Making Something From Nothing: Bridgitt Haarsgaard Of The GAARD Group On How To Go From Idea To Launch

An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis

You will fail. Expect to fail and learn from it. Failure is synonymous with growth. Early on, there were several failures — script failures, video shooting failures, wardrobe malfunctions, and client bloopers. All were opportunities to learn and improve. Get comfortable failing.

As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bridgitt Haarsgaard.

Bridgitt is the Founder and CEO of The GAARD Group, a management consulting firm focused on helping organizations and individuals reach their full business potential. Bridgitt and her team of experts are passionate about fusing psychology best practices with critical business skills to create real and lasting behavioral change in the workplace and beyond.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?

The best way I can sum up my childhood is in song. Like the Donny and Marie song “A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock ’n’ Roll.” I spent the school year in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, leading a very normal and wonderful suburban life. June through August, I spent time with my father. He was an outfitter, which means he took people on horseback into the mountains to camp during the summer months and hunt during the winter months, thus the “little bit country.”

The summer months taught me the power of nature and the importance of grit and resilience. I never went with him on hunting trips, but we made trips to the mountains to camp. We packed and rode horses up the trail, pitched tents, fished for our dinner, and cooked on an open campfire. The majesty and peace of nature, the quieting of the mind while immersed in the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, and the awareness of how small you were in comparison to the vastness of Mother Nature was truly incredible. This extraordinary gift trained my mind to see the bigger picture and the broader view, which has helped me tremendously in business.

I rode the Little Britches Rodeo circuit too. Yes, I can barrel race and calf rope! A partnership with a horse teaches you the value of collaboration. My bedroom one summer was the top of a horse trailer, and my restroom was an outhouse with no plumbing. It was a bit frightening at first, but it was a remarkable experience. I learned to trust myself, face my fears, and push through those fears. The experience conditioned me to be an entrepreneur willing to listen to her instincts, trust herself, and persevere when things get complicated. Thanks, Dad and Eileen for the “little bit country” and Mom and Tom for the “little bit rock and roll!”

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My favorite life lesson came from my paternal grandmother who remains my best friend. She is no longer with us, but I can still clearly hear her words. She’d say, “Bridgitt, be kind and brave.”

Her words and her actions have guided my life, personally and professionally. Every day, we have the opportunity to lead with kindness. As I tell my children, I do not believe anyone wakes up in the morning to make you miserable. Lead with kindness and do not take the words or actions of others personally. If you need to address something, be curious and collaborate to fix it but do not respond with negativity. Do not meet negativity with more negativity. That never works. We all have a choice — every day — to respond with kindness and show bravery. Thank you, Grandma Rosie, for your example and your wisdom.

Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

So many books have resonated with me and impacted my life that it is difficult to select just one. Instead, I can choose an author — Brene Brown. Dr. Brown’s books have touched my life, made me think, and guided me in new directions. The Gifts of Imperfection was the book that guided me most during my entrepreneurial journey. Her words and lessons helped me to embrace myself as an entrepreneur, follow my own path, and give up on what I was expected to be.

Daring Greatly made me a better leader. It taught me to step in, be vulnerable, share stories, and be authentic. Vulnerability is courage! To lead, we must step in and not fear failure. If our team makes mistakes, we must embrace them as learning opportunities. Adopting this mindset will help you grow your business.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?

You are right on the nose. There is no shortage of good ideas. A good idea is just that, an idea. The saying, “bringing an idea to life is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration”, is absolutely true! To translate your idea into action and start a thriving business, here are three lessons I would share:

1. Believe in and trust yourself. Without belief in yourself, it is almost impossible to take action on your idea. You must block out the negativity and listen to your instincts. You had this idea for a reason. What problem does this solve? How does your idea improve lives? How does it save time? Even if the idea has been done before, remember you bring a unique perspective.
2. Go early, go ugly. Just start! Your first effort will never be exceptional. Know that your first attempts will likely be riddled with mistakes. It’s okay. Starting will allow you to learn what works and what doesn’t. This will earn you the knowledge you need to make adjustments. If you never start, you never learn, and you will never get better.
3. Shift your mindset. So many of us are locked in negative thinking patterns. You must shut down your inner critic to bring an idea to life. You know, that inner voice that speaks to you and says, “Your idea will never work. Who do you think you are? You will never be a success.” Shift to what is called a growth mindset. You need to believe that you will succeed, not because you know everything, but because you know that you will never stop learning and growing. A belief that says, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” is a mindset that lets you take the shot and translate your idea into action.

Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?

Of course, no matter your idea, chances are there have been many people who have done something similar. But you are unique, and so is your vision. If Mr. Lamborghini (originally a successful tractor manufacturer) had taken Enzo Ferrari’s words to heart, “Let me make cars. You stick to making tractors.”, we would never have the Lamborghini.

You must ask yourself, “What are the differentiators? Who would benefit from my idea and why?” Don’t dismiss your idea because someone else has had that thought or executed the idea. Do your research. Talk to your network. Scour the internet. Comb through online marketplaces. This is a good starting point and great information on what and how to build your business.

For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.

My product is unique, but it’s not patentable. While I knew that similar development products existed, my method differentiates my product in a way that makes it more beneficial to organizations and individuals. So, the question I can answer is, what steps do I recommend for getting your product into the hands of companies and consumers? Here are ten steps I took:

1. Define the idea and identify differentiation. What are the specifics of your idea? What makes your offering unique, and who would benefit from your product or service? Getting clear here is essential.
2. Gather feedback from your network and listen. Once you have your idea defined, gathering feedback and insights from your network is essential. What are their thoughts? What would they add to make your idea better? The trick here is not to get defensive. Listen, absorb, and act on what they say if it will make your product or service better.
3. Talk to your current clients. Gather intel about the products and services your customers would like to see. Ask what pain points they want to solve. Do your products help diminish that pain? Discuss your idea and gauge their interest.
4. Find an early adopter. Find an individual or organization that is interested in testing your product. These are your early adopters, and they can help you ideate and create your product.
5. Create your initial offering. Once an adopter is established, go into design mode and get your product or service designed and created.
6. Build your team. You will quickly recognize that you need help bringing your idea to life. Fill your team with people who not only believe in your idea but people who help to overcome your weaknesses. Focus your energy on using your strengths and superpowers.
7. Gather feedback again! Once you have created your initial product or service offering, go for another round of feedback. Reach out to your network and current customers. What do they like? What would they enhance? How would they position the product in the marketplace? What do they believe makes your offering unique and different?
8. Adjust. Based on the feedback received, make the modifications and necessary adjustments. You will find that if you cycle through feedback and adjustment, you never stop learning and improving.
9. Expand your team. Once you have traction, do not assume you can handle the increased workload. Now may be the time to expand your team and your reach. There is strong talent all over the world. My branding team is in Bulgaria. My web team is in Mississippi. My video editing team is in Lithuania. And I film with an incredible crew in Texas. They are all highly trained, wildly talented, and invested in the team’s success.
10. Vocalize the offering. Once you have experience and success with the product or service, even if small, talk about it. Do not be embarrassed or resistant to talk about what you do and what you offer. People cannot buy what you have to sell or recommend it to others if they have no idea that it exists.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?

