah. So it was, it was, I was like, Sitting in the back, you know, when, when you're junior flight attendant, you're usually working in economy class and I had the, left, entry door in the back, the exit door and the plane, you know, took off. And I was like, oh my God, now I'm responsible for this door. so what do I do in an emergency? And I was really excited about that. And yeah, so everything went well, but we also had to transfer from one airport to another one. We flew to. Dominican Republic and there we arrived in, I think Puerto Plata. And one week later we had to take over another flight from San Domingo back to Austria and the transfer flight, where we were as a crew, we call that dead heading where you are basically a passenger, but you, you are still an airline member. Yeah. So we went with a very small plane. And then after the plane took off the airport said your, your forward wheel is not coming in. So something is wrong with the plane. So we had to do an emergency landing, and we didn't know if, if the wheel is going to sustain the touchdown. So, yeah, so that was my first flight, everything . And then we went to, I think we went with the bus. I can't remember anymore that's 30 years ago. Okay. It was exciting.
Maria:so a couple questions there. Did you know, and were you specifically targeting that airline to work for? Were there other options.
Brigitte:Yeah. And there were other options. And I also passed that test with Austrian airlines. That was the state owned airline at that time, but I wanted to fly for Niki Lauda first. He was celebrity. So wherever we went, was it Sydney? Was it Bangkok? Was it was it Mumbasa in Kenya? Was it the Caribbean islands? Everyone knew Niki Lauda. And when we came in our red outfits, everyone, ah, she's flying Lauda air. It was like you, it was like, everyone was excited when we were coming. So everyone knew us basically. And, and he also sold his red hat. He, he was known for his red hat, so it was part of our merchandising hat. So everyone was wearing red hats in Jamaica. So it was really fun. And
Maria:yeah. Okay. So I can see how that little five year old girl that wanted to, you know, be entrepreneurial and, you know, be in service. I can see then how that totally lined you up to be in that environment and to succeed in that environment. So that's interesting. Did you know that you were gonna be, that you would have all those I mean, you have to be a lot of different things to be successful. I would imagine for that airline.
Brigitte:Absolutely. You need to know how to serve and you need to know you need to be humble and you need to really have the feeling for passengers and from the beginning. But after a while, you know exactly when this person is boarding the plane and you say good afternoon or good evening, you know what they wanna read. You basically, you feel like you expecting you anticipating the answer. Ah, it's going to be a Brandy. Ah, I think he likes red wine. Let's let's see. Yeah. So it's, it's, it's kind, you feel it already, you know exactly what kind of newspaper they are reading. Yeah. So you get kind of, you can read people when they step into a plane and when you start a conversation,
Maria:you mean you can read people yeah.
Brigitte:You start. I mean, I think every one of us it's, it's part of being a servant and it's part of exceeding expectations of, people. So when someone enters at that time and a plane allow air aircraft, they knew what they're expecting. It's the highest service ever that you can offer. Yeah. So we had like in business class eight course menus. We had from O S to salads and soups and fish course. And then an in between course with champagne, and then we had the, meat course, and then we had dessert on the trolley and we had cheese on the trolley and the dessert wine on the trolley and everything, you know, every meal went with the right drink. So it, we were really very well trained, I would say.
Maria:Yeah. So at the time, did you, did you have any inkling of your personal brand or of your branding genius at that time? Or were you just kinda operating pretty natural in that, that you could pick up on those things? You recognize those things.
Brigitte:Awesome. I think I was, I was very young. I was 20 years old and it, there was not this awareness yet of what we have right now when it comes to personal branding and how, how important brands are and what they do, what they stand for and why we should brand. I knew Niki Lauda had that. And I don't know whether it was intentionally or it's just him to Excel and be the best, you know, and, fight competition stayed owned competition as a private airline. Yeah. We made it. We could maybe did it. Yeah. And so for me it was also a natural thing. I just was who I am
Maria:and, well, that's what I'm saying, because what they say is that like energies attract.
