Shaping Your Own Destiny: An In-Depth Conversation with Bridgette Simmonds

Jessica Rosario: 0:16

Hello and welcome to the Maximize Your Day podcast, a place for entrepreneurs for building their business, in pursuit of freedom and flexibility to do the things they love. I'm your host, jessica Rosario. I'm a New Yorker turned Floridian Who knows a thing or two on how to effectively manage your time while juggling multiple priorities. I'm an ex-corporate leader who walked away from my 9-5-ish to launch and grow my business. In this podcast, i share insights on mindset, business productivity, habits and strategies to help you take control of your to-do list and maximize your day, which will help you feel more confident and less overwhelmed and getting more done in less time. I'm so excited you're here. Go ahead, listen in. Welcome back to the show.

Jessica Rosario: 1:06

Today I share an interview with Bridget Simmonds, the Go Coach. Bridget is a coach, speaker and facilitator. She's a trainer dedicated to being a true partner to everyone she connects with. Bridget focuses on developing accountability with leadership teams and groups of all sizes. As the Go Coach, bridget believes in taking action, moving forward and bringing her intuitive and creative skills together with sharp logic to solve challenges and reveal opportunities. Bridget is a professional certified coach through the International Coach Federation and the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching, also known as IPEC. When she's not coaching or going confidently in the direction of her dreams, bridget lives in sunny Tampa with her fur baby, ginger, the middle child of a proud Jamaican family. She enjoys traveling, food, dancing, sunday naps, true crime and anything created by Oprah Winfrey On the go and in the office. Bridget the Go Coach knows how to inspire and innovate for teams and individuals ready for new experiences and new pursuits.

Jessica Rosario: 2:25

Are you ready to listen in how Bridget Simmonds, our Chief Transformation Officer, transforms your life? Well, listen in. So welcome back to the Maximize Your Day podcast, and I'm so excited to be sharing this interview today that I know it's going to change your life. And, just like all of the other amazing people that I get to interview on the podcast, this one is not far behind. I mean, she is just such an amazing person that I had the pleasure of meeting in March while I was going through my IPEC certification. But getting to meet her and seeing how much she invests and the people that she teaches, she just got such a giving heart And every opportunity that we were in interaction, it was just an amazing experience. So I knew I had to get her on the podcast to be able to share her with you guys. So, without further ado, i want to introduce you Bridget Simmonds, who is the CEO, but not the traditional CEO. She's a Chief Empowerment Officer, life and Leadership Coach, and I'm so excited to have you on the show, bridget.

Bridgette Simmonds: 3:45

Oh, what an intro. Thank you so much, jessica. I feel so honored and blessed to have met you and connected with you, and that you've invited me here to have a conversation Very, very excited.

Jessica Rosario: 3:58

Absolutely, absolutely. So let's jump right in. I love the experience that you were able to share with everyone, but, of course, i know part of your story and the audience doesn't. So tell us who are you and how you got started in the journey that you're in right now.

Bridgette Simmonds: 4:17

So I love that question who are you, as a coach, gone through so many types of courses like IPEC, i was a student sitting in your seats at one point and I geeked out on all things personal growth and development. So when you said the question, who are you? My simplest answer to that is I am love. So I've whittled everything that I am to pure love and everything that I do stems from that, being that I know that I am, which is love. But people want to know more than that Typically. So I am a daughter, a sister, a loving friend and fun comedian to anyone around me. I enjoy elevating people and supporting people and becoming who they know themselves to be that they can answer that question with a sense of ease and confidence. And so, yeah, i'm a coach. I love everything sunshine and palm trees. I'm from the beautiful state of Florida and come from the island of Jamaica my parents and my heritage So island things and tropical places is kind of in my bones.

Jessica Rosario: 5:33

I love that Being in Florida too. I'm actually a New Yorker term Floridian So I love it here, and I had some years in Puerto Rico also, so I totally understand the whole Caribbean island. I don't think I'll ever leave Florida from here, from Central Florida moving to the beach.

Bridgette Simmonds: 5:50

Yes, That's my next move to. I'm like there's no place else to go but the edge of some water. Why would you go inland after this?

Jessica Rosario: 5:59

Exactly, exactly. So tell me what inspired you to become an entrepreneur.

