Know Your Why with Bridgetti Lim Banda – School of Noble Thoughts Podcast
Welcome to another episode of the School of Noble Thoughts Show. Today I have as guest Bridgetti Lim Banda. She is an Amazon international bestselling author, talk show host, and executive producer at B Live Media. B Live Media livestreams to LinkedIn, YouTube, Amazon Live, Facebook and Twitter. She specializes in helping authors and entrepreneurs humanize their brands through professional livestreaming and live shopping experiences. Bridgetti is passionate about purposeful storytelling, creating platforms for global conversations that inspire change and amplify voices. Apart from this she is an Amazon live Influencer. She lives her prosperous successful life in Cape Town, South Africa.
Key Takeaways
The Topmost lessons from Bridgetti to the world are:
- Know Your Why! – Understanding your purpose will anchor you when life gets difficult
- Be Authentic – People don’t connect to perfection; just be yourself
- Be Consistent/Show Up – Create momentum through small, consistent steps
- Be of Service to people/Do not only Sell – Create value and build relationships first
- Adapt with grace to the change – Life doesn’t always go to plan, but you can choose to grow through experiences
Episode Highlights
From Apartheid to Tech Pioneer
Bridgetti’s journey began in Cape Town during the apartheid era. Born with a maverick spirit, she recalls her childhood curiosity about technology – even attempting to wire a light bulb directly into an electrical socket as a young child. Her father, who worked in the textile industry and was sent to Germany to learn programming for textile machines, sparked her early interest in technology.
The Chamber of Commerce Years
In the mid-1980s, Bridgetti joined the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce as a receptionist. This role became transformative when she was tasked with creating the weekly newsletter using early desktop publishing technology. Working with a program called Ventura on one of the first desktop computers, she discovered her passion for digital publishing and typesetting – skills that still serve her today.
“We literally lived through the birth and the evolution of all these different technologies,” she reflects on experiencing the transition from typewriters to computers and witnessing the anticipation for the “information superhighway” that would become the internet.
Overcoming Physical Challenges
Bridgetti lives with multiple invisible disabilities including fibromyalgia, Durkheim’s disease, and lipedema, along with having undergone neck and lower back fusions. When these conditions began impacting her mobility, she saw livestreaming technology as an opportunity to continue her community work without the need for extensive travel.
The Water Crisis That Changed Everything
During Cape Town’s water crisis approximately six years ago, Bridgetti used her livestreaming platform to bring water experts together for educational conversations. This initiative caught the attention of major media outlets including BBC, CNN, and national television networks in Canada, Australia, and Spain.
“I realized that if I could do that, anybody could, if you had the passion,” she explains, emphasizing how this experience taught her that anyone with dedication can create meaningful impact through digital platforms.
Building B Live Media
Starting her media company exactly 10 years ago, Bridgetti began with basic equipment – an old computer, low-end camera, and built-in laptop microphone. Her advice to aspiring creators: “Start with what you have. You don’t need all the fancy gadgets.”
The technology landscape she entered included early platforms like Periscope, which allowed citizen journalism through mobile phones. Today, she notes that a smartphone alone can serve as a complete broadcast studio with the right software and a solid internet connection.
Lessons from the Trenches
On Imposter Syndrome: Bridgetti acknowledges this as a common challenge but shares wisdom from her Chamber of Commerce days: “The worst thing that can happen is for somebody to say no. That’s the absolute worst thing that can happen.” She’s found that virtually every person she’s approached for an interview has said yes.
On Building Authentic Connections: She emphasizes the importance of being genuine rather than perfect, noting that “People don’t connect to perfection. None of us are perfect.”
On Consistency: “Show up constantly and consistently. Choose your lane, stay in that lane and be consistent. Don’t make people wonder what you’re passionate about.”
Future Vision
Looking ahead, Bridgetti plans to continue helping authors and entrepreneurs repurpose interviews into high-quality content while building trust through authentic conversations. She’s particularly passionate about advocating for people with invisible disabilities and has a TED talk on her bucket list.
Technology and AI Adoption
Initially suspicious of AI, Bridgetti has embraced these tools as they make her daily work more efficient. She represents many professionals who’ve discovered that AI enhances rather than replaces human creativity and expertise.
Advice for Mental Health and Bullying
Having experienced online bullying herself, Bridgetti offers compassionate advice for those facing similar challenges: “If you are being bullied, speak to someone you trust. Don’t try and deal with it yourself. Help is out there.”
For those with invisible disabilities, her message is clear: “Speak up. There’s no shame in living with an invisible disability. If you need support, reach out to someone. Do not suffer in silence.”
Final Wisdom
When asked what her parting advice to the world would be if it were her last day, Bridgetti’s response was profound in its simplicity: “Do not forget your creator.”
