Age: 38
Job Title: President and Founder, The Adams Agency
There isn’t much that scares Jenny Adams. As a former television host, she spent years thinking on her feet, interviewing guests and trying out new and unusual activities, all while maintaining a certain air of composure. Although her TV days are now behind her, the hours she spent in front of the camera equipped her with a fearless nature that today allows her to handle even the most stressful situations with ease.
“I always say yes to the scary things. When I put myself out there, even if I fail, those are huge learning moments,” she says. “Once you’ve done that for thousands of hours on television, you learn how to pivot and stay calm, even if on the inside you’re nervous.”
Now, as the president and founder of The Adams Agency, a strategic communications and public relations firm, she’s more comfortable behind the scenes, helping clients across the country master the art of communication.
When she’s not behind the curtains at a press conference or handling clients’ crises or issues, Adams uses her skill set to give back. In 2019, she was part of a team that raised more than $1 million for the Stollery Children’s Hospital by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Normally for someone with little to no hiking experience, the idea of climbing Africa’s tallest mountain would be out of the question. Not so for Adams. Even after her first hike — a jaunt up Vancouver’s infamous Grouse Grind, just weeks before she was set to climb Kilimanjaro — left her with aching muscles, Adams didn’t back down.
“I’ve had so many gifts, I feel this responsibility to give back,” she says. “And I can honestly say climbing that mountain was one of the hardest but best things I’ve ever done in my life.”
This article appears in the November 2020 issue of Edify