Bridgette Simmonds: 6:07

Oh gosh. Well, both my parents are entrepreneurs, my dad longer than my mom. So it's always been something that's been in front of me And, interestingly enough, recently I was hanging out with my mom and was asking her what my grandfather did her father, because I never met her and she was actually raised by her aunt And she knew her aunt as grandma more than my grandfather, who I never met, and he was an entrepreneur And I'm like, oh my goodness. So he used to collect taxes in Jamaica. So it runs deep.

Bridgette Simmonds: 6:36

And what inspired me, beyond that internal subconscious knowing, was I I don't know if it's because I'm a Sagittarius and we're known to be do not box us in, don't pin me down. It's in my nature to not feel restrained or restricted or to have someone tell me what to do, and I've kind of been that way since I was a kid. I mean, my parents did an amazing job, but I was one that could not wait to grow up. I don't know if your parents said the same phrase. A lot of parents tend to say when you want to do what you want to do, but it's not going with what they want, that they say while you're under my roof, you'll do it my way, and every time I heard that, i was like you know what, i can't wait to get under my own roof because you know what, if that's what it takes is my own roof to do it my way and be free and give me my own roof.

Jessica Rosario: 7:29

So, so I love that. I love that you say that because I am an empty nester, but at a young age, i think, because it was sooner than I expected. I see a lot of people that have their kids still living at home and my oldest daughter was like, i think, from the moment she turned like 12, she was like I can't wait to have my own place and being able to just live life on her own terms. And she's doing just that, which is great, but she still comes around and she's still, she's always going to be my baby, you know, but definitely kids nowadays have that sense of independence. So I totally get it. Totally got it.

Bridgette Simmonds: 8:04

And I felt that way, working like it wasn't a parent child relationship, clearly, but having a full time job was just something I thought I was supposed to do. so I just followed that path like, oh, what's everybody doing? getting a degree, okay, let me go to college and get a full time job? okay, what do we do after this? oh, we get a full time job with a cubicle, oh, okay. and just following that conveyor belt of predictability, i, when I, when I got to the end of it with the job, i just felt like this cannot be the only thing, and the entrepreneurship and the freedom and flexibility and the autonomy that came with that lifestyle was pulling me because of my you know dislike of what it felt like incorporate. not like anything's wrong with that. I feel like it has its place for people And it was hugely beneficial for me. It just didn't align completely with who I am.

Jessica Rosario: 9:00

I love that. and let's dive a little bit deeper on that freedom and flexibility, because a lot of times we crave that right and we think that the entrepreneurial journey is the end all be all of freedom and flexibility. And we both know very well that there are times that even in the entrepreneurial journey we become almost like enslaved to our business right because we're doing all the things. So how would you differentiate that freedom and flexibility expectation that you had from leaving the corporate space to where you are today?

Bridgette Simmonds: 9:41

Oh my gosh, you said a whole mouthful, jessica. So what's funny and just fascinating to me is I read a book before I left corporate to become an entrepreneur, called the e myth revisited. Have you read that book before? Absolutely Yeah, and he talks about exactly what you just said, that many people are like I'm going to be an entrepreneur So I can be free and end up working way more, way harder than they did for someone else.

Bridgette Simmonds: 10:09

And though I had that knowledge and this is the key differentiator between hearing something and learning something logically and embodying it because, though I knew that, i did get swept up and caught up in it and I feel like at first it's you have this sense of responsibility and an a not very true statement, but it feels true at the time that if I'm not working, i'm not making money. So there's this underlying pressure to constantly feel like you're in motion, and I also feel, for me, i was repeating the same behavior that I did working in corporate. If you looked at my calendar and corporate and my calendar after I became a full time coach, they looked exactly the same. I was just seeing different people, and it took me getting to a space of burnout and overwhelm and really like why am I doing?

Bridgette Simmonds: 10:57

this I don't feel any more free and that's what I was after where I feel like that becomes the journey of the entrepreneur. It's less about the business and the thing that you're selling And it really is a personal growth journey and an understanding of you and a becoming of yourself. And it takes sometimes getting into a space where it didn't pan out the way that you thought it could. But what's powerful about it to me versus being an employee for people who resonate with that type of lifestyle is that you get to choose a career and, over again, what it feels like and what it looks like. So once it got overwhelming to me and I'm still in the midst of it, so don't be fooled. I haven't completely conquered the staffed and packed schedule, but realizing that it was painful was a great, great opportunity to begin to ask myself what does freedom and flexibility truly mean and look like and how do I make decisions that align with that in my business and in my life?

