Getting to know... Jade Raad

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know... feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Jade Raad, chief growth officer at London-based social and influencer agency Jungle Creations, talks about taking a Megabus into the media industry, the joy she derives from being creative and her passion for wild camping... 

We know you as the chief growth officer at Jungle Creations, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick... 

I'm someone who took the Megabus to my future, literally.

My path into media wasn't paved with connections or a clear roadmap; it was built on affordable transport and saying yes to opportunities. 

While people who know me superficially might assume I'm fiercely competitive, the truth is I only compete with myself these days, usually over ridiculous things like whether I can reach that lamppost before a car passes me.

Deep, I know. 

Did you always want to work in media?

Eventually, yes.

I grew up in the Midlands and, to be honest, I didn't really know what media meant; to me, it equalled TV.

I started throwing very badly written CVs around to TV companies, and all roads led to London.

I could only afford to get to London on the Megabus for interviews, which tells you everything about my glamorous start.

I got offered two entry-level roles at different broadcasters, asked my mates which had the better brand and ended up at Channel 4.

I won't name the other to save blushes.

What's the best bit about your job? And the worst?

The best? The passion of our teams and the culture we've built at Jungle, a business that picks everyone up, cares deeply about people and creates an environment where everyone can thrive.

We are Jungle by name and Jungle by nature; the office ceiling is blanketed with a canopy of trees and green leaves.

It genuinely makes me happy every single day.

The worst? That we work in an industry increasingly obsessed with efficiency and automation, when creativity is fundamentally driven by people.

Remove the people, and what are we left with? Not much worth creating.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

I received an email from a former colleague when I left my last business.

The gist was essentially a thank you, for being my authentic self and allowing her to do the same.

It’s an email I cherish and read when I need to regain perspective on what success actually is.

How do you relax outside of work?

My spiritual home is around a forest campfire with some concoction bubbling in a Dutch oven.

When I can, I pick up a bag and head into the abyss for a spot of wild camping.

I’d class resourcefulness as one of my key attributes, which is just a polite way of saying I enjoy pretending I'm surviving in the wilderness while actually being a few miles from civilisation.

What makes East London such a great place to live and work?

Ah, the clichés: the creative scene, the community, the graffiti! All true.

Then again, I walk into Shoreditch House (on someone else’s membership, naturally) and question everything.

It’s still my spiritual home in London, though, even if the hip has somewhat shifted.

Tell us something about you we didn't know...

I joined the circus and can ride a unicycle. But can I juggle?

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