How Joy Work Drives Brand Success

In this episode of Breaking Through the Mayhem, host Michele Ching talks with Suzie Bao, a transformative marketing leader and diversity advocate, about her journey navigating cultural barriers as an Asian American woman and building a legacy of authenticity and impact.

With over 20 years of experience leading strategic marketing campaigns for top brands, Suzie has built a career at the intersection of innovation, inclusion, and business success. Suzie shares how her “joy work”—mentoring, community building, and championing representation—has become central to her role at IW Group, where she leads groundbreaking multicultural campaigns that bridge brands and culture.

Key highlights:

• The power of “joy work” in aligning purpose with career and driving meaningful impact.
• Overcoming barriers as an Asian American woman in leadership and paving the way for others.
• Using AI for good in award-winning campaigns, like McDonald’s “Sweet Treats,” which bridged generational language gaps through innovative technology while celebrating intergenerational family bonds.
• Leading cultural-forward campaigns that empower underrepresented voices.

Suzie’s story is a powerful reminder that joy, authenticity, and perseverance can create lasting change for individuals and their communities.

TRANSCRIPT

Host: Michele Ching
Welcome to a brand new episode of the Breaking Through the Mayhem podcast. Today we've got something truly special for you. We're interviewing Suzie Bao. Suzie is a transformative leader who strives to be a beacon of trust, a source of impactful value, and a catalyst for positive change. She is an awarded and accomplished strategic marketer who brilliantly connects brands to consumers by way of the advertising industry.

For over 20 plus years, she was honored as the She Runs IT Working Mother of the year, AD Club of New York Rock star honoree and ad color leaders and judge. She also serves as a founding board member for Asians in Advertising, and sits on other industry and community committees. The other role she plays, in no particular order, our mother, a mentor, mentee, coach, and speaker.

Suzie, welcome to the Sightly podcast. We're so happy to have you.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Thank you for having me. Excited to be on this podcast.

Host: Michele Ching
So today we're fast forwarding to really understanding what your work is now at IW Group. But before we jump into all of that, I wanted to just do kind of a quick shout out to our mutual friend Bernice Chao for connecting us.

That's how we first met. And it's actually so curious that it took us that long to meet, because then after we met, I started seeing you at all of the industry events, and then I was like, oh my gosh, you are like the lead speaker on the board of think L.A. and all of these really wonderful things.

So I'm such a huge fan of your work. But for those of us who don't know you. Yeah. Can you tell us a little bit about your personal journey as an advertising executive?

Guest: Suzie Bao
Yeah, it has been quite a journey. And, most of it to be very transparent was a struggle. It was definitely an uphill battle, as many women of color, especially Asian women, and breaking all these barriers and stereotypes and literally one by one, I had to break them down.

But first I had to realize what they were. I had to self discover, oh, this is a barrier. I need to break that down. So that was the first step is wondering why isn't this working? Why is the advice of a, you know, a white man not working for me? Honestly? And it took me a while to figure that out.

All the advice of, you know, people who didn't look like me didn't work for me. And realizing that, oh, first I need to overcome some of my own cultural barriers, and then I can move forward, and I can make my own rules and break walls down for other people. Other generations after me?

Host: Michele Ching
Yeah. I'm so happy that you are sharing that story.I think that so many of us have gone through something like that, and like it takes us all to sort of tell the truth about that, so we can kind of create our own rules and our own playbook of what rising through the ranks can look like in the advertising industry. So maybe take us through that origin story and help us understand how you started out.

And then now landing at, a IW group working on this massive account. Like, tell us what that journey has been like.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Yeah, I often, in some of my paid speaking engagements. One of which is literally called, overcoming or breaking cultural barriers. I tell the story of when I was in second grade, I was taken out of my class and put into ESL, which is English, as a second language, because I was that typical quiet, shy Asian girl.

And at that moment, you know, they realized quickly, oh wait, she does speak English and she speaks it pretty well. So let's just put her back in, you know, and as a second grader, you're just absolutely humiliated and mortified. Honestly and embarrassed because every kid is looking at you like, what did she do? And that was really the first moment.

I didn't realize that until many years later, what that did to me. At that moment, I started assimilating. I started, you know, hiding my cultural background, and just wanted to fit in, and that worked for a bit. I have to say, it worked up to a certain point, because as I realized, you know, post-college and getting to the working world, sure.

