Bridget has worked with different actors in the blockchain economy since 2017, both retail facing and servicing institutional clients, gaining an insight into the market place, challenges, pitfalls, regulation and breadth of projects and businesses in this rapidly evolving space.
Formerly the founding director of Financial Social Media UK, after being IFA and serving the financial industry since 2000, Bridget has attracted multiple industry awards.
What is The Bigger Pie all about?
The Bigger Pie is about supporting women in blockchain and emerging tech. Shining a light on the incredible leaders already in the space, supporting them, connecting them, providing a community to network, gain insights, share opportunities, learn and collaborate. Help founders get funded, connect with event organisers to help them with female experts, and so much more. In doing so we can attract more women into the industry and work with organisations who see the value in building their businesses with diversity and inclusion.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
When I first came into the industry it was noticeable the lack of women in the space. But those pioneering women who were already leading the way were incredibly smart, with multiple degrees, speaking multiple languages, and with impressive career CVs. They were also looking to hold out their hand to the next wave of people and women coming into the sector. I decided I wanted to spend time with these women in a meaningful way so set up The Bigger Pie to support the women in the sector, build a global community of leaders and learners supporting diversity and inclusion in blockchain and emerging technologies.
What was the biggest problem you encountered with your business and how did you overcome it?
There is so much to do, it’s finding the time and focusing on the activities that move the needle the most. I have a coach that helps me stay focused, and will be using the UK’s kickstart grant to hire our first employee. Finding the right home to build our amazing community online. A platform that offers all the functionality we need, that doesn’t abuse the data of it’s members, and that our community will adopt. We hope we’ve found the right solution. Now it’s a case of migrating our community to the new platform.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
Not getting started soon enough. Questioning what I know. We can’t please all the people all the time, and you’ll always receive feedback for 100 reasons why what you want to do won’t succeed. If you’ve done your research, understand your market, then move forward with confidence and attract the people that share your vision.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
I’m constantly listening to my internal dialogue, checking in with myself that I’m staying true to my purpose, operating in a collaborative and open manner, doing activities that support that. I’m also constantly learning about my sector both in terms of the technology and what prevents more women from coming into the sector, or staying in it.
What are three books or courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
- I can’t speak highly enough about Andreas Antonopoulos
- I thoroughly enjoyed The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
And understanding the gender data gap is huge for building inclusive and diverse businesses – start with Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez
What was your first business idea and what did you do with it?
I think my first business idea was working with an app developer back in 2009, it was to provide tickets that could be scanned by your phone for air travel. I was told it would be too expensive to get anyone interested, so I didn’t do anything with it!
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I’m doing my best to keep up with the fast-paced emerging tech that is blockchain across all it’s form whilst understanding how to overcome not just the obvious, but the more insidious actions and behaviours in the workplace, home, and society at large that keep women from reaching their full potential in the tech sector.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
How much our community would value and appreciate the work we do. I’m absolutely drawn to take action to see more gender equity in the tech space. We need more women at the design, development, and deployment table. Women at decision-making levels. I choose to spend each day working towards action-orientated activities that help us see the needle move in a positive direction to achieve this.
We will see better products and better solutions being put into the world that solve real issues like addressing climate change, improving health care, and bringing financial inclusion to billions of individuals by doing so. We all benefit.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Delivering value and doing what we say we do. We have grown organically which means others see enough value in what we do that they invite their peers to join us. When you receive feedback like: “It’s a place we share our experiences, make noise about each other’s news, and celebrate our wins together. The support you get from The Bigger Pie is invaluable because it enables, empowers, and multiplies your reach”, “The Bigger Pie vision is all about collaboration over competitive and being stronger together.
This plays out in an inclusive, supportive, open community where people go out of their way to help each other and everyone benefits from advice, support, and opportunities” and “Being part of The Bigger Pie network/community helps to feel inclusive amongst other like-minded women within the blockchain space.
The network also derives power through its accessibility to known and unknown blockchain projects, regulatory updates, opportunities, and the potential to collaborate as a collective network” it does help market itself.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new startup, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
Making sure I have the right software to support the business in terms of website, hosting, CRM, community and event platforms, etc.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Find a supportive community – whether that’s 1 other person or many other people that will share in your vision and support you, help you find solutions, not problems. Everything else, you can figure out along the way.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
Understanding what time of the day you’re most productive and making sure you get your focused work done in those hours. Allow time for creative space. For me, that’s overnight and first thing in the morning for creative thinking, and between 7 am – 11 am for being productive. Meetings are scheduled for the afternoon.
What is your favorite quote?
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
– Maya Angelou
How is running a company different than what you thought it would be?
I’ve been running my own companies for so long I don’t know what it would be like to do anything else!
How can readers get in touch with you?
If anything, I’ve shared resonates with you, if you’d like to learn more, join our community, get into space, work with us, etc – please reach out. Email bridget@thebiggerpie.io, find me on LinkedIn, I’m most responsive on WhatsApp +44 7917 713625.
Roundup Interview: 15 Reasons Why Women Should Join the Blockchain Space
