Juliette Harris is a woman who doesn’t wait for things to come to her. From early on, she was fully aware that she wanted to run the show, so she created one for herself.
Juliette Harris is a woman who doesn’t wait for things to come to her. From early on, she was fully aware that she wanted to run the show, so she created one for herself.
“I’m spoiled and I didn’t like working for other people,” Harris says, a hint of amusement in her voice. “At the same time, I work 100 percent for my clients. But I get to manage my own time, and ultimately make the decisions.”
The show, which Juliette started and currently runs, is “It” Girl, a Los Angeles-based PR firm. “It” Girl represents clientele from all different genres of the entertainment industry, at all different stages of fame. From the R&B group in their later stages of fame, Boys II Men; to a woman who recently became a household name in a most unexpected manner, Shar Jackson; to the soon-to-be famous singer, Miss Issa; there’s just no telling who’ll pop into the “It” Girl family next.
“I didn’t actually have a vision. I’m very driven and self-motivated,” says Harris. “Almost all our clients came by way of referral, and the business just spun around so fast. We kept getting bigger and bigger clients, so it literally just sprang up. Because we worked hard, we saw results quickly.”
Voted “Biggest Flirt” in high school, Harris seems to have scored the life that she desired not only through understanding how to appeal to the masses, but by also being able to keep up with the fast-changing times.
“The industry is more difficult [these days]. It’s moving at a rapid pace; people are looking for things faster,” Harris explains. “They [the clients] come into my office with expectations of 15 minutes of fame, and then they think that they can rest easy. You have to put in the time to develop your craft and promote it.”
Today, there is little time for anything or anyone who doesn’t stand solid amidst the chaos of the entertainment industry. People are constantly trying to “make it” in the business and “It” Girl is a name that embodies the company’s mission: To find those who have “it” and take them places.
Harris defines the “it” quality as, “When you get ‘it.'” She explains further: “When you get that they have something that other people don’t, and know how to work it. When you take what makes you special and flourish.”
Perhaps not only having “it” has gotten Harris to where she is today. She also has a successful attitude that’s based on being able to laugh every day. “You can’t take [life] too seriously; all the situations that happen in the office – it’s all so surreal,” she says. Also important to maintaining a successful business and persona is her regular work-outs and walks on the beach to unwind.
Harris compares her job to a psychologist’s, which she explains as needing to search out and define client’s goals, as well as figuring out how to get them there.
“The issue most clients don’t understand is that once they’re on top, they must work hard to stay on top,” Harris says. “Our job is to keep an ear to the ground, and really understand what’s happening at a grassroots level. We take a product and expand it to as many diverse marketplaces as we can. We try to create the news.”
Creating the news – this is how stars rise into the sky.
Harris is focusing much of her time right now on a charity project – a single entitled, “Come Together Now,” which Sharon Stone and others such as Nick Carter, Mya, Ruben Studdard and Chingy have contributed their time and talent to create. The profits from this song will be split between Habitat for Humanity and Angels Place, which are both organizations that are currently dedicated to helping Hurricane Katrina victims rebuild their homes and lives.
“People have to be less internally focused,” Harris says, sounding resolute. “They need to look outward and use their power to change things for the better.”
Be sure to visit the It Girl Public Relations official Web site – ItGirlPublicRelations.com
