Meet Goldie Chan

We were lucky to catch up with Goldie Chan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Goldie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I often find myself as the only one who looks like me in the room – the first Asian American or POC speaker (that is also a woman and under 50) on stage or in different writing spaces. I believe my effectiveness in getting the job done comes from not being deterred or thinking that my voice means any less than anyone else in the room. We are all equally worthwhile – especially if we are all invited into the same space. I try to take up a fair amount of space to help open the doors for others who also look like me.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I straddle the line between writer, creative and speaker – this means that part of my time is quietly writing (I was recently featured in an award-winning Microsoft commercial about my writing career as an introvert: https://youtu.be/ugDwpB12-Fw?si=lCp39EOP89RpHyao ) and I have a wonderful book coming up at the end of 2025 through Public Affairs (Hachette Book Group) on Personal Branding for Introverts (sign up here to learn more: https://www.goldiechan.com/introvertsbrand).

Another part of my time is making videos, designing creative pieces, advising various companies through my agency, Warm Robots (https://www.warmrobots.com) on both personal branding for the C-suite and ambassador programs. And finally, my great love is speaking on stage, and I’ve already been lucky enough to do quite of bit of it this year and will also be at VidCon this year and a few other bigger venues, speaking and sharing my journey.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three skills that really helped me during my career journey was flexibility, confidence and less focus on ego. The last two are tied together in that confidence is incredibly important to be able to advocate for yourself in tough situations and less ego means you work hard for those opportunities and don’t assume that you deserve promotions without the hard work.

One concept I’m speaking a lot on this year is the “restart” – being able to start again and being flexible when life and career doesn’t automatically go the way you want.

If you are early in your career, it’s so helpful to seek out mentorship and folks who are even one more step ahead of you in your career to help move you forward.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

My biggest area of growth has been in refinding my confidence in my career. I had to stop working in 2022 when I was diagnosed with cancer and did not start working again til early 2023. I’ve spent the past year and a half re-finding my footing and general direction of where I want to and can do with limited energy. It’s been really amazing to have my friends and colleagues support me through this deeply difficult time as well. I’m truly grateful and excited to speak more and do more good with on projects I care more about in branding and marketing.