Brigitte:Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. But still. Yeah. And, and I knew I always wanna serve people always because the sparkle in my passenger's eyes, when they disembark, they say, thank you for the nice service, see you next time. And some really, I had many times from like Munich to Miami, I always had the same passengers. You know? It, was fun after a while to you have kind of almost every relationship on a business level, you know exactly what they're drinking and that they wanna sleep now for the next two hours. Yeah. And, I should wake them up for an in between snack or so. Yeah. you, get, to provide the best possible service, you have to be really authentic. You have to be true to yourself and to do whatever you feel like in a very genuine way, in a very yeah. In, moral. And in ethical boundaries, but if you are raised like a decent human being, you know, what is accepted and what is not accepted in our society, but there's another layer that comes to that is when you're working internationally, globally, because different countries have different cultural backgrounds attitudes and behavior service, something and different sets of norms. Yeah. So that needs to be understood and integrated. And how you also work as like, if you have a diverse workforce. We started out very early. We flew with Thai flight attendant, but they, their behavior, their way of thinking their thought patterns and what a yes means to them is, is a different meaning what it means to us. So you really need to be clear about that. And honestly, we were not trained. We were running into difficulties and in aha. Yeah. In the middle of the air, why she, she not doing her job? Ah, because a yes means something completely different for her when I told her. Okay. You know, you are flight attendant, number four and you know what to do. What's your procedure when you get on board? Oh, yes ma'am. Okay. So I, I took for granted that she knew what she was doing. But the yes was not. I have understood. It's just, I have heard you, I have heard you. So when you work across different cultures with different backgrounds, you need to get confirmation of what this person has really understood when she heard you. Yeah.
Maria:Oh my gosh. Okay. So this is beautiful. So, cause I, so, so many things in every part of your whole world, all along are lining you up, informing you in many ways to lead you toward certain transformations in a and a trajectory for your life. My one I'll call it a cheap thrill question is, did you meet Niki?
Brigitte:Oh, sure. Yeah. I flew with him a lot. when we came up with a new service, let's say a new invention, I was with him on his private chat, going to Madrid to do a presentation. I was flying with him to the Caribbean. I was flying with him on short haul flights. Also through Austria. We had party evenings together. It was a lot of fun with him, but he also worked very, very hard, very, very, very hard.
Maria:Oh, no doubt. So you're talking about new products or services. So you were you instrumental in helping that
Brigitte:I was not part of the creation, but part of the implementation process promoting it. And then also giving feedback how it works, because for example a flight from let's say Salzburg to Frankfort is 30 minutes, 30 minutes, and we did a full service. We did full service with yeah, handing out a cutlery with handing out let's say the tray for the breakfast that coming in with the bread, then coming in with the coffee. And it was small planes, but still, I mean, there were two flight attendants on board and if you had a trainee, then you basically do everything yourself and you just try to keep going, you know, pushing, pushing, pushing that you can make it through. And there was a person in the last row and. Oh, I think I'm gonna eat later. I said, yes, you're very welcome to eat at Frankfurt airport. so, I mean, I could not hand over the tray because we were about to make our descent again. Yeah. In 10 minutes. So we actually were getting off our jump seat when the plane took off. And while we took off, we prepared everything in the kitchen and so it was really hard. And now what do you get on a 30 minutes flight? Honestly, it's not necessary, but you don't even get water on . Yeah. Like you get nothing. I think when I fly domestic in the us, I think under a four hour flight, you maybe get something to drink. Maybe, maybe if you have it's limited. It's limited. Yeah. So everything was for free on board, basically. Yeah. So that was a different way of working. Yeah. And, also the time management organizing yourself, I mean, we had procedures, but sometimes you have to, to pivot. Yeah. You have to change the service. If there is a, a special event or an irregularity that comes up. So you have to be very flexible. And that's what I've learned too. So I've learned so much at this time for my time now, organizing myself, being efficient, you know, how to serve people, to read people, to feel into the pain points, to really get an understanding. What is the pain point? What is this? the desire. Yeah. How do I get this person from here to there? Where they wanna be? Yeah. And achieve their goals. So how can I be the best guide possible to lead my hero or the heroine there, right.
Maria:Yeah. okay. And, but some of that is formulating on that job, help us understand what happens as you transform and you make a change in your career. Yeah.
