Business glimmers are the small, delightful moments that bring us, the business owners, joy. So often, we hear that business is hard – and it is – but it’s my belief that to encourage more girls and women in business, we have to talk about the wonderful parts too. I’m talking with my peers about the moments that they cherish most in their work.

Bridget Baker (she/her/hers) builds brands + websites for people who help people (coaches, consultants, therapists, service providers, and more) through a collaborative process so you get to have exactly what you want, and you get someone working with you, not just for you along the way. Her approach is rooted in a deep understanding of minimalist principles, honed through years of practice and a natural inclination towards organization. This, combined with a background in dance and choreography, allows her to blend creativity and strategic thinking to craft impactful brands and websites.

Bridget believes in equity, diversity, and opportunity for all, and actively supports clients who share these values, particularly those amplifying LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC voices. As a bisexual, cisgender, and married woman, she is deeply committed to creating inclusive spaces for her clients.

Bridget loves nature, yoga, meditation, and connecting with other like-minded folks. She’s a dog mom to Miss Roxie Hart and enjoys connecting with other dog owners over walks and decaf coffee. Let’s explore more of what she loves, particularly within her business.

Knowing how to find the right information

When you realize you're really good at something, it becomes its own machine, like WordPress. I started out with WordPress, and became a really good Googler. I have the confidence that I can find the answer and that I'm going to know how to fix the problem.

I say yes to opportunities that are a little out of my comfort zone because I know I can go look it up and learn it. The first time I thought, why don't I just say yes to this? I didn’t realize that it would become the way that I work. When I learn a skill, then I can apply it to other projects.

For me, Googling and researching is never a waste of time. It's easy to think, oh, this is going to take me two more hours and I'm already beyond scope, but really, it's all going to build toward me being a better designer.

Having the confidence to master a new skill that leads to new business

I worked on website animation for a client. It was something that I thought I couldn't do, and I just thought, I bet I could do that. And so I went and figured out how to do it, and was surprised to find that it was easier than I anticipated. I just didn't know how.

Instead of thinking, I can't do that, or I don't do that, the glimmer might have been in myself first, even before I learned the skill, right? Having the confidence to know I could figure it out is the glimmer.

Knowing I can say no

I’ve been running my business for 15 years and technology has changed so much in that time. For me to learn social media, email marketing, everything… it was too much to stay on top of. I know that I don’t have to do everything and I don’t want to. I want to focus on design or branding.

I give myself permission to not do some things. I can say no.

It’s not always easy. The last potential client I spoke to asked me to do WordPress maintenance which I stopped doing years ago, but I felt weird saying no. I didn't have anybody to refer them to, but I hate doing the maintenance. So I just gave myself permission to say no.

As I was socialized female, I sometimes want to people please. We want to say yes to everybody. But giving myself permission to say no is like giving myself freedom to do more of what I want to do.

Finding common ground in seemingly unlikely people

I work with coaches and consultants, that type of work. Sometimes I'll work with people that are coaches and consultants, and the process is very dry. It's not really interesting because they’re not comfortable being vulnerable.

I often have clients who I wish were my friends. I want to hang out with them. That’s the ultimate outcome for me. Sometimes, when I work with someone whose values I thought didn’t align with mine, I receive a pleasant surprise.

I like doing this deep work: bringing out the humanity of others. It gives us something to connect on, to build from. If I just looked at first glance at this person and tried to create their website, I might not have easily seen how we are aligned.

Discerning when values are totally misaligned and making it work for me

I want to work with people who are queer-friendly, and who are unapologetic about diversity. At one point, I met a potential client who was anti-abortion and pro-life to the point of using all her savings to support pro-life causes. I knew we were not a fit, but she was still a great client to work with.

I had to decide if I wanted to work with her or not. I found the glimmer inside of this misalignment of values: I donated a portion of my payment for this project to the ACLU, which advocates for women's rights. Her payment funded my activism.

I’ve also encountered other situations where it wasn’t possible for me to work with clients because I could not support their views in any way, particularly when it comes to “activism” that harasses people.

Constantly challenging my own values

I am constantly questioning and rediscovering my values. I help clients get clear on their values, so it’s necessary to do the same for me.

To do my best work, I have to be able to advocate for my clients. At a time when conservatives aren’t necessarily upfront about their views, I have to vet potential clients. Because, how will I protect my other clients? How will I advocate for my other clients if I'm working with people that believe in inequality?

I have earned the confidence through my experiences to know when to walk away from people whose beliefs do not support my values.

The freedom of flexibility and the little things

I used to make a playlist for each client of music that would support the creative vibe of the project. It helped me get into a creative frame of mind, rather than just sitting down to work.

I have a little sticker that says making magic. And I stuck it on my laptop stand, because I hated the little logo on it and I was always like covering it over with my phone. It's a reminder of what I'm doing and it’s holographic. It makes me happy, this literal glimmer.

I got a new coffee mug. Glimmers don’t have to be something huge. I sit outside with my dog, play frisbee, and have lunch. I get nourished by being outside because I can't work outside.

I like to treat glimmers as little dopamine hits. Finish a task? It's time to paint my nails. Done for the day? Enjoy some movement.

I get to make the rules. I get to structure the day how I like. I’ve dreamed about a job and life like this.

Finding confidence and common ground: Bridget Baker’s business glimmers