About Bridgetti Lim Banda
Bridgetti specializes in helping authors and entrepreneurs globally humanize their brands through professional livestreaming and live shopping experiences. Her work spans multiple platforms including LinkedIn, YouTube, Amazon Live, Facebook and Twitter. As an Amazon Live influencer and international bestselling author, she creates platforms for global conversations that inspire change and amplify voices around the world.
Connect with Bridgetti:
Bridgetti can be found online at:
- https://www.blivemedia.com/
- https://www.amazon.com/shop/bridgetti
- https://www.facebook.com/bridgetti
- https://www.facebook.com/CapeTownWaterCrisis
Full Episode Transcript
Mr. Darpan: Welcome to the School of Noble Thoughts podcast. The mission of the podcast is to empower and inspire people to lead a motivated successful prosperous life by spreading knowledge of self development and life-changing stories and ideas to the world. We share and explore all that is needed for human growth, happiness, motivated success and prosperity.
To be able to create a positive impact to your life and to your success. Sit back and enjoy the School of Noble Thoughts show. This episode has been brought to you by Victoria Digitals Limited.
At Victoria Digitals, we transform business challenges into digital opportunities. Our expertise spans digital development, marketing and strategy planning, delivering tailored solutions that drive growth. We combine innovation with execution to help your business thrive in an increasingly digital world, turning your vision into measurable results.
For more details go to www.victoriadigitals.com, I repeat that www.victoriadigitals.com. So welcome to another episode of the School of Noble Thoughts show today and I have got guests with me. Brigitte Lim-Banda, she is an Amazon International best-selling author, talk show host and executive producer at Be.Live.Media. Now Be.Live.Media livestreams to LinkedIn, YouTube, Amazon Live, Facebook and Twitter. She specializes in helping authors and entrepreneurs globally humanize their brands through professional live streaming and live shopping experiences. Brigitte is passionate about purposeful storytelling, creating platforms for global conversations that inspire change and amplify voices around the world. Apart from this, she is an Amazon Live influencer.
She lives her prosperous successful life in Cape Town, South Africa. So please welcome the one and only Brigitte Lim-Banda. Hi Brigitte, good to see you after a long time today and thank you for accepting my request to come up as guest today.
How are you doing?
Bridgetti: I’m very well and I’m thankful for the opportunity to be able to talk to you and be on your show.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, it’s all my pleasure and honor. Thank you for that and I remember Brigitte very vividly. It was the year 2021 and the COVID was at its peak with severely devastating effect globally.
I mean you don’t want to remember those days, do you? But it happened and especially in India, I remember when you came to my aid on my first request to you and to create a global live event which would help me to fundraise for the charity organization that was very active in India at that time called Help Save India. And India was burning at that time and I vividly remember how on my first request to you, you went in and came up and supported me with my this endeavor.
And ever since that time, throughout my entrepreneurial journey, you have been a profound source of inspiration and illumination for me personally, Brigitte. I mean that’s how I look at you with your success journey. So, tell us more about your journey.
How, where, when it all started for you? Basic education, family, schooling, if you would.
Bridgetti: Sure and thank you for the opportunity to share some a bit of my background and my life. I had a fairly traditional education and I think I was born a maverick.
Mr. Darpan: You were born in?
Bridgetti: I was born being a maverick, you know, always wanting to.
Mr. Darpan: A maverick, okay.
Bridgetti: And do things out of the norm. I remember as a child before, I think I was in sub-a as we called it at that time. And I wanted to figure out how a light bulb worked.
And my foray into electronics at that time was taking two wires, attaching it to a light bulb and putting it into the socket. I’m sure you can, I’m sure you know how that ended.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah.
Bridgetti: But my curiosity was satisfied and I’ve always done things that way. You know, I’m not scared of trying new things. I will tell you myself that I do not love reading textbooks.
I find it exceptionally boring. I’m a tactile learner. And so when it came to my career as a live streamer, you know, producing live video and becoming a talk show host, I literally must have watched thousands of people do interviews, learn the technology, learned how to formulate questions for interviews, learned how to do the research.
So, you know, all of it was an evolution.
Mr. Darpan: Right. You were born in Cape Town yourself?
Bridgetti: I was born in Cape Town. I lived through, you know, if you know, if you know anything about South Africa, you also know that we, apartheid was legislated in South Africa.
Mr. Darpan: Right.
Bridgetti: And so I lived through that period. I lived through the change. And thank goodness we don’t live there anymore.
Mr. Darpan: Yes. So, okay. So you were born there and your parents.
Bridgetti: My parents are both South African. Yeah.
Mr. Darpan: So basically, what was your dad? What was his profession? What did he do in life for a living?
Bridgetti: My dad was in the textile industry. And he was also ahead of his time because he learned, you know, he started as a machinist and he worked his way up to where he was. He was also very keen on technology.
