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Articles by Bridget
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Bridget Williams shared thisIT’S LIVE! Proceed With is officially out in the world. The website is complete. Bookings are open. And I can finally show you what I’ve been quietly growing behind the scenes. Well… one of the things I’ve been growing. For the past nine months, there’s been a bit of a race between two very special launches: Proceed With and baby number two. And let’s just say… one of them decided not to stick to the launch schedule. More on that VERY soon. But given the plot twist of the last two weeks, I thought I’d better get this video out into the world before it became completely redundant. Proceed With has been a long time in the making. I’ve absolutely loved being known as the “Bead Girl” over the past seven years and don’t worry, she isn’t going anywhere. But my mahi has grown well beyond the beads: speaking, workshops, consulting, coaching, strategy, sustainability, leadership and creativity. Proceed With is the home for all of it. It feels pretty surreal to finally send this social enterprise out into the world, especially after everything that’s happened over the past two weeks. So please, go have a nosey! And dare I say it… the C word is just around the corner. If you’re thinking about end-of-year team days or something a little more meaningful for your Christmas get-together, now is a wonderful time to explore the workshop offerings and get in touch. And if you know a person, team or organisation who might connect with this mahi, I’d be incredibly grateful if you shared it with them. Welcome to Proceed With: www.proceedwithbridget.com #launchday
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Bridget Williams shared thisThis week I had the absolute pleasure of speaking to the Year 12 and 13 students at Avonside Girls' High School Te Kura Kohine o Ōtākaro and it felt like the perfect moment to share a little more about this new chapter of Proceed With. For a long time, I’ve been best known for speaking about sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals. I still love that kaupapa, but Proceed With has given me the space to open up my speaking repertoire to some of the other things I care deeply about: creativity, leadership, adaptability, self-belief and what it takes to back yourself. And there’s one keynote I keep getting asked to deliver: Proceed With Courage: a full-circle story about leadership, self-belief and having the courage to back yourself. It’s the story of leaving law to pursue Bead and Proceed and the twists, turns, risks, failures and full-circle moments that have followed over the past seven years. I love this talk because it takes an audience on a bit of a journey… there are laughs, surprises and a moment at the end that usually gets an “awww”. But more importantly, it seems to really resonate with people standing on the edge of a new chapter. Which made sharing it with these students feel especially meaningful. And as if the invitation wasn’t lovely enough, they sent me home with the most gorgeous bunch of flowers in a very "Bridget colour palette" plus an Avonside Girls’ High teddy for Cooper 🐻 💐 I’m so excited to be properly sharing the wider menu of keynotes I offer through Proceed With. If Proceed With Courage sounds like something your team, graduates, students or audience might need to hear, I’d love to share it with them. Thank you so much Avonside Girls' for having me! It was a very special way to start the week 🧡 #keynotes #speaker #proceedwithcourage
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Bridget Williams shared thisDare I say it…the latest Proceed With newsletter is... shocking⚡ It involves a disastrous fellowship interview, a supposedly lucky stone and an extremely poor decision involving a metal pen and a vintage lamp. But it is also about future shock, a concept I discovered through Fredric Marshall's book Thrive, and the question futurist Frances Valintine CNZM asked me during that interview that I completely bombed, but now regularly ask my own clients. Sometimes the moments that feel most disastrous leave us with exactly the lesson we need. Read the latest newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ed-C-tW8 I’d love to know what resonates and please share it with someone navigating a little future shock of their own. #monthlynewsletter #futureshock #proceedwith
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Bridget Williams shared thisA little soft launch moment for something that has been quietly growing behind the scenes. Proceed With is the new home for the broader mahi I now do where I help leaders and organisations build their capability, creativity, and clarity while weaving through a sense of courage so they can shape the future, rather than react to it. Bead and Proceed isn’t going anywhere. This is simply a new chapter that properly communicates (and celebrates) my mahi and services. So! Stick around as Proceed With comes to life over these next few months, plus thoughts, tools and ideas on all things sustainability, leadership and creativity. And yes… baby number two is also due in October, because apparently I enjoy launching things all at once. #softlaunch
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Bridget Williams shared this“Your eyes need distance like your lungs need air.” — Dr John La Puma In my latest newsletter, I explore why our eyes physically need distance, and why we also need something on the horizon to move towards. I share two exciting journeys that are currently on my own horizon, along with what I’ve learned from watching my dad return to the University of Canterbury at 70. There is something incredibly powerful about having a point in the distance to work towards, even when we cannot yet see exactly how we are going to get there. Sometimes, we simply have to take the first step and trust that the path will become clearer as we go. What is on your horizon right now? You can read Why Our Eyes Need Distance here: https://lnkd.in/ehwRBbNX I’d love to know what it brings up for you. Feel free to share it with someone who might need these words right now.
