Bridget Dawn shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Bridget, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think that most high functioning people constantly battle with the need to keep it together. In our efforts to be “good enough,” I think all people mask past traumas, anxieties, and even depression. Many people hide these vulnerable parts of themselves—not because they are dishonest, but because they fear that they will be misunderstood, judged, or rejected. Beneath the surface, many quietly carry insecurities, fears, past traumas, and shame that they’ve never spoken aloud. They may mask their anxiety with humor, cover loneliness with busyness, or hide grief beneath a smile. In a world that often rewards strength and composure, revealing raw emotions can feel like too great a risk. So instead, people curate their image, protect their wounds, and tell only the parts of their story that feel safe.
Concealment of these vulnerabilities is a survival strategy. From an early age, many learn that certain emotions or truths are unacceptable or “too much.” They hide to protect relationships, maintain appearances, or avoid confrontation. Others fear that if people knew the *real* them—the one who doubts, who cries, who struggles—they would no longer be worthy of love or respect. Ironically, the very things people hide are often what would make them feel seen and connected if shared in safe spaces. But until that safety is found, many continue to carry the hidden weight of who they truly are, alone.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Bridget Dawn, and I help people live happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives by addressing the deep, often unspoken complexities of fitness, health, and personal transformation. My journey began with *Believe You Can Fitness*, a boutique fitness and nutrition studio I founded in Pinehurst, Texas, during the challenging years between Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. The studio wasn’t just a business—it was a sanctuary built to empower an underserved community to rebuild from within, starting with strength, resilience, and self-belief. During this time, I became a certified behavior change coach, sharpened my skills in nutrition, and dove wholeheartedly into yoga, meditation, and other modalities of healing. When the world shifted, so did my approach—embracing technology to connect with people seeking to take ownership of their health, happiness, and purpose in new, powerful ways.
Today, my brand represents a multi-channeled, heart-centered approach to wellness that reaches across digital and physical spaces, cultures, and communities. As a Master Instructor with the International Ballet Barre Fitness Association, I’ve not only led virtual and in-person classes, but also created instructional content to support fellow fitness professionals. I write transformational content on Patreon, offer personal coaching online and in-person, and am preparing to launch international yoga retreats in 2026. This month marks a major milestone with the release of *Eastern Medicine in the Western World* and *Unshackled*—two books that reflect my deepest passions: healing, integration, and inner freedom. My work is grounded in the belief that true change begins within—and I’m here to help others rise into their most empowered, radiant selves, one breath, one choice, and one breakthrough at a time.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
This is a very personal question, and I’m honored to answer it with humility, vulnerability, and authenticity. The part of me that has served its purpose—and that I’m now actively releasing—is the version of myself that found worth through codependency. For many years, I measured my value by how much others needed me. I believed my purpose was to create comfort, safety, and success for those around me, often at the expense of my own wellbeing. While it genuinely brought me joy to see others thrive, I slowly realized that I was running on empty—burned out, resentful, and depleted by the very roles I thought made me lovable and worthy.
Through deep spiritual exploration over the past few years, I’ve come to understand that true compassion doesn’t require self-sacrifice. Being empathic doesn’t mean absorbing the burdens of others or doing the work for them. In fact, when I take on their challenges, I may be unintentionally robbing them of the growth, resilience, and empowerment that comes from facing those challenges themselves. This awareness has reshaped how I show up in my relationships and my work. I now strive to support others not by rescuing them, but by helping them rise. Letting go of this old pattern has opened space for healthier boundaries, deeper peace, and a more sustainable way of living and loving—from a place of fullness, not depletion.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
Within the past month, I experienced a major shift in mindset that has been truly transformative. I made the decision to stop leaning on others in my work life and fully step into the belief that I am ready to embrace entrepreneurship full time. For years, I’ve straddled the line between pursuing my own ventures and maintaining the security of a day job—often within startups, which gave me a sense of entrepreneurial energy, but still kept me on someone else’s payroll. That safety net was comfortable, but it also quietly limited my ability to go all-in on my own vision.
This decision wasn’t made lightly—it came from a deep place of clarity and trust. I realized that waiting for the “perfect” moment or depending on external structures for validation was holding me back from truly honoring my purpose. I’ve now committed 100% to my endeavors, and while it feels bold and even a bit scary at times, it’s also deeply liberating. Shifting my mindset from hesitation to wholehearted belief in myself has already begun to change how I move through each day—with more intention, ownership, and alignment.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Where smart people are getting it totally wrong today is in how we define and pursue success—particularly through our obsession with measurable outcomes. First, we have to question what we mean by “smart.” In today’s culture, intelligence is often equated with one’s ability to meet metrics, perform on standardized tests, or hit KPIs. But this mindset is deeply flawed. The modern need to quantify everything—from productivity at work to personal value on social media—has shifted our focus away from creativity, empathy, and problem-solving. In many environments, including corporate and academic ones, and even in our justice system, the highest achievers are often those who simply meet predefined goals—even when those goals are flawed, biased, or lack depth. We reward people for gaming the system rather than thinking outside it.
This metric-driven culture also feeds into a more dangerous trend: making emotionally-driven decisions under the illusion of rationality. Behavioral science has long shown that we make decisions with emotion and justify them with logic. Add the influence of social media, and we now have entire generations conditioned to weigh dopamine hits—likes, shares, and comments—more heavily than real-world consequences. When “smart” people prioritize data over discernment and validation over vision, we end up reinforcing superficial systems that stifle innovation, reward performative behavior, and diminish true human potential. The smartest thing we could do now is to stop measuring everything and start valuing what truly matters, even if it can’t be counted.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What light inside you have you been dimming?
The light I’ve been dimming is my creativity—the radiant, expressive force that has been part of me since childhood. For over two decades, I’ve navigated the corporate world, a place where structure, processes, and procedures often take precedence over imagination and innovation. While I’ve always gravitated toward roles that allowed for some creative expression, I frequently encountered resistance—subtle and overt. I’ll never forget when a former boss said to me, “Bridget, you are like the sun. You have a strong nucleus that radiates from all angles. I need you to only shine from a portion of that nucleus.” Whether it was politics, protocol, or insecurity that prompted that statement, the message was clear: I was too much. And so, I dimmed myself to fit the mold.
But I was born to be a creator. That realization has become undeniable. After years of introspection and spiritual growth, I’ve come to honor the part of me that sees possibility where others see limits, that builds beauty from vision, and that expresses through movement, words, and ideas. Creativity is not a side of me—it *is* me. And I’ve decided to stop fragmenting my light to make others comfortable. I am no longer shrinking to fit systems that were never meant for someone like me. I am embracing my destiny and stepping fully into the light I was born to shine.
Contact Info:
- Other: patreon.com/AhamJyoti
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGWMWNRV
Image Credits
Bridget Dawn
Laura Edwards