Mr. Darpan: Okay.
Bridgetti: And was one of the first workers here that was sent to Germany to learn how to program these textile machines. Now, of course, the textile industry is completely dead. Everything’s imported from China.
But yes, it does.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah.
Bridgetti: I think I probably inherited my curiosity for life and learning things from my dad.
Mr. Darpan: And he was originally from where? Which country?
Bridgetti: My father is originally from Cape Town. Both my parents are from Cape Town. You know, we’ve got a very diverse cultural heritage, but my parents were in Cape Town in South Africa.
Mr. Darpan: Is Banda, where does it belong to this surname?
Bridgetti: So that’s my married name.
Mr. Darpan: Okay, got it.
Bridgetti: Limbanda is my married name. My late in-laws were medical doctors and they were Chinese Filipino. And that is where the Limbanda comes from.
Mr. Darpan: Right, right. And your mom was also a professional or stay-at-home wife?
Bridgetti: No, my mom is a very traditional homemaker. I think, you know, people back then was usually the thing to do. Most women, not all women, not all women, but most women were homemakers and my mom was a traditional homemaker. So my curiosity came from my dad.
Mr. Darpan: From your dad. And you have many siblings?
Bridgetti: Yes, I am the eldest of five siblings. I have three brothers and one sister.
Mr. Darpan: And they’re all living in South Africa or nearby to you or scattered around the world?
Bridgetti: They’re all in South Africa. My husband’s family, though, is scattered all over the world. So we don’t get to see them that much, but thank goodness for technology. Thank you for, you know, videos and being able to keep in touch via social media.
Mr. Darpan: You’re good at that. That helps you, I assume, with your passion for technology and the videography and all that, what is media. That’s a great blessing for you.
Bridgetti: Yeah. I mean, when my mom-in-law was ill, and that’s over 20 years ago, and she had cancer, we were trying to keep in touch with the family remotely. And I was telling somebody the other day, you know, things were so different back then, because we were writing actual handwritten letters to keep in touch with the family and let them know how she was doing.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, that’s how you used to do, right?
Bridgetti: Yes. And then we had fax technology. So, you know, it was either a long written snail mail letter or fax. Now things are completely different, you know?
Mr. Darpan: Right. Absolutely. I mean, it’s a different world. And we are heading for another change now. I mean, in the coming, I mean, I would, if I speak to you after 10 years, we would be living in a different, absolutely technologically, the way the AI machine learning and all this is changing the whole concept of it. So basically, you had that growth thing within yourself, you had the passion to do. I mean, your mom was a housewife, father was inclined towards the technology, as you said. He was, although he was from the textile industry, but you did get it from your dad’s side, that inclination towards the passion. So when did you first, when did you feel the first go at it in your life? Like, do you remember? When was it?
Bridgetti: I beg your pardon, sorry, I didn’t get the question.
Mr. Darpan: So when was it in your childhood, or maybe it could be at the later years, when you feel that passion, that you have to, you know, get into something with technology. And I’m not saying about media only. I mean, you had the inclination for the technology. So when did you feel that in your life the first time?
Bridgetti: You know, that happened really early on in my, you know, my second job that I had after graduating was working with the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce. And that had a profound effect on the rest of my life, because it gave…
Mr. Darpan: Sorry, I missed on that.
Bridgetti: What did you work with? I worked at the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Darpan: Okay, all right. That’s an administrative job, right? That’s a managerial job, basically, isn’t it?
Bridgetti: Well, at the Chamber of Commerce, I started off as a receptionist. And then I got involved in, because the Chamber of Commerce, in order to keep in touch with its members, it would send out a weekly newsletter to inform them what was happening and how they could do business. And so I got involved in helping with the newsletter. And eventually I was typing it out on an actual typewriter, because that’s what I did at the time.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, I mean, as a receptionist, yeah.
Bridgetti: Yeah. And, you know, with the Chamber of Commerce being at the forefront of basically technology and everything, you know, to do with business, I think we were one of the first to have, you know, access to a fax machine, we had a telex machine. And we had one of those, what did they call those computers at the time that had, you know, took up a whole cupboard?
Mr. Darpan: Oh, yeah, the big ones, yeah, from where it all started. So the processors, yeah, big processors. Yeah, I mean, yeah, yes, I remember that, right.
Bridgetti: And then when the desktop became available, we got one. And they sent me on a course to learn a typesetting program so that I could do the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce weekly newsletter. And I remember the director saying to me, you know, how long will it take you to learn this? I said, no, no, no, I’ve got this. And I just finished my course with a program called Ventura, you know, desktop publishing. And without having too much time to practice anything directly after the course, I decided I’m going to just dive in and do the Chamber of Commerce newsletter using Ventura on my brand new desktop machine.
