Daily Inspiration: Meet Whitney Bonrud

Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Bonrud.

Hi Whitney, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in Rosemount, Minnesota. It was a great town to grow up in — the friendships I made there are the ones I carry with me to this day. I went to college at St. Cloud State University for Business and Public Relations. In my final year, I had the urge to join a study abroad program. I had considered going to Poland for a few weeks, to England for a Semester or to South Africa. Poland wasn’t a long enough trip to satisfy my itch and I figured everyone was going to England… so in that case I’d go to South Africa. It was one of the biggest turning points in my life. South Africa is full of beautiful people ready to bring you into their circles, their homes, feed you, travel with you and hear your stories. It’s where I learned what true generosity feels like. It’s also where I learned how to give my heart and compassion to those who really needed it. The contradiction of wealth and poverty in the country was great so being able to give back by volunteering in an orphanage (Isithembio Babies Home) made me feel like I was part of something bigger. Leaving South Africa broke my heart. I went back a few years later meeting all of my old friends again — being welcomed in without question like they had done the first time around.

After South Africa, I moved to London for two years. I was broke and working four jobs to get by: nannying, freelance copywriting for a couple of brands and interning at a public relations firm, B Public Relations. After months of exhausting work, I got a hit on my resume and was invited to interview for a role as an events manager at a venue in East London. At the end of the interview, the owner of the club told me, “Whitney, you’re not qualified for the job but I’m going to give it to you because you’re working four jobs so I know you’re hungry.” And I was. Shortly after my tenure as Events Manager, I grew to Head of Music and Marketing for the Shoreditch Bars Group booking DJs and bands, private events and large bookings as well as marketing for nine venues. I’ll never forget the opportunity that man, Rocky, gave me.

I left London for New York, where I was for 4.5 years. I spent my time living in Bushwick, Brooklyn. NY is where I broke into Advertising. I had gotten a role on Madison Avenue at Laundry Service (now Wasserman), which led to the big leagues down on Wall Street at Droga5 — where I did some of my most proud work with some of my most favorite people in the world. New York was a great place to be in my twenties. Making mistakes, figuring it out. What I love most about New York is those romantic New York nights. The nights when you go out with one plan and you meet new people along the way and it unfolds into something completely different along the way. Before you know it you’re taking a cab home over the bridge with a smile on your face thinking about everything that just happened.

While at Droga5, I received a LinkedIn message from the head of recruiting at 72andSunny in LA. It said, “I have a job — if you’re willing to move, it’s yours.” Three weeks later I was living in Playa Vista riding my bike to work in the sunshine, beaching on Saturdays and hiking on Sundays. Los Angeles is something everyone should do in their early lives. It awakens the wild side. I worked at 72, then moved in-house to Dollar Shave Club for three years leading Content and Social Media Marketing and then moved on to Parachute (@parachutehome) as a Senior Brand Manager leading influencers, content, social, affiliates, print, video production. In the middle of all of this, I was an adjunct professor at FIDM in LA teaching Social Media Culture. I developed and taught the curriculum around how social media has impacted our relationship with self and others, how its impacted politics, the job market and how my students could have a more discerning eye for the marketing tactics they consume through digital media.

Parachute went “work from anywhere indefinitely” early in the pandemic. Giving way to the chance to move home after 11 years of wandering the globe. I had been thinking about it for a year at that point so this was a stress-free way of doing so while keeping the job that I love. I’ve talked to a few Minnesotans who’ve left and come back and we’ve all agreed — there’s something that pulls us Minnesotans back here. What I love most about being here is that my life ebbs and flows with the seasons — it’s the most natural way of living. I’m comfortable, surrounded by nature and good people who are down to share a whiskey with a stranger. Most of all, I get to reconnect with old friends and family and see my niece and nephews grow up.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It hasn’t been smooth. I was in my early twenties when I took off from home. I was broke — no one wanted to give me a chance. In London, none of my American university or internship credentials mattered. I took four jobs to make ends meet until finally getting a break about nine months in. In New York, it was the same thing — no one had ever heard of the business I ran in London so again, I had to start fresh building my resume from the ground up yet again. That’s just professional life. It also took a lot of work to also meet people and find communities who were willing to take in a transplant. When I left New York I was in the middle of a divorce. Everything was happening so fast with the divorce and moving to Los Angeles — which was a blessing looking back — but in the moment all I wanted to do was sit down and feel. Instead, I had to fight through it every day and get to the other side. Bumps along the way are truly what I’m most proud of — I’ve become one of the most resilient people I know. When I get knocked down or let down I always get back up. Gone are the days (I hope) of being broke and splitting a chicken breast for dinner with my partner. Driving through the good neighborhoods to pick up their discarded furniture to furnish my apartment. Eating on the floor until we could find chairs. I look back on those memories and smile even though it was the biggest struggle of my life.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve built my career (8+ years) in marketing and advertising. In London as a Head of Music and Marketing and Shoreditch Bars Group, I had the pleasure of working with artists such as A$AP Rocky, Phantogram, Big Sean and Rita Ora.

My early years on Madison Avenue and Wall Street were with Laundry Service (now Wasserman), Droga5 and in Silicon Beach at 72andSunny. Over the course of my advertising and freelancing career, I’ve worked on as many as 30+ brands including Toyota, St. Regis, Starbucks, Honey Maid, Shea Moisture and so many more.
What I was missing in my advertising life was the intimate access to in the inner workings of my client’s business, data and financials that would allow me to make more informed decisions and optimize my strategies faster. So, I went in-house at Dollar Shave Club. I had a blast working for the brand leading their Content and Social Media team. At Parachute as the Senior Brand Manager, I lead the team that manages strategy and execution across influencers, social, content, affiliates and so much more including print, video production and SEO.

I help brands get efficient, scale channel revenue streams, and tell meaningful, creative stories,

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
“Moonlight Mile” by The Rolling Stones from 3:33 is what makes me feel most alive. Play it on a road trip, on an open road, windows down, blaring.

Contact Info:

• Email: whitneybonrud@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anythingthatswild/