"I'm The People's Storyteller; My Mission Is Your Message," with Bridget Jackson, on Entrepreneurship Being Therapeutic, Practicing The Abundance Mindset, and Intersectionality Being Her Superpower.

Zhou Fang: [00:00:00] Already. Uh, hello everyone. Welcome to the intersection, a podcast program about intersectionality and the stories that come with it. And of course, every story behind every story, there is a real person, um, at least so far. Um, so I am thrilled to welcome my friend Bridget Jackson to the program today. Um, Bridget and I met last year, wait, last year in the summer.

That felt like so long ago. Um, at a social event. Uh, and we hit it off and we became friends. And Bridget is the founder and the principal practitioner at Nexus Public Relations, and she had just moved to Portland not long ago. [00:01:00] Um, and I would love to invite Bridget to introduce herself, um, in her own words.

Welcome Bridget.

Bridget Jackson: Well, thank you Joe. That was a very nice introduction and uh, yes, you are correct. 2025 seems like a lifetime ago. We just, we seem to live a decade and every year lately, so. Definitely, definitely interesting times we live in. Um, so yes. Hi everybody. I'm Bridgette Jackson. She, they, pronouns. And I am the, uh, principal and founder at Nexus Public Relations. And, uh, nexus Public Relations is a, uh, one-stop shop of one. So, um, I'm the sole proprietor and employee, however, I wear many hats. And my business specializes in, uh, providing strategic, uh, scalable communications for, uh, emerging small to medium sized nonprofits, and also, uh, small to medium businesses, the, uh, the emerging entrepreneur [00:02:00] as well.

So on the for end, uh, nonprofit side, my, uh, communications marketing and branding services extend to both sides of the house. So thank you for having me. And, uh, I think one of the things that a lot of people. I have, uh, asked about my, uh, business and what I do and what I bring to the table because I am a new portlander.

As you mentioned earlier in the conversation. Um, I just crossed the one year mark here. I'm a transplant. Yay. I'm a transplant from Southern California, orange County area to be exact. And, um, I have Flourished in the Portland metro area in the last year of the business specifically because my first client before I even came to, to Oregon was based in Portland. And that's when I just opened the business and just kind of flew out and did some research on some, some organizations that I was familiar with. And, and I come from a nonprofit background as well.[00:03:00]

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: within the first quarter of my business being established when I was still in California in 2024, I had four clients that were all in Portland.

Zhou Fang: Wow.

Bridget Jackson: Yeah. So I, I, I think it was time that I reconsider where I, where I, uh, plant my roots. And so that became Portland on December 17th, 2024. And I've been here, uh, networking and meeting wonderful people like yourself and expanding my business and growing the brand. And it's been a really exciting and time for me.

And, um, today I kind of wanna share a little bit about my entrepreneurial journey because, um, it's not necessarily a, um, traditional story to ent, path to entrepreneurship, but I think it might resonate with a lot of your listeners. of, uh, you know, taking that leap of faith when you think that the deck is stacked against you.

And,

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: you know, I feel like through this last two or or so years that the work that [00:04:00] I've put in really kind of as a testament to how intersectionality and

Zhou Fang: Hm.

Bridget Jackson: up as my authentic self, uh, really has helped my business and, and my self-confidence and, and my professionalism growth. Um, as a new business owner. So, um, yeah, I'd be happy to talk a little bit about that today. Um,

Zhou Fang: That is so awesome. I'm just, I've, there must have been a sign for you to move to Portland, like Mo, like so many clients you had are already based out here. That's so cool and wonderful. Um, and you mention, I mean, throughout the kind of the time, I think it's been maybe three seasons since we met each other.

Oh wow. Okay. Um. I think we talk a lot about how, you know, like you mentioned, intersectionality and our personal experiences [00:05:00] shape our journey and our path forward. And you mentioned your entrepreneurial journey is not a conventional one, and I really, um, resonate with that. And mine isn't either. You also shared with me that the last couple years as a entrepreneur, um, it has been therapeutic for you.

And I haven't heard that a lot actually. I mean, it does make sense. Um, but I want to invite you to share more about the therapeutic part of your entrepreneurial journey.

Bridget Jackson: Absolutely. So, um, as I mentioned earlier, um, I've been in the public affairs, public relations space, communication space in a nonprofit capacity for about 10 years. In the, um. 10 years. Yeah, 10 years consecutively. But like overall, I've been doing PR and branding for like about t over 25 years, but the last 10 were spent at a federally funded nonprofit. And um, [00:06:00] you're kind of in a quasi-governmental space, you tend to kind of be just another cog. the machine and

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: of the po, the the just moving, it's moving along. This is the way we've always do it. Don't ask questions, don't make waves. Five people who have proceeded. You did it this way.

We're not having any room for, um, innovation because. You know, technically speaking, this position doesn't require it. So it

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: communications and PR position, or public affairs position in which I was not interacting with the public in the way that I was used to. Um, as far as pitching media stories.

It was like we have the air, the mothership in Washington DC does all of that.

Zhou Fang: Mm.

Bridget Jackson: need you to liaise with the local, um, nonprofit contingency that belongs to our affiliation Right. Space. So that was interesting. And so like within three months. I realized that like, wow, what else do I do today? Uh, I'm not really sure if this is my position, but gosh darn, these health benefits are nice and [00:07:00] the salary pays well and well, I guess now I understood within three months I was sliding into that kind of, you know, um, mindset of yes, your job is expendable because the government is determining whether or not this entity is even viable for funding, but also. There's a lot of busy work that seems like we're having meetings for the sake of meetings and know, within very short span of time, you get very complacent with that. And so, um, I call that like the DMV factor, no offense to anybody who works for the Department of MO Motor Vehicles, but it's just like, you're just kind of rubber stamp. you know, like you have these ideas and people are like, that's great, but we're not interested. And so over time you see all the things that your friends are doing in other spaces outside of what you do. And you start to feel like, well, not only like undervalued, uh, but you, your skills start to atrophy. so I felt like I, I was slipping into this like, well, you know, I'm just here to get the paycheck. I've got a house and I've got [00:08:00] kids to support. I've got things that I wanna pay for. And so, um, at this point, you know, there's really. Not much to do, but show up. And, you know, and, and that was kind of the, you know, point where I was seeing like friends of mine that were starting to take off into trajectories where they're starting to have the titles and the salary match.