Mr. Darpan: And you knew the learning and all, you knew the languages. Did you go, did you learn that basic and Fortran and all that?
Bridgetti: It was an amazing journey being able to learn how to use a computer, you know, the shift from a typewriter to computer was…
Mr. Darpan: Exactly, I mean, yeah, it must be a big thing, isn’t it?
Bridgetti: Huge, it was a jump. But I’ve never looked back since that initial time when I put my feet into the digital waters. And, you know, I didn’t stop learning. And what I learned at the Chamber of Commerce was, you know, my love for desktop publishing was developed there. And, you know, my typesetting skills was developed there and my love for it, which still stands me in good stead today, you know, when it comes to using social media, putting together my shows now, you know, a lot of those principles have not changed over the years. Technology has changed, but the principles that you learn basically, you know, typesetting principles are the same over the years. They haven’t really changed.
Mr. Darpan: Which year was this, Brigitte? Do you remember?
Bridgetti: It should be 1994, 95? That was before then. It was roughly 1984, 85. Is it? Is it 80s?
Mr. Darpan: Okay. Okay. So we are talking, we are going a long time back then. I mean, 80s, it was, I mean, internet had not come in that time.
Bridgetti: And, you know, I remember the director having meetings with his international counterparts, and they kept talking about this information superhighway that is coming.
Mr. Darpan: Right. Yeah.
Bridgetti: And there was huge anticipation for the internet, you know, for the superhighway. We had no idea what it was, of course, back then.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. I mean, I remember, I think I got hold, I mean, I got my hands on to internet, I think 1996, first time. I mean, that’s when we used to that we had that dial up internet connection through the telephone line, you know, and then came the ASDN, then came the broadband, the broadbands, and then, you know, then kept on growing.
Bridgetti: But that’s how we lived through a very exciting period, because we literally lived through the birth and the evolution of all these different technologies.
Mr. Darpan: We have, yeah, we have, we have. And especially, so you got your first kick at the technology at that time. Correct. So what did you do after that? I mean, did you, how long did you work in the Chamber of Commerce?
Bridgetti: I worked for the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce for five years.
Mr. Darpan: Okay.
Bridgetti: And it also, you know, we had, we hosted many trade missions from all over the world. And so it gave me an opportunity to meet people from around the globe that I may not otherwise have had. And I think from there, my love for working with communities, really was born, you know, I developed a thirst for getting to know people from different cultures, because those five years at the Chamber…
Mr. Darpan: So you were traveling, yeah? You were traveling a lot?
Bridgetti: No, it’s not that I was traveling, it’s we hosted in at the Chamber of Commerce, we hosted…
Mr. Darpan: Okay, you hosted…
Bridgetti: international trade missions.
Mr. Darpan: The people were coming from all over the world, and you were intermingling with them, you know, getting, getting your… So this we are talking already of 90s, is it? Or… Yeah. It’s 90s, yeah?
Bridgetti: This was, this was, this was, yeah, from mid, mid 80s.
Mr. Darpan: Early 90s, you said five years, so it should be early 90s somewhere? Correct.
Bridgetti: Correct.
Mr. Darpan: What do you do after that?
Bridgetti: After that, I started my own business. Doing…
Mr. Darpan: This is the one? Okay, I mean, this, this, I think you started later on.
Bridgetti: I did desktop publishing. And then I started my family, I took some time out, I was determined, I wanted to be a full time mom for a couple of years. And then I did some ad hoc work for the Chamber of Commerce again. And, you know, I took on various projects over the years. And then I eventually joined my husband. We saw a gap for students who are graduating from university, and we were curious as to why they were not being gainfully employed in technology when that was happening. We wanted to investigate that. So we started an initiative of working with universities, local universities, international universities, and businesses. So we set up various forums to, it was called the CIO Forum. So we were meeting with CIOs, universities, and just finding out where the disconnect was between the two. And we did that for a great many years. Until I, you know, I have some, I have some, I live with invisible disabilities, and then my health challenges became too much for me to the point where my mobility was impacted, and I could no longer travel as freely as I wanted to. And, and while I was there, What was that?
Mr. Darpan: Did you undergo any medical conditions? What happened? What was that?