Brigitte:So, I mean, I knew flying for me. I mean, I loved it, but there was an end date and that is the number 36. And when we turned 36, the contract automatically ended. He wanted young flight at attendants and not, he did six was in the nineties. I mean, you can't do that anymore nowadays because of, you know yeah. Regulations and so. I knew, okay, with 36, I'm basically done with my life, have to find something else. And I knew that it's so hard to start something new with 36. And I always wanted to study never, ever someone in my family studied my mom coming from the farm, my dad from just a normal family in this city. So never, ever someone had a degree. And I was like, ah, actually I would love that. And there was no option flying, you know, study and fly. There are other programs right now. I think many airlines have that and we didn't have that because Niki Lauda wanted us to fly. As human and, and 72 block hours a month. And there wasn't time for family. And you know, when you go to Bangkok, like two times a week, or you are gone for two weeks and then maybe there is an irregular, you, you, you think in Singapore, you go back to Thena and then actually you go back to Sydney again. so you never know where you are and, where you are in, two weeks time. So at that time, it, was not like a fixed schedule. Sometimes I came home. I didn't even know what I will do in two or three days, I was waiting for a call and we did not have smartphones. I got a call. No, right. I left. Oh, right. My landline an hour. You have to go to Jamaica, but you have to come in 40 minutes because the flight is going via Malpensa so I was like, oh my God.
Maria:wow. That's a lifestyle. That's. Yeah,
Brigitte:it's a lifestyle. And I loved it, but I also knew there needs to be something else because I was not intellectually challenged after a while. I mean, after a while everything becomes a routine, you do this and that, you know, you do your announcements and then it, with everything it's just like normal. And I'm not a person who goes with normal for the rest. until no,
Maria:not at all. another
Brigitte:50, 60 years. And I mean, but there are people, sometimes I admire those people who are happy with what they have, because it's so, much easier this life, you know? Yes. But I'm so driven and I'm motivated. I'm inspired by little things and then I'm inspired by innovations and I need to have that. I wanna do that. I wanna optimize my life. I wanna level up, I just wanna do that. So I thought I would love to study, you know, and then, yeah, I like to all the, trainee flight attendants I had on my flights, I like to help them understand and train them on the goal, you know, learning by doing so I liked that a lot. I was like, actually, huh. Then I was a child already loved to teach others. And then I remembered my uncle or a servant. I, he was an uncle for me, actually from my childhood time. I was like, okay, maybe I become an educator because I was always like playing safe too. What if I don't get a job somewhere? I still can be a teacher because a teacher is always needed. Right. So then I studied international marketing and management because I'm a global person I will always be. And also
Maria:interesting. I mean, you say that, so it, it was obvious by that time, you kind of knew who you were wanted to get into education and be an educator. And it was like, ah, the, this is basically the option. It was very clear.
Brigitte:Yeah. It was not being an educator was not first thought and was not priority. It was a fallback option. Because if I'm also a certified teacher, for me, it's easier to teach somewhere in a business school or something, which I never wanted. And I still don't want to, because I, wanna work with grownups with adults who come to school because they really wanna be there instead of actually taking over the job of, parents. So yeah, it was, not first priority. First priority was doing my degree and going back to the airline and, getting a job in the corporate in the organization, in marketing or in business development or something like that. But, and the big but comes when I was done with my, studies, the airline industry maneuvered through strong tole lenses of merchants and acquisitions. So they rather fire than hire. So I was devastated. I could go back because for me, this, it kept me going, it was like surviving five years of not going out of saving money of living from what I have of drinking water of not going shopping. It was like really sacrificing a lot just to get this degree. I mean, I was very quick. I studied u nder within, I think it, it was a nine semester and I did it in eight, so I was really fast and very motivated, intrinsically motivated, really wanted it and wanted to go back to, to where I come from. Because once you are infected with airline virus, you, you would never get rid of it. is that right? Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. So and I still have a lot of friends there and it's always fun when I go on a flight. And there is someone from the past, who is still flying it's most probably either a purser, a chief flight attendant or a pilot, usually the captain who is settled yeah. Who I, and it's like, oh, can you remember? So it is always a, a big hello. It's fun. Yeah. Nice.
Maria:Okay. So, so times change and the world kind of basically closes one door, but opens another. What does that look like?