You know, they're becoming division directors and vice presidents and, you know, um, chief, you know, chief C level level folks. And here I was, this line level, um, you know, communications advisory position that didn't

Zhou Fang: Mm

Bridget Jackson: a meaning to what I did. And it just started to feel

Zhou Fang: hmm.

Bridget Jackson: drain. And then COVID hit.

Zhou Fang: Mm.

Bridget Jackson: And everybody was just happy to have a job. And, and this job provided a lot of like safety nets where a lot of organizations closed up their doors or, or they reduced hours and, and people were in, in dire straits financially. And I was just kind of staying the course. And then when you realize that after that point there was no place really to go unless I decided to get into the programming side of the work, which would've required a 3000 mile move. [00:09:00] There's really no reason to kind of just enjoy what you do. And I kept hearing after COVID this, a lot of talk around, do what you love and enjoy. your, your life while you have it and, you know, really strive to do things like how do you turn a side hustle into a full-time career? And, you know, because people were, you know, living off that scarcity mindset that their job could be taken away from 'em any time because it could get shut down by health

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: by, you know, just by lack of, of funds.

And so that didn't happen to me, but I was extremely dissatisfied with the direction in which my career had just stalled. And

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: started to feel that sense of when I was called on to do something important as far as my position saw fit, really unsure of myself. Like I

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: written at that point.

I hadn't written a press release that went to press in over seven years.

Zhou Fang: Um.

Bridget Jackson: This was before chat. CPT was doing it for everybody and everybody can be a publicist in five minutes. You know, that kind of thought. That [00:10:00] reveals now. But you know, like I hadn't written a press release, I hadn't talked to a journalist, I didn't have the things that I felt secure in and what I had been born and bred as a public relations communications student to graduate

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: and and career person. like, wow. And so you get stuck and you realize you are in this position until you're done. There were people that were there for 20, 30 years and they had not advanced. like, I can't let that be me. And you know, after a

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: with the way things are changing, changed in the workplace with hybrid work and then home work from home for several years, you kind of get like, what's, what is that, um, phenomenon that people talk about?

Quiet, quitting.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: quitting kind of, you know, weighed on me because I said, well, there's nothing else I can do. I haven't written a press release in seven years. I don't think I even have the skills to leave this job anymore.

Zhou Fang: Right. Wow.

Bridget Jackson: am. Now I'm like, oh, you know, [00:11:00] nobody cares what I have to offer.

I just do this kind of work. I get paid six figures to write my boss's emails, and you start to get, develop this like self-loathing.

Zhou Fang: Yes.

Bridget Jackson: don't have, like, if I wanted to apply for a job to be a, a communications director or a content, you know, a, a content, a content director somewhere, I, wouldn't even make it past initial screening.

I don't know

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: about and I'll never advance, and, you know, the self-esteem really just ate away. Until, be completely honest, Joe, this is a story I haven't really told, uh, publicly, uh, at least on recording. So here you are, you know, it's

Zhou Fang: Oh my God.

Bridget Jackson: more or less the quiet.

Quitting became loud. And so while I was going through a lot of life transitions in, in early to mid 23, so this is technically speaking after COVID, everyone's back to normal. Not really. We still have yet to see what the psychological. Fallout and collateral damage has been done to people and as kids especially, but I [00:12:00] digress.

But for me personally, there were a series of of very serious personal events, to which I felt like I had it under control, but I was masking terribly.

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: you add that imposter syndrome on top of that, it was almost like a nuclear bomb had gone off. And by the time, and I had racked up. And on top of that, I had a culture in my job that did not honor, um. Personal time and going off the grid. So I

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I had 270, uh, hours

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: unused PTO paid time off

Zhou Fang: Shit.

Bridget Jackson: 270, so that was like the max cap. But anytime I wanted to take time off, it was like it was discouraged or it was like people wouldn't honor that I was, you know, not responding to emails and that kind of stuff.

So you just stop trying. You know, you go, well, I work from home five days a week. There's a, that's a work life balance. It wasn't. And so when things were starting to get tough for me through some life transitions at home, a death in the family, a divorce, um, [00:13:00] things that were,

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: uh, very eating of the lifeblood of my life and, and my family's life. Um, I lost my temper at a meeting

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: uh, instead of my management writing a, a line under my name at review time, they wrote, they wrote a line through my name. I was fired in in 2023 in the summertime,

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: said I had violated a policy because you know, I use nasty language and I lost my temper and I had seen people lose it at meetings for years. you know, it is what it is. So at

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: you know, I needed, like, I had no safety net. In California, you have unemployment benefits that last. You know, whatever weeks that is, uh, I forgot, you know, but I mean, literally the max was like 450 a week.

Zhou Fang: hmm.

Bridget Jackson: And if you know what it costs to live

Zhou Fang: Yeah, it's nothing.

Bridget Jackson: days, four 50 won't get you three 50 and you've got a family to support.

Are you crazy and you're going through [00:14:00] a divorce? Oh my gosh. And so when those benefits were expended. And I'm like, okay, I have no more savings. I, I, I did get my 270 hours of PTO in my severance check though. So that, um, that was a safety net there.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: I needed what you would say would be your next step.

Right? What is my next step? There's no more, you know, several months have passed. There's no more benefits here for unemployment. Um, I have now faced the new isms that weren't before me 10 years ago, ageism, and then I'll, you know, look, looking for work. And then also. I, AI is where there were no application tracking software, at least to the robust nature that we know today, 10 years prior.