Bridgetti: I do. So I, I have fibromyalgia, which I think most people understand. But what most people don’t know is that there’s also various degrees of fibromyalgia. You could have level one, two, three, or four. And then I also have Durkheim’s disease, and I have lipedema. And all of these, together with my back, I’ve had a back, a neck fusion, and a lower back fusion, and all of those things have impacted my mobility. And while I was waiting for my next surgery, the technology to livestream was being born, developed. And since I could no longer travel so well, and my mobility was impacted, I started looking at this, investigating this technology, and I realized that I could still do what I enjoy doing, which is community work, if I could learn this technology. And the learning curve was a lot steeper than I imagined. But I don’t give up. When I set my mind to something, I’m pretty determined to, to learn it. And so it’s been a 10 year journey. But I’ve really enjoyed every, every bit of it. You know, I have gotten to know people around, more people from around the globe. I’ve had amazing opportunities, which I’m very, very, very thankful for. Early on in my live streaming journey, I don’t know if you heard about the Cape Town water crisis, because that was that was global news. And so that was fairly early in my live streaming journey. And talking to people, I realized that water does become weaponized very easily. And I saw that happening. And I realized that I could use my voice and my skills to help people make more informed decisions about water. I didn’t know too much about water other than my perspective as a water user. But I realized that if I could convince experts in the field to talk to me to share their knowledge with the broader public, on a platform that was not politicized, that was completely neutral, and that was purely educational, then I could be of service. And so I approached these water professionals. And to my surprise, they said yes, because I was completely bowled over and grateful, because I learned a great deal from them. And they have since started the South African Water Chamber.
Mr. Darpan: Okay.
Bridgetti: And I still work with them.
Mr. Darpan: Wow.
Bridgetti: I learned a lot from that experience. I learned a lot about water, about living in a water constrained country. People sometimes say I don’t use a lot of water, but there’s a lot of hidden water in the things that we eat, and consume, and wear that we may not have been aware of. I didn’t know that. It was quite, it was very, it was a very, very educational journey.
Mr. Darpan: Right. So I just, I’m just curious. Sorry, I’ll interrupt you. I’m just curious. This is we’re talking of 15, 2015, 2010. Which year is that? You said 10 years back, you started this company media, right?
Bridgetti: Yes, but the water crisis was about six, six years ago, six, seven years ago.
Mr. Darpan: Right. So, so all of your media journey, when you launched this company, it is about 10 years or so? Yes. Yeah. So what were you doing in between that period when you found that medical catastrophic situation, which came on you, right in your life. But you said, I’m not going to give it up. I will do something. And I will do, I mean, this is not going to hold me back. And I will take some other actions. So what did you do in that period of time from 2010, till the time you launched this media company, and from the time you found about your medical conditions? So what did you do in between?
Bridgetti: I’ve lived with the medical conditions all my life. It’s just that they progressed to the point where impact is my mobility.
Mr. Darpan: Okay. So you already, you had them in the, you in the childhood also. Yeah.
Bridgetti: And so basically, I, you know, I took off a couple of years.
Bridgetti: is to raise my to raise my two sons. Right, so you’ve got two sons. Yeah, two sons. And then I and two grandchildren now, which I’m very so good.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah.
Bridgetti: And one side, you know, sort of raise my boys. I joined my husband into this venture of helping university graduates find employment in technology.
Mr. Darpan: So did you did you raise your two sons alone or with your husband? Was it a jointly parenting, joint parenting? Right. And your husband was also from technology industry?
Bridgetti: My husband is is a is a software developer.
Mr. Darpan: Yes, he’s a software developer.
Bridgetti: OK, the software architect, actually software architect.
Mr. Darpan: Lovely. So I mean, that was that must be a huge thing. Right. I mean, you inclined to technology and your husband in the software architect that that was a big thing in those years, in 90s and early 2000s, software architect was like a like a king, I would say. Isn’t it? I mean, that time architects were real. I mean. Do you agree with that?
Bridgetti: But I think it’s been nice working in technology and being able to to do some work with my husband. I’m not a programmer. I don’t aspire to be a programmer. It’s not my field.
Mr. Darpan: But you’re just passionate about it. You’re you’re you’re you’re you’re you are the true full heartedly fan of technology. What I can see from you.
Bridgetti: Absolutely. One hundred percent.
Mr. Darpan: Got it. So and the before we ask you the the next question, are your sons also into technology?
Bridgetti: Yes. My my youngest son is is a programmer and and my eldest son is an electrical engineer. So I guess to a certain extent, he’s his work also does involves some level of programming, but he’s an electrical engineer.
Mr. Darpan: Got it. And they live in also in South Africa.
Bridgetti: Yes, yes. Thankfully, they both in South Africa.
Mr. Darpan: Good. Yeah. Close by. OK, so that’s so you started the media company in 2000. Do you remember the year you started it?
Bridgetti: It’s 10 years now. It’s exactly 10 years ago.
Mr. Darpan: Exactly 10 years. So 2015.
Bridgetti: That’s correct.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah. And what were the experiences which you remember during this period of 10 years? It was particularly, I mean, as a successful content creator, as a talk show host, as author. I mean, you have had a journey in 10 years. Right.
Bridgetti: So it was very interesting because, you know, the technology was just starting to evolve. We had Periscope. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Periscope.