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Bridget Williams shared thisI’ve been thinking a lot about colour lately. When I was packing for South Korea, I realised I didn’t really have the option of playing it safe. I had been selected as one of seven delegates to attend the Asian Leadership Conference through the Asia New Zealand Foundation and I was already feeling a little out of my depth. I was pregnant, away from Cooper for the first time, heading into rooms full of brilliant people, and trying to work out what on earth still fit me. So I packed the colourful pieces (because they were the only things that did fit my second trimester changing body)! The bright blazers, the pinks, the oranges, the second-hand finds from op shops and Facebook Marketplace that I’d recently pulled together for a photoshoot. Then I arrived at the conference and very quickly realised I stood out. In a sea of black and navy suits, I was wearing colour you could probably spot from the other side of the room. At first, I felt exposed. But over the week, the colour started to give me a sense of presence before I even had the words. It helped me step back into myself. It reminded me that taking up space doesn’t always have to be loud. Sometimes it can be visual. Sometimes it can be playful. Sometimes it can be as simple as wearing the thing that makes you feel awake again. And because, I was there representing New Zealand, it made me think about how we show up on the world stage too. Maybe there’s something powerful in being a little more visible? One of my favourite moments was when Ezekiel Raui, another brilliant delegate from Aotearoa, found this incredible purple and orange vintage top in Seoul. The next day, we sat together in a leadership session, both dressed in colour, both asking questions, both bringing a little bit of Aotearoa into the room. He called us the colourful duo. I loved that. Because it felt like such a small but beautiful reminder that confidence can be contagious. Colour helped me find my way back into the room. And it has left me wondering: Where are we playing it safe when we might actually be ready to be seen? #thepowerofcolour
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Bridget Williams shared thisA big thank you to the Center for Asia Leadership for sharing my latest newsletter. In it, I explore the skill of Adaptability Quotient (AQ) and reflect on insights from the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul, made possible through the support of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. Check out their post below and scan the QR code to read it. And if you’d like future reflections on leadership, sustainability, creativity, and navigating change, you can subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/e2uarXjGBridget Williams shared thisWe are delighted to share an excellent article on the essence of Adaptability Quotient (AQ) by Ms. Bridget Williams, 2026 Fellow of the Asia New Zealand Foundation and Founder & CEO of Bead & Proceed. Please scan the QR code for full access to the article. #centerforasialeadership #alc #seoul #korea #adaptability #quotient #leadership www.asialeadership.org cali@asialeadership.org
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Bridget Williams shared thisI've been having a lot of conversations lately about the future of work. Particularly around young people, graduates, and what skills are actually worth investing in when AI is changing the landscape so rapidly. Because we're entering a world where someone can start a degree and graduate into a workforce that looks completely different from the one they began preparing for. Last month, I was one of seven delegates selected by the Asia New Zealand Foundation to attend the Asian Leadership Conference. The conference took place in South Korea and was hosted by the Center for Asia Leadership. It explored discussions on AI, leadership, creativity, resilience, and education, one theme kept emerging: what does it really mean to be future-ready? And most importantly, what are the actual skills needed?! Perhaps that's why this topic resonates so strongly with me. I've changed careers, built a social enterprise, stepped into governance, and spent the last few years navigating spaces that didn't come with a roadmap. Like many people, I'm constantly learning how to adapt to uncertainty and change. In my latest newsletter, I unpack a concept called AQ (Adaptability Quotient), why I think it's becoming increasingly important, and some of the key insights I brought home from South Korea. I'd love to know what you think and you can give the newsletter a read here: https://lnkd.in/g_yKjteK #AQ #skillsofthefuture #futureready
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Bridget Williams shared thisLast week, I had the incredible privilege of being one of seven delegates selected through the Asia New Zealand Foundation to attend the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul, South Korea, hosted by the Center for Asia Leadership. And truthfully, I don’t think a single LinkedIn post can do justice to what this experience became. Yes, the conference itself was extraordinary. Conversations around AI, future-ready skills, leadership, resilience, geopolitics, creativity, and what it means to stay human in a rapidly changing world. But what made it truly special was what happened in between. The kōrero between delegates. The reflections over dinner. Conversations as we walked around Myeongdong. It felt as though the conference became a series of talking points that invited us to go deeper together. Some of the top highlights for me were: 🦶The importance of understanding your pivot foot, a session facilitated by Harvard University