So like you could probably have a human looking at your, um, resume 10 years ago, not so much today. So like, I would be like, well, LinkedIn says I have all the qualities. Why didn't I get even so much as a hello? And it was just immediate, you know, uh, re rejections and it was very discouraging. And I was at the end of my rope. [00:15:00] And so it wasn't until somebody that had, uh, been, uh, interested in what I do and heard my story about, 'cause they, they were affiliated with my former, uh, place of business. They said, Bridget, be a consultant. Everyone's a consultant. Now. This is 23, late 23. I'm like, oh. And again, the imposter syndrome eating away at me. I don't know what I'm doing. How can I just hang my shingle out there and be like, oh, I'm gonna be a consultant today. Just because, you know, somebody said it was a great idea. Um. I was

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: very, uh, still healing from a lot of the stuff that I had dealt with at my job for 10 years and not really processed of that after the being let go. And, you know, I said, okay, well, um, where do I even start? And this person that I was a, uh, a good friend of mine, uh, know, I credit almost to be like the inspiration behind me doing what I do now. Uh, he basically said, Hey, I'm so busy with this one client in Portland.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: That I don't [00:16:00] have the bandwidth to do this small campaign for like year end giving. I just tell them your name and see if they wanna talk to you? And I'm like, they probably won't. Okay, well, okay, here's my resume. And they called me the same day. And within a week I was a contract, uh, you know, person to help them with a small hourly rate. And I was like, I didn't even know what to charge. You know, so like, I was like, okay, that's cool, but I had to play it legit. So I'm like playing this, like, you know, oh yes, I'm established, I know what I'm doing. And, and the campaign turned out to be successful for them. And they were like, that was great. Well, we'd love to work with you some other time. And I'm like, all right, this is an opportunity here.

Uh, what do I do? And I just kind of threw it out there. And I said, well, you know, I look at the little project I did as a hamburger. I said, well, here's your hamburger, but I could offer you a quarter pounder with cheese combo, you know, not [00:17:00] to, uh, not, not to step on the trademarks of McDonald's, um, but like, here's your, here's your combo with fries. What can we do together? And they were like, this looks good. Okay.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I didn't, Joe, I didn't even have like a, uh, a, A D, BA, I was just Bridget Jackson. I didn't have, like, I was just getting money. I'm like, I didn't know how to pay taxes on this thing. A 10 99 comes my way. And I'm like, what do I do with this? And so I ended up, um, establishing next step communications from that anchor client. And that anchor client is still my client two and a half years today.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: And, you know, that was just. Wild that I go, I can do this. And then another opportunity came up also in Portland they were, and it was a client that paid significantly more money. And I'm like, wait a minute, you mean all this stuff that I said I couldn't do I was being like kind of like pushed down [00:18:00] at my previous career. I can do this. And people actually, and, and the professional respect. Even when the per, even when the, when the answer was, no, Bridget, I don't think I wanna go in this direction, or I don't like where this is headed.

Can we change it? The fact that I had the opportunity to quote unquote

Zhou Fang: Yeah. Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: That was like, that therapeutic like journey was jumpstarted like that, like the confidence level just shot through the roof.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: again, they can't all be winners. You know, there were times where I was turned down or ghosted or whatever, but to the point where I'm getting polite declines instead of just people saying, this is bad work and you should feel bad because this is bad work.

You know, I've been in a place like that and I never wanna go back there again. And now I'm in a point where I don't have to choose. To live with it because there's no other way. Right. And

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: next step communications back in Anaheim, California became my first, um, sole proprietorship.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I expanded to four [00:19:00] clients by the end of first quarter of 24 and they

Zhou Fang: Wow.

Bridget Jackson: um, I got partnered with a wonderful. Organization, uh, that helps small business owners from marginalized communities and identities not just survive in their business, but thrive and understand and, and they get partnered with some, like really big pro bono serving, um, like legal, financial marketing. Uh, corporations that help the small business folks like me, uh, find their way with like, you know, entity formation and

Zhou Fang: I see.

Bridget Jackson: contracts so that you're not just like doing it all ad hoc off LegalZoom.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: paired with people from some of the largest legal firms in the country to just do things like, help me understand how to write a proper business contract, how to execute a, uh, start to finish business entity formation. And from that free legal advice. They said, Bridget, you really need to get out of the sole prop in California and go to [00:20:00] LLC in Oregon if you can. You know, they specifically said, you know what? Your business is in Oregon. If you can actually register your business there. Are you thinking about relocating? And I said, yeah, uh, actually I think I will. 'cause I just was not finding the doors opening to me in, in, in SoCal as easily as I thought. And so from that point forward, my, again, I had people that wanted to help me succeed. What. know, like this is crazy. Like, and that really finding my networks really quickly in this phase of my life when I was, when I thought everything was just going down the drain, really what helped me boost my confidence and kind of help eliminate little by little chipping away at that imposter syndrome. Wow.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: really smart and I'm capable at this, and there's people who want what I do and one of the clients in particular. When I just felt I had known them enough and we'd had a rapport, I said, so you knew I didn't come from much, and, and the person who referred me is obviously more [00:21:00] established than I am. the truth. Is it because of them that you took me on? Or like, you know, we were having a, a casual, happy hour drink, and they said, no. They said, Bridget, we really liked what you had to offer. And on top of that, you're like, this person said, they're like, you are just you. You're a real one. You show up in ways that really make, and this was an executive director speaking that really make me think about how I am addressing our challenges and how I'm presenting our organization is presenting how we serve people

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: a way I hadn't thought of before.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I, and like they actually took it back and said that they felt that prior, some of the things that they did in the equity space, they thought they were light years ahead, when really some of their language was very antiquated and, you know,

Zhou Fang: Mm.

Bridget Jackson: out of touch tone deaf

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: um, with what they were doing, you know, it wasn't showing up the way that they needed it to be. [00:22:00] And just that nobody had called them on it yet. And I didn't necessarily call 'em on it, but I said, well, how about this? And in my previous life. How about this or whatever was gonna be met with absolute unequivocal. Yeah, no, and be quiet please. You know, like, and sometimes there wasn't a please, you know, but I think that like being able to show up authentically and be told that, and I never heard that before from it, and I was like,

Zhou Fang: Hmm

Bridget Jackson: okay, this is, this is pretty cool.

Like, um, how can I expand on that?

Zhou Fang: mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I, how can I, um. And that's a little bit where you know, when this is the next, next step.

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: I was forming my new business in, in Oregon, they said, oh, by the way, next step communications is already taken in the state of Oregon. So guess what? You're gonna have to change your name.

