Jessica Edwards is one of the most industrious women I know. She describes working at MuchMusic and MTV as “rock n’ roll high school”, but we know that behind the fun and pop culture glitz is an extremely demanding and fast-paced environment. It takes a formidable relationship builder, creative thinker and strategic trailblazer to manage what Jessica does – she always makes it look so easy. The brands she brings together appear to effortlessly complement the programming and enhance the viewer experience, which is a testament to her intrinsic talent and hard work. 

What does a typical Thursday look like for you, starting from when you wake up – to heading to bed?
Jess: Hmm, a Thursday. Sometimes I’m a little sleepy from the Wednesday night social life I seem to be getting an A in. I wake to my ‘sounds of nature’ alarm clock, a much needed peaceful awakening because after years of denial, I can now say, I live a very fast paced life. I make my protein shake, get ready, hop on my Vespa and head to work. I work for the Much/MTV/Comedy group (CTV Inc), as the Sr. Manager of Brand Partnerships, located at 299 Queen St. First up on Thursday mornings is a sales meeting with everyone in sales and brand partnerships, we review budgets, target pacing, Brand Partnership programs that are being pitched and that have sold  as well as review new programming on all channels we represent. I never know what my day will consist of. Sometimes I head into work and receive an urgent client request for proposal or find out that creative we just shot for an advertiser is going to be delayed and, occasionally, even done ahead of schedule. On average I pitch/present advertising ideas once a week. So my week is full of brainstorms, writing, presenting, being on set, approving online creative or crunching numbers to get something sold. I usually fit in a lunch time hot yoga class and by evening, I’m ready for my next glass of wine.

What was your first job out of school?
Jess: As soon as I graduated, I moved to Toronto with enough money to pay for just a month of rent in one room of a house in the Annex. The room and owner of the house could have discouraged a mouse from attempting to find crumbs but I had a giant Bristol board over my bed with company names and contacts to remind me to call and send giant cookies to. I tallied how many times I had called each person. On the top of that list was MuchMusic. So to survive and get started, I worked selling lingerie and volunteered at Chum radio and MacLaren McCann for events. MacLaren McCann, the creative/media agency, was the first real job I had.

What are the 3 skills you require most to do your job well?
Jess: Communication. This is the communications industry after all. It’s so important that you can articulate ideas, briefs and feedback in a diplomatic way. Presenting can be intimidating but if you are comfortable communicating with others/conversing then you are ahead of the game. Time Management. Because no day is the same, one will need to juggle many things and prioritize. Not taking things personally. This is something I have to remind myself of all the time. The Brand Partnerships team hears the word “no” all the time. Whether its clients not liking creative/ideas or internal departments not agreeing with client requested changes. It’s a constant battle to stay positive, solution oriented, professional and calm. If I had a 4th, it would be “technically savvy” in order to know media, trends and devices to stay current.

What do you love most about your career?
Jess: I love that I work in the hub of all media moving pieces. With each client/campaign I get to build a program from start to finish. It’s such a feeling of accomplishment. It’s up to me to collect ideas, be the person presenting and attempting to ‘sell’ our ideas through, then work with all teams internally to produce something we are all proud of, then when the client is happy and they achieve their objectives it’s a wonderful exhale. It can be a bit sexy too…

Do you have any warnings?
Jess: Not really. If you are a hard worker, can handle a fast paced environment, able to handle all forms of feedback, then I say welcome to rock ‘n’ roll high school! It’s professional but also a lot of fun.

If you could try a different career on for a year, what would it be?
Jess: Well, I have already submerged myself in another career. A year ago I conceptualized and directed my first short film. I did a second short film for an online Fashion magazine this past spring and currently; shooting a documentary that I wrote, working on music videos, advertising and more… The only thing that was missing in my daily life routine that had been ripping at the seams was the Art of Storytelling. I needed to feed a creative hunger and am loving it.