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:

• Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage

• What is the Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI)?

• ELI Application Form—Due Nov. 8, 2024

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:

• www.linkedin.com/in/bonniewan

• @bonniewanofficial on Instagram

• www.thelifebrief.com

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.

If you've ever caught yourself about to correct a spelling mistake on a grocery list, this week's guest has advice for you: Stop! And reflect: Why?

Yale School of Management Lecturer and reflective writing practitioner Stephanie Dunson joins Kavitha in the studio for a discussion about how the power of process writing moves us from inward reflection to outward, purposeful action. Stephanie encourages her students—of all ages—to let go of everything they've been taught about "right and wrong" in writing and embrace the metacognitive journey of pursuing uncertainty: What's missing from their writing? Why did they choose a particular word or structure? How can they move from fixation on the product to a generative emphasis on process?

This mindset shift, Stephanie believes, can help writers break through static individual beliefs and powerfully activate group thinking. Join this week's conversation to learn why Stephanie sees unfinished writing as the perfect, porous entry point into another's internal experience, and how to share your writing in a way that prioritizes vulnerability over exposure.

Transcript

Episode 4—Stephanie Dunson Transcript

Links and Resources

Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education:

• Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage

• What is the Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI)?

• ELI Application Form—Due Nov. 8, 2024

Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode:

• Embracing Contraries, Peter Elbow

• How We Think, John Dewey

• Transformative Learning in Practice, Jack Mezirow and Edward Taylor

• The Evolving Self, Robert Kegan

• A River Runs Through It, Norman Maclean

• 100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write, Sarah Ruhl

More Featuring Stephanie:

• Website Homepage

• Stephanie's guest appearance on Dr. Heidi Brooks' Learning Through Experience podcast

• Stephanie's podcast, 100 Writing Mistakes Academic Writers Make... And How to Fix Them

About Today's Guest

Stephanie Dunson, Yale SOM Lecturer in Reflective Writing

Stephanie Dunson is an award-winning scholar and a collaborative process specialist whose experience spans the academic and business worlds. Over her thirty-year career, she's gained an international reputation as a writing process expert, leading workshops at major universities, speaking at leading colleges, and coaching faculty from top programs. Her development as a team thinking expert is grounded in her work as a consultant for the Bard College Institute for Writing and Thinking and continued within academia through her tenure as Director of Writing Programs at Williams College. As a corporate consultant, she leads writing workshops designed to help groups collaborate critically on complex problems, make meaningful use of diverse viewpoints, and build communities of inquiry, support, and respect. At Yale SOM, she's a Lecturer on Reflective Writing and an Executive Education affiliate.

This week's guest, Michael Swiatek, is a longtime airline executive and strategist. He also identifies as a blind, low vision individual, and is pioneering new ways to make flying accessible and comfortable to all travelers. Mike joins Kavitha to explain how he went from despising the airline industry to embracing it as a vocation, and why he's excited, at age 61, to boldly step into a dual role as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Accessibility Officer for Abra Group.

Listen to take part in discussions of Mike's incredible international experiences, what he's seen change in the 30 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted, and what makes him call this era "the golden age of not only accessibility, but life."

Transcript

Episode 3—Michael Swiatek Transcript

Links and Resources

Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education:

• Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage

• What is the Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI)?

• ELI Application Form—Due Nov. 8, 2024

Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode:

• The ADA at 30: an EEOC message from July 2020

• The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlifeby Marc Freedman

• How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks

• The Seven Ages of Man, a monologue from Shakespeare's As You Like It

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

• Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations by Mary C. Murphy

• Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice by David S. Tatel

• Hard Landing: The Epic Contest for Power and Profits That Plunged the Airlines into Chaos by Thomas Petzinger, Jr.

• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

• The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study on Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz

More Featuring Mike:

• Aerotime's Executive Spotlight feature on Mike

• Forbes' coverage of Mike's accessibility efforts while at Avianca

• McKinsey's feature of Mike on why he sees this as a golden age of accessibility

• An IATA Airlines interview with Mike

About Today's Guest

Michael Swiatek, Chief Strategy Officer & Chief Accessibility Officer, Abra Group

Michael Swiatek is on a mission to uplift the lives of the world's largest minority—people with disabilities—especially those who are legally blind or have low vision, by enhancing their travel experiences. He is not only a senior executive with real-world success in the airline industry but is also legally blind himself. His unique life experiences have shaped his outlook and career journey.

With a distinguished aviation career, Michael Swiatek has excelled in senior executive roles at prominent global airlines. Currently serving as the Chief Strategy Officer & Chief Accessibility Officer at Abra Group, the parent company of Avianca and GOL Airlines, he shapes the strategic direction of these airlines, driving profitability and competitiveness in the Americas market.

Prior to his current role at Abra Group, Swiatek held the position of Chief Strategy & Planning Officer at Avianca, transforming the airline's positioning through alliance formation, network expansion, and corporate planning. He also championed inclusivity as Co-chair of Culture Transformation, Accessibility, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, solidifying Avianca's reputation as a socially responsible airline.

Previously, Michael has held senior roles at several global airlines, including Chief Planning Officer at IndiGo Airlines, the largest airline in India, Qatar Airways as Chief Planning Officer, and Air New Zealand where he served as Director of Strategic Planning.

Throughout his career, Michael Swiatek's strategic acumen and leadership have left an indelible mark on the aviation industry, propelling organizations to new heights.

This week, Kavitha is joined by legendary pro-soccer player-turned keynote speaker and human rights activist Joanna Lohman. Together they discuss why Joanna says that she has "refired" rather than retired from professional sports, and why, as a Yale ELI Advisory Board member and upcoming cohort participant, she would encourage other ELI Fellows to do the same.