Mr. Darpan: I have heard of it. Yeah.
Bridgetti: Yeah. So Periscope was the first opportunity we had to become citizen journalists, if you wish, and to use video. And that and that was on our phones. And gradually from the startup, from from our days with Periscope, the technology started developing slowly over the years. And I remember, you know, when I first started and I could I learned to live stream from my computer, I had a very old computer, a very old camera, you know, camera to to to live stream with. I was using the built in microphone on my on my laptop at the time. And so I always say to people, you know, if you want to get into live streaming and becoming a talk show host, start with what you have. People always feel they have to buy all the fancy gadgets and invest in cameras, expensive microphones and things. What I have now is is things that I’ve accumulated and built up over years, over time. You know, I started with a very low end camera, a very low end microphone, and I gradually acquired better equipment over the years. It was a process. So, you know, it’s not this big bang thing where you have to go and make this huge investment. And, you know, talking about technology, our mobile phones have come a long way.
Mr. Darpan: Oh, yes, definitely. I mean, you have everything right on the phone. It’s a mobile studio with you, right?
Bridgetti: So if you have a a smartphone, you can do virtually a full on broadcast from your smartphone. I know that there are people who don’t even use their laptop for the broadcast. They use the phone because you can. Software and technology is now available to do that, you know. So you don’t need a lot of stuff. You just need a good connection to a solid internet connection. And off you go, you know. So it really doesn’t take much to learn.
Mr. Darpan: Right. Any particular experiences, anything during these 10 years which you remember so vividly, which you would like to, you know, which just gives you, you know, that excitement about your whole journey of these 10 years as a media expert? Do you remember anything like that?
Bridgetti: One of the first things I did was I connected with six women globally. One was in Australia, one was in the UK and three were in the United States and I’m in South Africa. So you can imagine those were, you know, different time zones. Right. And we wanted to to host a talk show together. So trying to coordinate that across so many different time zones was quite an interesting thing. So what we ended up doing was it was, I think it was 1pm my time. The lady in Australia, I think it was 11pm in the evening for her. And the ladies in the United States, I think it was 8am or something like that for them in the morning. And we did this for over a year. You know, and I think that was my first experience that helped me gain my on-camera confidence. Right. Because, you know, when you first start out and for a long time after your first start, even seasoned people will tell you that they suffer from something called imposter syndromes.
Mr. Darpan: You do, yeah.
Bridgetti: And that is something…
Mr. Darpan: A big way, a big way. You do it big way. I mean, I have been a huge victim of, till to date, till to date. I mean, I’ve got list of people I want to speak to, like yourselves. It’s just the imposter syndrome doesn’t get you. Okay, I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll give him a call tomorrow. You know, so it’s very, very common thing you’re seeing. Yeah, it’s a big problem. It’s a huge trouble. It’s a huge problem.
Bridgetti: You know, one thing I learned very, very early in my career from the days of the Chamber of Commerce is that the worst thing can happen is for somebody to say no. That’s the absolute worst thing that can happen.
Mr. Darpan: Rejections, yeah.
Bridgetti: You know, how bad is that?
Mr. Darpan: True.
Bridgetti: It just means that you have an opportunity to ask someone else. You know, so one door closes, another opens. Life happens. And somebody may say no today, but they may well say yes tomorrow. So if somebody says no to an interview now, don’t let that hold you back from asking again. And more often than not, I think we talk ourselves out of things. You know, you may say, well, the person will never say no to me. You’re trying to respond on behalf of someone else. You won’t really know the answer until you actually ask them. I think I don’t even know if I’ve had any no’s over the years. Virtually every single person I’ve asked for an interview has granted me an interview.
Mr. Darpan: Oh, yes. I mean, you’re a professional now, you see. So, I mean, I could imagine anybody rejecting you in the first place. I mean, although there are cases, but most of the cases you are like, I don’t know, you are a professional in your industry now, Brigitte. So, yeah, I mean, it has to be really, really a stupid, I must say, person who has to say no to you, right, in my opinion, because, I mean, it’s like, you are the real, real, real deal.
Bridgetti: I do want to share something with you. You know, when I was covering the Cape Town water crisis, I learned something from that experience. You know, I was still fairly new into my journey into live streaming. But this was a topic that people were passionate about. People wanted to know how to make informed choices about water. And before I knew it, I was being contacted by BBC, CNN, you know, the national television in Canada, in Australia, in Spain, for interviews. And it taught me that if I could do that, anybody could, if you had the passion, you could do this, because, you know, the tools are available. So, if you are out there, and you are passionate about a topic, go ahead and do it.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, so that was the kindling moment for you. I think that was the kindling, you know, the motivation, the inspiration, what you got. And you found that this is something which anybody can do that. And why not to, you know, teach the other people. And that’s what you’re doing 10 years into it, and helping the, as a media expert. What is the future? What do you see for yourself?
