Thomas Bridgman

Thomas Bridgman | Financial Advisor | Storyteller | Guiding Clients Through Divorce, Retirement & Business Transitions

When people first meet me, they sometimes think I’m intimidating — I’ve been told I have a strong presence. But most clients quickly discover what my family already knows: I’m really a teddy bear. I care deeply about the people I serve, because I’ve walked many of the same roads they’re walking now. I take the time to understand who they are, what they’ve lived through, and what matters most.
Before becoming a financial advisor, I spent 30 years in the movie theater industry — starting as a janitor and eventually becoming Vice President of Operations for the fourth-largest theater chain in the country. That world was all about creating experiences, helping people feel something, and telling meaningful stories. That DNA is still central to how I advise today. I’m a storyteller at heart, but I’m also a listener. As I remind clients: “I don’t know your internal map yet. We’ll discover it together and create a path forward.”
My transition into financial advising came after losing the career I had tied my identity to. That loss forced me to reevaluate everything — my work, my marriage, my priorities, and my purpose. It was painful, but clarifying. I realized I wanted to help people avoid the financial and emotional vulnerabilities I witnessed in my own family, including the challenges my mother faced when my father passed away at 51.
Today, I focus on helping clients through life transitions — divorce, widowhood, retirement, business exits, and major financial turning points. I serve the “millionaire next door”: first-generation, self-made individuals approaching an inflection point where their money may soon make more than they do. Their lives, needs, and goals are complex, fluid, and deeply personal.
To support them, I created the BRIDGE Process, a financial advising framework inspired by a moment with my daughter in the Smoky Mountains. When she hesitated to cross a weathered bridge, I told her, “Hold my hand,” and she replied, “No Daddy — you hold mine. If I’m holding yours, I might get scared and let go. But if you’re holding mine, I know you won’t.” That moment became the foundation of everything I do as an advisor.
The BRIDGE Process guides clients from uncertainty to stability through six steps: Begin with your story. Reveal your reality. Identify what matters most. Design the path forward. Guide each step. Establish & Evolve. It’s built to bring clarity, confidence, and stability during the moments when life feels most uncertain.
I’m committed to lifelong learning and hold the following designations: ChFC®, CDFA®, CPFA®, AAMS™, CRPC™, and CRPS™. I’m also the creator and host of Thursdays with Thomas, a storytelling-driven financial education series on LinkedIn. I share insights five days a week — from market perspectives to leadership lessons to personal reflections. 
Outside the office, I’m a husband, father, film buff, avid reader, church volunteer, golfer, and enthusiastic brisket smoker. Above all, I care about helping people build lives of meaning, resilience, and lasting impact.
If you’re navigating a life transition and need a steady hand to help you cross what’s ahead, I’m here to walk with you — every step of the way.

📩 thomas.bridgman@ml.com
🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thomas-bridgman