Meet Bernadette Brown

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bernadette Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Bernadette, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Truth is, I am still looking for it. I am still seeing things that give me purpose. I don’t think it is one thing. I think it is a myriad of things, so I keep living to find it. I’m not convinced that you have only one purpose in life. I believe life is so complex and ever-changing that your purpose can evolve. As you change, as life happens to you, as the world changes, you seek purpose. The joy comes from searching for purpose, not in just having found it. So I keep living, failing, experiencing new things, trying things out, questioning, learning, connecting with others, and my purpose(s) will be revealed as I live.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I continue to build Baubles & Beeswax and creating tools, and experiences that help people discover their best self. I’ve worked on the formulating and creating of products, now I am focusing on creating a community that serves to help others find what motivates, shapes, and encourages them. My professional career has had a consistent theme of coaching and employee development and now I can take those skills from a corporate environment into my entrepreneurial efforts. The tenants are similar; connect to what makes you you and create a great career and life. While I define my self-discovery community I am lending my skills to a non-profit that is dear to my heart, Stomp Out MS, Inc. I’ve seen firsthand how multiple sclerosis impacts a persons life and well-being. My great friend Shavonne Thurman has been battling the disease for over 20 years, overcoming struggle after struggle. Serving as VP of Stomp Out MS I’ve been able to work on projects that can support women, especially women of color who struggle with the impacts of the disease. The work is hard, but I know it is important and will have a lasting affect on a community that is often overlooked in medical research.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I learned a lot through failure. I got good at getting things wrong. The joy in that is that I was continually trying. I was building my resilience. I was understanding myself through trying. I also created a network of people that were way smarter than me. I built a core group of people that I could rely on for advice, honest feedback, and guidance. I never wanted to be the smartest person in the room. I gravitated to people who had a different skill set than I had and asked them lots of questions. Curiosity shaped my journey. I was never afraid to share that I didn’t know something and ask for more details. I also created a personal mission statement that guided my decisions. My mission statement kept me accountable to myself. I had that guiding star of who I was at my core to lead me. The best advice I could give based on my experience is to be open to failing, be willing to learn, and be ready to shift when needed. When you lead with curiosity there is room for knowledge and growth. When you think you have it all together and can’t learn from others, you create a barrier around yourself. That barrier can defend you but it can also create a shield and I’ve found that if people have to work hard to get to you then they will go another route. Be open to new experiences. Be open to seeing things from others perspectives. Be open to different opinions and viewpoints.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
Early in my journalism career I was given opportunities outside of my position and I am so thankful that I said yes to being stretched. I was asked to interview a prominent politician in Oklahoma. I was not a reporter, not skilled at interviewing, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, I was only a year or so out of college. I was also scared to death. But I did it and it ended up being a great experience for me personally but professionally I got to better understand what reporters and photographers had to deal with in the field. That gave me better perspective as an assignment editor and from then on, I sought opportunities to learn different roles. Knowing your strengths is great, but building a growing tool box is key to professional success. I was given more opportunities because I was willing to try other roles instead of being one dimensional. I was invited to share my insights with leadership because of my wide knowledge of the overall newsroom and not just my role. I think it is more about being curious about how things come together instead of being well-rounded. Knowledge of workflows and processes is a beneficial skill to have when dealing with change, one thing we all can count on to happen at work. More understanding creates awareness. Awareness creates confidence. Confidence builds careers. The investment into learning in areas you aren’t strong in doesn’t have to be large for it to be impactful. Sometimes a simple conversation or asking an expert to share their thoughts with you is enough to build knowledge around a skill.

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Image Credits
Triple S Photography

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