Welcome back to How I Made It, Metro.co.uk’s weekly career journey series.

This week we’re chatting with Bridget Lea, the managing director of commercial for BT, EE and Plusnet.

She started her career in retail and worked her way up to the top, though not without a staggering amount of determination.

A mother of two, she went to uni at a slightly later age than is usual with the aim of getting on a graduate programme for better pay – which she did, and which launched her career.

As a Black woman now working in the tech side of retail, she knows she’s one of few in an industry that’s typically dominated by white men.

‘Black women make up just 0.7% of all jobs in tech in the UK, so as a black female working within the technology sector, it is quite normal to feel “different,”‘ she says.

‘It can often feel easier to maintain the status quo and try to adapt your style and views to mirror the majority. But it’s very important not to do that if it means you’re not being authentic.’

Here’s how she made it happen.

What made you want to work in retail?

I landed in retail at the beginning of my career completely by chance.

I didn’t know what to expect, but from very early on, I got a major kick out of making customers happy.

Retail is a great place to start your career. You learn about quality, the importance of delivering trusted customer experiences, how to lead and motivate teams, and how to deliver strong commercial results.

What was your first retail job – does it go all the way back to teenage years?

I got a part-time filing job at the Co-op head office in Manchester City Centre.

I worked hard at filing and was given the additional task of helping new graduate trainees settle into the business.

After spending time with the graduates, I could see that they were the same age and ability as me, but they did more interesting work and were paid more.

They had better prospects, and that made me want to go and create those opportunities for myself.

What did you do next?

I decided a degree was necessary to take my career to the next level.

I worked two jobs while at university alongside looking after my daughters – it would have seemed an impossible task but I had great support from my university, where I’m now on the board of governors.

My two little girls were motivation enough for me to want to succeed!

I then got an IT degree and from there, I secured a graduate position with Marks & Spencer, which was the first step in my career.

After that, my career progressed quite quickly, and I went on to work for some incredible brands including Topshop, Sainsbury’s and O2.

How did you find moving into tech, which can be dominated by men?

I’ve experienced first-hand some of the challenges and setbacks that come with feeling ‘different’.

With that in mind, it’s important to be brave, don’t be afraid to speak up and work passionately towards whatever it is you are aiming to achieve, regardless of any perceived ‘differences’ you think you may have.

You will have different perspectives and they need to be shared and incorporated into the culture, the products and the services you are creating.

If you can do this, you’ll not only be doing the right thing for your colleagues and customers, but you’ll be changing the status quo and leaving the organisation in a better way that you found it for the next set of women coming through.

An average day in the working life of Bridget Lea

● 6.30am – I like to start the day with meditation to set myself up for the day ahead – I use apps to remind me and help me with goal setting.

● 8am – check in on trading across all channels with various members of my team.

● 9am – 12pm – Strategic meetings and emails. We made the exciting announcement earlier this year that EE would become BT’s lead flagship consumer brand, so we’re busy working on what that will look like for customers. I try and get out for walks in between meetings, or take meetings on the move; it’s important to get out and about.

● 12pm – catch up with some of the interns from our ‘10,000 Black Interns’ programme.

● 1pm – coffee and sandwich and check in on designs for our new retail concept launching later this year.

● 2pm – Reviewing customer feedback from our digital test lab, where we test and learn how customers interact with our digital channels like our website or the EE app.

● 3pm – Site visits to a store or contact centre to better understand what our teams are saying and to spend time with real customers.

● 6pm – 7pm – Prep and pre-reading ahead of tomorrow’s meeting.

● 7pm – I try to use productivity settings on my phone to make sure I have time to relax and switch off during the evenings.

What’s the best career advice you’ve heard?

That ultimately, no one else cares as much about your career as you do!

Not your coach or your mentor or your boss or trusted family member.

It’s rare that great opportunities land at your feet – so it’s important that you take accountability for your own career.

What do you love most about your job?

I am driven by the pace of change in a sector that uses connectivity to shape the future and improve customers’ lives.

Bringing innovative and inspiring products and services to customers, and ensuring that the benefits of technology are available and accessible to all is an exciting place to be.

Another element I love about my job is the opportunity to create an environment that enables people to be their very best and reach their full potential.

I don’t put myself on a pedestal, but as a senior black female you’re often seen as a ‘role model’. It’s a privilege and I take it incredibly seriously.

I am committed to taking action and ensuring we continue to build a diverse and representative workforce and have partnered with the ‘10,000 Black Interns’ programme to bring more diverse talent into the organisation.

What do you dislike the most?

I started my career in retail, so it’s been tough watching the high street face one obstacle after another from the growth of online shopping to covid to a cost of living crisis.

How I Made It

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