We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Symone Bridges a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Symone thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
For the past 10+ years, I was very fortunate to have not only served in leadership roles, but I was also fortunate to have worked alongside leaders as well. C-suite executives, church leadership, entrepreneurs…..I have worked with them all. So many observations were made over the years that caused me to grow a greater interest in leadership and the development of leaders.
I witnessed leaders who effortlessly took their roles seriously and made an impact both internally and externally within their organizations. I witnessed leaders who had the heart to do the work, but they didn’t have the resources or human capital to make things happen. I also witnessed leaders who had the title but were ineffective. There were leaders who took their titles as a means to abuse their power and privilege, and ultimately those who followed them ended up in a state of brokenness. Mixed emotions took over me with all of these experiences that I witnessed and endured. Even as I reflected, I recognized that as a leader, I could have done better in some areas.
When the pandemic hit, I believe that for the first time in my lifetime, I witnessed leaders were all put on the same level playing field. There were so many leaders who losing strength in their faith in God, their capabilities, all while they were working overdrive. Many leaders were extremely exhausted…..almost hopeless.
All of these experiences drew me to not only come up with safe spaces for leaders to be equipped and refreshed, but to ultimately start a business where leaders can know their leadership, their identity, their purpose, and their influence.
I knew this idea and this business would be worthwhile because the events that I organized for emerging and seasoned leaders helped individuals to launch into entrepreneurship, their first book, podcasts, and even elevating in roles both in ministry and in the marketplace.
Symone, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Symone Bridges, and I am a 33-year-old Millennial born and raised in Chicago, IL. I went to Chicago State University where I received my bachelor’s degree in business & administration with a focus in Management, a master’s degree in educational leadership & administration with a focus in Higher Education. I am currently pursuing my doctorate degree in educational leadership & administration, also at Chicago State University. I am a certified Business/Entrepreneurship Coach, certified Executive Coach, certified Business Consultant, and trained and/or certified in 5+ areas of specialization. I got into the coaching/consulting industry during the pandemic in 2021 because I found a passion to partner with individuals and organizations to create strategies and plans that will take their culture and organizational development to another dimension. I was determined through my educational journey & certification process to help leaders and organizations become the best version of themselves.
The Emergence Enterprises, LLC.is a faith-based company that provides leadership development & training, along with executive coaching programs, events, and other special initiatives for our clients. Simply put, we focus our energy into helping leaders grow in the following categories: Faith, Identity, Purpose, Balance, and Strategic planning. We have our annual events, which range from conferences, to workshops, & summer programs that keeps leaders engaged with our business year-round. What I am most certainly proud of is that our business has expanded its presence beyond Chicago, and we have an international presence that spans from the U.S. to countries like South Africa, Ghana, Bulgaria, and Indonesia. We are excited about working in various organizational spaces and in particular, leaders of any leadership role, who desire to growth in their faith and their leadership experience.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
This is probably one of my favorite questions to be asked! I just wrapped up on my inaugural conference in November 2019, and I was gearing up to go forth with the conference again in May of 2020. Everything was lined up and we were ready to go to make this in-person event successful….that is until we found out that COVID took over for the ‘99 and 2000’s. The uncertainties, the panic, the grief, and the depression that spread like wildfire brought discouragement to many who wanted to do their events and then had to cancel. I was contemplating canceling everything, until I came across a young lady who went on Facebook Live to pray for women who followed her ministry. She took the time not just to pray for me but spoke a timely word in my life. It was the word that she gave to me that ultimately led me to do what was unconventional, but necessary for the conference, the brand, and the people who would need our push. The show had to go on.
The conference eventually went virtual, and the majority of the volunteers and majority of the speakers showed up on-site at my home church where we streamed the conference. We had a panel discussion, a virtual kickback, conference day sessions, and a community service project. We were able to get certain speakers via zoom to stream thanks to the media person who assisted. A restaurant that I support caught wind of the work I was doing for the conference, and they donated lunch for us that year during our conference day sessions. We originally set for only 60 free tickets for the conference….it turns out that because of the high demand of people that wanted to be apart, that it went from 60, to 90, all the way to close to 200 virtual attendees that year. We also had attendees from parts of Europe, Africa, & Asia who virtually attended the conference. That same conference, we honored 5 Pastors, and over 20+ Millennials who served well within the Chicagoland area. Finally, over 150+ care packages that were donated to us were sent to homeless shelters throughout the Chicagoland area. This conference exceeded every one of my expectations. This conference was definitely one for the books! We found during this conference that even during the pandemic, not only were we able to make an impact in the lives of Millennial leaders, but even Pastors who attended used the content that was presented and their ministries elevated immensely during the pandemic. It was definitely a good time and a sign from God that this movement was needed and necessary.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
1). Set the tone for the culture of your team. As the leader, you set the tone for how the team will operate and function, independently and collectively. Having realistic expectations and standards that helps the team to grow and be successful in their meeting of the goals and milestones makes all the difference. If the standard and expectations can be addressed in the beginning, you’ll have a better chance in minimizing errors along the way.
2). Make sure that engagement is high and filled with transparency, delegation, and accountability and incentives. Having an internal communications plan along with an employee engagement plan allows for you and the team to establish how each team member contributes to the overall workflow and how they should respond to certain matters. Giving your team members a voice welcomes the diversity of viewpoints and perspectives, and it allows for creativity and innovation to have its course in the brainstorming, planning, and implementation phases. Also, as a leader and/or team member, articulating what is going wrong or identifying your weaknesses does not make you weak——-rather it is a sign of self-awareness, maturity and a commitment to grow together to effectively get the job done.
3). Affirm the greatness within your team members.
Speaking life and affirming the power that is within your team will challenge them to see themselves the way you see them and the way they should see themselves. If you have to train them, coach them, mentor them, provide resources for them to win…..do that, and then some. Through gains, losses, failures, and successes, it is the responsibility of the leader to use their voice and influence to motivate the team to show up, regardless of circumstances and uncertainties. Remember, you and your team were meant to soar.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emergenceenterprises.com/
- Instagram: theemergenceenterprisesllc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmergenceCon
Image Credits
SJ Photography