Bridgetti: Um, I am not going to, to stop anytime, anytime soon. Live streaming is still evolving.
Mr. Darpan: Oh, definitely.
Bridgetti: It’s a, it’s a tool for change. And for me, that means helping more authors, more entrepreneurs, repurpose the interviews into high quality, evergreen content that drives engagement and sales, helping people humanize their brands, helping people hold conversations that builds trust. And so I want to continue, you know, collaborating with thought leaders. And I think something that I still would like to aspire to do, my husband’s done a TED talk, but I think that is, that is on my bucket list is to be able to do a TED talk.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, I mean, yeah, that is a for media, I think you should be doing that. Because media industry is very strong on TikTok. How much I have, although I don’t use TikTok at all.
Bridgetti: No, I mean, no, I said, sorry, not TikTok. I’m TED, TED talk.
Mr. Darpan: Oh, TED talks. All right. Okay. But you have had TED shows, didn’t you?
Bridgetti: No, I haven’t. So that’s what you didn’t have.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah. Okay. So okay. Right.
Bridgetti: That’s on my bucket list. And I do want to, you know, my plan is to do more about invisible disabilities, giving that more of a voice, because it’s something that I’m passionate about. I wasn’t ready to be vocal about it before. Because it was something so deeply personal for me. But I am at a point now where I do want to become or do more advocacy for people who live with invisible disabilities.
Mr. Darpan: Right. And why not? I mean, you, I mean, why not? It’s a very, very valid, logical reasoning you have for that. And you have the resources, touch wood, today.
Bridgetti: Yeah.
Mr. Darpan: And you have the knowledge and you have the technology. So you have got all the things in place. I mean, you must be doing that, right? Great. So you see a great future for yourself, Adam, as a media expert. And you are looking forward to all these changes with AI and machine learning and all that, which will be implemented into your industry, isn’t it, the coming years?
Bridgetti: Absolutely. And I think, like, you know, as most people initially, when I heard about AI, I was very suspicious about it. You know, I didn’t know much about it, but it’s been a journey. I’ve learned, I’ve learned a lot about it. And now I use it. It really makes my everyday life a lot easier. You know, I use it to help me do things much faster. Definitely.
Mr. Darpan: I mean, you are using this chat GPT and all. I mean, you have a basically you have in your hand the whole solution to anything in the world right now, right? You don’t know anything, just go there and it will give you an answer. So we are living in a fantastic, marvellous world today, I must say. I mean, who could think of that?
Bridgetti: It’s been quite a journey over the years, and I, you know, I aim to never stop learning.
Mr. Darpan: You are, you are. Bijeti, what will be your, I mean, I know you, we are running short on time with you. I mean, you have that. I remember you wrote to me, so I’ll try to stick within the parameters of the time, not to make it stressful. What are the key topmost tips that you would recommend for the listeners of our conversation today that you keep yourself, you know, at the top of your head as one of the most important things in your life? I mean, maybe five of them or three of them, four of them.
Bridgetti: I think I’ve got five that I’d like to share. And the first one is, is understand your why. Know your why.
Mr. Darpan: Know your why. Okay.
Bridgetti: Yeah. And if you understand your why, it will anchor you when things get hard, because life happens, you know, life happens to all of us. So when things are difficult, your why will help you to push through those difficult moments. And they are just moments. You know, sometimes we’ll be in the middle of a challenge. It feels like it’s never going to end, but it will. Everything that happens is just a moment or a season. And the number two is, is be authentic. People don’t connect to perfection. None of us are perfect. So if you aspire to perfection, you’re setting yourself up for failure. So just be yourself.
Mr. Darpan: Be authentic.
Bridgetti: And then my third one would be, be consistent.
Mr. Darpan: Be consistent.
Bridgetti: Okay. Show up, you know, show up constantly and consistently. And it doesn’t have to be big things, just small steps to create momentum, but be consistent at whatever you do. Don’t make people wonder, what is it that you’re passionate about? You know, choose your lane, stay in that lane and be consistent. And then my fourth one would be, be of service to people. Don’t sell to people. Nobody wants to be sold. You know, people can smell that a mile away. I don’t like to be sold to, you know, if somebody comes at me and they’re trying to sell something to me in their first conversation or first interaction, it’s very off-putting, you know?
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, it’s like, yeah, it’s embarrassing.
Bridgetti: Yeah. So create value, you know, create a personal relationship with someone first. Okay. Don’t be salesy. It’s very off-putting. And then I think the fifth one for me is, adapt with grace. Because I think I’ve mentioned it before, life happens and life has happened to me in full measures, many times over.
Mr. Darpan: You’re better at it.
