Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Angharad Davies of ‘The Bowly Can Approach’ Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Stanley Bronstein
Always be true to who you are and the why driving you, especially when things don’t go to plan. When things get hard or uncertain, it’s tempting to chase quick wins or mould yourself into what others expect. It’s in these moments that you need to let your why be your compass and your anchor — to keep you on course and in integrity with yourself.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Angharad Davies.
Angharad Davies is a children’s author and founder The Bowly Can Approach, an innovative story-led method rooted in metaphor, movement and mindset, that offers powerful tools to help children better understand emotions, navigate challenges, and build a strong sense of self from the earliest years. Based in Wales, UK, she’s also a mum to two boys who inspire every step of her work.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
It all began when I realised that my young children wouldn’t listen to me! Seeing my children struggling emotionally or socially, and having a background in Psychology, naturally drove me to want to impart all my tools and wisdom. But whenever I tried, I was met by resistance. They didn’t want to learn these things from me. So, I turned to story books. I had always used picture books to help with typical childhood transitions, like having a new sibling and starting school, so I eagerly started searching for books on a variety of topics, such as assertiveness, understanding emotions and setting boundaries.
When I saw how much these books were helping my two sons with their day-to-day social and emotional worlds, I just knew I had to write my own. And I knew exactly what would be at the very heart of them. I had first discovered the beautiful metaphor of the bowl of light in my early twenties, while studying Play Therapy, and I had witnessed its power for transforming the way children understand and live their experiences. I knew that my books would be the perfect opportunity to share the magic of this metaphor with children all over the world.
But if I’m really honest, the true beginning of my path toward social impact happened much earlier. More than twenty years ago, I volunteered with paediatric cancer patients in Romania, and something deep within me shifted. I made a quiet, soul-level promise to live a life that helped others. It’s only now, all these years later, that I feel I’m stepping fully into that promise. Taking bold steps, being who I always knew I was meant to be, and trusting that every piece of my journey has been preparing me for this moment.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
About a year after I published my first children’s books, my seven-year-old son came up to me one day and announced, in all seriousness, that he knew exactly what he wanted to do when he grew up. He told me he was going to find a way to make Pokémon real, and also, to help everyone live the truth in their heart.
Right there and then, I knew what my next book was going to be about. And I also knew it had to reach millions of children somehow, because it wasn’t just about me anymore.
From the moment I started planning that book and putting the Shape Their Story movement into motion, I placed a mirror directly in front of myself. And what reflected back was a woman who still wasn’t living the truth in her own heart — someone playing small, staying hidden, and holding back the bolder version of her vision.
That moment changed everything. Because I realised, if I want a generation of children to live the truth in their hearts, I had to be brave enough to live mine first.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I wish I had a hilariously cringeworthy story to share here, but the truth is I’m still in the early chapters of this journey. There hasn’t been a standout funny mistake yet (though I’m sure there’s one just around the corner!). But what I’ve learned so far is that when you’re creating something from the heart, every step feels a little vulnerable. And that in itself can feel like a mistake when you’re not sure if you’re “doing it right.”
One thing I’ve realised, though, is that taking imperfect action is better than waiting until everything feels polished or ready. That alone has taught me to let go of perfectionism and lean into the mess a bit. I might not have a funny story now, but give me a few more months and I’ll probably have a list!
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
The heart of what I do is helping children build a strong inner voice, one shaped by truth, resilience, and self-worth. At the core is The Bowly Can Approach, a story-based framework that teaches children how to understand and navigate their emotions using a simple, powerful metaphor: a bowl of light. Through stories and an array of practical resources, children learn how to recognise when something is dimming their light and how to let it go — so they can shine again.
One expression of this is Shape Their Story, a movement designed to help children hold onto who they truly are, even when the world tries to tell them otherwise. Through an upcoming picture book centred on self-acceptance, we’re collecting hundreds of heartfelt messages from mothers — words they want their children, and all children, to carry in their hearts. The book will be donated to children’s charities, ensuring it reaches those who need these words the most.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Because this work is just beginning, I can’t yet share a single, personal story of transformation, but what I can share is a deep belief in what’s possible. I believe that every time a child hears words that affirm who they are, it plants something strong and lasting within them. I believe that when we give children a way to understand their emotions, name their inner strengths, and gently release what weighs them down, we are shaping a different future. That’s the heart of everything I’m building.
I can’t yet point to all the lives changed, but I can point to the direction we’re heading: toward a generation of children growing up with a strong inner voice, emotional tools they can easily learn and implement, and a sense that their light is worth protecting. That’s the story I hope to one day tell, and the one I’m working toward every day.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Yes, and it starts with recognising that emotional literacy isn’t a soft extra, it’s foundational to a child’s lifelong wellbeing.