Professor, Dana Born 🎤 How taking in culture can help us slow down and notice depth, spice, ritual and essentially reduce panic, as shared by KPop Demond Hunter superstar EJAE 🎨 The difference between big C and little c Creativity by Songyee Yoon 🗣️ A powerful metaphor on the difference between paradise and hell, a keynote address by the Prime Minister of Albania 🧠 Meeting Dame Jenny Shipley and her thoughts on mindset and self awareness And then there was Korea itself. A country shaped by immense hardship and resilience, yet also one that has given the world K-pop, humour, beauty, food, creativity, and culture on a global scale. That juxtaposition fascinated me. How joy itself can become resilience. How humour can become healing. How creativity and culture are not distractions from hard things, but often what carry people through them. As someone working in the intersection of creativity, sustainability, and leadership, I came home with a head full of ideas and a heart that feels both stretched and reignited. Huge gratitude to the Asia New Zealand Foundation for this opportunity, and to the incredible delegates I got to share this experience alongside. Also, massive love to Luke Gillespie for holding down the fort with Cooper while I was away…the longest I’ve ever been apart from him. This experience wouldn’t have been possible without that support. I actually ended up dedicating this month’s newsletter to unpacking the experience more deeply because there was simply too much to fit into one post. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/g_yKjteK Hope you enjoy the read! #asianleadershipconference #futurereadyskills #asianewzealandfoundation
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Bridget Williams reacted on thisIf you need to one up last years strategy day, team event or conference… Proceed with Bridget Williams!! A sure way to enthuse your team, get clarity on your purpose and truly get value from your next team activity. 👏🏼👏🏼
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Bridget Williams liked thisBridget Williams liked thisThis past week has been a nightmare for me, so thought I'd better highlight some good mahi moments amongst the chaos, stress, and now grief of losing a loved one (my grandad). The Karure/Chatham Island black robin won Bird of the Year 2026 🎉 I have been working with my good friend Anthea Ibell from Remix Plastic on creating some little info card designs to go alongside her beautiful products... the first of these will come out with the winning BotY designs ❤️ I have just wrapped another large design project, and I'm really proud of it! It has been a pleasure working with Katharina (Kati) Doehring and Ian Kusabs 🙌🏼 My application for the Prime Minister's Science Communication Prize has been submitted 😱🤯 Episode 44 of The Seed Pod nature connection podcast with Imogen McRae has now been released ✨️ Link in bio. Looking at invertebrates under microscopes and facilitating observational drawing with learners will always be a highlight 😍 ... and another big grant application done and dusted for the Climate Action Campus Awa Engagement Project 💙 I often get asked how I fill my days... I try not to get bogged down in the admin, but it's also good to reflect on the amount of mahi that goes unseen to enable this outreach too! What a wild time it has been. Hopefully some time spent with my whānau over this week will bring some peace before an overseas wedding and the NZ Association for Environmental Education Conference 💗
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Bridget Williams liked thisBridget Williams liked thisTwo years out of NZ and I am proud to report no accent has been lost nor idioms removed from the vocab. I continue to confuse my new American pals with a sprinkling of ‘togs’, ‘rubbish’, ‘hardcase’, ‘mince’ and personal fav, ‘squizz’… and nearly every time I have to add my name to order a coffee (it's the Is and the Es they tell me!). Two years ago I moved to a new hemisphere and into the unknown (having never visited Washington DC)… with the support of many, who told me I could always come home if it all went to custard. Very pleased to report it didn’t go to custard and life in Washington DC has been the (more than) pleasant surprise I didn’t know I needed. Of course, I miss home and my people every day. Two years of virtual interaction is hard going! As is being far from family during any of the big moments. I also miss being able to wander down Lambton Quay or through Christchurch CBD to source a cheese scone, caramel slice and flat white. I miss NZ's beaches and being able to drive a short distance to them, running the Welly waterfront or heading into the Port Hills to blow off some steam after work. Leaving what you love is hard, as is building a community from scratch. Yet, Washington DC has introduced me to the most amazing network of people, many who have become friends. They’re kind, witty, driven, curious and generous. They’ve invited me into their homes for thanksgiving, studio apartment happy hours, Superbowl watch parties and ‘galentines’ games nights – because so many here appreciate just how hard it is to be away from your 'home'. As a team of one, my fellow Embassy comms and public diplomacy colleagues have become (over-qualified) subs for actual team mates. We've certainly had a lot of fun along the way, while growing a sport diplomacy network and collaborating where we can. Here's looking at you Lucia Guzikowski, Elizabeth Onibokun, Maxim Hussey, Isabelle Truong, Kara Wilson, Tereza Janáková, Miriam Smallman and Mirjam Christine Ehl). All that to say that two years on I am a big advocate for venturing into the unknown to discover what sits on the other side of an acceptance letter.
