GS&P’s Bonnie Wan on turning a brief into a book

Ad Age is marking Women’s History Month 2024 by publishing a series of guest essays from women industry leaders who share their personal journeys and career lessons. Today, Bonnie Wan, partner and head of brand strategy, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, writes about directing our lives “with the same strategic sharpness and innovation we bring to brands” In 2010, I found myself in a personal crisis of meaning. My marriage was dancing on a cliff’s edge. We had three young kids, and I was our family’s primary breadwinner as well as chief caregiver, chef and housekeeper. In my darkest hour, I was hit with a flash of reflexive insight: What if I write a creative brief for my life? Could the practice of getting to a clear, concise, imagination-stirring and action-driving creative brief be harnessed not just for companies, but for something even more essential? What if we could direct our lives with the same strategic sharpness and innovation we bring to brands? My first Life Brief catapulted my family from its darkest chapter to a golden one. Since then, this method has propelled my career, centered my parenting and redefined my leadership. After teaching it at our agency, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, demand for it sprouted to companies such as Accenture, Apple and Google, and organizations such as the 3%, Chief and Goop. Read more essays from women advertising leaders While brand strategy initially inspired the Life Brief, sharpening it also fed our agency vision for strategy. The power of clarity to drive change works for both organizations and people. At GS&P, we created Brand Camp, our accelerated six-week process for uncovering and expressing the essence of companies (Lunchables, One Medical) to drive innovation across every part of business. After years of teaching the Life Brief as a joy hustle and way of giving back, I was asked in 2020 to write the book for it, which launched this January. This book, “The Life Brief: A Playbook for No-Regrets Living,” blends my professional expertise with deeply personal, sometimes messy stories. It’s here, within life’s raw and agitating moments, that true growth occurs. Far from being shameful secrets, these stories have become fertile ground for profound personal insights. My stories serve as both cautionary tale and inspiration—a collage of troughs and triumphs along with hard-earned wisdom that emerged along the way. In over 14 years of life briefing, I have learned that the most fulfilling lives are authored moment by moment, choice by choice, step by step. Action is a byproduct of clarity. Just as strategic clarity propels companies forward, “The Life Brief” is laced with penetrating prompts designed to help people declare what they want, reframe what holds them back and usher a clear path forward. Whether it’s redefining success in your career, curating a healthier relationship with yourself or defining your legacy of service, “The Life Brief” delivers a simple framework, a potent practice and a time-tested tactical toolbox. “The Life Brief” melds the discipline of brand strategy with the deep desire to live a life without regrets. Weaving my professional expertise with personal experiences into this offering is about more than simply writing a book; it’s a culmination of hard-won insights and a belief that within each of us lies untapped potential to design a soul-satisfying life that is true and distinct to you. Ad Age Leading Women Luncheon Join us Aug. 7 in New York as we recognize this year’s honorees Buy your ticket today

GS&P’s Bonnie Wan on turning a brief into a book

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