We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Simone Bonnett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Simone below.
Simone , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Most people think that they’re resilient but it’s very often in adversity that we truly get the measure of our resilience. This was indeed the case for me – four years ago during the pandemic I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The bottom literally fell out my world and for a long while I had moments of utter despair and horror at the situation that I found myself in.
It was 2020 and my social media strategy consultancy was growing, and I had a full roster of clients. Lockdown happened and although I lost one or two clients, the majority stayed on because of the growth and value they had seen. Entirely remote working was a great fit for my business and I continued to network online and do speaking engagements.
I saw a video on Instagram about checking your breasts regularly one morning which I decided to do. I discovered a lump and within two weeks was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. A mastectomy, a short bout of chemo and hormone therapy meant that I was given the all clear by 2021. I worked through chemo and even had some fantastic new clients sign on even though they knew my situation.
There were days that I thought I was going to break in pieces because of the fear. A diagnosis like that changes you forever and you will, to some extent be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life. The difference was being able to pick yourself up again when you stumbled and carry on.
I attribute my resilience in part to a difficult childhood, which certainly taught me survival skills and the value of just pushing through when times got tough but also that I had a supportive partner, children and friends who held me through the worst.
Fast forward to 2024 and I’ve not only survived cancer but also been diagnosed as autistic in addition to already knowing that I was ADHD. I pivoted along the way to taking on taking on contract roles which allowed me to build out a unique skillset and work in industries that I might not otherwise have. My next phase, and the one for which I will probably need all of my reserves of resilience, will be retraining to become a gender equality and diversity specialist as well as a social advocate.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have always really enjoyed my social media work and its unique ability to directly touch the hearts and minds of an audience. It’s frequently undervalued by businesses but ultimately the one direct channel where there should be a two-way dialogue. The conversations are still taking place whether an organisation chooses to participate or not. My experience has taken me across many industries including crypto, third sector and technology.
Lately though I’ve felt a welling up of wanting more and wanting to make a difference. I ‘ve always been an outspoken proponent of gender equality and inclusivity on my social media channels but it didn’t feel like I was making enough of a difference so I made the decision to retrain meaningfully. This year I’m heading back to university to study sociology and gender studies so that I can work with organisations to drive equality and inclusivity in a meaningful way. This alongside my social media and strategy experience will mean that I can drive real change and live the values that I feel so strongly about.
I will be actively looking to work with businesses who want to change the social landscape for the better and walk the walk with me.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Perseverance and resilience: being willing to dust yourself off and try again Scrappiness: don’t underestimate the value of rolling up your sleeves and doing the unsexy work
Willingness to learn: always be upskilling, learning, taking small courses and learning from mentors
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Atomic Habits by James Clear is one of the most valuable books I’ve ever read. I would also recommend signing up for his newsletter for the weekly value add. My top take aways from this have been;
– focus on building strong systems
– small habits make a big difference
– you are what you repeatedly do
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thesocialmanagers.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonebonnett/
Image Credits
Photos taken by Maria Cristina Licata and Mel Cunningham