Zhou Fang: Yes.

Bridget Jackson: like, oh shoot. Well, my website was garbage and I didn't really have great SEO to begin with. So I said, all right, we can start it with a rebrand in six

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.[00:23:00]

Bridget Jackson: cool. Nobody knows me. And so I said, well, what sounds like next step? And I had a huge domain name next step communications.net. So

Zhou Fang: Right. That's really long.

Bridget Jackson: super long.

So I was like, well, how about Nexus Public relations or Nexus pr? I'm looking around on the, on the, you know, bio website thing and um, you know, and I find one, I found him with a hyphen in it. Not that great, but I could get a.com.

Zhou Fang: Uh,

Bridget Jackson: I got a.com.

Zhou Fang: that's good.

Bridget Jackson: I was like, okay, cool.

Zhou Fang: Okay.

Bridget Jackson: where am I starting my new starting point from which branding, but also branding for an organization that's new. know, I'm new to this. So I started finding my why in helping other people that are new or new-ish in their messaging journeys themselves. So it wasn't necessarily blind leading the blind because, I mean, I do have 25 years of experience, but it was a matter of, you know, I know where you're coming from, where you're like, where do I start?

What is the starting point? So the nexus of

Zhou Fang: Hmm.[00:24:00]

Bridget Jackson: their branding, their reasoning for their organization's, you know, um. Mission, vision and values and and so on. So those things kind of like fit well to rename the business, nexus public relations.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I kind of come back to that like when I'm feeling 'cause we all do, and this is

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: topsy-turvy time. You know, when I'm feeling discouraged about like, what, you know, um, prospects I have out there at the moment or, or how am I going to move on to the next quarter or pay my taxes or things like that.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: think about my why and what the starting point or nexus is.

What is it all that's bringing this together. It's part of my Act two, I'm starting this business at a stage in my life where some of my peers are already maybe 10 or 15 years away from retirement, you know, and I'm starting

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: you know? So like I know I'm kind of circuitous in my logic here, but it just kind of really [00:25:00] solidified how. My identity, my story, my my mission.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: people like I'm the people's storyteller. I say,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: me, you know, my mission is your message. You know? And if I do that in a way where I'm showing up with my, you know, multiple hyphenate identities,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: black queer.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: You know, uh, what's the word?

I'm, uh, you know, and, uh, woman, entrepreneur, parent,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: uh, you know, lend themselves in some way to connect with folks. And that's why 2025, I spent almost nine straight months. Networking in all the spaces. I'm telling you all the spaces, whether it was my very first snowshoe trip in Mount Hood and I'm

Zhou Fang: wow.

Bridget Jackson: director, trudging behind me. I was in all the conventional spaces [00:26:00] and the spaces you don't expect to find, opportunities to talk to people. I think last year if there was some kind of networking opportunity that was public on, you know, Instagram or, uh, various, um. Business networking sites. I was probably at it, and that's how you

Zhou Fang: Wow. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm so glad we. Met and, you know, networking is such an interesting thing. Um, you know, it, it's usually a hit or miss. Um, and when it works, it's really cool. And I really, you know, I admire really your just courage and determination the last couple years. And, you know, it's so affirming to have kind of like that reckoning, right?

It's like. I'm now an imposter. Like

Bridget Jackson: Yeah.

Zhou Fang: I'm the real deal. And earlier you [00:27:00] said, you know, this idea occurred to you. I was just Bridge Jackson and I'm like, not just Bridge Jackson. You are Bridge Jackson and there's no second bridge Jackson that's like you. Right. So you are like the one and only, um. And I feel that's really, really cool.

Bridget Jackson: Thank you.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: You know, and I, I, you know, like I'm thinking, should I, with all these free headshot I get at these networking things, should I take out a bus ad on trim or something, you know?

Zhou Fang: Ha.

Bridget Jackson: But that's a bit much, you know.

Zhou Fang: I have seen ads like that though.

Bridget Jackson: You know, but I did, you know, in 25 I did start taking more of the, uh, humble route and turning it towards like, I need to make this internal, external, right? So I spent money to put infrastructure in place with my website

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: trying to make this more, look more like the, um, what you see.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: what [00:28:00] you get versus the other way around,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: referring, being referred on word of mouth and people say, let me see your portfolio.

And I'm like, uh, let me put something together for you. Now I have things on my website,

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: the process to

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: Which is, you know, I think is, uh, is starting to bear fruit. So I'm, I'm happy with that. But you know, like I still, that scarcity mindset still

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: We

Zhou Fang: of course.

Bridget Jackson: right now where everything is not what it seems day by day.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: know, um, I just, you know, I feel sometimes I'm, I'm only as good as my last. Client and, and so, you know, every decision that I make from like pricing, setting, boundaries, establishing partnerships, that was like a mirror, right? Like I had to ask myself like, am I choosing this project or this particular organization or, or individual's business because it's aligned with my values?

Or is it because I'm afraid there's not gonna be a next time?

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: You know, or someone else is gonna snatch it up, you know? [00:29:00] And um, you know, over time I've been like learning how to experiment with abundance mindsets

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: like a small, but like tangible ways, right? Like charging what I was worth, um, saying no to misaligned work.

Zhou Fang: Yes.

Bridget Jackson: Um, trusting that a referral will come again even when I say no the last side. And that's the difference between, you know, Portland Metro and, you know, a big area such as LA and Orange County

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: California. it's a, Portland is a big little city. That's what

Zhou Fang: Mm.

Bridget Jackson: that's how I feel. And, and so, you know, especially as I was making the rounds in the networking, it was just like six degrees became two degrees, became one

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: of people. Um, or I would just like be talking about someone that I met that I thought was fascinating and I didn't even have to say their name. And they go, oh, you mean Jo Fun. You know, and I'm like, oh yeah. Like I, I've stopped going. Well, how do you know? You know, like, because everybody knows everybody

Zhou Fang: That's true.

Bridget Jackson: the sim same, [00:30:00] similar lines of work.

