Uprising: Creating Your Own Fate with Jenna Stafford

If you ask Jenna Stafford what drives her in life, she’ll tell you that it’s impossible to narrow it down to one thing. In an exciting world full of opportunities, passion is a good driver, but equally so are the likes of following things that give one a sense of self, taking on challenges, and learning new things. 

In short, the now FUSE Create account manager is always working to achieve new goals, getting continuously smarter in the process and building a sense of connection to a larger sense of self. And, she believes it’s always been meant to be. “I really do believe that everyone has a purpose in life. But with that, it’s up to us to create our own fate.”

So how did Jenna end up where she is today? What did the journey look like? According to her, it all started with a lack of fear for the unknown. 

“Growing up, I was full of life,” she says, thinking back to her childhood days. “I sought out adventure around every corner, and carried myself with a humble confidence. I always had a thrill for learning new skills and interacting with people both my size, and in a room full of adults. I was witty, happy and took risks.”

The daughter of a household where family and tradition were very important, Jenna cherishes her memories of holidays, cooking together, and celebrating milestones – something she describes as “a good balance” of things. But, the biggest benefit proved to lie within the establishment of a weekly routine, as she juggled sports, creativity and activities with school, and, naturally, family time.  

“I eagerly embraced new opportunities,” she continues. “At a young age, I learned to swim, ski, skate, play piano, golf, and ride horses, which nurtured a competitive streak. But there was still lots of down time where I was encouraged to amuse myself and use my imagination. To this day, I find drawing very restful and therapeutic.”

Suffice to say, the attributes that make a good account manager were visible early with Jenna. And, combined with these opportunities, she quickly honed skills, cultivating a “well-rounded perspective on life” while fostering resilience, creativity, and an appreciation of the world around her. 

“I’ve just always had a passion for learning, which translated into me putting significant effort into the things I do and directions I take,” Jenna adds. “I think it still holds true and has helped me push forward into building my career.”

Of course, a plethora of opportunities does not preclude the possibility of adversity. And for the avid learner, her late teens were some of the most challenging years of her life. “Those were hard, pivotal years that forced me to be resilient and push forward,” she reflects. “I encountered obstacles that required perseverance to overcome. But it’s the moments that challenge us that form us, and ultimately, these were some of the most formative years of my life.”

Emerging stronger from the other side, an odyssey through higher education was in the cards. And in this case, Jenna would attend Wilfrid Laurier University, studying business and obtaining a bachelor of business administration, while also specialising in marketing and minoring in economics across her upper years. 

“I really do feel that school is a mirror into the real world,” she says. “Off book, you learn the importance of self-discipline, critical thinking and growth towards independence. On book, you grow academically within your field, and I think there’s something powerful in that. Personally, it helped shape my character.”

Equally influential, however, was purely the fact that here, Jenna received her introduction to marketing and brand management, which, through its balance of business and creativity, sparked her decision to pursue agency life. 

“Account management was appealing to me, given the breadth of projects and tasks that teams have exposure to,” she explains. “So, I applied to my first position at FUSE Create - a position I’m glad to have grown in and still hold today.”

Expanding, Jenna considers herself lucky to be at FUSE for several reasons. Not only does it foster inclusive, honest and open work environments and hiring practices – something she’d like to see the industry collectively do better with – but both the agency’s culture and leadership teams have offered her a lot. 

“I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside many great leaders within the walls of FUSE,” she says. “When I first entered the industry, I was very lucky to land under my supervisor at the time, Lily Ljubicic. In Lily, I found not just a boss, but a mentor, a guide, and a source of inspiration. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked under her thoughtful leadership style and aspire to emulate the qualities that make her both strategic and a role model.”

In the same vein, Jenna is also quick to praise the company’s internal energy, instilled by leaders like Aleena Mazhar Kuzma, Emily Merrigan, and Steve Miller, who she describes as incredibly strategic and thoughtful, capable of guiding with compassion and encouragement.

“All in all, FUSE has set the precedent for me in terms of what an agency should do, and the level of autonomy, trust and respect shared with its people,” she continues. 

But more than all that, the agency has also served as a place for Jenna to learn some valuable lessons - chief among these being the value of listening well. Describing this as understanding, empathising and rationalising all at once, she notes that it’s only when you do this that you learn both about the task at hand, but also about the people around you. 

