Suzie Bao: Celebrating AAPI Excellence
How This Ad Industry “Rock Star” is Breaking Barriers, Shattering Myths and Helping the Industry Understand How to Best Support the AAPI Community
Suzie Bao, Group Account Director at Quigley-Simpson, is a strategic marketing leader for top brands in financial services, telecom, automotive, technology, and entertainment categories. She has been brilliantly connecting brands to consumers by way of the advertising industry for over 20+ years. In 2021, she became an Advisory Board Member for Asians in Advertising, a non-profit organization that aims to further the AAPI community in the advertising industry. The other roles she plays, in no particular order, are mother, mentor, coach, and speaker.
Suzie Bao was recently named a “Rock Star” By the AD CLUB (The Advertising Club of New York) as it celebrates AAPI excellence. This honor is part of the AD CLUBS’s “Icons, Rockstars, & Innovators” platform, which highlights exemplary talent integral to the evolution and growth of the advertising industry. We sat down with Suzie on the day of the AD CLUB event to talk about AAPI Heritage Month, her experience as an Asian woman in advertising, how we can all be better allies, and, of course, what it feels like to be a rock star.
Quigley-Simpson has tapped you to lead many of its AAPI Heritage Month celebrations. Can you tell us what you and the agency have done to recognize this month?
I started by writing a blog for the agency’s website that explains the history of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and some of the AAPI community’s struggles in the workforce. I also spearheaded an agency-wide storytelling project where I asked everyone at Quigley-Simpson who is of Asian descent—whether they're half Asian, first generation, second generation, third generation, whatever—to write up a short profile on themselves and the agency has been sharing them on our social media all month. We have so many rich stories with so many different backgrounds.
Next week, I am hosting a Lunch & Learn to discuss the myths and stereotypes about Asian Americans that are harmful in the workplace and offer ideas on how individuals and agencies can best support the AAPI community.
Can you tell us about the myths you’ll be discussing?
Sure. I think three myths are particularly dangerous to the AAPI community. The first is that there is such a thing as being Asian. We’re not a monolith. This is reflected in my family: my mom is Chinese, and my dad is Vietnamese.
In the United States, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have been lumped into an umbrella racial category even though these communities consist of over 50 distinct ethnicities. In fact, since 2009, this month has been officially known as Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I think it’s important to recognize the diversity within our community.
The second thing I discuss is the model minority myth. This term was coined in the 50s or 60s about Japanese men who were finding a good deal of business success. I think this myth was partially born out Americans’ guilt over Japanese internment during World War II. It was a way to say, “It’s okay; they’re doing fine.” It wasn’t fair to the Japanese men then, and its persistence has now hindered generations of people from all Asian heritages. We aren’t all doing just fine and we don’t have to be.
As much as I loved the movie Crazy Rich Asians, it furthers this stereotype of Asians as rich and successful and not in need of any help. Our cultures often teach us not to speak up when things are bad. The model minority myth makes it that much harder to ask for help.
Finally, the third thing I will talk about is the bamboo ceiling. This was a term coined almost 20 years ago by Jane Hyun. It’s similar to the glass ceiling and hinges on the idea that Asians are good soldiers but not great leaders. The myth is that we do very well at entry-level jobs and maybe middle management but will not necessarily make it to the C-suite.
Unfortunately, this myth is shaping reality. A recent USA Today analysis of S&P 100 companies found that 1 out of every 96 Asian men and 1 out of every 124 Asian women hold a top job, compared to 1 out of every 45 white men and 1 out of every 60 white women.
Another survey by the Association of Asian American Investment Managers found that 62% of AAPI women felt they’d been hindered in their careers by the stereotype of Asian women as subservient or weak and not leadership material.
“In the United States, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have been lumped into an umbrella racial category even though these communities consist of over 50 distinct ethnicities. I think it’s important to recognize the diversity within our community.”
Did you face any of these stereotypes in your own career?
Definitely. I got a job at a top, traditional ad agency straight out of college. At the junior level, you work a lot of hours for not a lot of money. I went into it thinking that if I kept my head down and worked hard, I would be noticed and rewarded for my good work. Only that didn’t happen. I didn’t get noticed.
At the time, I thought that was just how it goes for everyone at that level, but looking back, I realize it had a lot to do with my culture. I was raised Chinese by my mother. We're taught to be humble. We're taught not to speak up. We're taught to respect our elders. That doesn’t work in this industry. I wish I could go back and tell the young me who had just gotten her dream job in advertising that she had to speak up for herself and promote herself from the beginning.