Jessica Rosario: 11:59

So, very true, it becomes more of an opportunity of, instead of chasing freedom and flexibility, you're almost chasing purpose. Rather, you know better than anything else that you can possibly do, and I've been there because you know. As you know, i left the corporate space to and found myself in the same position. My calendar was so full that even my family members had to let me know when was a good time to call, and it's not a good feeling right to be able to do that. So you said something really important that resonated with me, which was becoming of yourself. Tell me more about that, and whether it's your personal life or the experience that you've had with your own clients of how important that pieces.

Bridgette Simmonds: 12:46

So for myself and for my clients, both for every human being, i'm growing to understand that when we were born, we have a sense of limitlessness and fullness, that if our parents had an understanding of that when they had children, they would likely raise children differently. But most of us just become products of what and who raised us and so forth, and then the pattern continues. So I feel like that's the beautiful, juicy part of life. We're born with this knowing and this sense, and if the outside world, ie our household, doesn't foster that and pull it out of us and enhance it, but instead puts on us expectations and rules and lets us know as young people, oh, that's acceptable, that's not. That then forms us into a space that may or may not align with our actual, true nature that we popped up on the earth with.

Bridgette Simmonds: 13:51

So then, when we get out of the house and we're under our own roof, so to speak, we then get the opportunity to become And it really isn't. It's not a shift or a change. It's actually a returning to what you were when you were born, that before all of the rules and pressures and expectations and disappointments and heartbreaks and the things that molded you, become what you think is true That we, the becoming, is what life is really about And it doesn't have an endpoint to it. There's a constant and persistent unraveling and discovery of ourselves that, quite frankly, not a lot of people take full advantage of that. They get to change their mind, that they get to be. You know, kids play pretend and one day they're a ballerina and the next day they're a firefighter.

Bridgette Simmonds: 14:45

We get to play that same way. But oftentimes adulthood becomes this space that we feel we are just stuck What we've. You know we're too old or stuck doing what we've always been doing and what the family has always been doing. So, yeah, becoming is the crux of what life is about for me and for the people. I work with as a coach.

Jessica Rosario: 15:08

I love that, and you hit it right on the nose about there's no destination to it, it just you never stop evolving, and one of the things I say when I'm working with entrepreneurs is where you are now is not where you'll be a month from now, three months from now, six months from now, because as your vision evolves, your business evolves and you're in a constant period of growth, so it never ends.

Bridgette Simmonds: 15:36

Yeah, and not to judge that. Like I love that you said that, it makes me smile, i think about. There's a retreat that I'm planning for October and it had one name for the last three weeks And I talked to my retreat coordinator curator on Friday and now it has a whole different name And I'm like, oh, this is it. This feels more alive. And there was part of me that wanted to judge like, oh man, what am I gonna look like Switching it up? And then I'm like, nope, this is it. And we get to do that. We really get to evolve and shift and change and see what feels right, what doesn't, and respond to that.

Jessica Rosario: 16:11

Absolutely, absolutely. What, would you say, is your biggest pet peeve?

Bridgette Simmonds: 16:20

Oh man, my biggest pet peeve is stagnation.

Jessica Rosario: 16:27

Tell me more.

Bridgette Simmonds: 16:30

So I'm growing into knowing I don't always have to be in motion, kind of like our conversation a few moments ago around just booked and busy and hustle. I don't like that And I don't feel like it's necessary. I think rest is luxurious and necessary and just as powerful as achievement. However, stagnation is going against nature to me. It are natural want and anything that's living wants to expand and take up space and grow. Even if it seems and appears to be at rest, it's still in that space of expansion and growth. So when someone or even an organization or unit refuses to grow for whatever reason, sometimes it's a fear of the unknown, sometimes it's whatever it is. That is one of my biggest pet peeves is not wanting to stretch and grow and be open-minded or challenge the status quo, and understandably so. Change is uncomfortable. We love and live for comfort, but if your choice is to remain stagnant, then oh okay, i'm gonna leave you right where you are. It irks me, but I wish that wasn't the case right now.