I was seen as a hard worker. I was seen as someone who's diligent and listens and does what I'm told. But when it came time for leadership roles in management roles, suddenly I had to work in a different way. I had to, you know, almost shave off certain perceptions because as many Asians in general and women, we're looked upon as hard workers and good soldiers, but not great leaders.

And that was another pivotal moment for me. Is like, oh, okay, that's a barrier. That's a barrier I need to break down. So make sure I am hard working. Sure I'm diligent. And for the most part, I do what I'm told. But, I think a culture barrier that I had to overcome. You know, we are taught to respect our elders as Asians and as women.

But what if our elders are bosses? Our executives are wrong. What if we disagreed with them? What if we didn't like the way they were running things? How do we how do how does that work for someone who grew up very shy and was afraid to speak up and honestly didn't know how to speak up because it's the same as if you told someone, oh, go, go get my keys and drive from point A to B, but you've never learned how to drive.

You don't even have a driver's license. It's the same thing. I did not grow up with parents or role models who were outgoing and taught me how to speak up and fight for everything. That was not my upbringing. So suddenly I'm in a situation where I want to be in management. I want to be a leader. I really, I literally don't know how.

And so when I, when I looked at the people that were leaders at the time, first of all, none of them looked like me. None of them. And so I didn't know how to model myself. So I was taking advice from them. I was trying to do it. They were doing it just didn't work. Not all the time.

It worked once in a while, but it honestly wasn't authentic to me. So I really had to do a lot of reflection, a lot of self-discovery, and I think, now we're going to get into, as I think I call it, my joy work now. So as I'm self-discovering and I started to meet a lot of people like me, especially through, being part of Asians in Advertising and knowing people like Bernice and yourself all of a sudden were like, wait, you went through that too?

And this is how I did it. And so this community started forming and a very, very supportive community. And, you know, we were all kind of going through something similar at some point or some phase in our career in our lives. And so we wanted to just help each other out, lift each other up, support each other. And that's really the power of community.

And I realize that that is my joy work. Now. I want to do this just because it wasn't done for me. I want to make sure that I do this for others. Because it's not fair that I had to go through that. And I paved this way, sort of. I'm going to help others, you know, do the same, because why should they go through that?

And that's just, you know, sparked this joy work path for me, even though, you know, I was still going through it. That journey was still happening as I started this joy work. ‘

Host: Michele Ching
That makes so much sense. And and also, I think it's like, really cool that you labeled it, right? I think so many of us have had this idea about our joy work, if you will, being separate from our day jobs and for you to find a way to actually integrate those two paths, I think is really powerful, especially in this day and age when so many of us are trying to do that more and more.

So I was wondering if you could take a quick step back, or I guess maybe a step forward. Can you define like what is joy work? Can you tell us a little bit more about this term? I know we've talked about, but I'd love for you to share kind of your definition of what that is.

Guest: Suzie Bao
You know, it actually.I'll do another shout out to a good friend and mentor of mine. Her name is Bonnie Wan.

Host: Michele Ching
We've had her on this Sightly podcast.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Yeah. I started, she became my mentor maybe a couple of years ago. And this is before her book came out, and we did a life brief together for me. And that's honestly where the term joy work, stemmed from.

Because we went through what, what were the things that were making me bringing me joy? What were the things that were barriers and what were the things that I, you know, beliefs that no longer serve me? We literally went through a life brief for me and I always said she came up with joy work. And she told me that no, no, no, I just took the words that you said and put them together for you.

But you said these words and you just didn't realize that what I was doing over here, all that community work and all the mentoring and all that I was doing was bringing me joy. And so that's how it came together for me. It's like, oh, all right, this is what this is what is making me happy.

And this is my purpose, really. And all these other things I was trying to do. You know, it's trying to chase title. I was trying to chase salary. I was trying to chase, you know, recognition. I wasn't getting. But all of that, honestly didn't matter as much because once I started doing the joy work, well, guess what?

The titles came, the salary came, and the recognition came. So all those, acknowledgment acknowledgments you said about me in the beginning of my bio, honestly, those came to me when my joy work was front and center.