1. Prioritise emotional education in the early years.
We need to see emotional literacy not just as a reaction to problems, but as a proactive, preventative part of childhood development — building stronger foundations from the very beginning.
2. Invest in creative, story-based tools that make learning emotional resilience feel natural and engaging.
Children connect deeply through story and play. We need to support initiatives and creators who are using those mediums to teach emotional understanding in ways that truly land with children — not just worksheets and buzzwords, but metaphors, characters, language, and movement that they remember and use.
3. Uplift the voices of parents and carers.
Our children’s inner voices are shaped by the words they hear in their earliest years. When we give parents and carers space to reflect, speak truth, and pass down empowering messages, we’re not just helping them, we’re shaping the inner landscapes of the next generation. Campaigns like Shape Their Story are an invitation to the wider community to stop and ask: What do we want our children to believe about themselves? That question alone can be transformative.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
To me, leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about being brave enough to step forward holding a vision, even when it feels bigger than you.
It’s choosing to act from the truth in your heart, rather than the comfort of playing small. It’s holding space for something that matters and inviting others into it, not because it’s polished or perfect, but because it’s needed.
For a long time, I saw myself as just a mum, just a children’s author, someone with a small idea. But I’ve realised that the ability to name what children need and create something in service of that — even while still becoming the person who can carry it — is, in fact, leadership.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- You can do big things even when starting small. Starting small doesn’t make your work any less worthy. It simply means you’re still planting roots. The size of your beginning is never a measure of your potential. What matters most is having the courage to begin and the belief that your small steps can ripple outward in powerful ways.
- Overnight success is built over many years behind closed doors. What looks like sudden success from the outside is often the result of quiet dedication, unglamorous work, and unseen perseverance. There are years of building, doubting, refining, and believing that the world never sees. Trust that what you’re growing in the dark matters. Keep going, your moment will come.
- You never know when you’re on the cusp of reaching gold, so don’t give up digging. It’s impossible to know how close you might be to a breakthrough. The temptation to stop, to walk away right before things turn, can be strong. But the truth is, the next email, the next post, the next conversation could be the one that shifts everything. So, keep digging. Keep showing up.
- You don’t need to get it right. You just need to take action (even messy action!) Waiting until something is flawless will only delay your impact. Progress often looks messy at first, but every imperfect step forward teaches you something. Be willing to act before you feel fully ready, and trust that you can course-correct as you go.
- Always be true to who you are and the why driving you, especially when things don’t go to plan. When things get hard or uncertain, it’s tempting to chase quick wins or mould yourself into what others expect. It’s in these moments that you need to let your why be your compass and your anchor — to keep you on course and in integrity with yourself.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would inspire a movement that helps children the world over to grow up with a strong, loving, and resilient inner voice. A movement that makes emotional wellbeing as foundational as reading and writing, where every child knows their light, learns how to protect it, and feels safe being who they truly are.
I believe this could ripple out into everything — better mental health, more empathy, stronger connection, and generations of humans who trust themselves and each other.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
The phrase I try to live by daily is: Know when you are lucky. And turn that good luck into a gift for others. It’s a quiet promise I made to myself in my early twenties while volunteering with paediatric cancer patients in Romania — a time that left an imprint on my heart in ways I still can’t quite put into words.
On the day I said goodbye to one of the children I’d grown close to, snow began to fall. I’ve worn a hand-crafted snowflake pendant around my neck ever since, as a reminder of the promise I made in that moment: to never take my good fortune for granted, and to always try to use it to bring something meaningful into the world.
That experience has shaped every decision I’ve made since. And I know, without question, it will continue to guide every step I take.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would love to sit down with Brené Brown. Her work on vulnerability, courage and wholehearted living has shaped how we talk about emotional resilience. As I step into this next chapter, building a movement and method to help children grow up emotionally strong and self-connected, I’d love to share my vision with her and hear her reflections. Just being in the presence of someone who’s walked the path that she has, would be incredibly grounding and inspiring.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can learn more about The Bowly Can Approach, an innovative story-based method to nurturing emotional resilience in early childhood, at www.bowlycan.com. And follow the movement and progress over on Instagram and Facebook at @BowlyCanBooks.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About the Interviewer: Stanley Bronstein is an attorney, CPA, and author of more than 20 books. However, he doesn’t consider any of those his greatest achievement. His most significant accomplishment was permanently losing 225 pounds and developing the personal growth system that made it possible — The Way of Excellence. As a catalyst for change, he has dedicated his life to helping others maximize their potential, transform their lives, and achieve optimal health. To learn more, you can download a free PDF copy of his latest book, The Way of Excellence Journal, at https://TheWayOfExcellence.com.
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Angharad Davies of ‘The Bowly Can Approach’ Is Helping To Change… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.