Jacquelene Clarke, 35, is the founder of The Well Connected, where she also serves as the creative director of sponsorships and events. She’s based in Toronto.
My career journey:
I started out back in 2005 in The Fashion Arts program at Seneca College. I thought I was going to be a bridal designer, living my best Disney princess life. Through the design program, I ended up on the PR team for the year-end fashion show. It sparked an interest in events and communications.
I spent years volunteering and finally found myself in my first PR internship. I failed a lot, learned a lot, and ultimately, I knew I liked communications and events, but I didn't like feeling boxed in with my creativity. I also found a lot of the portfolios I had and products I was representing didn't support women like me, or these brands seldomly supported or gave products to events that had a different demographic than their own audience.
So, while I interned and worked a full-time job, I started supporting small businesses and getting them publicity with top publications, and pitching brands to support their galas and events. I also wanted to help as I knew they couldn't afford to hire a big-name agency.
After a few years of contracting, I was working a dead-end job and was trying to get into PR and events, but was struggling because I didn't have the education and qualifications. I decided to become overqualified and go back to school for corporate communications to finally get the "qualifications" everyone was telling me that I needed. But while having the qualifications felt great, it still didn't help me get a job. So frustrated and unsure of what to do next, I prayed and continued to have hope while working in a warehouse and contracting for clients on the side. One day in April of 2018, my sister and I entered a radio contest and won a trip to Cayo Coco Cuba. I decided to take the trip during my birthday month in August, and on this trip I created a plan and decided to go full time. I came back from my trip and in September of 2018, I decided to take The Well Connected and myself seriously, and I became a full-time entrepreneur.
Clarke described her leadership style as "very fun but firm." She added that she wants her team "to operate as one heartbeat."Photo: Rodney Cuthbert Photography
My leadership style:
My leadership style is very fun but firm. I like those who work with and for me to operate as one heartbeat. I prefer people to work in their zone of genius and bring their best selves to the table every single time. I am very open to being told "no" on concepts; however, if you tell me “no,” I need a why. I am very solution-based, and I train and encourage my team to be solution-oriented. I feel this keeps the creativity flowing, and allows us to drum up many possibilities for clients.
What inspires me:
I am like a magpie—a bird that is attracted to shiny things. I am inspired by the idea of excitement. Any client, project, or concept that gets me hype and allows me to think beyond what is presented inspires me.
I also love the idea of curating experiences that leave people happy and pleasantly surprised. So, I am inspired by being able to do something that has never been done before, or to add a new element to a strong foundation.
My most memorable event:
Having Jennifer Lopez stop by a sweet cart activation I curated for a client during her Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) debut for Hustlers. She had her film crew documenting her journey at TIFF, and she posted a clip of her picking through the candy stand.
This was great as the video garnered hundreds of thousands of views, reaches, and impressions. It was great product placement for my sponsor as well as the production client—something money couldn't have bought. And I didn't even know it happened until a member of my team saw it on YouTube and pointed it out to me! All my sponsors and the client were impressed and surprised by the content. It was a happy day for us all!
Jennifer Lopez once stopped by a candy cart activation produced by none other than The Well Connected. Clarke said it was a "happy day" when her team found a clip of the superstar picking out her candy on a YouTube video that had "hundreds of thousands of views, reaches, and impressions."Photo: Jodianne Beckford Photography
The advice I would give my younger self:
To work hard, apply yourself, speak up, and be authentically you. Try everything and fail often. There is so much value in failure. You learn a lot about yourself in the process, and you really get to see what it is you want out of life. More importantly, you know what you're good at and what you're not.
Lastly, give it your all because you never know where the hidden opportunities may lie. You don't know who's watching and who may be able to provide opportunities in the future.
What’s next for me:
Event world domination. Ha!
On a more serious note, what's next is growing a dynamic team to curate more exclusive events and opportunities here in Toronto and worldwide.
BizBash's 2023 40 Under 40 list is sponsored by VDA, a Massachusetts-based experiential marketing and event design agency that specializes in custom live, hybrid, and virtual experiences designed to drive business growth through client collaboration and creative thinking.