It's, it's inevitable that you're gonna run into somebody. And I used to be afraid that if I said no to one, I was gonna get blacklisted

Zhou Fang: Mm

Bridget Jackson: she's difficult to work with, or she's gonna say, no, don't talk to her.

Zhou Fang: mm

Bridget Jackson: know, and so like, I, I was afraid of what do I do if I don't say yes to everything? Because then I'll say,

Zhou Fang: mm.

Bridget Jackson: yes, you know, there won't be another opportunity.

Opportunity. Um,

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: every decision that I made, like it just built like that evidence that scarcity wasn't the truth. It was like just a learned helplessness kind

Zhou Fang: It really is.

Bridget Jackson: And, um, businesses run on stories. I said, I'm the people storyteller, right? Um, so I decided to rewrite mine and so I rewrote my story through the establishment of Nexus pr and, and you know, we are, you know, we, me, um, are is still

Zhou Fang: [00:31:00] Mm-hmm. Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: right. So, yeah, that's, um, it, it's definitely something that has been helpful to me in growing into an abundance mindset. seen in the webinars, I've gone to talks, I've

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: Talks and

Zhou Fang: Hmm,

Bridget Jackson: what the heck is that? That's not about me. You

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: and it wasn't

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: that I'm, even though as small as my business is that being able to, like I said earlier, that I could, you know, make some mistakes and not be completely shamed and thrown out

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: Um, or I could make decisions based on, is this really for me? Yes, I need the money, but

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: need the stress or the, or the, you know, uh,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: unintended [00:32:00] consequences of saying yes.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: You know, and so, um, those things have actually helped dispel the, um, imposter syndrome that I felt. sometimes it's still there, you know, like if a big RFP comes in and I'm like, Ooh, can I

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: Oh, should I do this? You know, and you know, I used to tell people, well, I still tell people 20, 24, when, when the business really first took root. It

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: of discovery. So I was saying yes to all the things. I

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: not really doing all the homework, admittedly. So like on an organization, before I even took a discovery call, I was taking multiple discovery calls in which it was really like doing unpaid work,

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: know?

And

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: 2024, I thought I was putting in my dues by doing that like period of discovery. Now,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: to 26, it's a period of discernment.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: know, I'm really like, I, I'm really being intentional about how I engage. I'm really being intentional about like with whom I am [00:33:00] looking to relationship capital and partners, potential partnerships

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: one of the things that I feel like is important is, you know, um, I'm not on an island here. I don't claim to have the best and brightest. Uh, scope of work available to a client. In some cases, I might be understaffed by just being one person. I can't do it all.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I found a lot of value aligning with, like helping to set up dream teams of collaborative partners. And

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: was something that, you know, the scarcity mindset that kept me locked in California.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: Where the business ideology is very, very different. If you

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: when I started first stepping out there in marketing events, it was like, oh, do we know you? No. Therefore, we don't need to know you. And okay, yeah, thanks for your card. And it just gets, you know, tossed away. And here in Portland it's, it's quite d.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: 'cause a lot of times I would be showing up at things and going, [00:34:00] well here's that imposter syndrome. It's biting at me. I don't think these people, because I just moved here and especially 'cause I'm from California, they don't wanna talk to me. You know, and the rumors and all that fear mongering. And then I said, no, no, no, you are here and

Zhou Fang: Hmm

Bridget Jackson: you paid your $25 if it's that high to be at this event or this mixer.

So show up and, and suit up and boot up as they

Zhou Fang: mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: and show that you're about some business. And I just kinda. Felt like, well they don't know me from anybody, so they can't trash talk me 'cause nobody knows me. So I'm gonna show up at this thing and make friends. You

Zhou Fang: Oh, I love that.

Bridget Jackson: you know, and so like,

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: that and, uh, you know, folks.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: gravitate to me, whether it's my big glasses or you know, something weird. I'm wear, I'm wearing because I couldn't show up like that in Orange County. It's very conservative in Portland. Keep Portland weird. I think this city has done well for me in this fact that I can be who I'm gonna be and show up the way I do when people aren't kind of turning their nose up at it, you know, aesthetically speaking.

So I'm like, cool. I think I'm [00:35:00] actually under pierced and tattooed.

Zhou Fang: Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't be able to tell you weren't from here.

Bridget Jackson: Really. Okay. So

Zhou Fang: yeah, I, I don't wanna say you fit Ryan or you blend Ryan 'cause that's not what we wanna do. 'cause we want everyone to be like a, you know, unique individual pieces here.

Bridget Jackson: Mm-hmm.

Zhou Fang: but I think just like a, sadly speaking and generally speaking, yeah, like you belong here.

It's like you belong.

Bridget Jackson: Right. I need the play, the Portland Playbook. Okay. I was like, do I have blue, blue hair? No check. You know, like the things that, you know, uh, the media likes to portray as us living in the quota, you know, fictional hell where people are in frog suits and all this other

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: But, you know, I'm, I'm actually, you know, one thing else I, I would like to mention is, you know, a lot when I first got here, or actually before I got here, a lot of my, um, friends who are folks of color, specifically black friends, were [00:36:00] like, Bridget, are you crazy? Like, you're moving to Portland. I said I've done institutional racism and, you know, uh, marginalization in one of the reddest parts of California for 25 years,

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: on my head. know covert racism and overt racism when I see it.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: like in Portland. You know, like, I mean, I'm not saying that it doesn't exist.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: I am not downplaying that at all. Um, I know the history. I know the legacy. I know what it, like, you know, working in the, the field that I did for so long, specifically, or attuned to affordable housing, I know that this state was not for people who looked like me to the point where it was illegal to be

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: like me.

Zhou Fang: Yep.

Bridget Jackson: And to think to, to own property or to live here or past a certain, you know, amount of time that they gave us, you know,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: or be whipped. You know, these things that are part of the, the [00:37:00] dark history of this, you know, this location. And so I am not, I'm not ignoring that fact by any means. And so when a lot of people who had never been to Portland or had never been like, you're like, how are you gonna find community? And it's interesting

Zhou Fang: Mm.

Bridget Jackson: when I first got here, within two months I met a wonderful group of, uh, folks that were. Queer like me were also my own age, which was like, what? You

Zhou Fang: Wow.

