We had the good fortune of connecting with Jadé Ajose and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jadé, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had been in corporate America for almost 8 years and I hit the unfortunate “glass cliff,” which refers to a situation in which minority women are promoted to higher positions during times of crisis or duress when the chance of failure is more likely. I had a workload that was not sustainable and discouraging bosses who were envious of my success. I got tired of looking over my shoulder and knew that I was at the level to start my own business. In hindsight, I’m grateful for these managers because they provided me with the final push to start my company. I always knew that I had the talent but I had to work on my confidence to enter into the CEO position. However, early on in my career, I was blessed with amazing managers who laid the foundation for my success and provided invaluable mentorship. My thought process was to lean into that and build a company where my employees feel safe and respected. For me, it was truly about wanting to give back and create something that would have a positive impact on the world. Always remember that the hard lessons will turn into blessings!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

At the age of 21, I led publicity working with Dope Ent. for the first ever Rolling Loud Music Festival in Miami, which is “one of the biggest rap-only festivals in the world.” I then went on to lead integrated 360° marketing and publicity efforts for Kobe Bryant at the age of 25, supporting his multimedia company Granity Studios; launching a #1 children’s podcast, and 5 New York Times Best Sellers.

Most recently, I led talent initiatives for Sean Diddy Combs’ (Ciroc & DeLeon) executing over a 50 talent deals with the likes of Angela Yee, Fat Joe, Joakim Noah, Muni Long, Jhayco, Princess Nokia, Serayah, Jackie Aina, Bia, Bloody Osiris, Justine Skye, Nazanin Mandi, etc. With starting my own company top of this year, JahDay, Inc., is a premiere talent/influencer agency and we connect the dopest talent to brands. We truly are at the heart of culture, influence and talent.

I have an insane work ethic that helped get me to where I am today, which sets me apart. I believe in high-quality work and really just making sure I’m going above and beyond for my clients.There have been numerous challenges but I’ve come to realize that I perform my best when I take care of myself. So that means lots of therapy, going to the gym, massages, etc. It has not been easy but you really just have to remind yourself of the “why?”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oooooh so I LOVE to eat! For a week long trip in LA, we’d definitely have dinner at Mr. Chow! The next morning we’d grab brunch at Bacari then hit up a concert later that night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes, the Shoutout belongs to my mother. She always pushed me to the best version of myself and the word “no” wasn’t allowed in my vocabulary. She passed away when I was 21 but I truly do this for her. There are so many days where I didn’t want to get out of bed but I knew that she would never want me to give up. My goal is to inspire people and show them that you can create a new happy. Life is NOT easy but you lose when you stop showing up. Take it day by day and always put your best foot forward. I also have the absolute best support system so I have to shoutout my daddy, my sisters, my bro Kola, my co-pilot Bridget, and my friends (Kareem, Nicole, and Sydney)! I couldn’t do it without their support.

Website: https://www.jahdayinc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jade.ajose/ and https://www.instagram.com/jahdayinc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadeajose/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.