042 Jana Straiton
Head of Marketing, Lending and Payments EMEA, PayPal
Jana Straiton is the founder of branding agency Renegade. Before that she spent over five years at PayPal in various B2B marketing roles including Head of Marketing for Lending and Payments across EMEA.
“Actual personality, real stories, not just dry product features.”
The interview
What’s your coffee ritual?
I’m all about the French press these days. I buy my beans from Bad Coffee, a female-led specialty roastery in Hackney Wick where I live. Supporting local business AND a women-run business? Ticking two boxes at once, if you ask me! I add a splash of oat milk and 5g of creatine monohydrate because I’m a sucker for health supplements.
What was your first marketing job?
I joined the Hula Hoops brand team. I still remember working on those TV ads where everyone puts the round crisps on their fingers. That’s when it hit me that even a product shape can be part of your branding. Who knew circular snacks would be so educational?
What finance apps do you have on your home screen?
All the usual suspects, really. I bank with Monzo, credit with American Express, and of course I’ve got the PayPal app (surprise, surprise!). Then there’s the business arsenal: Xero for accounting, Stripe for payments, and Wise for international transactions. Glamorous, I know.
Which newsletter, podcast, or book do you recommend most?
I’m a huge Alex Hormozi fan. His frameworks for scaling businesses are actually practical, not just theory. I listen to his podcast, his audiobooks, and follow him on Substack. I’m all in, basically. I always learn something that either improves my business or just gets me fired up.
I also love Masterclass. Had the subscription for years. I binge everything from business classes to creative ones, usually while I’m on the treadmill or some other cardio torture machine. It’s honestly the only way to make cardio in the gym bearable.
What’s an underrated growth channel in fintech?
I think in fintech it’s less about finding underrated channels, it’s more about storytelling and brand-led content across channels. That’s what I want to see more of. Actual personality, real stories, not just dry product features.
What keeps you up at night?
Cashflow and pipeline. I’m a cliché business owner, I’m afraid. Run out of money? Your business is done. No new leads? You’re treading water. Other things pop up here and there, but these two are always there, lurking in the background.
What are the most useful measurement tools you use in your work?
It really depends on what we’re measuring and why. But my favourites right now are AI-powered prediction tools like Emotiva and Attention Insight. They take the guesswork out of creative testing.
What’s one fintech brand (other than your own) that’s getting marketing right?
Hard to beat the OG - Monzo. First time we really saw proper branding in fintech with that coral card and the tone of voice. They made banking feel human. Still keeping their edge I think.
Why is marketing so hard?
Marketing right now is incredibly complex. So many channels, tools, funnel considerations, strategies to manage. But to people outside of marketing? Looks super simple. “Just post on Instagram and go viral, right?” Meanwhile, you’re not just convincing customers to buy. You’re also selling internally, educating non-marketing stakeholders on why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Whose answers to the above questions would you most like to read?
Tricia Rogers, Head of Marketing at Shieldpay. She also runs a marketing consultancy and has serious experience in the space. We tend to see eye to eye on where fintech’s headed, so I’d be curious to read her answers.