Bridget Jackson: um, you know, I'm entering my 50th year. I'm not, I'm not ashamed to say that, you know, so,

Zhou Fang: Hmm

Bridget Jackson: to find queer, uh, black and brown folks that looked

Zhou Fang: hmm.

Bridget Jackson: like me and understood where I, and they lived here and they've outpaced my time here, so they, they know. like, I, within two months I made like a wonderful group of friends that, that has grown larger over the last year. And I'm just so grateful for that. And the way that. Um, that's really helped my self-esteem

Zhou Fang: Mm.

Bridget Jackson: my, um, identity to the fact where I [00:38:00] can like integrate into, you know, other spaces to really lend myself to, I wanna find wow, like these black and brown queer supporting, um, you know, nonprofits. How can I show up and, and show value for maybe representing one of them? That's one of my,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: It was my goal in 25, and I've made those connections to at least know, they know me by name and face. But now in 26, I do have a goal to manifest that I would like to be the public relations, um, representative record for a black LED organization.

I know I can do it.

Zhou Fang: Yes, definitely.

Bridget Jackson: in 27, maybe we'll have this conversation again. Maybe I'll have two. We'll see.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: way, I'm, I'm just, you know, I really feel like the way that I didn't have to contend with the respectability politics. You know, we talked a little bit about my,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: tattoos and piercings and stuff, and that's

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: but

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: politics and something that people don't really talk about in corporate workspaces, [00:39:00] um, which is almost like lateral violence.

A lot of people.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: mean physical per se, but I'm talking about um, if anyone's not heard this term, but like when I tell my story about the things I was struggling most with in 10 years at my previous job, people automatically want to assume the stereotypical white led nonprofit that had a, you had a white boss, probably female, that was dismissive to you.

Micro macroaggressions the whole night.

Zhou Fang: mm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: bullies, my biggest bullies in management. We're also folks of color, and one of them who was not

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: was also black.

Zhou Fang: Hmm. Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: And people just like, well, that doesn't happen in the work. Oh yes, it does.

Zhou Fang: do. It happens a lot.

Bridget Jackson: It happens a lot. And it's something people don't, aren't, are afraid to talk

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: And, and so, you know, uh, when you gaslight yourself and the imposter syndrome is all stacked on top of you

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: people are like, wow. You know, at the time this organization I worked for still is one of the most diverse [00:40:00] racially organizations I had ever worked for in my entire PR career.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: Yet was subjected to, you know, bullying and, and just dismissed, you know, um, attitudes and, and micro and macroaggressions from folks, you know, like, they look like me.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: Why is this happening? You know? Yeah. So those things where I go, you know what, if I see this in an organization that I might wanna represent, if I even hinted it, it's like that trigger response. I go, oh.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I can walk away from this opportunity and not

Zhou Fang: Mm, mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: you've got a 4 0 1 KA salary and Yeah.

Zhou Fang: Yeah. Yeah. But now you have a choice. You can make a decision for yourself.

Bridget Jackson: Yeah.

Zhou Fang: And I mean, it is a pretty, um. It. You are right. It's a problem that we don't talk about very much because we're like, well, but we can't, but we shouldn't talk shit about our own [00:41:00] people. Right. And that's always kind of touchy. And I feel there's a lot of like, again, like internalized.

Internalized isms. And of course the scarcity mindset, it's like if they have it and I don't have it, and everything is a zero sum game, um, doesn't work that way. And unfortunately, I mean, it exists in a lot of communities that I myself am in or as an observer as well. Um, yeah.

Bridget Jackson: And you know, like the way that embracing. Intersectionality for me as a, like a superpower. I know everybody says it's my superpower, you know, like, you

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I can't chat GPT the right word today to, to dispel the, to stop using the word superpower. So just bear with me one time. Everybody says everything is a superpower, right? But it's really the, in, you know, embracing. Intersectionality as a superpower, for lack of a better term, [00:42:00] really has, um, influenced my growth as a consultant, as a business owner. 'cause it's completely changed how I show up. So like, I don't try to stand myself down or stand myself down to, uh, be palatable or respectable.

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: I lead with clarity. And context. So like a client of mine, they don't just get like a deliverable, like, here's your media kit. You know? Um, they get my insight and that's informed by like the real world complexity that makes up me and what I, what I do, you know? And, um, embracing my intersectionality is it's helped me attract the right clients. and organizations that value the, the depth, um, ethics, long-term impact over the quick wins. The quick wins are great quick wins will get me in the door every single time. 'cause a lot of times with an organization, especially a small nonprofit, they needed that work yesterday. And if I can deliver that a timely and, and, know, solution focused quick win, [00:43:00] that's cool.

And that's how I got, you know, my first client to be such a valued, um. You know, uh, relationship was, they needed that work for that year end campaign. They were already a month behind.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: get this. All right, let's, let's course correct and stop the bleeding. And that was the hamburger. And then here's the combo with fries that showed the real value of what I could do for the long game for them.

And, um, you know, that's been very fruitful for me. And so, um, you know, growth for me. Using that intersectionality piece of how Bridget shows up in the world and how she delivers to clients, you know,

Zhou Fang: Mm

Bridget Jackson: growth part of Nexus public relations. It's, you know, it's not about volume, it's about being values, uh, values aligned.

Zhou Fang: mm

Bridget Jackson: Yeah.

Zhou Fang: So not quantity, but quality.

Bridget Jackson: correct.

Zhou Fang: that.

Bridget Jackson: Quantity would

Zhou Fang: Um,

Bridget Jackson: then I'm gonna have to start.

Zhou Fang: yes,

Bridget Jackson: start like hiring people and that would be like phase two of like, how do I pay people, you know?

Zhou Fang: that [00:44:00] would be a really good problem to have.

Bridget Jackson: It must be nice. I

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: that person,

Zhou Fang: Yeah. I mean, you might, I mean, I think that definitely can happen. You know, I feel. The thing is, again, like bigger is not necessarily better always. Like I feel a lot of people choose to stay small, choose to stay boutique. I think there's a reason for that and I also feel, you know, looking at the economy at large, people always look at the.

