Heart And Soul

Introduce yourself!
I’m Bridget, and I’m a lawyer in England. I’ve been invited to Singapore for a conference, and now I’m just enjoying the rest of the scene.

You know, I became a lawyer because my career teacher said I shouldn’t. Not because I couldn’t do it, but because she thought I’d be better suited to other types of jobs, and I just thought I’d prove her wrong (laughs).

What are some misconceptions people have about lawyers?
Oh there are loads! I’ve heard people say that we earn loads of money, and that we’re just watching out for ourselves, but there’re a lot of us who give back. I personally do a lot of mentoring, and I chair a charity which deals with mental health issues.

Is this your first time in Singapore?
Yeah. I’ve been saying to my daughter, apart from the weather, we’ve got to come back. I’ve got a friend who lives in Australia who doesn’t know I’m in Singapore because she would kill me for not making the additional seven hours to go and see her. So we will be back within the next couple of years.

One thing that’s been real pleasant is the fact that people like you are really, really friendly! I’ve not had anybody give me a double take for simply being a black person. It’s a very cosmopolitan, friendly place.

Can you give us a fun fact about yourself?
A fun fact? I’m my daughter’s biggest fan! She’s a musician and she writes music, and her name is Cariss Auburn. She’s really good at what she does, so do follow her!

Was this something that you’ve always supported since she was young?
She’s always been musical, but she went to university and studied English Language. I really wish she’d just said, “Mum, I really want to be a musician,” early on, and it would have saved me a lot of money (laughs). Or she could have gone to a university that specialised in music, which would have helped her in her current career. So yeah, I think people are always surprised when I tell them my daughter’s a musician. Yeah, she’s a musician.

What’s something your daughter has taught you?
My daughter has taught me, very weirdly, to believe in who I am. When I was invited to this conference, I was like, “Oh, it must be a scam.” I mean, I do a lot of speaking in England and in the United Kingdom, but I’d never been invited internationally before, so I even had my IT department check the links. They told me it was genuine. To that, my daughter said, “Mum, why don’t you believe in yourself?” because I’m always telling her to believe in herself.