Join us to learn about Joanna's journey from a celebrated career with the Washington Spirit and the U.S. National Women's soccer team to her "second act" pivot into her current roles as a performance coach, sport diplomat, and author. In addition, Joanna shares why it takes a risk-embracing mindset to enact change, what it means to embrace transformation as a "human superpower," and how she has embraced her identity as a lesbian athlete and public persona to serve as a courageous role model to others.

Transcript

Episode 2—Joanna Lohman Transcript

Links and Resources

Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education:

• Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage

• What is the Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI)?

• ELI Application Form—Due Nov. 8, 2024

Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode:

• Finding Mastery Podcast with Dr. Michael Gervais, who recently released episode 466: "How to Thrive in a Distracted World" featuring ELI instructor Emma Seppälä

• Atomic Habits, James Clear's 2018 book on refining your focus and forming better habits

• Nelson Mandela speaking at the 2000 Laureus World Sports Awards, when he uttered the famous line, "Sport has the power to change the world."

More Featuring Joanna:

• Raising Tomorrow's Champions, Joanna's 2021 book

• "Ignite the Human Behind High Performance," Joanna's keynote speech from July 2024

• "The Uncomfortable Ride to the Top," Joanna's talk at TEDxBeacon Street

• Joanna, her wife Melodie, and their daughter Luna featured on the news for Pride Month in June 2023

About Today's Guest

Joanna Lohman - Global Keynote Speaker, Authenticity Activator, Performance Igniter

Joanna Lohman is a global keynote speaker, former pro soccer player, and performance coach who excels at unlocking human potential and authentic excellence. A member of the U.S. Women's National Team and Washington Spirit's first jersey retiree, Joanna has a rich background in leadership and social impact. She authored "Raising Tomorrow's Champions" and serves as a human rights activist and Sport Diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, using sports to address critical global issues.

With 20 years of experience applying elite sports lessons to business, Joanna helps organizations excel through transformational leadership and resilience. She has worked with top companies like Qualcomm and the Minnesota Vikings and has appeared on CNN and Sirius XM.

A Silver Spring native and Penn State standout, Joanna is a Springbrook High School and Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Known for her blonde mohawk and authentic leadership, she is also a wife to Melodie, a parent to Luna, and a dog mom to Dewey.

In our first-ever episode of Long Life Learning, host Kavitha Bindra (Executive Director, Yale SOM Executive Education) is joined by Marc Freedman, Founder and Co-CEO of CoGenerate. Marc is dedicated to championing intergenerational projects for the greater good, and will serve as Faculty Director for the forthcoming Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI) provided by Executive Education at the Yale School of Management.

Together, Marc and Kavitha lay the groundwork for a dynamic first season, untangling myths around aging and celebrating the joy of embracing the second half of life.

Join us as Marc and Kavitha unpack questions like: Why are so many professionals who are nearing or new to retirement now seeking adventure and a re-examination of what brings them meaning? What are the ways we can nurture connection and purpose amidst personal milestones and professional transitions? And why is it more urgent than ever that we actively work to build collaborative relationships across generational lines?

Links and Resources

For More Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education:

• Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage

• What is the Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI)?

• ELI Application Form—Due Nov. 8, 2024

For Resources Mentioned in today's Episode:

• CoGenerate

• Modern Elder Academy

• The Purpose Prize, today run by the AARP

• Gary Maxworthy's Purpose Prize-winning plan to supply California food banks with fresh produce

• Road Scholar (formerly ElderHostel), founded by Yale alum William Berkeley

• Bill McKibben's "Senior to Senior" voter registration program

• The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin

• The Other Significant Others, by Rhaina Cohen

• An interview with Mauro Guillén, author of The Perennials

• An interview with Arthur C. Brooks, author of Strength to Strength

For More of Marc's Work:

• A Morningstar interview in which Marc makes the case for "Encore Careers" (Feb. 2024)

• PBS NewsHour's "Brief But Spectacular" segment showcasing Marc's multi-generational work (March 2023)

• "Reimagining Your Next Chapter," a Yale SOM Exec Ed webinar (Aug. 2024)

• Marc's book, How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations

About Today's Guest

Marc Freedman, Yale SOM '84

Founder and Co-CEO of CoGenerate; Lecturer in the Practice of Management at the Yale School of Management Marc Freedman is the founder and Co-CEO of CoGenerate and Lecturer in the Practice of Management at the Yale School of Management, where heis Faculty Director of Yale's new Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI). Freedman is one of the nation's leading experts on our increasingly multigenerational future and the author of five books. The Wall Street Journal named his most recent book — How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations — one of the year's best books on aging well. Originator of the encore career idea linking second acts to the greater good, Freedman spearheaded creation of Experience Corps, the Purpose Prize, and Encore Fellowships. He has been honored with numerous awards and fellowships, including the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship and the Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Schwab Foundation/World Economic Forum. A high honors graduate of Swarthmore College, Freedman holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management. He resides in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife, Leslie Gray, and their three sons.

Transcript

Episode 1—Marc Freedman Transcript

Long Life Learning host Kavitha Bindra introduces the premise of Season 1: how to center purpose and meaning in the context of midlife transitions. Just like participants in Yale SOM Executive Education's forthcoming Experienced Leaders Initiative, guests on the show are embracing their personal and professional milestones with dynamic leadership and tenacity! Featured voices include upcoming guests Marc Freedman, Joanna Lohman, and Michael Swiatek.