The Life Brief: Finding Clarity to Navigate Your Life Goal with Bonnie Wan of Goodby Silverstein & Partners

This episode of the Power of the Ask podcast features Bonnie Wan, AdAge 2022 Chief Strategy Officer of the Year, partner and Head of Brand Strategy at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and the bestselling author of “The Life Brief.”

 An immigrant from Taiwan who lived in both Los Angeles and New York City, Bonnie has always been fascinated by human behavior, by what drives people, and by what fuels their purpose. That curiosity led to her transformative roles in branding and strategy and to develop the “Life Brief,” a creative brief that helps people find clarity about their life goals and navigate challenges with purpose.

 For many people, the idea of transformation brings images of giant leaps, but Bonnie suggests small changes that can be implemented every day to help create forward momentum. Bonnie has written briefs to fit all aspects of life, from marriage to leadership to finances. She notes that the practice of being very clear and connected to your innermost truth about what you want and what matters most at each stage of your life will help you navigate through that compass.

 In the financial realm, that means asking the right questions. As a strategist, Bonnie says questions are her best friends. Her first wealth brief question is, ‘What is enough?’ The second is, ‘What do you want to be rich in?’ Bonnie believes the power of the ask is important to women, especially financially. She declares, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” She concludes by saying women need to know what they’re worth, what’s sacred and what’s worth fighting for. That kind of clarity allows them to pivot their careers and their asks in different ways when the time calls.

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About Bonnie Wan:

Bonnie Wan is Partner and Head of Brand Strategy at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners  and the bestselling author of “The Life Brief.” AdAge named her the 2022 Chief Strategy Officer of the Year and a 2023 Leading Woman for reaching new heights in an ever-changing marketing landscape. A career brand strategist, Bonnie has spent more than 30 years working with companies to articulate the essence of who they are and has transformed this practice into a creative brief for her life and a personal development strategy for individuals — “The Life Brief.” Bonnie’s creative brief has grown from an agency talk into a workbook, keynote talks and workshops, and, in 2024, a book.

“The Life Brief: A Playbook for No-Regrets Living” is a USA Today bestseller and Amazon Best Book of the Year 2024. Modeled after the creative brief, a tool used by many innovative companies to unlock clarity and unleash action, The Life Brief carves a path for living with intention and imagination.

Today, Bonnie teaches others how to get clear, get creative, and get courageous about living without regret through her keynote talks, workshops and retreats. And thanks to the clarity she found in her own Life Brief, Bonnie answered her desire to spend more time with her husband, four kids and dog Charlie.

Important Links:
Savvy Ladies
Precious Williams' LinkedIn
Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
Bonnie Wan's LinkedIn