As a business coach and mentor, I’ve often been called a “bridge builder.” Recently, I was reminded of this when someone shared Will Allen Dromgoole’s poem, The Bridge Builder, with me. It tells the story of an old man who, after crossing a dangerous chasm, builds a bridge—not for himself, but for those who will follow. This philosophy is at the heart of my journey, from growing up in South London to founding BigohCoaching. Born to Nigerian parents in Brixton, I benefited from the wisdom of mentors. When my parents returned to Nigeria, leaving me in London at eleven, these connections became essential lifelines. That experience taught me the importance of building bridges across generational, cultural, and professional divides.

Throughout my 30-year career, first in social housing and now as a business coach and mentor, I have worked to connect communities with stakeholders, aspiring entrepreneurs with established leaders, small businesses with larger market opportunities, underrepresented groups with economic resources, and individual potential with practical success. My work with black-led social enterprises, including Kinaraa and Co-Co Collective, exemplifies this. I don’t just coach—I create access to networks and opportunities often closed to them. Many Black entrepreneurs I work with navigate spaces where they feel like outsiders. My role is to build bridges that recognize systemic obstacles while unlocking potential.

Through the Federation of Small Businesses, I have developed platforms to connect LGBT-led and Black & Asian businesses to wider communities—initiatives like Red Ribbon CIC and ProudFeathers. These aren’t just bridges; they’re ecosystems of opportunity. The Adaptive Vision methodology I developed connects present operations with future success. Like the old man in the poem, this approach isn’t about immediate personal gain but about creating sustainable pathways for others.

My own setbacks—failing my A-levels, not attending a red-brick university, not becoming a lawyer—became stepping stones. Instead of seeing them as failures, I now recognize them as the foundations of the bridges I have built. The bridges we construct aren’t just for us; they are for those who follow. Whether coaching young entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, or community members, I aim to leave behind connections that will serve future generations.

This perspective transforms coaching from a transactional service into a legacy-building mission. As The Bridge Builder poem reminds us, the most meaningful work is often for those who come after us. My journey, from Brixton to BigohCoaching, reflects this commitment, and I hope it resonates with you too.

Now, I invite you to reflect on your own journey. What bridges are you building? Who will benefit from the pathways you create? Whether you are a leader, mentor, entrepreneur, or community member, your connections have the power to shape the future. If you’re ready to build stronger bridges in your personal and professional life, do it, you know it makes sense.

This will be my last Newsletter (for a while)…enjoy:

The Bridge Builder

by Will Allen Dromgoole

An old man going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide,
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
Yon never again will pass this way;
You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head;
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followed after me to-day
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!”