“Having an attentive ear is important, especially in the early days of your career or in a new position. Good listening provides you with the fuel you need to make valuable contributions. I listen a lot, which helps me to know when the time is right to contribute. Lending a strong listening ear helped play a role in developing my voice within my career and work environment.”

The results speak for themselves. Even from her first project – playing a part in the agency creating and producing a fully integrated TikTok campaign for a brand named teapigs – utilising listening to create effective collaboration not only made the experience enjoyable, but the outcome successful. 

“The project involved producing multiple short-form videos, leveraging available TIkTok placements, and a contest layer was also added to the programme as an engaging digital initiative,” Jenna elaborates. “It gave me a true sense of the moving parts, inputs and strategic minds required to bring a piece of creative to life. I’m thankful for it, and appreciated the team building within the process.”

Moreover, the work is only getting better. More recent projects that Jenna takes pride in include work for the likes of Ricola (Canada and US), as well as Old Dutch Foods. 

In the case of the former, she cites a specific project that she worked on in 2023, which was an integrated campaign that tied to the US launch of a new product: ‘Ricola Throat Balm’. Despite having already established a new ‘Everyday Care’ position outside of cold and cough season, communicating the product’s unique flavour profile (honey and caramel) and, well, launching the thing were not easy asks. But, by playing her part in the production of a 360-degree campaign spanning a 3D animated spot (a first for the brand), contextual OOH, social, display, advertorial, retail, and full Amazon DSP integration, Jenna was able to help crack the case. 

“My favourite part of this was in the influencer marketing department,” she adds. “We built Ricola’s first fully-integrated influencer campaign with a three-tier, full-funnel creator approach with shoppable links, 20+ micro-mid creators, retail specific influencers and YouTube celebrities who also drove considerable views and filled carts.”

And, in the case of the latter, Jenna appreciates the account for the chance to work with the brand’s “incredible, dedicated online community”, as well as the opportunity it poses for client relationship building, always-on content production, and navigating sports partnerships. 

“Truly, it’s been a great opportunity, and helped me to reach the next level as an account manager,” she says. 

Yet, while she makes it look easy, Jenna is quick to note that this level-up can also be attributed to the challenges of the role, which, in many ways, have shaped the approach she employs today. 

“As an accounts steward, you’re the conduit between both your internal and client team,” she explains. “You have to have difficult conversations at times, but often, it’s for the overall benefit of your team and the account. Learning to balance your time and priorities is an essential skill. It is challenging, but also extremely rewarding – powering through projects and reaching desired outcomes.”

Never one to shirk a challenge, in some ways, tackling this wide net of tasks and responsibilities is actually what Jenna likes best about the role. Not only does it keep the experience interesting, but working with cross-functional teams while developing a diverse set of skills along the way has exposed her to a tonne of insights, including what’s happening in the industry, what’s trending, what direction the content is headed, and how people are consuming information. 

“It’s all fascinating to me,” she continues. “Whether learning/insights are coming from media, strategy or even finance, I admire efficiency and getting better at what we do.”

One area where this is especially true is the accelerating rate of technological challenge – especially with AI – something Jenna believes to be the most exciting prospect in the industry as a whole. “The industry is in a state of continuous learning,” she expands. “We get smarter over time and find more efficient ways of doing things. It’s fascinating. The industry brings with it a lot of entrepreneurial opportunities, which is both exciting and something to work towards.”

Of course, adventure and exploration aren’t purely limited to the industry. And for someone who lived such a diverse and adventurous childhood, it only seems right that she grow up to have a multi-faceted work-life balance. 

Based out of Toronto, Jenna spends her day to day enjoying city life and the stimulation it offers. Fuelling inspiration, she describes it as “the ultimate playground for someone who likes to try new things”, as everywhere she goes, there’s opportunity to once again pursue her favourite pastime of learning. 

And, that’s not all. If truly, as the account manager believes, we create our own fate, she’s achieved something remarkable, balancing a successful career at FUSE with a 15-year pedigree in competitive horse riding, competing on the Ontario circuit in show jumping, while finding time to train throughout the week. 

 

“Horses have always been constant in my life,” she finishes. “I grew very fond of them at a young age, and I’ve always felt a certain sense of peace around them. They’re not easy, but once you understand their demeanour, they’re extremely smart and intuitive animals. They teach you a lot about patience, persistence, and trust, and who can’t use a bit more of that?”