Name: Cindy Bridgman
City: Benton Harbor, MI
Workplace: Bridges of Courage Counseling
Title: Therapist and Owner
How do you think that Bold Women of Business demonstrate being bold?
Being a Bold Woman of Business to me means being confident of doing the right thing, even when it is not popular and is challenged on every front. It requires me to speak up on behalf of those whose voices are not heard. All these things, and more, are to be done with kindness and understanding, never giving up on the hope of making a difference.
Bold women are often defined by a number of descriptors. Please choose from the following descriptors to produce the top three that you would say most exemplify your personality?
Confident
Courageous
Strong
Please provide an example of when you feel you were at your very best in taking action on the job or in your role.
When I meet a parent for the first time and I see the distress in their face, hear the hopelessness in their voice, yet they leave my office believing and trusting in me to help their child. Establishing that partnership allows me to be successful with their little one, walking with them on their healing journey.
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened on your road to success?
I have had the privilege of supervising more than 20 interns, assisting them to achieve their goal of becoming a therapist. During a session with one very pregnant grad student, her water broke in my office. I drove her to the hospital where she delivered her daughter just minutes after arriving at the ER!
Who most inspires your personal drive for success every day?
Of course the children I serve inspire me every day, but also the people I work with – both at Bridges of Courage Counseling and throughout the community. I am inspired by their compassion, their tenacity, and their selflessness. They make me a better therapist and a better person.
What is your best advice to women in Southwest Michigan looking to succeed, as you have, in business?
Know what you are good at, to what you feel called and passionate about… then do it. Don’t adapt or compromise to fit the mold or requirement of others. Stick to your mission and carry out your vision.
What does your selection to the ranks of the Bold Women of Business from Moody on the Market mean to you?
I am just one individual who is blessed to run a small therapy agency serving the community where I was born and raised, trying to make a difference in this world. Most people aren’t aware of the daily battles that our fought or the long hours worked, but of course I don’t do this work for recognition. Seeing a child’s success is the reward. Yet being recognized by Moody on the Market (a trusted news source in our community) is invigorating and motivating. Thank you for this honor.