Bridgetti: I’ve had to adapt, you know, right? Life doesn’t always go to plan. We can have plans, but life doesn’t work that way. But we can choose to grow through those experiences. Right. My first one is adapt with grace. Give yourself grace. Don’t beat yourself up when things don’t work out as you hoped it would.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, these were the powerful bullet points. I’m going to put them into the episode, into the show notes and good points, good, really powerful points. I’ll have to rethink on a few of them. Thank you for that.
Bridgetti: Welcome.
Mr. Darpan: Bejiti, one of the rituals we have here at the School of Noble Thoughts show is that we have a question left over from the previous guest who leaves it for the upcoming guest I have here. And the last question, which was asked by my previous guest to you was, he’s an English marathon runner, world record holder, Guinness Book of World Records. And his question was, what is your favorite British rock band Queen track, if you have and why?
Bridgetti: Could you repeat that question, please?
Mr. Darpan: Yeah. So what is your favorite British rock band Queen? You know Queen, right? So what is his favorite track, if you enjoy Queen at all, and why is that track you enjoy that? Do you like Queen, by the way?
Bridgetti: Yes, yes, yes. Freddie Mercury. Let me quickly think.
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, I put you into thinking mode now, away from your medias.
Bridgetti: The Queen tracks I remember off the bat is I Want to Break Free.
Mr. Darpan: Right. That was a big hit, yeah.
Bridgetti: Um, that, that was a big one, because it says so much in just a few words.
Mr. Darpan: Why do you like it?
Bridgetti: Yes, yes.
Mr. Darpan: And why? What was the reason? Do you have any why for that?
Bridgetti: I think my why for that would be, I haven’t, you know, as I think what right at the beginning of the interview, I said, I have a maverick nature. I like to explore, I don’t like to be held back. And so when I put my mind to something that correlates to your character, nothing and no one’s going to hold me back from figuring it out.
Mr. Darpan: That song was a huge thing. It was such a big, big inspiration for so many people, right?
Bridgetti: So breaking free from…
Mr. Darpan: Yeah, whatever it is, right? Whatever it is, you want to get out of that. Yeah, got it. What would be one question you would like to leave for the next upcoming guest?
Bridgetti: I think my question would be, if you could interview anyone past or present, who would it be?
Mr. Darpan: If you could interview?
Bridgetti: Anyone past or present, who would it be?
Mr. Darpan: Who would it be? That’s a lovely question. So correlates to your media industry. It’s in your blood, Bridgetty. It’s in your blood. Asking questions. Love it. Love it. Before we close this beautiful conversation with you, Bridgetty, today, and thank you for that, I have the last question for you. If it would be your last day in this world today, what would be your parting advice to the world in one sentence?
Bridgetti: Do not forget your creator.
Mr. Darpan: Do not forget your creator. Powerful, powerful.
Bridgetti: Those would be my parting words.
Mr. Darpan: I appreciate you, Bridgetty. Thank you so much for coming in. Anything else which I have probably forgotten to touch, to talk about, and you would like to discuss before we wrap up this show?
Bridgetti: I think we’ve covered a lot of ground, and I think maybe if I could say to people out there who live with invisible disabilities, I think I would want to leave them a message and say, you know, speak up. There’s no shame in living with an invisible disability. If you need support, reach out to someone. Do not suffer in silence. Especially if you’re dealing with a mental health challenge. I think at the time in which we live now, that is huge, and especially our young people live with incredible challenges that we didn’t have many years ago. I see a lot of parents who are concerned about the mental health of their children, or they get caught off guard because they didn’t realize their children were living with mental health challenges. Sadly, one of the really awful things that have come with online life is bullying, and as adults we can struggle with that. I myself was a victim of online bullying, and that was hard, and so my heart goes out to all the young people out there, and I want to say to them, you know, if you are being bullied, speak to someone you trust. Don’t try and deal with it yourself. Help is out there.
Mr. Darpan: I think that’s a powerful message. That’s a powerful message, and I’ll be putting across all your links to your media, to your profile, to your Facebook, any other particular social media you would like me to add on to apart from what I have got. Do share with me.
Bridgetti: Yeah, I will. I will share with you, you know, all the links, and we will get that. You know, Facebook was one of my main channels for many, many years, but as things go, technology changes, and Facebook’s had many changes over the years, and I, you know, most people now are leaning more towards YouTube and LinkedIn as their main channels, social media distribution, and so moving forward that is going to be more of a focus for me as well.
Mr. Darpan: Got it. All right, BJT, thank you so much, and thank you for giving me time today, and it was so good to see you off.
This episode of School of Noble Thoughts was brought to you by Victoria Digitals Limited. At Victoria Digitals, we transform business challenges into digital opportunities through digital development, marketing and strategy planning.
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