1. You will fail. Expect to fail and learn from it. Failure is synonymous with growth. Early on, there were several failures — script failures, video shooting failures, wardrobe malfunctions, and client bloopers. All were opportunities to learn and improve. Get comfortable failing.
2. There is no finish line for a good idea. Start with the 80/20 rule and constantly adapt, evolve, and stretch to do more. You should never be 100% satisfied with your product or service. Continuous improvement is the name of the game. We are constantly looking for new ways to improve our products and services. It can be something as simple as adjustments in the editing process, our research strategy, or improvements to a current course. Never stop improving.
3. Leverage your network feedback loop. Those you trust are a source of great feedback, inspiration, and challenge. Lean on and leverage your network. My business would not be where it is today without the guidance of my personal Board of Directors. This is a small group of professional women who have helped each other over the last 15 years. We brainstorm, share best practices, give advice, and hold each other accountable for our goals.
4. Surround yourself with positive people who have a growth mindset. Having team members who want to learn and grow will improve your business! Some of the best team members are the ones who are open to trying and doing new things. They are not afraid to raise their hand and say, “let me take that on.” By doing this, they are growing, learning a new skill set, and you are expanding the bench strength of your team. Our team at The GAARD Group wears many hats. Some are web specialists who have strengthened their writing skills by helping with blogs or script editing. Others are branding experts who have learned animation software. Look for talent that gets excited to learn and try new things.
5. Do what you love. I live and breathe my work almost 24/7 because I love it! It energizes me, and I love to hear the feedback and see the results. I want to make a difference, and knowing that my passion has helped someone brings me joy and pride. Do what you love and love what you do!

Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?

I’ve said this before. The first few steps are the most difficult. You must crawl before you walk and walk before you run. Take small steps and make sure to celebrate your successes along the way, even if they are small. Here are the small steps that I would take:

1. Know the benefit you offer. What will your finished product provide your client? You do not need all the particulars, but you do need to identify the broad strokes. What is your personal North Star for the idea? And, don’t be afraid to evolve or change it.
2. Create your board. You need a board of trusted, diverse “coaches” that can give you ideas and feedback. They have the objectivity that you may not. Having a variety of trusted perspectives can help you highlight issues you will need to consider.
3. Map out how to get to your North star. I have whiteboards up and down my hallway. Here, I constantly map out my ideas, goals, and processes. I use these whiteboards daily. They help me to capture my thoughts visually and see where I need to grow and evolve to stay focused on my North Star.
4. Block out negativity from yourself and others. Believe that you will be successful! Do not listen to negative thoughts.
5. Be ready to really work. You will have many sleepless, stressful nights. Success will require sacrifices. You may have less time for family, friends, and travel. Ensure you are okay with trade-offs, and then get ready to work!
6. Jump in. Learn. Adapt. Your first efforts will be okay, but you need to celebrate those efforts because you jumped in and did something! Take time to celebrate but also reflect and learn. What went well? What should you improve? What are the improvements in order of priority? Then take those lessons, adapt your idea, and seek continuous improvement.

There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?

We often need a thought partner as we flesh out a new idea. There are many great invention development consultants, but before you hire externally, I would suggest first looking at your network. Who do you know that has taken an idea to market? This could even be a friend who set their company on a new path, product, or process. What did they do? Who did they engage? What process did they follow? I am blessed with a robust and vibrant network and did not need to hire an invention development consultant. I was surrounded by people who gave me extraordinary advice.

If your network is not equipped to give you advice or provide direction, do your homework before you hire externally. What exactly do you want them to do? What is your definition of success? What can you realistically afford? Researching to understand your goals will help you hire the right consultant if you choose to go in that direction.

What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?

This question boils down to how much control you want over your idea and business. I chose to bootstrap and get creative. While seeking venture capital is a great option, it was not for me. I wanted control over company values, culture, and overall direction. I was unwilling to give up control of the core business elements. If you want to grow fast, have multiple advisors, and infuse capital, then the VC route may be for you.

Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

The GAARD Group strives to make a difference and help people become the best versions of themselves. We know that when people feel respected, appreciated, and seen, they become unstoppable. Helping others is our passion.

In addition, as a person, I focus only on the positive. People spend so much time focusing on what is wrong. This is exhausting! The world would be a better place if we could focus more on what is going right vs. what is going wrong. Look for opportunities to compliment someone. Even if the compliment is small to you, it can make their day. Flash a smile, and say, “good morning!” Hold the elevator door and have some fun. Employing a positive attitude makes a difference in all aspects of life.

Offer a helping hand in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, children’s homes, community efforts, etc. These groups will benefit from your efforts and expertise. I have been partnered with my “little” from Big Brother/Big Sisters for 27 years. I have helped him grow, and he has taught me many lessons that will last a lifetime. Always look to help others.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.