Dear Jayde: Meet Your New Creative Career Confidante

Creator and entrepreneur Jayde I. Powell is bringing candid advice to Muse by Clios

Whether you’re trying to break into the creative industry, negotiate your next raise or turn a side hustle into a career, chances are you’ve got questions. 

Dear Jayde has answers.

Muse is introducing Dear Jayde, a new advice column where creator, entrepreneur and marketing veteran Jayde I. Powell gets candid about navigating careers, creativity and everything in between.

A LinkedIn Top Voice and Clio Creators partner, Powell brings more than 13 years of marketing experience, a sharp perspective and plenty of humor to the conversation. As founder and head of creative at social-first agency The Em Dash Co., she has shaped strategy for global brands including Netflix and Coca-Cola. She’s also the force behind Creator Tea Talk, a brand and community dedicated to creator culture and amplifying Black, brown and queer voices.

Ahead of the column’s debut, we caught up with Powell to talk about knowing your worth, the misconceptions surrounding creators, the best advice she’s ever received and why the next generation of creatives deserves more credit.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What’s the best career advice you actually followed?

Years ago, I was on the marketing team at a major airline in Atlanta, and my manager told me to write how I speak. I’ve carried that with me ever since, especially as I’ve grown as a creator on LinkedIn. On that platform in particular, people think they need to be overly polished and hyper-professional to get their point across. I’ve done the opposite. I create content in my own tone, voice and style, and it reflects exactly who I am and how I show up in the world. I always say what you see online is exactly what you get in person, and I take a lot of pride in that. It’s also why I can now proudly say that I’m a LinkedIn Top Voice.

What do you think the ad industry misunderstands about the next generation of creatives?

There’s a general assumption that Gen Z is deeply unserious and doesn’t take their careers seriously, and I disagree. I’m constantly hearing from Gen Z and early-career professionals asking how to break in and find opportunities. The drive is there. What’s often missing is support, especially from millennials like me and the generations before us. 

Across generations, we have to remember we’re here to support each other. Gen Z can learn a lot from us, and we can learn just as much from them.

What’s one thing people misunderstand about your role?

Because almost everyone has access to social media, a lot of people assume they could do what a social media strategist or creator does. It’s not the hardest job in the world, but it comes with a lot of complexity and nuance that the everyday user doesn’t see. 

When I talk about my work with people outside of marketing or the creator economy, it often gets reduced to, “Oh, she makes TikToks.” In reality, I’m helping brands scale their businesses on social. I’m using my expertise as a marketer to educate my community about the opportunities their skills can unlock. It’s not always seen as a “real” job. But it’s a skill a lot of people wish they had, whether they’ll admit it or not.

What creative hill would you die on?

Creativity is a mirror. You can’t do it well without doing the self-work, because it’s an inherently vulnerable act. You’re putting a piece of yourself out there. And to get work you’re proud of, you have to know who you are and actually like that person. 

Finish this sentence: When I am in a creative rut, I _______.

Rest. As a creative, you’re ideating all day long: Thinking about how to approach things differently, what you want to build next, what could be better. That takes a lot of energy, whether it’s something as simple as writing an email or as complex as making a video—and eventually you run low. 

So, when I’m in a rut or not feeling inspired, I take that as a signal to pause. Sometimes that means sleeping, sometimes it’s laying on my couch doing nothing and sometimes it’s booking a massage. Rest is not the reward; it’s a part of the process.

What’s a meme or GIF that sums up your creative process?

The confused math lady meme. I’ll get an idea and I know I can execute it, but then I immediately start stressing about how I’m going to pull it off. Mapping out how to get from idea to execution genuinely feels like doing complex calculus. However, when I figure out the plan, it feels like such a relief.

A newsletter, creator or account everyone should follow? Besides yourself, of course 😉

Skylar Marshai is an incredibly talented creator. I’d describe her work as whimsy meets art meets fashion. She always thinks beyond the obvious, weaving fashion, design, interiors and art into everything she makes. What really stands out is her consistency. If you lined up stills from a brand campaign with a dozen creators, I could pick hers out instantly.

I’d also add the YouTube channel New Rockstars. They’re one of the few creators who can lock me into a 45-minute to hour-long video and keep me watching all the way through. Yes, I’m a low-key Marvel and DC fan, but plenty of channels cover the same content. What sets them apart is how they structure their videos, explain things and edit. It’s a masterclass in keeping an audience engaged.

What’s a Clio-winning campaign you wish you worked on or admire?

Heinz’s “Mustard x Mustard” campaign. It’s a perfect example of a brand tapping into a cultural moment and joining an already-happening conversation, even though the brand itself wasn’t mentioned directly. I also loved how it embraced Black culture, and hip-hop culture specifically, at a time when a lot of brands either shy away from it or try to capitalize on it. Heinz went straight to the source by bringing Mustard into the campaign as a true partner, not just a face. That’s how you show up authentically in culture.

Who do you look up to, professionally and personally?

Women like Beyoncé, Solange, and Rihanna. They’ve paired their creative passions with real business acumen and scaled it over the years through the brands they’ve launched and the partnerships they’ve built. A lot of that comes down to the teams they’ve built around them and their own work ethic. I’m not striving for celebrity, but the way they’ve brought creativity and business together to build a life on their own terms is truly aspirational.

You’ve got 2 minutes with the industry. What’s your hot take?

Internal content creator roles should be at least paid twice what they’re paid now. I’m seeing these roles listed at around $75,000/year on the agency side, which is wild given what’s being asked. You’re asking someone to use their face, their likeness and their voice to elevate your brand. If we framed this role for what it really is, which is talent, the math would look very different.

If you hired a celebrity or a well-known figure to do the same thing, they’d be paid substantially more. But for some reason, because it’s an internal role, it’s considered okay to pay less. I think that speaks to how the industry still takes content creation and social media less seriously than traditional advertising roles. It’s deeply unfair that content creators are paid less than art directors or copywriters, even though they’re in the most public-facing role and more exposed to scrutiny and harm.

Got a career question? Dear Jayde wants to hear it.

From asking for a raise to navigating a difficult boss, landing your first creative job or turning your side hustle into something bigger, no question is off-limits.

Submit your question to Dear Jayde for a chance to have Jayde tackle it in an upcoming column.