Brigitte:Yeah, so then I, I worked for different companies for the Ali group as a area manager. So it was really great to see how retail works. Ali is the owner of Trader Joe's if you. Right. It's it's really interesting Aldi North. And then I worked for another company and then there was an opening at the department where I studied as a student for a PhD program. I applied, there was around hundred applicants and I got it. So I did my PhD where, where I actually was a student. It was fun. I, I had a great time. Yeah, writing my thesis and, teaching. So I, I taught at the university here, the business school in Vienna and also in other parts of the world. So we were like traveling and then teaching here course and there course. So I taught in, in Russia, in in the Ukraine, I taught in the United States. I taught in Canada in Hong Kong. in Vietnam. So it, it was really nice to have this experience and. Teach at different parts of the world. Wow. And I have studied at different universities around the world and also seeing that from an academic perspective. And first from a flight attendants perspective, because when you have a flight attendant, you are also spending like a week in Bangkok, a week in, Australia, on an island, in the Caribbean, on Sri Lanka in the United States. So you get an all round kind of perspective of culture and different society levels. So that was really also interesting for me.
Maria:Yeah. That's that is interesting. So it, it seems like you're, when you look at your entire career, starting at five years old, everything is like perfectly lining up just for Bridget.
Brigitte:Oh, yes. So, but there's a lot of, you know, detours as well and, and closed doors. So when I couldn't back to the airline, I was like, I was dying. It was like, my heart is there and I can't go back. It was the worst, one of the worst experiences in my life. Oh. But then you have to cope with it. You have to pivot, you have to find another way because everything happens for a reason. So, yeah. And also here was a reason. Yeah. Yeah. And then I did my PhD. I Taught for one school year at the university of Missouri, in St. Louis. They actually wanted to keep me there. But I had a relationship back in Europe, so I wanted to go back, but then the relationship dissolved once I was back. So I was like, oh my God, why did I come back? But also that
Maria:everything happens for a reason. That's so interesting. And some of these things, they do, they take us where they take us or don't take us where they don't take us.
Brigitte:Yeah. And you know what, and then I think the worst part of my life only started because I did another, a lot of other detours and it's like, you know a bear seeing a part of honey and tasting. And then they take it away from you again. Yeah. Yeah. So then I worked for, after my PhD for an international real estate company, it did a lot of developments in Eastern Europe and then 2008 came, I was six months into, with this company and the company went bankrupt from one day to the next. So
Maria:eight was, was a year.
Brigitte:Yeah. So I was about to set up the market research department I was heading. And it, didn't work out at the end of the day because the company went bankrupt. Yeah. Before we even started to, thrive. And. Then the university asked me if I wanna take on more teaching assignments and I was already teaching several courses. So for me, that was a transition into becoming professor. So when you think, like I was a flight attendant, then I was a student. I went back to work for a corporation then back to become a student. And as a sideline, I always continued teaching. When I went back to the corporates to the corporate world. And then I took on a temporary contract with the Vienna university of economics and business and taught for the last, let's say almost 10, 12 years. Oh, wow. And as sideline at other universities as well, because the pay at universities are. Are less than minimum. Yeah. So you have to make a living somehow. And for me, this was also a sign of not appreciation because you really work your butt off and there's nothing coming back in, in financial terms and you wanna make a living. And if I compare that I had more as a flight attendant 30 years ago than I had as a professor at the university. And I thought I cannot let this happen. And this was for me also making me very small. I'm not worth it. You just a teaching professor that is anybody considered a second class at the university. If you are not primarily doing research, I'm very honest right now well, no,
Maria:but this is so important be because, you know, I am, I'm so curious. I know we're kind of getting there as to how Bridget Brands started, so, and I appreciate. What you're saying right now, because certainly for my audience, women in stem women in male-dominated industries, there's a lot of times where you get to this point where you're totally understanding that your value and your worth and your compensation for it may not be matched and it doesn't make you feel good. So tell us what happens then. So that must have been percolating for you. What did you do with it?
Brigitte:Yeah, so I knew there was this end date again, you know, I had a contract that was terminating and I was not old enough. I was not in the mid fifties that they could take me over permanently because when you are almost like towards your retiring years, then they say, okay, let's take her. Yeah. But I didn't, I was not old enough. Not yet.
Maria:This time you were too young the other time, was you too old?