I don't know, top 500 or like the global, like the most kind of advanced companies, et cetera, et cetera, or the big names. The thing is, what really drives our day-to-day life economy, community, um, say in Portland is the small businesses. Like it's not the big [00:45:00] store. People like on the surface, you see those on the street all the time.

But like for me, for example, I live in Foster, PI, my go-to businesses are all within 15 minutes from my house. Like they have a huge impact on my wellbeing. It's not the huge box stores.

Bridget Jackson: No. No.

Zhou Fang: And I feel like that goes for consulting and you know, service providers as well.

Bridget Jackson: Yeah, absolutely. And it helps also. The, the big reason I had moved, uh, from SoCal to Portland, um, was, I said, all my clients were here. It made sense. But there was another part of this in which I had reached, uh, uh. An end point with a lot of clients in which we're wrapping things up or their budget only went so far and

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: you know, you wanna close on a good note and say, you know what, um, if you have [00:46:00] any other organization colleagues that in your space that are looking for this kind of work, I would love a referral.

Or you know,

Zhou Fang: Mm.

Bridget Jackson: love to continue the conversation.

Zhou Fang: Yep.

Bridget Jackson: you know, three out of four of them were like, we'd love to, but I know this executive director personally speaking. I can, you know, you're great and I've been talking about you for months, actually, but they want to see you here. that trust bridge that

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: to be built in almost a small town kind of way

Zhou Fang: Yes, the relationship.

Bridget Jackson: like me being 988.6 miles away with a laptop and an internet connection was not going to solve.

Zhou Fang: Mm. Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: said, well, I come here every quarter to see my clients, no ma'am, no, we really need you to understand the landscape of X, Y, or Z in what we do,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: because you gotta be

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: And it wouldn't even be if I moved to someplace else in Oregon, they wanted you [00:47:00] enough to the nucleus there

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: Metro or you know, uh, 15 mile radius around that would be. Comfortable for them. And I didn't move here just for the people that aren't even on that business roster anyway at this point.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: it really did make sense and it actually was enlightening to see, wow, I thought I was really doing great work for this client here remotely. 'cause they said so when they're not disputing their contracts, wow.

So that's how it is. I live here now. I'm in Southeast Word of the community. Like I,

Zhou Fang: Yes.

Bridget Jackson: saying like. All you guys, when I was talking about like Portlanders, I am a portlander,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I, I pay taxes here. I, I live here, you know, I'm like my, my license plates. I have Oregon on them. Now I'm, I'm all the way invested. But it was like that, the identity now of moving from SoCal transplant because I'm originally, I'm from the East coast,

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: I [00:48:00] mean, I've lived everyone in Southern California. You get to a certain point, you're. can say you're from SoCal. So now I can say, you know, I don't have to add that modifier like, oh, I just moved here from California.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: Don't hit me.

Zhou Fang: I live here.

Bridget Jackson: I live here now. You know,

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: um, but yeah, like you said, like I am finding, you know, small business is where it's at here, and people respect that more,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: you know,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: the mindset of where I so Cal was, where did I not come from a big agency? Well then you're nobody. I've

Zhou Fang: Hmm

Bridget Jackson: heard of the last five people that you've worked for, so then you're nobody.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I don't feel like I have to put on those types of

Zhou Fang: No,

Bridget Jackson: when I talk to people

Zhou Fang: you don't.

Bridget Jackson: what Nexus PR brings to the table. Like now I name drop my former organization and to a lot of the smaller nonprofits that wouldn't have an opportunity if they were in the same space to interact with my former employer,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: they're like, oh, I never heard of them. [00:49:00] And it's like that Mariah cat, like, I don't know them. I don't know them.

Zhou Fang: That's okay.

Bridget Jackson: and now it's like, you know, when I got, I think I, I, I've, I thought I had arrived last fall, arrived when somebody from an organization personally reached out to me to submit an RFP.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I didn't know them, but they had heard about me somebody else.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: That they also didn't know. It was like they were at a

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: thing they overheard, oh, there's this, you know, nexus or nex. Im, I was like, no, I'm not nex. Im, I'm not a cult, but like Nexus PR and somebody like, this is how the story went. 'cause I, I could straight up ask this person, I'm great. Well, how did you hear about me? And they heard about me from someone who's someone else. And I'm like, wow. I

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: get the RFP bid, but you know, as a result, I, uh, got a chance to talk to that Ed [00:50:00] that did review it and, and

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: like, yeah, you know, um, it was like, like, we definitely wanna keep you on, on, on file for that. We thought it was great, but somebody just came in just a little bit ahead and I'm like, oh, okay. I don't get that in

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: So

Zhou Fang: And

Bridget Jackson: the small city and the small business, they

Zhou Fang: mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: out for each other and I appreciate that and it allows me to kind of develop my skills in a way that, leads to up as just being a real one, as that client once said to me, so.

Zhou Fang: I fully agree and I've had similar experience as well. I think, I mean, regardless of where we are playing the long game, I feel it's never a bad idea. Um, and of course playing the long game these days is not as appealing to a lot of people. I still do think. Uh, relationship building is never a bad thing, I feel.

Um, [00:51:00] and I, I really appreciate you sharing your story and journey here today with us. Uh, Bridget, especially, I mean, talking about intersectionality as your superpower. I really hope people take that really into consideration. Like what is our. Intersectionality 'cause everyone has one and, um, everyone's intersectionality is different and you can be similar at the same time.

Like, how can we, how can we practice that to. Um, better us as a person and as a practitioner. And I feel there's a lot of like lessons there, especially for people who consider one starting their own business, right? Sure. It's not for everyone. At the same time, a lot of us can do it. [00:52:00] Um, all it requires is.

Some courage and some determination and some experience, and of course the abundance mindset. And I really appreciate when you say, you know, you can practice the abundance mindset in small and tangible ways. It doesn't have to be anything grand. You don't need to go to like a a luxury retreat to practice abundance mindset.

I mean, it can be in your day-to-day walk.

Bridget Jackson: Yep.

Zhou Fang: can't, it it, like, you can do that anywhere. Um, so I'm, I'm really just grateful that you mentioned that and um, I think that's like really precious lesson for our listeners to learn from. Um, 'cause I sometimes struggle with explaining these concepts to people.