Jessica Rosario: 17:51

So good. It's funny that you say that, because my I have like a little affirmations thing. Obviously people can't watch it, but it's right on my desk and I bought it on Amazon And today, for April 25th, it says once mined, once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions. So it's like right aligned with what you're saying and avoiding being in that status quo. You mentioned also resting. A lot of people can look at resting or even self-care, which seems to be like the trend, the topic that everyone talks about now. They look at that as As if it's wrong to do, it's wrong to have rest, It's wrong to spend a little self-care time, whatever that looks like for you. So what are your thoughts around self-care?

Bridgette Simmonds: 18:46

Oh, it's critical. Like the way I look at it is yourself is what you're using to drive, whatever you're trying to drive, and if you don't take care of that self, then how much more can you drive that thing? It's like a vehicle. If you don't maintain it and take it in for its regular tune-ups and oil changes, or turn it off, park it, if you just drove and drove and drove and drove, how long will that vehicle take you where it needs to go with as much power? How much can it maximize the use? And if your vehicle is your body, your physical body, and you don't take time to maintain it and see to it that it's taken care of, how much can you maximize its use? So yeah, self-care is critical. I call it luxuriating. It's my favorite thing to just lay and stare at the sky And some people think it's oh, i gotta get a massage. It really is as simple as taking a moment to breathe or saying no to something that you truly don't want to do is taking care of yourself and paying attention to the signals and signs that yourself is constantly giving us, versus just barreling through them just to get things done.

Bridgette Simmonds: 20:05

I think I feel like a lot of us, especially in this generation, are coming from a generation that built the country and or immigrated to the country And a lot of times take on those types of mantras and beliefs that that mentality and that mindset was needed or at least they thought that was needed and that type of grit and gotta keep going. Let's not, there's no time to rest. It made sense why that was relevant for that time and space. But there comes a point where we can question what do I believe about work and grinding? What do I believe about rest? And where did I get that belief from And how is it serving me current day? Did I just take it on and adopt it because my grandfather was a hardworking man? Okay, thank you. So much gratitude for what those people created, our ancestors created, as a very beautiful place for us to be. But if we're not questioning driving ourselves into the ground at what cost, then we're really, really missing an opportunity to really maximize our power.

Jessica Rosario: 21:18

Do you think that while we were in quarantine in the last few well, i guess two years ago do you think that self-care became more and more top of mind?

Bridgette Simmonds: 21:29

Oh yeah, i definitely think it did. I think that it was one of the greatest gifts of that time and space that we lived in, that we all as a collective were on the go and they're. It came to a screeching halt and we were forced to just sit and be. And I don't necessarily know if everybody was able to fully get into self-care, especially my dear parents who had to home school bless their hearts But for sure I feel that it created a space to consider what am I doing this for, at what cost? Wow, like I think more people took a look at their lives than they ever, than ever before, and then they probably would have if that did not happen.

Jessica Rosario: 22:14

Right, we were almost like forced to do it. Well, we were forced to do it And a lot of good things came out of that A lot of family time connections and a lot of even family Zoom calls. I had some friends that they were like oh yeah, my family gets together once a week on Zoom And I was like, really, that's interesting, So being able to do things differently. And another thing was gardening A lot of people. Now everything is like homegrown.

Bridgette Simmonds: 22:42

I love it. It's like we're returning back to the earth, are you?

Jessica Rosario: 22:46

gardening. Did you start gardening? I am not. I kill everything, But every time I go somewhere they're like oh, i've got some peppers and I've got this And I've got. I'm like oh my.

Bridgette Simmonds: 22:54

God, That is so fun. Yeah, you and I are exactly the same. I cannot. I can keep dogs alive, but plants are not my jam.

Jessica Rosario: 23:02

Yeah, yeah, me neither, me neither. So, Bridget, tell me about your ideal client. Who do you work with And what do they struggle with?

