PR and marketing juggernaut Juice Consulting celebrates 16 years of supporting and uplifting the arts in Austin.
By Cy White
On Friday, May 19, Austin-based PR and marketing company Juice Consulting celebrated 16 years of cultivating the capital city’s entertainment scene. Fittingly, they marked the occasion with a prom-themed ’80s extravaganza, complete with fishnet finger gloves, neon-colored vinyl compliments of Gold Rush Vinyl, polyester-clad DJ Henry Invisible blaring classic pop from arguably the penultimate decade of anything-goes bubblegum and champagne decadence, and everyone dressed in their best interpretation of 1980s kitsch and excess. It was a party for the decade and of the decade. Juice’s intrepid leader, Heather Wagner Reed, and her brigade of talented and ambitious young daydreamers were dressed to the nines and full of enough ebullient energy to power Austin for a week. An endearing group of Austinites made merry with hand-crafted Jell-O shots, delectable bites and a complimentary bar.
Adding to the glitz and glamour of the evening, partygoers were blessed with the clang and clamor of everyone’s favorite electropop extraterrestrial Primo the Alien. Her set was everything one could hope for in a performance and more: sequined red jacket over a black leotard and fishnets, pink-scented red kohl over the eyes and just over five feet of rage and power ballad explosions on a hot mic. If there were any doubts about Primo’s dominance of the stage (and whoever you are, you must live in derelict mansion of sadness), they were quickly squashed to a plasma smear by her clunky black boots.
In the wake of all the excitement, Reed answered a few questions about her 16 years in the business and what’s next for her and the Juice Consulting crew.
You’re turning 16. What are you most excited about in this new phase?
It’s been a heck of a ride so far, and every year is truly more exciting than the last! What I love most about what we do is that we get to work with such extraordinary people, and no one day is ever the same. It feels like we are literally riding a wave of all the incredible things happening here in Austin, from innovative startups to the music, film and art scene (and much more). As our agency has grown, we have broadened, not only the scope of what we can offer, but the types of clientele we work with. Even doing a considerable amount of global work this past decade, especially during SXSW. I am not only looking forward to continuing to grow our client base, but pumped about the hard working and passionate team we have built and the wide range of skills we can offer.
Did you ever imagine when you opened Juice Consulting that it would last for more than a decade and a half?
Within the first year, I realized how much I enjoyed having my own creative agency and how fulfilling it was to help people tell their authentic stories. It’s so important and needed, and it gave me great joy to be a catalyst for that. So, since the very beginning, I’ve never once thought of doing anything else. Rather, I just have had my head down continuing to build this business, one client at a time. Time has really flown, honestly. Because it’s also been fun. It feels like yesterday that I came up with the name “Juice” because the word signifies the kind of energy we want to offer our clientele. And here we are 16 years later, still “juicing it up!”
What have been some of your fondest memories of the first 16?
This is a hard question to answer. There have been so many wonderful moments! Some of my fondest memories of the first 16 years include working with so many of the amazing Austin-based nonprofits we’ve been involved with. (Sonic Guild, Swan Songs, HOME Austin, The Adderley School for Performing Arts, to name a few!) Helping these organizations achieve their goals, amplify their missions and give back to the community has been just so rewarding.
In the last few years, we’ve also moved more into the tech and innovation space, as it is currently exploding in Austin. That has been really exciting. It’s given us a chance to broaden our client base and work with some of the most leading-edge businesses and new startups here in town and even globally (like FreeWater, Songbits and more).
Also working with Austin’s and Texas’s best and brightest musicians has been a highlight. It’s been amazing to help some of the most legendary musicians in this market, some even when they were just starting out, and witness how far they have come today. It’s like literally watching music history in the making and being a part of it as well! I can’t forget the work we have done with Gloria Gaynor over the past 13 years. The song “I Will Survive” has a very special meaning to us, and it’s moments like when it comes on the radio that I pinch myself and say, “That’s our client!”
The theme for the Sweet 16 is “prom.” If you could create your dream Sweet 16 party, would you still go with “prom”?
Yes, as a child of the ’80s, prom was the perfect theme! It was quirky and hilarious, and we love that kind of vibe. Almost everyone showed up in their best ’80s prom attire. It was a blast to let our hair down with many of our clients, both past and present, as well as our friends of the agency who came out to support us. We danced all night long with Henry Invisible, who DJ’d the event, and Primo the Alien, who took us back in time with her off-the-charts performance. It was truly an unforgettable evening, and we would do it all over again. Jell-O shots included!
The Sweet 16 is supposed to represent moving into womanhood. What does this “blossoming” look like for Juice Consulting?
Yes, we felt that way, too, with this theme. We are definitely “adulting” these days as an agency. To me, these days the company is more refined, kind of like a nice bottle of wine. We have matured and gotten better with age! Across the board, the team has grown so much in the past years, both in skill and size, and has a quiet confidence that only comes from years of experience, hard work and blood, sweat and tears. It feels really good to be at this stage. It’s like we can exhale because we know we got this!
If you could say anything to all the people you’ve helped over the years, what would it be?
I would say that I am always here for you and so is the agency! Thank you for letting us be a part of your career and trusting us to help tell your story. It’s an honor for us to play a role in your journey, and once you’re a part of our Juice family, we will always be here for you and support you however we can. There is no going back now! LOL.
What would you say to your incredible crew at Juice Consulting?
I am so grateful for all the hard work and the passion that each and every one of you give daily. Your commitment means the world to me. It’s so special to see how much we accomplish together (teamwork truly does make the dream work! ) and how we grow closer as a team each and every year. Work family is a real thing! I am so appreciative of how we are always there for each other and how we lift each other up. My goal is to help all of you make your career dreams come true. I am beside you every step of the way. Let’s think big! I can’t wait to see where you are in 15 years. And where we are. I’m so excited to see what the future brings both the agency and each of you.