Host: Michele Ching
That makes so much sense, because here at Sightly you've heard me talk about this before. We are. We make a big bet on authenticity wins.

We make a big bet in how we actually create and drive innovation on the adtech side of our platform. You know, it's called brand mentality. It's all about helping brands claim that authenticity. And what's interesting in the interview with Bonnie Wan we talked a lot about the synergies between the life brief platform and the brand mentality platform, because all it really is doing is using technology to help clients lean into that authenticity, and when they do, they see better business performance and outcomes.

We have some exciting case studies that we're going to be launching about that. What's cool about what you just shared is that it doesn't just apply to brands and businesses, but that idea of authenticity has paid out for you. It's worked. Yes. For your career path. One thing I didn't hear you talk about that I know you've told me about.

I'd love to have you share with audiences. How have you gotten to this place where you are integrating joy work with your day job so that it's not just community building and mentorship that brings you joy on the side, but that you're actually you've now bridged those two things. I'd love for you to share more about that.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Yeah, my last few honestly, all of the jobs I've had up until this one, I'm currently holding at IW group. They were two separate things. They were my job that paid me my salary. And then on a side, I would do this joy work, this community work, you know, started being part of Asians and advertising, think L.A. and all of that, all the community work that I do. And, you know, my last CEO says, you know, why don't you bring some of that in-house?

And so I try to do that. I try to bring some of that work, you know, DNI initiatives and just doing the same kind of joy work I did outside of my day job into the work. And I have to say, it was a struggle. I it wasn't for a lack of effort and it wasn't for a lack of support, but it just wasn't part of their DNA, to be honest.

However, once I got this role, at IW group it is part of it the DNA of this agency. It's a multicultural agency first of all. So DNI is not an issue. We're here. We are in the space. And I'm just so fortunate and lucky that I walk into work. And I am not the only I don't have that loneliness feeling that I'm here to do the work.

I get to work with very talented people of color. Mostly Asians, but honestly, you know, all walks of life. But not only that, not just people that work at the agency, but the people we hire. You know, my very first project, I set foot on a set and it was an Asian female director, and I thought it was like I was staring at a unicorn.

But that's normal. And it's like, this is amazing that this is the norm. That's not the exception. And the people we work with, you know, I get to hire AAPI celebrities to work on our commercials. I get to hire, you know, organizations that are led by AAPI, at every level. And that is the joy work that I've been trying to do.

But now it's integrated into my actual job. And that's just so amazing to me, and I'm grateful for it. Every day. And, you know, it's not without its challenges. It's not that it's easier, but it is so much more joyful for sure

Host: Michele Ching
That is what we love to celebrate here. So let me personally offer you already know this about me, but I think the thing at Sightly that, like, we keep trying to say to brands and businesses and agencies is exactly what you just said.

Instead of trying to change who you are or fit into a system that maybe isn't meant for you, double down on who you are as an individual, as a leader. Internally, I'd say we really support that, but also in the product we've, you know, created with our clients. The whole point of Brand Mentality is exactly that.

As a brand, as a business owner who you are double down on that and that actually, whether it's behind the camera or in front of the camera, if you are living true to your values, your perspectives, your opinions, if you can really own the parts of the nuances that makes you different as a brand that consumers will actually recognize, see it and connect with it, and your business performance will actually be elevated. It sounds like at IW Group you're making that same bet.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Yeah. And the clients that come to us are not wanting to oh, we got to check the box to do some multicultural advertising. All the clients that come to IW group, they believe in a culture forward marketing campaign.

I personally work on McDonald's and they want to be a cultural icon. So they're not just saying, oh, we're going to put a percentage of the budget towards this. No, they want to do what's authentic and right for the Asian consumer market. We also work on Lexus and AARP and many other accounts and brands that want to be culture forward.

And it's great. It is such a great feeling that they're not coming to IW group just to say, oh, yeah, sure, we got to do this. No, they're looking to us for our expertise, our cultural thinking. And it's just a wonderful feeling. And, you know, again, I'm just super grateful that I can't believe that this is my job.

Honestly, it's such a great feeling.

Host: Michele Ching
I love to hear that. And I think specifically, you know, you're reminding me now, we actually do have a client who uses language just like what you said. They actually have a separate part of their budget. They don't call it DNI. They're not. It's not like a separate thing that they do. They actually have said language like you said, not the same category.