They all seem so big,

Bridget Jackson: Right,

Zhou Fang: but then if you really break them down, they're not.

Bridget Jackson: that's right.[00:53:00]

Zhou Fang: Yeah. Like,

Bridget Jackson: yeah, sure. Um, like at the end of the day, authenticity is, I feel it's a competitive advantage, Joe.

Zhou Fang: yeah. Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: world full of very performative and template based messaging and borrowed language, and, you know, um, my ability to show up as me authentically, um, to think critically, to communicate with honesty and integrity, um, to lead with intersectional awareness at the forefront, you know, that's

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: my work apart from others I feel. Um, and it actually has helped heal my relationship with my own voice.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: know, it made me more, I feel it makes me a more effective and trusted and, um, impactful communication strategist,

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: with you. Because, you know, like I could show up and do the, you know, very business speak, you know, um, you know, but I really feel like my ability to be agile, fast, reactive, I thrive.

I love [00:54:00] crisis communications.

Zhou Fang: You love it.

Bridget Jackson: it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I know like crisis comms, oh my gosh. You know, that's because I felt like for so long in my, in my, probably my personal life, I'm like a calamity Jane, and I had to think about like all of these 10 different things that could go wrong again, remember the whole glass half empty with the shards, the glass and the gasoline and the glass is on fire. That is where I would be coming up with these ideas in crisis strategy sessions where they're like, oh, didn't think about that. Oh my gosh. Okay. So like when I, we do media trainings and stuff, when I would do a media training with a client and I'm, I'm, 'cause I've worn the journalist hat too.

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: I'm coming outta left field with those questions when I'm helping a, a client with like talking points to stay the course and not, you know,

Zhou Fang: Oh yeah.

Bridget Jackson: and they're getting thrown these like. Bombs from other side of the room and, and, you know, um, how to react to that and stuff like that. Those things. I love that. And so being able to [00:55:00] kind of show up with au authenticity is, you know, where I'm not afraid to tell

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: a, um, an a, a, an organizational leader, a spokesperson, a potential spokesperson that's trying to get out of a jam that. If you say that like, then I'm gonna have to charge you double because this response is going to net a whole slew of negative feedback on your webs, on, on your, excuse me, on your socials. And you didn't think about like the digital reputation management piece. It's not just like you're just waiting for some reporter to just spring outta the bushes and have a microphone in your face.

It's not really gonna come like that. So need to talk about. A different, you know, we need to, we need to take this in a much more, um, you know, uh, multifaceted approach and this is

Zhou Fang: Definitely.

Bridget Jackson: do it. And I don't feel afraid to share that. You know, and I

Zhou Fang: Hmm.

Bridget Jackson: my hat from the outside, it's like outside looking in.

If this was me as a potential donor, I would've just, you know, not only [00:56:00] would've stopped donating to your organization, I probably would be at the forefront of why we should cancel you. And I'm not talking about the disclaimer, not a client that I've ever had at this point, but like,

Zhou Fang: Right.

Bridget Jackson: um,

Zhou Fang: But it could happen.

Bridget Jackson: it could happen.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: in this culture day and age, people oh, we're so small it's not going to register.

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: has a platform. It's, it's on a smartphone, you know? So yeah,

Zhou Fang: Um, I, I just hope I never need to hire you. Uh

Bridget Jackson: collaborate with me, Joe, because you might have a client who needs that extra TLC to be the crisis whisperer.

Zhou Fang: sure. Okay. Well, I mean, for

Bridget Jackson: to.

Zhou Fang: me, yes, no partner. Great.

Bridget Jackson: Great. But yeah, just don't mess up and we'll be fine. I, you

Zhou Fang: Yeah, never, um.

Bridget Jackson: and family

Zhou Fang: my

Bridget Jackson: discount, right? Yeah.

Zhou Fang: Oh gosh. Uh, well on that note, I can you share [00:57:00] how do people find you and work with you? Just, you know.

Bridget Jackson: Yeah, sure. Thank you so much. Uh, so, um, on, uh, the Gram, I am at Nexus PR Official, and then there's nexus pr.com and that is nexus pr.com. Um, so far my, uh, SEO has been stellar. I think if you even just do Nexus PR as a Google search term, you may just find me not on the top. And, uh, yeah. Um. Yeah, and also I'm on LinkedIn as well,

Zhou Fang: Mm-hmm.

Bridget Jackson: LinkedIn and, uh. Public relations does have a small, uh, LinkedIn page. We have a devoted following of 17 people. I hope to expand that. 17, 17 loyal fans can't be wrong, so

Zhou Fang: Oh my gosh,

Bridget Jackson: waiting for my next word, which I hope will be this podcast when it drops. So I would be happy to promote that. So thank you so much, Joe, for having me [00:58:00] on the program.

And, uh, yeah. Here's to, uh, 26 and beyond.

Zhou Fang: yes, a hundred percent.

Bridget Jackson: happen.

Zhou Fang: Yeah.

Bridget Jackson: it happen, and I'm, I'm happy to be one of them here and I'm happy to know, uh, folks like yourself and, and the things

Zhou Fang: Mm.

Bridget Jackson: that your work does for, for so many organizations that need it. And in the ones that don't, yet you, they should.

Zhou Fang: Yeah. Yeah. And yeah,

Bridget Jackson: begins.

Zhou Fang: for both of us and for all of us, and, um. Yeah, so thank you so much for coming here today, Bridget. We'll make sure to have the links and the names in the show notes and also share when we like to post when we share the episode as well. And I look forward to seeing you soon in Portland.

Bridget Jackson: Yes, of course. We're not too far away from one another, so

Zhou Fang: We're very close. We're like less than 20 minutes from each other.

Bridget Jackson: and that's funny because I talked about the big little city effect here, but now that I've been here a full [00:59:00] year and I'm in Southeast and I'm like, I have to cross the bridge. That's super far.

Zhou Fang: I know, I know. It's real. It's real. It is real. Um, all right, on that note, I am going to stop recording here. Thank you, Bridget. I.

Bridget Jackson: you.