Bridgette Simmonds: 23:14

I work with mostly women. Sometimes some men find me and I'm open to that But mostly women who crave exactly what I do, which is freedom, flexibility and fun. And I love engaging with the woman who is powerful. She's like, at this inner warrior, goddess inside that she's either doled or is trapped in a cage of following what she thought she was supposed to follow Get a job, get a degree. They're climbing, she's climbing the corporate ladder. She, on paper, looks like, oh, she wants for nothing. She's like living her best life, but there's some part of her that's inside wants to scream because it's not her fullness, she's not maximizing her totality of her power And she really, really craves to own her life and own her days, whether that's leaving corporate and getting into entrepreneurship or at least becoming a more true version of herself.

Bridgette Simmonds: 24:18

The way I look at it is that there's a lot of powerful, powerful women who, again, on paper look incredible but they're living a lie. It's what I call. They're out of alignment. But I love words and I love plays on words. It's alignment, but it's spelled A-L-I-E alignment And living in alignment.

Bridgette Simmonds: 24:44

They're typically living for vacations and that's the moments that they feel a little bit free, but then they return right back to feeling encapsulated. They also just our boss ladies, taking care of a lot of people but not taking the time to really truly pour into themselves. Symptoms of when you're in alignment, living a lie, are that you may do things to try to quiet that. Like my thing was eating snacks, love, ice cream, or it might be shopping, or it could be pouring into others and just constantly giving and giving and giving.

Bridgette Simmonds: 25:26

Another element is where you may be now looking for the next position, but it's really not gonna do anything. Like it's that momentary, like okay, i feel like I'm growing, but it's just the repeat. Like what they're really seeking is true alignment, spelled properly A-L-I-G and M-E-N-T, where the alignment just feels like peace, it feels like love, it feels like there's a sense of fullness, because those women, these women that I love to work with, they want to leave this earth and this planet with a sense of legacy And not as though they need to be on the world stage and be famous, but they truly desire and deserve, and what I do when I work with them is connect them to meaning, that sense of meaning, the most powerful thing that we all have the ability to create in our lives.

Jessica Rosario: 26:19

I love that.

Jessica Rosario: 26:19

I actually had a conversation with someone recently and we talked about a misalignment with integrity and a misalignment with purpose, And while I was living in that, while I was in my last few years in the corporate space, I really wasn't understanding it. I just knew that something didn't feel good, And one of the things that I found myself in was in 2021, I had a lot of revelations where my intuition was screaming Jessica, listen, Jessica, listen, right. And I was blocking it, thinking that it was just insecurity and overthinking, which a lot of us tend to do. And one of the things that, as time has gone on, I've been doing is really listening to my intuition, following my heart and being still to really listen to what's happening before I even take action, And sometimes that causes you to stop for a moment. Not every answer has to be a decision right now, at the moment, but listening to our intuition and following our heart has been so important, And I can see how I love what you said living in alignment but LIE. I can see that every day.

Jessica Rosario: 27:43

Corporate space especially because the more we grow, the more we think that that next position is gonna be the best thing.

Bridgette Simmonds: 27:50

So Yeah, I was talking to a client last week and this was the exact conversation. She was saying okay, i have this boss. That's horrible. Right now I've got a company, that's this beautiful startup, calling me and I could go there and I just don't know what to do. And I had her do a breathing exercise and exactly what you said slow down, get silent, with my support, there, and I took her through a little exercise, meditation, where she met her warrior, goddess self in this visual, and I said, okay, when you open your eyes, tell me what came up.

Bridgette Simmonds: 28:26

She's like I'm not going anywhere, i cannot do another. And it was so sure, so powerful, so clear. She said I will not just jump to another company and give my talents, my energy, my gifts to another space. It is time for me to stop being scared and finally start living my truth. And I'm like, yes, this is exactly what I do. Because when we, as women and men too, are unleashed in a space of our truth, oh the joy that emanates from that. And there's so many people that put on a face, that are in meetings right now, that are running it, and it looks fantabulous, but inside there's just like an ache to be connected with the truth of who they truly are, but they either don't feel like it's possible or are scared to take that next step. Another client last week said to me I feel like I'm in a small, small room and I can see the hallway right there And I know I just need to go through that door down that hallway, but that hallway feels so scary.