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Bridget Williams liked thisBridget Williams liked thisWhen you get the opportunity to MC the annual ASB Rural Awards with close to 200 people present, you of course say yes and worry about it every day until the event (who actually likes public speaking?). We had 2 different styles (Carla with the prepared and scripted slides, Richard with the blank slides with a couple of handwritten words) but together it worked! I’m told we brought fun, high energy, banter, good stories and most importantly as a team we got to celebrate some incredible results 💫 Pretty sure this photo captured my reaction to one of the off script stories 😆
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Bridget Williams liked thisBridget Williams liked thisWe’ve been on this journey with Te Kōara for what feels like a really long time. In reality it’s a short 2 year blip that’s seen so much happen and change. It’s a space I’ve struggled to ‘own’ in some ways - meaning speaking about with resolute confidence, because that felt absent of humility. Turns out, a lot of us feel that way. Sometimes, between the mix of Reo, the newness and emerging nature of it all, and the responsibility we feel so deeply for our hāpori, things going not to plan or not working can feel all consuming. Like in some ways, that we are failing. I realise now, we are all feeling this way and it’s part of the journey. We believe deeply that, albeit the complexity of Māori ‘Commercialisation’, our whānau across knowledge institutions in Aotearoa hold the answers to some of the world’s toughest challenges. And because we believe that, we have to speak to and about the system in way that helps us collectively overcome barriers to that pathway. So we started a newsletter - Atatū to start bringing what we are seeing and experiencing together, for our whānau. This first edition, the power of a pātai, explored I think what I’ve been experiencing but also what equally, the rest of our whānau do too. Endlessly thankful to Natalie Saunders and Kate Bruce for sticking with this mahi. And to MBIE Science and Innovation and UniServices for bringing to life The Lighthouse and capacity to explore this space. Whānau mā, if you’re a student, researcher or Kaimahi of an institution here, this is for you! Link in the comments.
Experience & Education
Projects
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Connect The Community
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See projectConnect the Community was the first time the Platoons rolled up their sleeves to help the Burwood Community. Over 100 students attended and each platoon played their part. The Green, Muscle, Outreach and Dish It Up Platoon's went round in teams to and assisted residents with lawn mowing, wood piling, weeding, washing windows, and gave out home made baking. The Creativity Platoon painted murals at Burwood Primary school for the school itself and for the community. The event finished with a big…
Connect the Community was the first time the Platoons rolled up their sleeves to help the Burwood Community. Over 100 students attended and each platoon played their part. The Green, Muscle, Outreach and Dish It Up Platoon's went round in teams to and assisted residents with lawn mowing, wood piling, weeding, washing windows, and gave out home made baking. The Creativity Platoon painted murals at Burwood Primary school for the school itself and for the community. The event finished with a big community BBQ and live band where students got to swap stories of volunteering and meet and establish friendships with those they helped in Burwood. The day was a huge success.
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Jellie Park Bike Incentive Project
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The bike incentive project hopes to not only free up some car parks but it's a great illustration of community collaboration and coming up with creative ideas and solutions to encourage healthy habits, sustainability and community involvement.
The project is at early stages and we're currently finding out what the public wants. To date, the visual questionnaire has shown the public endorse the idea, are keen to get behind the project and get on their bikes!
We hope to create a…The bike incentive project hopes to not only free up some car parks but it's a great illustration of community collaboration and coming up with creative ideas and solutions to encourage healthy habits, sustainability and community involvement.
The project is at early stages and we're currently finding out what the public wants. To date, the visual questionnaire has shown the public endorse the idea, are keen to get behind the project and get on their bikes!
We hope to create a committee for the project and welcome bike enthusiasts (from a range of backgrounds and ages) to join and share their ideas for the project. We hope the committee will serve as a voice for users and ultimately be a brainstorming group that considers future ideas about encouraging a cycle friendly city.
As a community board member who has represented the area (and am seeking reelection) I have a real interest and passion for the fantastic complex. My whole family and I are users. In fact, I've been going there since I was a baby, my mum worked out at the gym and my twin sister and I spent time in the crèche.
The next questionnaire will tell a lot as to what the people want. We invite the public to put forward suggestions and have their say as to what will get them to consciously choose the bike over the car. Will it be a free towel, free drink, or a loyalty card so the more you bike in, the greater the gift?
