Long Life Learning Bonnie Wan on Being a Misfit, a Vandal, and a Wise Beginner
This week, CSO, leadership coach, and author Bonnie Wan shares with Kavitha a moment of crisis that changed her life. Back in 2010, Bonnie found herself devoted to work and saying “yes” to everyone but her husband, her children, and herself. Out of a feverish night of writing, the Life Brief was born: an approach to self-examination, a lifestyle, and, most recently, the title of Bonnie’s bestselling 2024 book.
Join this week’s conversation to hear how Bonnie’s rise as a strategist led to her being named CSO of the Year, how she strives to “make the room smarter,” and what it means to “climb the second mountain” of your life purpose and career. Together, Bonnie and Kavitha explore what it means to take time with loved ones, engage in continual self-reflection, and pursue our deepest truths in response to the question, “What do I want?”
Transcript
Episode 5—Bonnie Wan Transcript
Links and Resources
Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education:
Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
- The Life Brief: Creative Practice for No Regrets Living by Bonnie Wan
- Jeff Goodby on being a vandal in advertising in 2023
- The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks
- People, Power, Change: Organizing for Democratic Renewal by Marshall Ganz
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Where to Find Bonnie:
- @bonniewanofficial on Instagram
About Today’s Guest
Bonnie Wan, Author and Creator of The Life Brief
Partner, Head of Brand Strategy at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Bonnie is creator and author of The Life Brief, a simple and profound action-driving practice that helps people navigate life’s biggest and trickiest decisions with clarity, creativity and courage. The Life Brief applies the art and science of brand strategy to how we live our lives, helping people get clear, take meaningful action, and live with greater intention and imagination. As Partner and Head of Brand Strategy at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), Wan leads strategy for Fortune 500 companies including Blackstone, BMW, Comcast/Xfinity, Frito-Lay, and Kraft-Heinz. She also harnesses strategy to create powerful, provocative, award- winning campaigns fighting racial injustice, child sex trafficking, cyberbullying, college campus rape, and gender inequality. Wan has been named an Advertising Icon, an Ad Age Leading Woman, and Chief Strategy Officer of the Year. The Life Brief has evolved from an agency talk to keynotes, workshops and now a best-selling book. The Life Brief: A Playbook for No Regrets Living is the essential tool for aligning your daily actions with your ambition and values. As a Brand Strategist turned Life Strategist, Wan not only helps companies innovate from a place of purpose, but also guides everyday people who seek to realize their potential. Wan has taught The Life Brief at Accenture, AirBnB, Apple, Change.org, Chief, Google, SXSW, and World 50 Group as well as for Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, and Jane Goodall’s Activating Hope Summit. Wan appears in Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein’s Masterclass on Advertising and Creativity and is featured in the documentary film, The Big Flip, chronicling the lives of four women breadwinners and their families. She has also been interviewed on Katie Couric’s Katie show and HuffPost Live. Her articles have been featured by Fast Company, Campaign Magazine, AdAge, and Adweek.