Broken Heart Love Affair recently marked its second anniversary with the announcement of 13 new employees, bringing its headcount to 40.
Among the new hires are chief creative officers Craig McIntosh and Jaimes Zentil, who joined the agency from Cossette (which we reported earlier here). They now form part of a five-person CCO crew at BHLA, alongside Denise Rossetto, Todd Mackie and Carlos Moreno.
Also officially joining the agency is Rasna Jaswal as design creative director. Jaswal had been working with the agency as a freelancer, and before that worked with JWT, Interbrand, Taxi and McCann. (More on her below.)
Rounding out the additions to the fast-growing agency are Kayla Christenson; Dane Armstrong; Shannon Griscti; Anabel Harding; Olivia Cousineau and Michael Mercado. Meanwhile, BHLA’s content and production studio Lifelong Crush has added Demi Veselinovic; Daniel Ong; Jax Cohen; and Andee Kintanar.
“Our ‘Talent Hoarding’ philosophy is anchored in a deliberate process of scouting, not the wide-net recruiting approach that is typical in our business,” said chief business officer Bev Hammond in a release.
“Our new team members are recommended by our team and identified as not just some of the best talent around the industry, but also proven great colleagues. [They are] individuals who bring the right alchemy of skill and human kindness that ensures they will excel in our unique system.”
We asked Jaswal if she’d be willing to tell us a bit more about herself, so we could get to know her a little better. Here’s what she told us.
About the photo: Me and Billy in my home office, where I spend most of my day
Favourite TV show of all time and why? The Simpsons. Besides nostalgia, The Simpsons was ahead of its time. It tackled issues like immigration, politics, dysfunctional families, and American culture all through comedy and satire. And, it was one of the only English-speaking TV shows I was allowed to watch as a kid.
Favourite book of all time and why? Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. I love to daydream—as a kid and an adult—this book described the perfect fantasy world (rabbit hole) to fall into.
Movie you love that almost nobody else likes? The Other Guys.
Are you a morning person? I like to wake up early. I’m most productive in the mornings. My internal clock (aka my cat) wakes me up at 6 a.m. everyday.
Most important person in your professional life that you do not work with or for? David Taylor. He is a CD, my mentor and big brother all rolled into one.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Despite never having taken any lessons, I wanted to be a classically trained ballet dancer.
Where were you born, and do you think it’s an important part of who you are? I was born in Montreal, but didn’t live there for long. I lived in Oshawa during my childhood. There wasn’t much to do there as a kid in the 90s; I spent most of my day riding my bike with friends as far as we could before the sunset. I loved those sweet, simple days.
Favourite thing about this industry? Creating and collaborating with incredibly talented humans.
Least favourite thing? The old-school politics, racism and sexism that still infiltrate this industry.