It's not QSR, but it's a separate transportation category. Huge, massive brand. And their number one goal right now is to invest in culture as their central pillar, because they realize that even though their general market in terms of like the way that they're thinking about, their creative strategy and their media strategy and things of that nature that actually what consumers need today is they need a brand that has their finger on the pulse of culture.

And that's what that's what consumers are demanding. And therefore that's what is driving that our business results. So I love that you guys are really taking a leadership position in that. And from that perspective, Suzie, I would love maybe you could share maybe 1 or 2 examples of how you've integrated your joy work, this commitment to authenticity and brand.

How are you integrating that? In some examples of campaigns you've done at IW Group for McDonald's that you can share?

Guest: Suzie Bao
Of course. Yeah. So the very first project that I mentioned, I was on set and it was an Asian female director, it was a campaign called Sweet Treats and it's for, the grandma McFlurry, which is basically a milkshake, with butterscotch flavoring.

So how would that appeal to the Asian market? Our brilliant and talented creatives came up with an idea using AI technology and said, you know, the big insight and the Asian culture are grandparents and their grandkids have a very special bond. And the big thing between them is, of course, food. But there's also a language gap. You know, a lot of the grandparents can't speak to their grandchildren in, except by way of food.

So we used AI technology and created a tool where you can say, you know, you can speak in English and have it translated into your grandparents native tongue. And, you know, we did that and we cast real people. We cast real grandparents and their grandkids and had them do this recording and watch their reaction. And I can't even tell you we were all crying in the back room, to see the grandparents reaction, to hear their grandchild say the most affectionate words to them in their native language for the first time.

And it's not just a robotic voice, but it's actually their voice. Lip sync in whatever language you choose. It was an incredible technology. And I'm just like, tearing up thinking about it, too. And not only that, you know, that was the commercial and the digital tool that we created, but we also went around to senior centers in four major cities and taught seniors.

We had youths teach seniors how to use this AI technology and do the same, you know, there. So we kind of did this digital piece, a commercial and an on ground activity. So a full 360 campaign that we are super, super proud of. And we submitted it for a few awards. And just a month ago we won in the Asian category at the ANA multicultural excellence Awards.

And the ANA, to be honest, IW group is the most awarded agency in an ANA history and it is something to be so proud of. I never thought I cared about awards until I actually got one, and then I'm like, wow, this project meant so much to me and so much to so many people, and it resonated with so many people, and we got an award for it.

And that to me was like, wow, joy, work. And, you know, part of me, it's not just to do stuff, but to make an impact on people. And that was one of the most impactful campaigns I ever have been a part of. And I was just the most amazing thing when we actually, you know, won an award for it for something that I would have done for free. Honestly.

Host: Michele Ching
Oh my gosh, congratulations on the award. It's so well deserved. I mean, honestly, everything that you said is really, really innovative on so many different fronts. On the first front that you started out with, which is breaking cultural barriers, and then on this second front that you've been talking about, which is the opportunity, the opportunity to integrate joy, work into your day job, and then finally to really communicate this like universal message of family bond.

But a language barrier and you've actually deployed commercial investment in a way that I think many of us think is not possible. Right. Like in the industry, we're kind of like, okay, well, here we go. Another branding campaign saying another more of the same thing, but you really were able to shake it up and like, meet authenticity with purpose in a beautiful way.

So I'm so proud of that work for you. And thank you so much for sharing that. One thing that also comes to mind that I thought was really interesting about something you shared, is that you at IW group were able to create AI for good. I think there's so much fear around AI and generative AI, especially on the topic of multicultural advertising.

And for you to find a path to utilize AI technology in a way that honored cultural resonance and authenticity instead of missing it completely. I think that's really, really beautiful and something that, you know, I think is really interesting for our industry to be prioritizing when we think about innovation.

Guest: Suzie Bao
AI is a daily topic in the advertising industry. And we were written up about that campaign for doing AI for good. Exactly. That phrase. But and it is scary. It actually took, you know, behind the scenes. It took a lot to get that technology approved because, you know, McDonald's, a big corporation, and actually, it's a, North America brand. First, that McDonald's used AI in a campaign.