Were there any Asian women that you could look up to or turn to as mentors?
There was one Asian woman in a leadership role, and I thought she would take me under her wing and help me out, but she really didn’t. Unfortunately, back then, any woman—especially a minority woman—who got into a position of power felt that they had to hold onto it tightly, which meant not sharing it or speaking up for anyone else.
How has this shaped your leadership style?
I'm a big believer in reaching back and pulling forward. I look at people’s potential more than what they’ve accomplished, and I make an effort to set them up for success. I remember I interviewed this account executive, a Korean guy, who was very quiet. It took a little while for him to warm up in the interview, but I could tell he was super smart. Throughout the interview process, I told people before meeting him that he was quiet, but I knew he could do the job.
After he got hired, I kept trying to help him. I created opportunities for him to speak in meetings and even set up a meeting with him and a client so he could go over the work he’d done. He was nervous at first, but we practiced the presentation a few times, and he was great.
“I'm a big believer in reaching back and pulling forward. I look at people’s potential more than I look at what they’ve accomplished, and I make an effort to set them up for success.”
So, you believe in mentorship?
I didn't learn this until recently, but I think people need a whole team in place. You really need a mentor, a coach, and a sponsor. A mentor is someone in your field who you respect and look up to and who you can go to for advice. I’ve been lucky to have many great mentors during my career. In addition, however, I believe that people need a paid career executive coach like you would pay a therapist or a personal trainer. A therapist helps you with your mental health, a personal trainer helps you with your physical health, and a career coach helps you with your career health. The third role is a sponsor. The sponsor should be a very senior person, a head of the company, or a top person in your industry who can open doors for your next connection.
It’s like how a celebrity has a glam squad. We all need a career squad. If you look at top men in any of the top positions in business, they all have their own little advisory committee.
What can agencies do to specifically help employees of Asian descent thrive?
It’s not enough to permit Asian employees to speak; we have to teach them how. My mom was the typical, subservient Asian woman who didn't speak up to my dad or the other males in her life, even when they were wrong. That was the environment I grew up in and the modeling I received. For a long time, all of my performance reviews said roughly the same things, “Suzie is doing a great job but should speak up more.” I didn’t know how, and when I tried, it came across as defensive and inauthentic. Just telling someone to speak up is like giving them keys to a car and sending them to the store even though they don’t have a driver’s license.
When I have people working with me who have trouble speaking up, I try to give them a platform to show off their work or tee them up in meetings. If I see colleagues talking over someone, I will make sure the conversation circles back by saying things like, “I think Phil was making a similar point. Phil, do you want to finish what you were saying?” Or, “Phil, did you have more to say about that?” It took me a long time to find my authentic voice, and now it’s my responsibility to help others find theirs.
On a broader level, companies need to elevate the presence of AAPI employees and create safe spaces, like employee resources groups (ERGs) or DE&I committees, where we can discuss these issues together.
“I think it’s important for allies to start by acknowledging what is going on and speaking up about the injustices that are happening all across our country. Adding voices outside of the AAPI community can be powerful.”
It feels incomplete to talk about AAPI Heritage Month without talking about the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. How do you think this has impacted you and your colleagues, and how can individuals and companies support the AAPI community right now?
I went to an ERG meeting not long ago, and it was very moving for me, partly because it was a safe place for all of us to admit that we’re scared. We’re scared about the attacks on our communities and our elders. I have two teenage boys, and this is the first time I’m scared for them to walk alone in our neighborhood. I go back to the model minority myth; it’s hard for us to admit we’re not feeling okay. But we’re not okay. This environment isn’t normal.
I think it’s important for allies to start by acknowledging what is happening and speaking up about the injustices happening all across our country. Adding voices outside of the AAPI community can be powerful. There are also allyship workshops and bystander training that people can take that can help them stand up to hate crimes.
Now is also the time for individuals and agencies to support the AAPI community, whether by working with AAPI-owned businesses or giving to AAPI charities.
Before we go, are you excited to have been named a Rock Star by the AD CLUB as it celebrates AAPI excellence?
Very excited. I was honored that Quigley-Simpson asked me to lead much of the effort for AAPI Heritage Month, and then I found out that our CEO nominated me for this award. It’s been really moving to be recognized by my colleagues at Quigley-Simpson and the AD CLUB, and I plan to continue to find a way to make our industry more equitable and inclusive for everyone.
May 25, 2023