Brigitte:Yeah. But thank God, you know, everything has a reason why it happens and. I knew this was coming and I started on a sideline to do workshops for corporations. about leading in alignment with corporate values. At that time, I knew already. I wanna go into, let's say personal branding, employee branding In getting the best out of the people and really make sure that whatever you do is in alignment with the values, both values systems that each individual has with the organizational values. So that was very successful
Maria:and done. Well, this is interesting, cause this is where we're finally at the story where looking back on your whole life, it's like all of these things have been informing you, educating you, you were part of this branding process and now you're teaching it.
Brigitte:Yeah, exactly. And then in March, 2020, my. Contract terminated. So it terminated in February and in March, 2020, I thought I can really start out with my workshops and go into all these different companies. And then there was not going into all these different companies because we were in a lockdown and yeah, COVID basically totally Made my business model irrelevant because I couldn't do what I was thinking I would do as a, a business owner. So I had to pivot again and I was like, how can I do that? Now we are in the lockdown. And then I, still continue teaching at the university because they needed to Teach some courses. So there was bridget it, let's call bridget it to do it. So I did it because I needed money anyway, because I had no safety net anymore. I didn't know how to survive. There was no one who pays my bills. There was only me. And of course I'm also a planner and I'm very intentional with how I spend my money. And yeah, so this was a welcoming situation. And then I thought, so how do I get my word out? And I was starting to become busier on LinkedIn. It was, I don't know whether, you know, but LinkedIn started out actually in the academic realm, in the academic world. A lot of professors started on LinkedIn networking and connecting. So I was also part of them. And then, you know, you don't really need it that much though, because there were also other ways of how to get in touch, but LinkedIn became more, so the social media platform for businesses and I was like, okay. So I have already a lot of connections. And then I, followed a woman. She did a podcast, a woman in Canada. And her name is Kathrin Bussmann and I listened to her podcast and it was about the global market. And I was like, oh my God, I could do a podcast. So what is this exactly? so I did all my research and then I was like fascinated with this technology. And I was like, oh my God. So I need a microphone. I need this, I need that. How can I, I was totally overwhelmed. And then within two months I did it,
Maria:but you must, obviously you loved it. You just jumped right in because there
Brigitte:was nothing else to then continue teaching the courses on ZOOM which was a challenge actually, because nobody really knew how to do ZOOM. At that time it was nothing so familiar. Not in Austria in 2020. So I really had to get comfortable with that. And so that was one thing, but I was not there yet to, to do that. As, as a business, I had already some contracts with the universities with the university here in, in Vienna with the business school, it's the executive academy and they ask me if I can create online courses. So I started doing that and I really loved it. I, I liked to do my recording and do the slides and everything. So I figured this is a route to go. This is an avenue I can pursue as a business owner. Awesome. And then I saw, yeah. And one year later, and this somehow, you know, it, takes some time to really, manifest and, find your way. And, I continued teaching also in the fall semester. And then I was checking Facebook, which I do not do very often. I'm not so much a Facebook. But suddenly I saw an ad by Amy Porterfield and then, you know, where the story goes, right. So I thought, okay, that's it, you are doing an online course about how to, for me, it was more promoting an online course because I know how to set up courses. I know how to teach courses because I'm an educator and certified, I studied it, but I had no clue of how to promote it on social media. That's a different story. Yeah. So for me is what is going on right now in this world. I'm not doing research about the past. Yeah. And what it means for the future. I need it now. And I need to know what is trendy right now and what are the things, the tools that work to get me connected with my ideal clients.
Maria:Perfect. Bridget, I'm I'm finding that you just are not only a wealth of information, but you have so many fascinating stories I could talk to you forever. And I just wanted to be a little mindful on time because I do wanna set us up to talk a bit about the future of women's leadership. So just hearing your story and hearing all of these things, you clearly can turn something out of nothing. Like it's amazing. The transformations that you've gone through. I'm sure. We haven't really even understood some of those challenges because you talk about it. And, and just to hear the stories, we, we understand that there must have been so much other things just humanly and emotional things that go along with those transformations and you make it look like a breeze. You certainly are incredibly excellent. So help us just understand with all of that. And like you said, where are we going in the future? And certainly what, as far as your global branding expertise, I love to hear you talk about global brand branding because it definitely, you de you shine. It's like, there's something so brilliant that comes out of you when you're in that zone, talking about branding. So just let's two things, the future of women's leadership and how does personal branding really change our lives?