So that was a huge, yeah, a brand like McDonald's the first time they did it in North America, on a campaign like that. So, and we've used AI since we did another commercial using AI. So it's becoming more and more common. But, there are a lot of, you know, legalities around it and, you know, certain it's still a little bit of a wild West frontier.

It's going to be more and more common. But it is something that, we don't we do it with, caution. And we, we work closely with whatever client or brand we're doing this for to make sure they feel safe and that their brand is going to be safe using the technology.

Host: Michele Ching
And that's so smart and that's absolutely necessary.

To your point about it being the wild, wild West when it comes to AI, I know our in-house AI teams and data scientists are always at the forefront of a lot of those challenges. And they do such a wonderful job of like, even keeping the rest of the teams, like, informed on how the technology is changing, so quickly.

And like, that's why I think for us it's been such a safety lever to have those data scientists teams in-house. So we're like, not outsourcing and not just kind of letting someone else create the technology, but we can actually have our hands on it, understand what the implications and impacts are going to be for our clients for exactly the same reasons.

Like you really do need to protect. What does innovation conscious innovation look like to the best of your ability, while also honoring there's only so much you can control.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Yeah, while it's a powerful, powerful tool, you still need the creativity and the wisdom to use the tool. It's just like any other tool. It's just extremely powerful, but it can't create.

There's still someone behind the creativity of it. So, you know, someone came up with that idea to use AI for good to do this tool. You know, it's not like AI came up with it by itself. It was just a tool that we use. So that I think that's the thing people need to keep in mind that it's at the end of the day, it's still just a tool, but still needs a brilliant mind behind it.

Host: Michele Ching
That's exactly right. I think in our language we always talk about it being the technology plus the human review element, because the human review element is that critical piece that helps you stay, in alignment with, we call brand mentality profile. In Bonnie's words, it helps you stay in alignment with your life brief. So I think we're completely aligned and on the same page.

So you just told this really cool story about winning this amazing multicultural award.Huge moment for you and your work, the agency you represent. But help me understand, Suzie, I think there was another campaign where you guys actually got to do an additional 360 approach. I'd love for you to share with the audience because again, it's another amazing example where authenticity and brand authenticity continues to win in a business outcome context.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Yeah. So again, I'm so lucky to have this job and the different projects I get to work on. I talked about, you know, a true marketing campaign this other, I wouldn't even call it a campaign, but really a project that I got to do, does a scholarship for the API community. And, every year we do some work to promote it.

So we created some commercials, and we also put together an education summit. And this was right up my alley because I love doing summits. I've been doing the Asians and Advertising Summit for a couple of years. I do my own speaking engagements at summits and this was just so meaningful. I'm like, I'm literally getting paid to do something I love to do and put together.

So, this education summit came up with the theme, Equal access, Boundless Success because these scholarships go to low income Asian families. And again, this is another stereotype and cultural barrier that people don't know that, the Asian communities are one of the biggest gap in income. There's a lot of people who are Asian descent or are living below poverty.

And, you know, people think of the movie crazy Rich Asians and that's everybody. No, it's not, it's not everybody, who are Asian. So there are a lot of Asian families, and they think that Asians don't need the help. And that's the other problem.

So I get to put together this summit, and I was able to get two big Asian celebrities again, part of my job. Now I get to hire, and elevate and spotlight these amazing, Asian talent, celebrity or otherwise.

So I was able to get Ming-Na Wen, the amazing, original Joy Luck Club, the original Mulan, Mandalorian, I mean, just to name a few, icon like legend. So she was one of the moderators, as well as an up and coming legend, Ramona Young from Never Have I ever. So they both were moderators of the summit.

I also got to bring on, long time and new friends to be part of the summit because I wanted to have a variety of speakers, one of which is our mutual friend Sheila Akbar, who is the CEO of Signet Education, and her company did the education workshops, and her company is what families with means hire to get their kids into college.

So she provided workshops for the people who honestly can't afford her organization. And so that's the beauty of what Sheila does, is she offered her wisdom. She spoke on the panel, and, she had her team come to workshops for these high schoolers for free. And I also had an Asian author. She's a fictional author named Suzanne Pak, who I actually met on some random panel I was on.

