Meet Jade Adhola | Podcaster, Anthropologist, & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jade Adhola and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jade, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After deciding to withdraw from graduate school, I started working in the service industry as a full-time barista. Though I love my work in hospitality, I never wanted to abandon academia completely – which is what pushed me to start my podcast, Why Not? With Jade. Through my podcast, and my presence online, I am able to use the research skills I learned in college while also disseminating the information in a more digestible manner. I found a love of learning while I was in school, but academia has a way of sucking the love right out of you! Thankfully I now use ‘Why Not?’ as an extension of my schooling by revisiting old topics I have source material for and even finding new avenues to dive into. I’m hoping that through time I can continue to create pockets of growth, kindness, and creativity on the internet as I develop my brand/identity as a whole. The internet can be a scary space, but it’s also incredibly powerful when used with intentionality.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What I think sets me apart from others is my ability to learn and grow. I am incredibly determined and will literally do whatever I put my mind to. Sometimes that’s makeup, or manicures, crocheting, social media, or could be doing nothing at all. I’m constantly developing my skill to pivot when necessary. Sometimes you have to pivot during an eyeshadow look, or while editing a YouTube video, or maybe when you’re sent home from your junior year of college for a pandemic. You have to learn when to stop, take stock, and listen to your instincts. It can be super difficult to accept that the only constant we have in life is change & transition. It’s hard but this is where we grow as individuals and hopefully as a society as time passes.
In terms of what my art even is in relation to this question, I kind of see my art everywhere. There’s an art to makeup, choosing outfits, crocheting items with fun yarn, bagging my own groceries in a SPECIFIC way, making a beautiful cup of coffee – the list is endless. If you change your perspective, theres art everywhere and inside all of us. It doesn’t have to make you money or be posted anywhere, it just needs to make part of your soul happy.
What I want people to take away from my brand, which is essentially just myself, is that theres always room for growth, kindness, humility, and creativity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well first up is COFFEE. There are endless amounts of great coffee around the city. I would start with BRASH Coffee & Souper Jenny in the Atlanta History Center. I worked there for almost two years and I just absolutely love the workers, customers, and museum there. There’s also Kula in Atlanta Tech Village, Cafe Blue in Duluth (more of a hike but their Jamaican coffee is worth the drive), and plenty more shops I still need to get around to myself.
Food wise I have MANY favorites. We mostly just go out to eat so these are most of the “attractions” I would take someone to. Here’s a non-exhaustive list: 5Church (American, brunch and dinner), TOAST on Lenox (exceptional brunch atmosphere), Eight Sushi (best sushi I’ve ever had to date), Cafe Bombay (Indian), 26 Thai (go to midtown, get the red duck curry and thank me later), Hopstix (TUNA THURSDAY, GET THE NACHOS), Sugar Baby Ice Cream (sweet treats for the win).
Hopefully there’s a concert in town at either State Farm or Mercedes Benz, cause I’m an absolute junkie. Fernbank After Dark is literally so fun. Blue Martini and Clermont rooftop bar are great spaces to get some drinky drinks and have a dancey dance. I have yet to visit but I know that anything Mr. Wattson (@mrwattson) does is spectacular, including his new bar Propaganda (@propaganda.atl).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Well I’d absolutely have to start with my parents, specifically my mom. She taught me how to be strong, confident, and unapologetically myself. She has always been such a pillar in my life, no matter how stubborn and BRUTALLY honest I can be. She has shown me what unconditional love truly is. My dad has also been an incredible support in my online endeavors, he’s always been so excited for anything I make and has always made me feel like anything is possible. Overall, I am so lucky to be apart of such a loving, supportive family. Though we’ve had our ups, downs, and dysfunction – I love everyone so dearly and they have all shaped me into who I am today.
Outside of loved ones though, I must shoutout Dr. Tucker of UGA’s Anthropology department. If it wasn’t for his introductory course to anthropology – who knows what I would be doing today. He showed me how learning can be fun and exciting, and really sparked my interest in the field. Studying anthropology has made me a more empathetic person and it turned out to be my favorite area of study in college. It was a refuge to me alongside my premedical studies and ended up being the focus I stuck with after completing my bachelors.
Also Harry Styles (obviously). No further explanation required.

Website: https://linktr.ee/whynotwithjade

Instagram: @jadeadhola & @whynotwithjade

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadeadhola

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=0pChnxski4MvvmI3sPAgLw&utm_source=ishare

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jadeadhola

Other: VoyageATL Feature: https://voyageatl.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-jade-adhola/

Email: jadeadhola22@gmail.com