Myself and Rob Gibbs (the operations leader of Jellie Park) are keen to hear from anyone who wants to be involved in the project and welcome ideas! This is a new project and trialing it over this summer will tell us a lot about it's workability.
Please get in touch in you want to be involved!
Honors & Awards
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Selected 30 for 2030 Network Member
UN Women
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Member of Global Women
Global Women
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Impact Awards 2022 Finalist - Global Category
Inspiring Stories - The Impact Awards
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Sustainable Business Awards 2022 Finalist - Change Maker Category
Sustainable Business Network
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Boma Action Hero
Boma New Zealand
Boma Action Heroes are members of the wider Boma community who have completed one of their programmes and are prompting others to make meaningful impact and take action in their community. Boma New Zealand explain that "[Boma Action Heroes are] shining examples of the voices and messages we are working to amplify, activate and support through our programmes." I was selected as a Boma Action Hero with my work actioning the Sustainable Development Goals through my social enterprise, Bead &…
Boma Action Heroes are members of the wider Boma community who have completed one of their programmes and are prompting others to make meaningful impact and take action in their community. Boma New Zealand explain that "[Boma Action Heroes are] shining examples of the voices and messages we are working to amplify, activate and support through our programmes." I was selected as a Boma Action Hero with my work actioning the Sustainable Development Goals through my social enterprise, Bead & Proceed. https://nz.boma.global/boma-action-heroes
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Impact Awards - Global Category - Semi Finalist 2020
Inspiring Stories - The Impact Awards
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Member of the Leadership Network 2020 intake for the Asia New Zealand Foundation
Asia New Zealand Foundation
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Sustainable Business Awards Finalist - Change Maker 2020
Sustainable Business Network
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Recipient of The Outstanding Young Persons Programme 2019 - JCI Osaka
JCI Osaka
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Fastest Female - Crombie Lockwood Corporate Ski Day
Crombie Lockwood Corporate Ski Day
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Entre $85K Challenge Best Business Plan Award
Entre
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Fastest Female - Crombie Lockwood Corporate Ski Day
Crombie Lockwood Corporate Ski Day
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UC Innovators’ Summer Start-Up Scholarship
University of Canterbury
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Aspiring Leaders Member
University of Canterbury
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RSA ANZAC of the Year Award-Student Volunteer Army
RSA
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UC Emerging Leaders’ Scholarship Category D-Law Award
University of Canterbury
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Bickerton-Widdowson Scholarship Personal Excellence in Learning
Christchurch Girls' High School
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Rachel Coxcoon
GBE's Local Partnerships Grant has launched today, and I think it might allow councils who are just starting on this #CommunityEnergy journey to pick up the ‘Guide to Community Solar on Council Assets’ and get funding to work through much of the early part of it. The Stage 1 grant from GBE offers up to £40k for partnership formation and feasibility (there is also Stage 2 funding of up to £100k for more detailed development of sites, but that’s not what I’m interested in here). Earlier this year, the Greater South East Net Zero Hub funded me to research and write the Guide, working with Community Energy Pathways, UK100 and Community Energy England. The consistent message from officers, councillors and community groups was that the biggest barriers to local authorities supporting community energy are internal: - no corporate commitment and senior-level buy-in to the idea of community energy; - a tendency for this to take a political flavour, strongly supported by particular individuals or parties, so vulnerable to political change - collapse of interest if the idea is ‘owned’ by a single officer or councillor (who then leaves!) - suspicion of the concept of community energy across Estates, Legal, Procurement and Finance; - real uncertainty about legality of procurement routes For the Guide, I developed a template Decision Paper, Case for Support, and Strategy to ensure that strategic support for community energy is embedded within the council, to overcome these problems and make sure your community energy dreams don’t fade. Alongside those template documents is a detailed guide to what community energy is and where the pinch points are that make it hard to secure internal strategic support for it across a local authority, and a Partnership Assessment Framework, to help councils ensure they are working with capable groups. The Strategy and Decision Paper both follow the structure of a Strategic Outline Case (treasury parlance), and the Strategy contains a fairly detailed workplan for the site feasibility, asset assessment, community partner assessment and legal & procurement preparation that a council would need to do. You can download the resources here: https://lnkd.in/e6nUUJ95 if you have a Net Zero Go login, and find out more about them in the Case Studies page here: https://lnkd.in/e2zHKyJ5 It looks to me as if a lot of this work could be covered by the GBE Stage 1 grant for the Partnerships Grant – so get in touch with GBE today to see how much of this strategic setup work you might now be able to fund! https://lnkd.in/eeCEnWqv #CommunityEnergy #LocalGovernment #NetZero #GreatBritishEnergy #LocalPower
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