Brigitte:Okay. So I, start with how personal branding changes our lives, because that goes into also women in the future and leadership. And it always starts with ourselves. It, starts with women ourselves. And because when we look at us as a personal brand and what that means and just reflecting and do this introspection, yeah. Then you change your life. So it always starts with us. lead your ship. I love this word. Lead your ship, your own ship first before you can lead anyone. Yeah. Yeah. So for me it means both being self compassionate and having empathy for yourself. It's about self love and finding the answers within us. So leading from, within sourcing all your authority also from within, instead of trying to get it from the outside world, because we have the wisdom in us. So you, you need to know really well who you are. So living by your core values, that's what I always did. Yeah. And that's is when you shine, when you are in your sweet spot, it's when you are very naturally doing your things and changing other people's lives. And then other people tell you, oh my God, this was great. Thank you so much. And you are not even aware of what you did. That's why it's so important that you really reflect. And that you also, not only that, but get the outside perspective, how do I get across and how do I change the world from others perspective? Because a strong, personal brain is always a reflection from what people perceive in the market from you. Yeah. So first of all, awareness self-awareness of who you are then accepting that. Yes, that's me. That's who I am, how I am, and then taking action from that point. Yeah. And I think it's also the time for the world to recognize and acknowledge, the benefits that we as women in leadership bring to the world. Yeah. And we are changing the world to a better place. Definitely. Yeah.
Maria:What makes you say that?
Brigitte:Excuse me. What makes me say that?
Maria:Yeah, I agree. Yeah, I totally, I think it's really important. Help us understand what makes you say that?
Brigitte:Yeah. There are a lot of reasons because women, I would really, and there is also an Harvard article about it. It's that when women leaders leave the losses multiply, that's what the name of the article is called. And research confirms here with two crucial leadership qualities of women, it's wisdom and compassion, and women leaders rank substantially higher than there may counterparts. And this translates to business and financial results because when you lead differently, also the performance goes up. Wow. Yeah. So organizations really should get going to promote this principles and this practices that promote gender equity, develop compassionate leadership and increase learning through this intentional peer coaching, you know, mentoring advisory circles for men and women. Yeah, because we need to get along with each other. It's not about just women ruling the world, but really getting a balance. And also this appreciation of, of us as women leaders in this world. And there are still only 7% in the executive positions when it comes to women. Now, there is a little upstream right now from last year because it went down again in percentage, but there are more women now also. Management positions and in in the C-suite, but not that many really in the E executive seats. So that's what we really have to, push and I found a really interesting article. It was about women in leadership and I, also think that we have to have women. As personal brands. Right? So it's women that we look up to. We have our own personal heroines right. We have our role models whom we admire. We look up and we emulate we want to be like her. And for me, it's for example, Oprah. Yeah. She's the perfect role model. She inspires me and she inspires many other women in every walk of life. And for me, it's also Coco Chanel. Yeah. And there are others such as Jane Fraser from city group Carol Tomé from ups. She was the former home Depot CEO. And then there's also the queen of pop herself, PepsiCo, former CEO, Indra Nooyi. And she has a few hot tips for becoming successful women leaders. And I might state some of them. Okay. So for. Most of all find a mentor, a woman, mentor a woman as a mentor because men mentorship will play a larger role in career development for women because it's about the women supporting women. Yeah. When it comes from a women it's different because she really goes through it. It's your journey, your personal journey. And that's, what's about personal branding. Personal branding is really looking at the detours at the challenges of the people before us went through. Yeah. Those that we emulate, those that we admire and then also always become all ultra prepared for anything you do. Yeah, scripted or whatever, go bowling and do a golf course or whatever, just to be there. I know it's harder for us because we have to go the extra mile. We have to work much harder, but that's how it is right now. Yeah. That's how
Maria:it is right now. And it's so worth it. Yes. Yeah, absolutely.
