Bridgeta Mudota turned a humbling beading class into an empowering jewelry business reaching international markets. Discover how pride nearly cost her an opportunity.
"I was not just annoyed, but angry that as an MBA graduate someone was inviting me for a beading class. I have since learnt in this life to never say never." These words from Bridgeta Mudota perfectly capture one of entrepreneurship's most powerful truths that our greatest opportunities often come disguised as insults, setbacks, or situations we might consider to be beneath us. What began as an invitation that wounded her pride and was beneath her education and status eventually transformed into a jewelry business that empowers women across communities.
Humble Beginnings and Early Resistance
Bridgeta's early life was shaped by contrasting influences from her parents, sort of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” script. On one hand, she witnessed her father's entrepreneurial struggles consisted of late nights, managing orders, dealing with employee theft and on another, her mother's structured life as a government nurse. None of her parent’s paths initially appealed to her and when her A-level results fell short of her University of Zimbabwe dreams, Bridgeta reluctantly studied Mass Communication at Harare Polytechnic.
After graduation, Bridgeta spent five years with the then Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunications where she was posted in rural settings like Muzarabani. It was there, where she witnessed women undertaking development projects without modern amenities, that she first encountered crafts and small scale businesses. After furthering her education and climbing the ranks in government, private sector and parastatal organisations over the years, in 2016, she made a bold decision to resign from service to seek new opportunities despite being entirely unsure what those opportunities would entail.
The Turning Point: From Insult to Inspiration
The turning point came through a fellow church member who invited Bridgeta to a beading workshop in Harare. For someone with an MBA and years of government experience, the invitation felt like an insult. "Here I was with a Master's Degree in Business Administration, and someone was inviting me to make beads. I felt it was beneath me and was so angry," Bridgeta admitted. Her reaction was so strong that she avoided the woman for several Sundays after services.
Eventually, out of respect for their shared church community and desire to maintain a cordial relationship, Bridgeta grudgingly agreed to attend a one-day beading training. She went without any intention of participating meaningfully. For the morning session, Bridgeta admits that she sat paying no attention to the training but rather worked on updating her CV and mentally planning her exit strategy. Unexpectedly, her curiosity awakened after the lunch break. "Something shifted in me and I found myself asking questions to catch up with what others had learnt in the morning," she explained. That shift led her to purchase her beading startup kit after the training and it became a decision that changed her life forever.
Embracing the Craft and Finding Purpose
Bridgeta discovered that her business was not just about creating beautiful jewelry but about something much deeper. "My purpose is to instill confidence in my customers. When someone wears a beautiful necklace or a pair of beautiful earrings, it boosts their self-assurance. That confidence can positively impact their performance in job interviews, meetings, or any situation where they need to feel their best," she stated.
As an active participant in the beading industry, Bridgeta looks back and admits how guilty she was of stereotyping and misjudging the beading craft. Her exposure to beading had been limited to rural women who wore beading for cultural practices or adorned them on children as protective pieces against evil spirits or witchcraft. Now fully equipped with information and understanding, she recognises the tremendous potential for transformation and empowerment the craft has. It is because of that reason that she now trains other women and young people, partnering mostly with church groups and schools.
Overcoming Challenges and Building Quality
The beading industry in Africa generally faces numerous challenges such as lack of formal training schools, inconsistent quality, and many crafters undervaluing their products. Bridgeta bemoans fellow artisans referring to their work as mere "hustles" a term she finds diminishing and unprofessional. Where other crafters focus on quick gains at the expense of customers, Bridgeta differentiates herself by focusing on high-quality raw materials, distinctive packaging and maintaining professional communication with customers.
Her commitment to excellence was severely tested when she fell victim to a sophisticated scam by a person in South Africa who pretended to deposit money for products but later reversed the transaction. Rather than giving up, Bridgeta chose resilience. "I learned valuable lessons about trusting people and the importance of counting losses and moving forward without giving up," she reflected. "This incident made me more cautious, but I acknowledge that not all potential customers are dishonest."
Global Vision and Local Impact
Today, Bridgeta's jewelry business has achieved remarkable reach, with sales in the UK, USA and other countries. Her success came through strategic mentorship – particularly from Coach Mwazvita of the Inga Creative Group, who organizes exhibitions and networking events, Babra Conradie, founder of Procrafters International Zimbabwe, who have opened doors to international markets.
Her five-year vision focuses on "Africanizing" her products to appeal to international customers while embracing sustainability through locally sourced, biodegradable materials. She is particularly excited about paper beads, drawing inspiration from successful initiatives in Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya. "I have already begun rolling paper beads with the help of three other women and aim to fully embrace paper beads jewelry in the next five years."
The Transformation of Mindset
As a former journalist, Bridget finds inspiration in many places including observing other crafters at markets to studying jewelry worn by television personalities or models. She uses applications like Pinterest to explore global designs and constantly seeks to improve her craft.
The book "Think Yourself Rich" particularly transformed her business philosophy, reinforcing that "poverty is a disease of the mind" and emphasizing that thoughts manifest into reality. It also stressed the importance of integrity in business where selling poor-quality products at high prices is equivalent to stealing from customers.
Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Reflecting on her remarkable journey, Bridgeta offers invaluable wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs:
Start Focused: "My mistake was starting with too many products, which led to a lack of initial recognition in industry. Focus on a few items when starting, perfect them, then expand."
Embrace Technology: "Crafters and startups must invest in understanding technology, including artificial intelligence. It significantly impacts businesses."
Build Systems for Scale: Success means "setting up robust business systems that allow operations to continue seamlessly, even when you are not physically present. Many businesses falter when the owner is absent because there are no established systems."
Visualize Success: "Envision the kind of business you want to build. I was inspired by a YouTube image of a successful jewelry business. I know that belief comes first before achieving goals."
The Ripple Effect
Bridgeta's story is a powerful testament to the transformative power of humility and open-mindedness in entrepreneurship. Her journey demonstrates that success often requires us to abandon our preconceptions about what constitutes "worthy" work. Today, she continues to build her jewelry business while mentoring other women entrepreneurs. Her story serves as a beacon of hope for anyone who has ever felt that an opportunity was "beneath them" or that a setback was the end of their dreams. Sometimes life redirects people through what appears to be steps backward, but these moments often contain the seeds of greatest triumphs.
The biggest lesson from Bridgeta is 'never say never’ in life as an area that she once looked down upon became her path to success and fulfillment." The most essential mindset for any aspiring entrepreneur is being open to opportunities and being ready to discover where unexpected invitations might lead.
