Today we raise our fists high and put our hands together in celebration of our Feature Girl Warrior, serial entrepreneur, coach, speaker, mental health advocate and mom, Yollanda Zhang, the Founder of Panda Mandarin, Girl. Strong., and Yollanda Zhang Consulting Services. With a background in engineering, corporate sales, and teaching, Yollanda draws from her personal experiences, including her journey with bipolar disorder, to guide others towards a more fulfilling and balanced lifestyle. Through her trauma-informed approach, grounded in Compassionate Inquiry training with Dr. Gabor Maté and pursuing her master’s in counselling psychology, Yollanda guides clients in breaking emotional barriers, healing from trauma, and realizing their full potential. Her mission is to inspire others to heal from within, build resilience, and thrive. And to that we say YES!
How would you define a Girl Warrior?
A Girl Warrior is someone who can embrace both her strengths and her vulnerabilities. She is willing to help others by sharing with courage, showing compassion towards herself and those around her. A Girl Warrior reaches back to support and inspire those who need guidance so that they too can become Girl Warriors.
Your journey with bipolar disorder began in 2000. What important lessons did you learn about personal healing and growth that will help other women who are navigating similar waters?
The most important lesson I’ve learned about healing and growth is that it is not a linear process. There will be setbacks, good days, and bad days, and that’s part of the journey. Living with a mental illness—or any kind of illness—does not mean you are broken. It reminds me of the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken ceramics are repaired with gold, making them even more beautiful and stronger. That concept has been an important representation of my own healing journey with bipolar disorder for almost 25 years.
A supportive community, like the one I’ve cultivated with Courage Circle, can be truly life changing. It reinforces that it’s okay to ask for help, it’s okay to reach out to help others, and it’s okay to share vulnerably. In doing so, we recognize that there is immense strength in self-compassion.
Tell us about Compassionate Inquiry and how your trauma-informed approach is helping your clients achieve their full potential.
Compassionate Inquiry has profoundly changed my life. Developed by Dr Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, it is a trauma-informed therapeutic approach that focuses on understanding how past experiences shape present behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. It is a bottom-up approach to therapy, meaning it prioritizes deep self-awareness and body-based healing rather than only cognitive processing.
This method is not about reliving trauma but about creating a safe space for clients, empowering them to become their own heroes in their healing journeys. Compassionate Inquiry has been an innovative and transformative approach that I had never experienced in therapy before training in it. By fostering curiosity and deep self-compassion, it allows clients to recognise their inner wisdom and reclaim their narratives.
What was the inspiration behind Girl. Strong.?
Girl. Strong. was inspired by the passing of my grandmother. She never had the opportunity to receive an education until she became a mother herself, and she endured tremendous hardships in her early childhood and beyond. When she passed away, I felt immense grief, and I wanted to honor her memory in a meaningful way.
I’ve always believed in the importance of planting seeds early in a child’s development. Before the age of seven, the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed, meaning children absorb everything from their environment as truth. Since they don’t yet have the ability to engage in critical thinking, it’s crucial to front-load positive habits and mindsets as early as possible.
This is why Girl. Strong. is one of the only programs that start as young as age six. Many existing programs for girls or female-identifying youth begin later and are often designed to address issues that have already surfaced. My vision for Girl. Strong. is different—it’s about prevention rather than intervention. Instead of later having to address issues like eating disorders, mental health struggles, teenage pregnancy, or addiction, my goal is to create a strong foundation early on so that these challenges never fully take root.
How has Girl. Strong. changed your life and the lives of the girls you have worked with?
For me, Girl. Strong. has helped me rediscover my own strength. It is the culmination of everything I’ve learned throughout my life—combining my experiences as an engineer, teacher, coach, and most importantly, a mother. It has allowed me to channel my knowledge into creating meaningful change in the lives of young girls.
One of the most rewarding experiences was working with a young girl who started Girl. Strong. at age six. She had severe social anxiety—she would raise her hand in class but struggle to speak, her face filled with pain as she tried to summon the courage to find her words. Over the course of two years, she blossomed into a finalist in an international public speaking contest. Watching her transformation was one of the proudest moments of my professional career.
Who is/are your Girl Warrior hero(es) and why?
My grandmother is my biggest hero. She showed me that you can still be kind, loving, and patient despite having lived through extreme adversity.
My daughter is another hero of mine. She is my greatest teacher. I have learned so much because of her, and she has inspired Panda Mandarin, Girl. Strong., and many of my personal and professional decisions. She constantly pushes me to be a better person and to create a better world.
Although not a “girl warrior,” Dr Gabor Maté is also one of my heroes. I know he would say, “I’m not your hero, you’re your own hero,” but his work has profoundly impacted me. His compassion, wisdom, curiosity, and humanity have shaped the way I approach healing and trauma work.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I see myself with a thriving therapy practice. I will be doing more speaking engagements as a keynote speaker and facilitator. I will be running parenting workshops and retreats to help parents feel more confident, less overwhelmed, and create safer, more compassionate environments at home to raise resilient, empowered children.
I may also be an author, as I’m currently working on a book that is part memoir, part self-help for parents, and part fiction with a time-travel element.
What books are on your nightstand?
I don’t often read physical books anymore; I consume most of my content through audio books. Some books that have impacted me include:
- The Myth of Normal and When the Body Says No by Dr Gabor Maté
- The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- The Conscious Parent by Dr. Shefali
- Beyond the Label by Dr Christina Bjorndal (which I’m currently reading)
Living or dead, who would you like to have lunch with?
If I could have lunch with someone no longer alive, it would be my late grandmother and my great-grandmother. I would love to talk to them, share what I’ve been learning, and hear their stories. This would also help my book tremendously, as I write to them from the knowledge I have now.
If I could have lunch with someone alive, it would be Dr Gabor Maté, Oprah Winfrey, and Brené Brown. I have met Dr Maté several times, but I would love to have a deep, extended conversation with him.
Describe yourself in five words.
Compassionate, authentic, curious, resilient, and kind.
If a film were written about your life, what would it be called, and who would play you?
The film would be called “Beautifully Unbroken”.
I would love to be played by Awkwafina. I love her sense of humour and vulnerability, and I think she would bring depth and authenticity to my story.
To learn more about Yollanda head on over to her website at: https://www.yollandazhang.com
Follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yollandazhang/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yollandazhang/profilecard/?igsh=aHk2NDNmeWFuM2Jm
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yollandazhang
And check out the Courage Circle: https://forms.gle/FdpxYJ7hUZkpihVs6
