From Burnout to Global Brand Builder: How Yuki Bi Leads with Clarity, Culture, and Courage

This episode of Badass Women in Business features Yuki Bi, a global brand strategist and co-founder of Helios Worldwide. Her journey took her from childhood voiceovers in Canada to leading brand strategy for major clients across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. She has built an independent global agency without shortcuts, licensing deals, or smoke and mirrors.

But what makes this episode different is not the résumé. It is her willingness to name the burnout, the self-doubt, the pressure to be everything to everyone, and the hard lessons that taught her how to lead for real.

Her career started with a voiceover gig, not a grand plan

At seven years old, Yuki was doing jingle work in a recording studio. It was not glamorous, but it gave her an early glimpse into how brands communicate. Years later, while looking for a summer job, she found herself at a multilingual marketing agency that specialized in Asian markets. She was not seeking a lifelong career in advertising. But once she got in the door, she started to see the layers of strategy, behavior, and nuance behind every campaign. And she was hooked.

That internship turned into a long-term role, leading work for a major financial services client. She stayed for seven years before deciding to push herself further.

China offered growth, but not without risk

When she was offered a leadership role in China, she did not hesitate. She spoke only conversational Mandarin and had never lived there full-time. But the opportunity was too interesting to pass up.

The learning curve was steep. She stepped into a space where global brands were hungry to enter the market but often lacked cultural understanding. She had to navigate fast-moving platforms, language dynamics, and expectations from headquarters that did not match what was happening on the ground.

This is where she learned to lead across cultures. This is also where she saw how powerful it could be when creative, strategy, and local context actually aligned.

One moment of hesitation cost her half a team

At one point, Yuki was leading a team of 200 people, overseeing 14 brands, and trying to plan a wedding. She was exhausted. And she started to wonder if it was time to step away.

She never said it out loud. But her team felt the shift. Within six weeks, more than half of them quit.

That experience changed everything. She realized that leadership is not just about holding it together—it is about being fully present. Even quiet doubts can shake a team if you are not clear and grounded.

From that point on, she rebuilt. With intention. With structure. With a deeper understanding of how her energy shaped the people around her.

Helios was built brick by brick, not with branding deals

When she launched Helios Worldwide, she and her co-founder agreed to a model that would not rely on licensing, affiliation, or other common shortcuts. Every market they entered would be staffed by their own team, aligned to their culture and accountable to their standards.

Today, Helios has offices across four continents and works with major brands in automotive, fashion, beauty, and tech. They are part of Worldwide Partners, a global network of independent agencies that collaborate without giving up control or compromising values.

It took longer. But it works. Because it is real.

Cultural campaigns fail when they rely on aesthetics

Yuki has seen too many global campaigns fall flat because they focus on optics. Swapping out a language or visual element is not strategy. And adding a holiday post does not mean a brand understands the audience.

At Helios, the work begins with behavior. The team looks at how people use platforms, what kinds of messages drive action, and what emotional or relational patterns exist within the target market. Then they build campaigns that reflect real cultural depth—not assumptions.

She explains that even humor is not universal. What feels clever in one country can be offensive or awkward in another. But when brands slow down and listen, they can find creative throughlines that genuinely resonate.

The partnership that built Helios was grounded in clarity

Many business partnerships are based on chemistry or shared background. Yuki and her co-founder built theirs on complementary skills and structure.

He came from Google with a systems mindset. She brought deep strategy and creative experience. From day one, they defined roles, set boundaries, and built in regular communication practices to prevent confusion or resentment.

This approach carried into their external partnerships too. They once spent six months evaluating a media company that looked like a perfect acquisition. But the internal culture was off. Turnover was high, and teams were disengaged. They walked away, even though it cost them time and money. That decision ended up saving them far more in the long run.

Releasing guilt made her a stronger leader

Yuki talks openly about the guilt that followed her for years. The guilt of growing a business while raising a child. The guilt of wanting to succeed while stepping back from certain roles. The guilt of not being all things to all people.

She used to push it aside. Now, she names it. She tracks where it comes from. And she no longer lets it shape her decisions.

That shift changed her leadership style. It gave her more capacity. It made her more decisive. And it helped her connect more deeply with the people around her.

What matters most cannot be summarized in a bio

When we asked what she is most proud of, she did not mention awards or company size. She talked about the moments when she doubted herself but kept going. She talked about the conversations where she let people see the full picture, not just the polished version.

In her world, being real is not a weakness. It is the foundation of trust.

She has built a global agency by showing up with honesty, not just answers. And that is what makes her a different kind of leader.

Listen to the full episode

If you are building something across borders, leading through uncertainty, or trying to balance ambition with alignment, this episode is for you.

Yuki Bi shares the hard-earned wisdom that comes from experience, not theory. It is one of our most honest conversations yet.

Listen to the full episode of the Badass Women in Business podcast.
Then share it with the woman in your life who is leading with purpose, even when the path is not easy.