Description:
In this episode of The Builders Podcast, host Matt Levenhagen sits down with Lorie Spence and Carolyn Pritchard, co-founders of Bridge Medical Communications—a life-sciences agency that helps biotech and pharmaceutical companies better connect with healthcare providers and improve patient outcomes.
Together, they explore what it truly takes to build a lasting partnership, navigate change in the healthcare industry, and grow a business that balances purpose, innovation, and trust.
You’ll hear how two women from different professional paths—one from nursing, the other from communications—came together to build a company that thrives on collaboration and shared values. Fourteen years later, their story is a masterclass in what it means to build together.
Key Takeaways:
- Strong partnerships start with shared purpose, not just complementary skills. Lorie and Carolyn credit their longevity to alignment in values and vision before all else.
- Plan the partnership like you’d plan the business. Early on, they created a structured model that defined roles, expectations, and communication rhythms—key to avoiding common co-founder pitfalls.
- Boutique scale = big advantage. By staying intentionally lean, Bridge can remain nimble, innovative, and deeply connected to client needs—something larger agencies often struggle with.
- Purpose drives resilience. Their backgrounds in healthcare give deeper meaning to their work, keeping the mission of improving patient outcomes at the center.
- Women building in healthcare are shaping the future. Lorie and Carolyn’s leadership shows how empathy, collaboration, and adaptability create not only strong companies, but stronger industry connections.
- Longevity is built on trust and adaptability. Fourteen years in, Bridge continues to evolve by anticipating change, mentoring others, and holding onto the values that sparked its creation.
Lorie Spence
She is a clear-eyed strategist with a deep understanding of what healthcare professionals need to deliver better patient outcomes.
Her exceptional ability to anticipate the future is balanced with a pragmatic approach to educating and informing healthcare practitioners in the here and now. She excels at identifying opportunities, quickly developing a deep understanding of a problem space and using that knowledge to push for ambitious
strategies to solve real-world problems.
As the co-founder—with business partner Carolyn Pritchard—of Bridge Medical Communications, she leads finance and business strategy for a growing organization dedicated to improving the connection between clinicians and patients. With more than 20 years of industry experience, she has a keen interest in giving healthcare professionals the tools to adapt and evolve with therapeutic advances. She backs that passion up with training as a Certified Facilitator and Coach, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from Wilfred Laurier University.
Lorie’s love of learning keeps her excited to develop innovative tools for doctors and nurses to solve healthcare’s toughest challenges. Lorie is also a passionate advocate for business partnerships, having experienced firsthand how collaboration between equals can deliver results far beyond the sum of individual parts.
Carolyn Pritchard
She is a spirited advocate who has been working to improve people’s experiences in the healthcare system for more than twenty years.
Extroverted and energetic, Carolyn has always been motivated by serving others. She’s a relationship builder with a knack for connecting people and making them feel cared for. Her North Star—to improve the patient experience—makes her a skilled negotiator and fuels her drive to get things done.
In her previous career as a Registered Nurse and her current role as a trusted leader in healthcare communications, she’s worked with people from every corner of the field: large pharmaceutical companies, emergency-room physicians, individual patients and everyone in between. She knows the gaps better than most and wakes up every day to fill them.
She co-founded Bridge Medical Communications with her business partner, Lorie Spence, to do just that. For over a decade, they have delivered empathetic, effective information about crucial medical therapies and procedures to the people who need it most.
Carolyn knows the transformative power of collaboration and believes the world would be a lot better if more business leaders parked their egos and worked together.
THE MEAT OF IT!
1. Origins: The Paths That Led to Bridge
- Carolyn’s journey from nursing to business and biotech
- Lorie’s early career in communications and her transition into healthcare
- Shared values and complementary skills that set the foundation
2. The Spark: How the Co-Founders Met and Decided to Build Together
- Working side-by-side at a global agency
- Recognizing a shared vision for doing things differently
- The leap of faith — starting Bridge Medical 14 years ago
3. Building the Partnership
- Defining roles, balance, and mutual respect
- Lessons learned from early challenges
- Why planning, communication, and alignment are essential to success
- The difference between complementary skills and shared vision
4. Building Bridge: The Business and Its Mission
- Bridge Medical’s focus on healthcare communications and education
- Helping biotech and pharmaceutical clients improve patient outcomes
- Boutique agency advantages: flexibility, innovation, and deep relationships
- Staying relevant in an evolving healthcare landscape
5. The Power of Collaboration and Purpose
- How their partnership fuels creativity and resilience
- Building trust and maintaining alignment through growth
- The unique perspective women bring to leadership and healthcare innovation
6. Looking Ahead: Building the Future of Bridge and Beyond
- Adapting to change in healthcare and communications
- Expanding impact through innovation and mentorship
- Reflections on longevity, purpose, and what’s next for Bridge
Check out these related Episodes:
- Episode 244: Tiffany Slowinski – Stop Guessing: Data-Driven Hiring & Team Management
- Episode 243: Stephen Wilson Downey – The New Playbook: GEO, E-E-A-T, Signals & Being “The Answer”
- Episode 238: Téa Phillips – Building MetaFlex: From Prototype to Market, Arthritis Relief & Beyond