Brigitte:Then bring your whole self to work. So we can't leave our personal life outside the door when we walk into work. Right. It's not possible. It's important that leaders become compassionate. This is one of the most important values, right. And the SEP that employees have lives outside of your work. It's clear performance is always first, but in order to run a company. But I think at the same time, it's always good to get the best people. And, and the best out of people and a person cannot detach him or herself from private life. That's impossible. Yeah, we do our best. I also did my best when I was, was about crying because my boyfriend left me and I had a flight. I cannot stay in front. Hello, welcome. Today. I have to, you know, have attitude and play my role. I have to do that. I can, I can cry later on. Yeah. So yeah. And also workplaces become more relational. Yeah. So we move from this transactional more into the relational. And because if there is a lack of relational people start quitting their jobs. I know that the paycheck is important and the amount of money you work is also important because it's a, it's a sign of appreciation. Right. But you want to feel that you are valued by the organization, by your managers and you need this sense of belonging to some, some organization, the feeling of belonging that's really important. And also as a leader, thank your employees for what they're. That goes back to being relational, compassionate, and showing that you are worth it and make it personal. And here it ties in again, you know every part of transformation should be framed in a story. So it's about storytelling and authority through authenticity is the key because authority incorporates you being the author of your story. So you tell your story and then you are again, relatable. I think that this makes the thing whole. Yeah. And that's so important. And that is exactly what, what women bring in. And of course, from performance to purpose, because there always is a purpose, a higher purpose than just bottom line making profit. Yeah. There is a purpose. We want to leave a legacy and that's about personal branding. We wanna set the footprint. We wanna be we wanna change the world or make a difference. And if it's one single person, yeah. You have made a difference in other people's lives.
Maria:Oh, oh my gosh. This has been so huge and no surprise. I know you are so amazingly. Excellent. So I love the, the ending. There was beautiful because I think all of your tips completely aligned to help us understand why there are so many losses when people lose women leaders. I can't. Thank you enough for your excellence and for such an en enriching interview. Really? I could have some more, we'll have to have you back on the show to talk a lot more about brands. I think we just scratched the surface. Yeah. Your success story is, and your, your, just your travels and everything about your life is so, so fascinating. You definitely inspire women's leadership, help us in closing. Do you have an inspirational quote for the audience?
Brigitte:Yes, of course, by Oprah Winfrey. And I quote , let excellence be your brand when you are excellent. You become unforgettable doing the right thing. Even when nobody knows you're doing the right thing will always bring the right thing to you.
Maria:Wow, perfect. Quote, for an amazing conversation to talk about women's leadership. Bridget, thank you so much for being on the show today.
Brigitte:Thank you so much for having me. It was a blast. I talked a lot. I know but when you ask me these questions, I just can't stop it anymore. You have to stop me.
Maria:that's OK. That's
Brigitte:yeah. And I hope I can, yeah. Help people with what I've said to, to become more actionable and just step into your self worth and own it. There's nothing that can happen now. What's the worst that can happen. Just think about that. And then you just walk it,
Maria:right. Thank you so much. Like I said, this has been really, really amazing. Help us understand how people can get in contact with you.
Brigitte:Yeah. Okay. I'm very busy on LinkedIn under my name, and I think you put it into the show notes and on LinkedIn, everybody knows anyway, and they can follow me there. I also have my own website, it's bridgetbrands.com and you find everything there. I also have a brand building free downloadable checklist and guide. So if you wanna have that, then visit my website. I click on it. You will also see what services I offer for companies workshops on personal branding in the context of organizations and workshops or one-on-one exclusive coaching when it comes to Yeah, building your personal brand. And then I also will launch an online course. It's about branding from employee to entrepreneurship. So for everyone who is done being an employee and who wants to start his or her own business, then this is the course for you.
Maria:Awesome. Thank you so much for being a part of the conversation for inspiring women's leadership. Coffee time with Kaufman is the comfortable place to discuss women's leadership. Because I am on a mission to help the world discover the truth about what women are capable of when you are ready for your leadership mastery makeover. Go to Maria kaufman.com and click on consult a coach where you can schedule time with me for an empowerment session. Have a great week. Enjoy your adventures and journey responsibly. Thank you so much for Bridget. Thank
Brigitte:you, Maria. Thank you so much. If you like my show, follow BrandsTalk on your preferred app, share it on social media. And if you find a minute or two leave a quick rat ing or review. Thank you so much. If you want to learn more about me and my services, head over to bridgetbrands.com and get inspired. If you need support in becoming a strong and truly authentic brand, drop me an email. I'd love to be your guide on your hero journey. I hope you will stay tuned in on the next episode when we dive into the world of brands.