Jessica Rosario: 29:29

Goosebumps You're giving me goosebumps, girl Because it's so real and you know community is so important to be able to surround yourself with the right people. And as someone you know, i'm a coach and I hire coaches right, Because we all need a coach in our life. And I think it's so powerful what we do because you know we can go to counseling all day long and deal with trauma, right. So counseling really helps us deal with the past. Coaching truly helps you with your future, but really is that commitment to yourself that helps you with the now, and a lot of times it takes a coach to be able to help you define that. So I love what you're doing and I'm so proud of you and excited to be able to share you with my community. So tell me, how do you work with people? What programs do you have available for someone that would want to work with you?

Bridgette Simmonds: 30:23

Absolutely So. There's a couple of different ways I work with people. One is through my retreat. That's annual at this point I think I may do it a couple more times That's in a group setting, where we really tap into where are you currently and then create that framework of freedom for you in a group setting And then from that space, i also work with you in a group to take that framework that's created and actually start to live it, and where they're together, step by step, to really take full ownership, take the limits off of your life and truly experience limitlessness. Where, like you said, community makes all the difference. And a lot of times, the women I connect with, because they're so powerful, because they're leaders, they're oftentimes the lone wolf. I was for so long where, and because we can do a lot of things. We tend to do a lot of things. But one of my favorite sayings is pain shared is pain lessened or reduced.

Bridgette Simmonds: 31:23

And when you are in community, like my group, that we journey together through the whole entire year, you can look back and say, ah, look what we did. And you have your sisters there celebrating with you. For those of my clients who really would love just concentrated time together, there's two ways I do that. One to one. One is a VIP day, where we take four hours, you and me in person I also do it virtual, but I prefer in person And we create your entire blueprint for the next year of your life what it's going to look like, what steps you're going to take and all of that good stuff. And then from there, i also work with people in my partnership VIP program, where it's me and you together all year long, where I do it with you, so done for you is my VIP day me and you just formulating what the plan is. If you're like, ah, i need your support to execute this plan, then that's my partnership VIP program. So those are the ways that, ways in which I work with people for now.

Jessica Rosario: 32:22

I love that, i love that, and where can people find you?

Bridgette Simmonds: 32:24

You can find me on Instagram at Bridget the Go Coach. That's B-R-I-D-G-E-T-T-E the Go Coach, which is inspired by the Henry David Thoreau quote go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you imagined. And on Facebook, my name, bridget Simmons. That's S-I-M-M-O-N-D-S. A little silent D in there, just for fun. Linkedin same thing, bridget Simmons. And then my website, bridgetthegocoachcom.

Jessica Rosario: 32:56

Love that Love that. So I will be dropping all of your links on the show notes and, of course, on social media channels. So guys feel free to follow her and be in her space, because you know we all need to connect with amazing people and definitely Bridget is one of those. So, before we wrap up, the way I always end our podcast is really understanding like a day in your world and what does maximizing your day looks like to you? Can you share that with our audience?

Bridgette Simmonds: 33:31

Absolutely. First, I want to say thank you so much, Jessica. This has been so incredible Time flew chatting with you and I feel so very grateful and blessed to be here and talking to you and your audience.

Bridgette Simmonds: 33:43

So thank you, thank you So honored. And maximize my day means I feel like I'm still that little girl. That's like I got my own roof. I can do whatever I want. So maximizing my day means I do whatever I want and I get to choose. That is the greatest and sweetest joy to me, that if I wanted to, today, go lay out by the pool, my day is maximized. If I want to serve four people one on one in conversations to watch them maximize their day, my day is maximized. If I want to take a nap at one, because I can, and curl up with my puppy Ginger, my day is maximized. So it's whatever I choose and then that freedom, that's maximized. That's a maximized day in my world.

Jessica Rosario: 34:35

I love that. I love that. Well, thank you so much for sharing and, as you guys can hear, everyone has a different way to maximize their day. Maximize your time At the end of the day, it's really what helps you live your life by design and live the life of your dreams, as well as building that business of your dream that you so much crave. So thank you for being here. I hope you guys enjoyed this podcast and I can wait to share more at the next show. Thank you so much, bridget. Thank you, jessica, as always. Thank you so much for listening in. Don't forget to subscribe to the show to be notified the second a new episode is released and share with your friends who you believe could benefit from listening. Contact me at justrosariocom forward slash podcast to share your feedback, ask question, make topic suggestions or even be a guest on my show. You never know if your topic will be next. Until next time, maximize your day and own it.