Brigitte Lim-Mueller is no stranger to business. At six, maybe seven, years old, she was helping out at her parents’ bakery called The Daily Bread, punching in customers’ orders at the cashier’s desk and serving bread. As she got older, she spent summers working at her family’s shopping mall, learning the ins and outs of the family business alongside her older siblings.
So it’s certainly no surprise that Brigitte, now 39, is a seasoned entrepreneur, and currently the vice president of operations of the Topline Group of Companies. Her exposure to various industries over the years has prepared her to take on the responsibilities of managing a diverse portfolio of businesses—Topline Business, Topline Marina, Topline Hi-Tech, and Topline Energy.
A usual working day for Brigitte begins as early as six in the morning, when she starts with a workout to prepare for the handful of meetings she has scheduled throughout the day. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting work schedules, nearly all her meetings are done online, though they typically run from nine in the morning until six in the evening.
“Like everything in life, being an entrepreneur is not a walk in the park. There will be setbacks, challenges, losses and failures. This should not be a reason for you to lose that spark. Keep finding that light inside you, and keep it burning.”
“Being the vice president of Topline Group of Companies and handling our subsidiaries is incredibly fulfilling for me,” Brigitte admits. “Aside from getting to work closely with our chief executive officer, president and younger brother Erik, I get to have a chance to contribute to my community. With the work that I do, I’m able to be part of development projects that directly impact my home city Cebu, and my country, and that makes me really proud and grateful.”
Brigitte and her team are working on several projects that contribute to Cebu’s development—one exciting venture is Topline Marina’s partnership with Megawide Construction Corporation to work on the New Carbon Market.
“We’re very excited about the New Carbon Market Project,” Brigitte shares. One of the development’s key facets is a modern ferry terminal, which is where Topline will come into play. “We will be operating said ferry terminal, and will also have our vessels ply the routes from Liloan to Mactan, to Pier 3, to Carbon Market, and vice verse—creating a very convenient way for commuters and tourists to explore our beautiful island.”
Currently, Topline Marina has three vessels, and the company is working on adding more vessels to their fleet in order to serve the additional routes, which will connect the northern, central and southern areas of Cebu. Besides this, the company is also working on automating the Cebu South Bus Terminal in order to shift its current payment system into a cashless one.
Of course, the developments go further than Cebu. Brigitte shares that Topline Energy has partnered with Excelerate, a Houston-based company, for a liquified natural gas (LNG) project in Batangas. “This will help the Philippines shift to clean energy, and also beef up our energy resources,” Brigitte explains. “We also have an international subsidiary based in London, Topline Global & Investments.”
Pedro del Hierro striped blazer and pants from Rustan’s
Outside the Job
With so much on her plate, it’s natural for people to wonder if Brigitte has time to do anything else. But besides being an executive, she considers her role as mother to her four-year-old son Bodhi just as fulfilling.
“I’m very proud of the fact that I’m a mom, and that I get to be part of my son’s journey,” Brigitte said. “It’s both empowering and humbling at the same time. Every day, I am learning how to evolve and grow to become a better version of myself through my kid.”
She also takes time to take care of herself, admitting to be quite a fitness junkie. Brigitte is often spotted at obstacle courses, constantly testing and pushing her limits. She also dabbles in rock climbing, range shooting and scuba diving—hobbies that may not often be perceived as things mothers do.
“[As a] fitness junkie, I can help empower my fellow moms to be healthy and fit,” she shares. “There is a misconception that once you become a mom, you lose your youth, desirability, and that ‘your body is never the same again.’ I feel that as a society, we have to realize that being a mom can be super sexy and fierce too.”
Juggling all of these roles may be hard to do, but Brigitte is up for the challenge. “What I found to be most effective are the strategies of planning ahead, organizing and prioritizing my tasks,” she explains. “Every Sunday, I plot out my week with appointments, meetings and extracurricular activities to prepare me for the week ahead. Mondays to Saturdays are work-filled days, while Sundays are recovery days for me. I also like to plot out in three-month periods so I can forecast my personal and professional quarter.”
Ruffled blouse is stylist’s own; Pedro del Hierro striped pants from Rustan’s
The Art of Working Smart
So, is she a hard worker or a smart worker? Brigitte says she used to be the former when she was younger, believing that a good work ethic would be the determining factor to success.
“As our business expands, I realize that it’s a balance between working hard and working smart,” she shares. “There are so many productivity tools available for us—that can help us become more efficient and more effective professionals—that we are not taking advantage of. Now, I’m a huge fan of working smart, while maintaining a focused and consistent work ethic.”
By finding that balance, Brigitte is able to spend more time with her son, something she values especially now that he’s at an age when he’s curious about everything she’s doing. Bodhi is her source of inspiration, and so is the rest of her family.
“My younger brother Erik, in particular, is a great source of my entrepreneurial inspiration,” Brigitte says. “He is the visionary of the business, and our values and work styles are so in sync with each other, which is really important in any business partnership.”
Brigitte admits that, when she was younger, she couldn’t understand when people would say that they were working to take care of the future generation. Now that she’s a parent, she now shares the sentiment—she works that she can give her son, and generations to come, a bright future.
Ricardo Preto Holly dress from Rustan’s
Being a Woman on Top
When asked what helps her stay on top of her game, Brigitte narrows it down to five things: staying humble, staying inspired, staying the course, sharing your vision, and finding joy in the work.
“Like everything in life, being an entrepreneur is not a walk in the park,” she admits. “There will be setbacks, challenges, losses and failures. This should not be a reason for you to lose that spark. Keep finding that light inside you, and keep it burning.”
For Brigitte, the best entrepreneurs are grounded, level-headed and humble. She emphasized that continuously looking for ways to be of service to others can keep one on the right track, instead of being blinded by status symbols.
At the end of the day, she shared that yes, work is tiring, and yes, it can be frustrating. And yet, she finds so much joy and fulfillment in what she does, too. With her track record of business success, it’s no wonder that Brigitte manages to always stay on top of her game—and always look amazing while doing it.
photography Joseph Ong | stylist Vanessa East | makeup Jarra Angbetic | hair Philip Sumampong | location bai Hotel Cebu
In the cover image, Brigitte wears Ricardo Preto vest and pants from Rustan’s
One thought on “How Brigitte Lim-Mueller Stays On Top of Her Game”