My personal story

Hi,

I’m Bridget and I started BridgetJ because I wanted something that was mine. Something that I wouldn’t have to share. My own company in which I decide which course I sail, for whom I work, when I work and where I work. Freedom.

“And that was the best choice ever.”

During my studies (Bs Communication management, Ms Intercultural Communication and minors Food, English and Arabic), internships and work but mostly by talking to people and really listening, I found that languages, writing, stories and connections are the most beautiful things out there. And I felt I needed to do something with that. I wanted to be the one who can tell people’s stories and write them down. Because too many beautiful stories are or will be forgotten. And because our history, our present and our future are connected by stories.

BridgetJ, a name with a story

My company is called BridgetJ because that has everything to do with my personal story. Since many years my nickname has been Bridget. Most of my friends always call me Bridget and I don’t know any better to be honest. I once got the nickname as a joke and with a nod towards Bridget Jones from Bridget Jones’s Diary. At that time I had a few pounds too many, was clumsy like I was all fingers and thumbs any day, had thin blond hair and was a bit unlucky in love. (not lucky in cards either, but at Scrabble I was, fun fact.). However, I was good with pen and paper. And yes, I had a diary as well. The oldskool kind with one of those handy locks and a key to keep your secrets and mischief safe. And I had the illusion that all the keys of those million diaries sold were all different.

While reading this you might think; ‘that can’t be a nickname to be proud of?’ Think again. My nickname was once thought of because my given name (Alcione) would always causes problems. To pronounce, to write and especially to remember. Alcione became, among many more weird versions: Alcoine, Alvione, Alicione, Alsicone, Anaconda and Al Capone. Of which the last one was maybe the most badass. However, I think you can imagine how that’s not always fun and a barrel of laughs. When a period of quick changing projects started during my studies, projectteams reformed every few weeks and things got really unpractical with new projectmates all the time. As a joke someone said we’d use Bridget for shits and giggles and a new nickname was born. And honestly; Bridget feels like my name. And she isn’t that bad at all; a normal woman who’s honest about her struggles in life. Like we all have them sometimes. But in this age of social media we have such a disturbed image of what is normal. Life is not just sunrays coming down; every now and then you need a little rain to see the complete rainbow. With its 7 colours corresponding to your 7 chakras which,… okay, I drift off.

Anyway, so, Bridget. And because I thought ‘just’ Bridget would be a little too bare for a company name, I added the J from Jones. Sounds pretty cool and people can pronounce it. In English, in Dutch (my native language), in French (sounds languorous right away!), maybe even in Swahili. Although my ambitions don’t go that far. Yet.

Love,

Bridget/Bridge/Alcione (strike out what does not apply)