And I'm like, let's keep in touch. And then an old friend of mine, Norbert Tan, who is the deputy director of AAPI Equity Alliance. So I gave the audience a real, you know, variety of eight prominent Asian people that are not doctors and engineers and lawyers that typically, you know, parents want them to aspire to be.

But these are successful people who are in the creative field, who are in social justice and also, you know, a C-suite person so that they can see this, you know, representation of how many and successful people in their own right. And they're not necessarily engineers and doctors and lawyers, although nothing wrong with them. We need all of those types of professions, too.

But just to show that there's so much more you can be, you know, by, you know, letting these amazing speakers do their thing. And of course, you know, after the summit, Ming-Na Wen and Ramona Young were just like, this is so amazing. And they were just so ecstatic to be part of it. And they're just like anything else you need from us, let us know.

So I was so happy that not only our celebrities were just thrilled to be there and thrilled to talk about it. And, you know, it was just such a successful event. I was so happy with it. And I couldn't again, this was joy work in the making. I mean, I couldn't believe that I was able to spotlight celebrity talent, amazing professionals, as well as give back to high school community that could use this extra boost and extra help.

And, you know, tell them about the scholarship. Many of them didn't even know this scholarship existed.

Host: Michele Ching
And honestly, I've never heard of it. And we know that large corporations do like a lot of charitable giving, but like, sometimes it's not really accessible. So this program equal access, boundless success, completely nailed that. So congratulations. And what I want to definitely say to you, two things.

One, and actually speaking with Sheila I wish I had the statistic top of mind, but I don't there is a significant number of, it's a significant impact of first generation students in their family to go to college and graduate from college, and that can successfully change the entire trajectory of their family lineage. Was it? Yeah. Did you tell me that statistic or is it Sheila?

Guest: Suzie Bao
t was probably Sheila, but I know what statistic you're talking about. And I forgot to mention two of the panel speakers were are former scholarship winners. And their journey is just so amazing. One was homeless in high school and now she's at Uni studying to be a nurse. Like just getting this scholarship literally changed her life.

And she is just has such a bright future. And not only that, she's now just this, such a I don't know. There's this light that emulates from her, you know, after going through so much darkness. I mean, just to see people come out of that and just a little boost, just a little boost can change a person's life.

And that's what, I just just brings me joy. I, I literally flew her out. I think she goes to la. I flew out to, you know, to L.A.. I'm like, please be part of this panel. Well, you know, I'll pay for your travel. Just come out here and, like, speak your truth. And so she gladly did it.

And then same for the other scholars. She went through some really hard times, family issues growing up. And, you know, again, got this scholarship, left Colorado and wanted to come to LA to be more in a diverse community. And it's so funny because, in her letter for the scholarship, she wanted to go to a school in LA because she wanted to meet a celebrity.

And I gave her that opportunity because she got to be on a panel with Ming-Na and Ramona Young.

Host: Michele Ching
That's huge. And this is the second thing I wanted to say. So thank you for sharing that part. But, Suzy, I want you to take this, and this is an amazing example of you using your role in corporate America to impact change.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Yeah, yeah, I, I realize that and I do need to take that moment and take it in because, you know, at the time, I'm just like, I got to get this done. And now, you know, I get to talk about it. And I realize that's really what I wanted to do, because what, what I'm doing now, you know, in the first part of my life, I was just trying to learn and do everything and just grow.

And then I was just. I became a mother, and all I was doing is just trying to balance my life. And now I call it this is my legacy building era. And I just want to do things and projects that have a lasting impact. Not just a momentary impact, but a lasting impact. Because at the end of the day, I would love for people.

They don't need to remember what I said. They don't even need to remember my name. I just want them to remember that feeling that they had of something I did or said. You know, if I made an impact in their lives because of something I did or said, that's the legacy I want.

Host: Michele Ching
That's beautiful. So from that perspective, it brings me to my closing questions. The first one is, and you actually just set this up perfectly for me. So you mentioned about, what impact would be to you is remembering having folks who have heard something you did or said and remembering that feeling. So this is the question is, what is your advice for folks in the industry or any industry struggling with this division between joy, work and their day job?

And how can we work towards more integration and more authenticity in our work?

Guest: Suzie Bao
I think you need to. I didn't know how to do this early on in my career. I just wanted a job to get paid. I didn't know I would like this job, but if you are a young person just starting in a career and you're just trying to figure it out, figure out what will make you happy and what would bring you joy, and that you can get paid for it.

