How Juan Bonilla Leverages Generosity For Brand Growth — ‘It’s About Building A Reputation And Earning Trust’

Generosity isn’t just about being nice — it’s the key to earning the trust of a Fortune 100 CEO.

At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 in Houston, TX, Juan Bonilla, president of marketing agency Walton Isaacson, and Ayiko Broyard, executive vice president and head of account management, unpacked the power of strategic generosity as a growth strategy that strengthens relationships, unlocks bigger budgets, and leaves chief marketing officers (CMOs) feeling supported, empowered, and recognized.

Broyard shared how this philosophy shaped Walton Isaacson’s long-standing partnership with Lexus. Early on, she noticed how luxury buyers valued the brand’s respect and hospitality — something missing from competitors. To truly understand that experience, she and her team visited dealerships, sat in the cars, and immersed themselves in the customer journey.

That firsthand insight became a cornerstone of the agency’s experiential strategy: every event must feature a vehicle people can touch, sit in, and feel.

“And so at the end of the day, you got to bring it back to that CMO mindset is ‘I’m here to sell cars,’ and in order for me to sell the car, sell the product, you’ve got to know it,” Broyard said.

Today, Broyard applies that same principle across brands — from McDonald’s and The Home Depot to PNC Bank. Whether it’s cars, fries, tools, or financial services, the same goal remains: immerse yourself in the product and lead with strategic generosity.

Simply put, no data point can replace real-world experience. Bonilla pointed out that true partnership means living and breathing the brand — seeing what the CMO can’t yet see. Identifying blind spots and surfacing opportunities before they’re on the radar, he said, “will get you in the door faster.”

“Absolutely,” Broyard replied. “At the end of the day, it’s about building a reputation and earning trust.”

For CMOs, data often tells the story that earns that trust. It’s not just about numbers — it’s about using insights to show clients the opportunity you already know will help them win big.

“We live in the world of algorithms and data now, but you do have to connect the data with the emotional impact of anything, how you actually change perceptions,” Broyard said.

“Because data doesn’t just change perceptions. You need the emotional connection part to additionally change connections,” she continued.

Running The Risk And Reaping The Reward

At Walton Isaacson, there’s a core philosophy called “The Courage to Collide.” It’s rooted in the belief that innovation happens when different backgrounds, perspectives, and views meet — sometimes with tension. While the agency’s creative breakthroughs are driven by the willingness to challenge and question the status quo, they come with risk.

“We’re going to make sure that we remain authentic and we don’t always agree with our clients. We tell them how we feel, we tell them what they should do,” Broyard said.

While the client makes the final decision, “you have to have the courage to stand up in the room to be authentic for yourself, for your brand, for your consumer, for your people,” she added.

As an agency always pursuing new business, one of Walton Isaacson’s most undervalued strengths is the power of starting small to get in the door — beginning with a modest opportunity and using it to build trust. This long-game approach, driven by ambition for the client’s brand, has helped the agency grow initial projects into multibillion dollar partnerships.

In the end of the discussion, Broyard circled back to the theme of the session: generosity; it’s not optional — it’s essential for growth. She encouraged reframing the mindset from simply chasing revenue to uncovering and solving the problems clients don’t yet see. That’s how lasting partnerships are built and how brands maintain their place on the CMO’s A-list.

“At the end of the day, generosity, authenticity … it’s not, at the end of the day, about just winning the business,” Broyard said.

“It’s really about building trust, building a relationship. And at WI, our partners aren’t transactional. They’re our partners. We don’t consider them a vendor. We consider them partners. Our money, we treat your money, it’s our money. And we’re not wasteful. We are about delivering impact.”