What is worth wanting? Bonnie Wan on Trauma, Transformation, and Courage
Feb 25, 2025
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Bonnie Wan, a trailblazing strategist with 30 years in advertising, shares her inspiring journey from a bullied immigrant to a leading figure in brand strategy. She discusses her transformative tool, The Life Brief, and how storytelling can drive social change, including a national campaign against child pornography. Bonnie reflects on embracing vulnerability as a leader, navigating the complexities of gender dynamics in personal growth, and the importance of confronting trauma to foster empowerment. Her insights challenge us to redefine what truly matters in our lives.
Bonnie Wan's journey from an immigrant facing childhood trauma to a successful advertising strategist underscores the transformative power of personal storytelling.
Her development of The Life Brief exemplifies how aligning one's professional goals with personal values can lead to meaningful life transformations.
The podcast highlights the potential of advertising to address social issues, as demonstrated by Bonnie's campaign against online child exploitation.
Deep dives
Bonnie Wan's Journey and Life Brief Concept
Bonnie Wan discusses her ascent in the advertising industry, emphasizing the significance of creating a 'Life Brief'—a strategic tool that aided her in navigating personal and professional challenges. Her journey began after immigrating from Taiwan, facing bullying and adversity, which ultimately pushed her towards a successful career. The Life Brief emerged as a tool for self-assessment and reflection, helping her align her professional ambitions with personal values. This framework not only guided her career in advertising but also became a central theme in her life, helping her acknowledge and act upon her deeper aspirations.
The Impact of Advertising as a Force for Good
The podcast highlights Bonnie's perspective on the capacity of advertising to serve social good, exemplified through a national campaign against online child exploitation. This initiative leveraged advertising strategies to raise awareness among potential offenders by presenting shocking visuals and messages that revealed the consequences of their actions. By guiding individuals through cleverly designed ads that mirrored their searches, the campaign aimed to disrupt harmful behaviors and encourage people to seek help. Bonnie argues that this shows how advertising can initiate change by addressing pressing societal issues while invoking empathy.
Navigating Identity and Belonging
Bonnie shares poignant stories reflecting her struggle with identity as an immigrant and the longing for acceptance. She recounts a painful experience in school where her younger brother faced bullying, emphasizing the emotional toll of growing up as a visible minority. This desire for belonging driven by personal trauma impacted her social interactions and professional relationships throughout her career. By openly discussing these experiences, Bonnie illustrates how embracing one's story can foster healing and contribute to a greater understanding of shared human experiences.
Transition from Career to Vocation
Bonnie narrates her transition from a successful advertising career to pursuing a vocation rooted in service and personal fulfillment. This shift arose from recognizing the limits of personal achievement contrasted against her desire for deeper meaning in her work. She expresses how the pandemic prompted significant reflection on her life path, leading her to embrace uncertainty and the pursuit of a purposeful legacy. Her move to craft her vocation is also complemented by taking on the responsibility of caring for her mother, creating a deeper connection between her personal and professional life.
The Power of Storytelling and Vulnerability
Throughout the conversation, Bonnie emphasizes the importance of storytelling in healing and transformation, showcasing her own vulnerability during a pivotal partner meeting. Her emotional outburst in front of colleagues highlighted the necessity to voice personal struggles regarding racial identity and gender in the corporate landscape. This moment not only led to important discussions about accountability and representation but also underscored the profound impact of open communication within professional settings. By humanizing the workplace narrative, Bonnie advocates for cultivating an environment where individuals feel empowered to share their truths comfortably.
This week, I talk with Bonnie Wan, a trailblazing strategist who spent 30 years in advertising, eventually becoming a partner and Head of Brand Strategy at Goodby Silverstein & Partners. She earned Ad Age’s Chief Strategy Officer of the Year award, but perhaps her most impactful work is The Life Brief—a tool she developed to transform her own life, which became the foundation of her book. We explore Bonnie’s remarkable journey—from immigrating from Taiwan and overcoming bullying and abuse to rising to the top of her field. We also dive into the power of brand storytelling as a force for good, including a national campaign she led to prevent child pornography online. Finally, we discuss Bonnie’s current career transition and what it means to embrace change as a lifelong practice. If you’ve ever questioned your path or felt trapped by your success, Bonnie’s story will challenge and inspire you. Let’s get to it!
In this episode:
(00:00) - Intro
(04:01) - Bonnie discovers her dark sense of humor
(07:34) - Wanting to belong
(14:23) - Confronting difficult childhood memories as an adult
(20:03) - The power of storytelling and writing
(24:31) - Why is practice so important?
(28:33) - "I am committed to" vs "I am a commitment to"
(33:53) - Somatic sensory experience
(39:36) - What is worth wanting?
(47:47) - Where lasting change comes from
(53:31) - How a moment of vulnerability redefined Bonnie's leadership
(01:04:35) - Pay gaps and gender bias
(01:12:22) - How Bonnie became a strategist
(01:16:58) - The most meaningful ad campaign that Bonnie has worked on
(01:23:55) - That moment Bonnie found out she was being made a partner
(01:29:05) - How Bonnie knew it was time to move on