And then work towards that, you know, and it's okay to change your mind. I mean, so many people change careers. I mean, even though I've been in an advertising industry for over 20 years, I had a few pivots along the way. I went to fashion school. I went and did sales for a bit. I did client side for a little bit.

And, you know, like I said before, I was just chasing titles and I was chasing salary when I didn't until I realized that I needed to chase what made me happy. And then the title on salary will come. And that's what happened for me. And I truly, truly believe that. And I'd give anyone that advice, is that work towards what is going to bring you joy and the salary and title will follow.

Host: Michele Ching
I love that work towards what brings you joy and title and salary will follow. All right. So last two questions. First one is you know, you talked a lot about impact and creating impact with your work. So from that perspective name your favorite mission driven business and why.

Guest: Suzie Bao
I don't know if this is my favorite, but I recently met, a person from an organization called Asian founded, and I didn't realize it existed, but it's basically, Asian Shark Tank, and it helps out, Asian entrepreneurs to launch, you know, their, their product or their brand or whatever it is.

And I thought it was such a great organization to again, I think because of the model minority myth, the general audience, they don't think that Asians need help. They don't think Asian businesses need help. They don't think the AAPI community needs help. But and I think it's we don't ask for help and we don't let people we need.

We don't let people know we need help. It's a shame thing. And we have a hard time asking for help. So I love organizations like Asian Founded or any sort of community group that lets people know it's okay to ask for help and we're here to provide. So that's one that I really like for, you know, entrepreneurs.

Another one is, the Yellow Chair Collective, which is, an organization for, mental health and wellbeing for specifically, the AAPI community. All the therapists are of AAPI descent. And, you know, I also actually had them at the Summit Education Summit because I feel that knowing, you know, my oldest son just went through the college application experience last year, and I saw how stressful it was for not only the child, but the parents and I.

So I wanted the Yellow Cheer Collective team to be at the summit to provide mental health opportunities and just to know that this exists. And I would invite them to every single summit that I do, because every thing needs a balance of mental wellness. And so they're a great sort of group that people just should know about.

So I love those two organizations. And, you know, of course, the one that, I was a founding board member, Asians and advertising founded by Bernice Chao of course, It's you know, I've been with the group since the beginning, and I still feel that the mission is intact of just helping the AAPI community in this advertising industry, because there's still not a whole lot of us in this community, and we're providing tools and mentorships and, you know, opportunities for all of us to, again, collectively come together and support each other.

Without the support, I wouldn't have been able to, you know, have the confidence and and just the the joy that I found in doing all of this work.

Host: Michele Ching
Absolutely. I think that together, these communities that you have been talking about are creating a new narrative for API empowerment. And then specifically with Asians in advertising, that's exactly what you said is it's building this community effect, feeling like you have a foundation to collaborate and build from and build together with.

And I think as human beings, that sense of community and collaboration makes us not only more feeling, more empowered, but it actually makes our work more impactful because you have that multiplier effect. Yeah. So last question. Kind of connected but separate. Is, Suzie, what would you leverage your courage for?

Guest: Suzie Bao
What I’d leverage my courage for.

You know, I always think back of that shy, really scared little girl growing up and, you know, I wish I could say to her, like you, you've got this. Like, you have the courage. Just find it. And I just would love to help people find their courage to do whatever it is that they want to do. So that's what really courage is, is that is to put a way is to deal with the fear and overcome it with courage and knowing that you have the love and support of a community out there.

So find your community, whatever that is, and that's where you'll find the courage.

Host: Michele Ching
I love it, so what would you would leverage your courage for is helping people find their courage and connecting with community.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Yeah, exactly.

Host: Michele Ching
Gorgeous. Okay, Suzie. Well, thank you again so much for joining us today on this Sightly Breaking Through the Mayhem Podcast. I'm so honored to get to feature you in this incredible work, the joy work that you're bringing to the world. And I hope that we get to feature you again soon. And again, congratulations on all of your success.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Thank you so much. I look forward to more things I'm doing in 2025, so more to come. This is just the beginning. I'm not even done yet.

Host: Michele Ching
Incredible. All right thanks again Suzie.

Guest: Suzie Bao
Thank you.