College of Communication and Information alumna Julia Bonner’s (‘10) first internship was with WBIR Channel 10.
At the time, she aspired to be a broadcast journalist, but after completing the internship, she reevaluated her career options. She wanted to be a storyteller but realized the journalism industry was not the right fit for her.
She later met with Bonnie Hufford, her advisor and former School of Journalism and Media lecturer, for guidance. Hufford encouraged Bonner to consider “the other side of the coin” of journalism and pursue public relations. She even recommended an internship with Scripps Networks Interactive, which included brands like HGTV and Food Network and was acquired by and merged into Discovery Communications in 2017.
“I ended up getting an internship with DIY Network, their home improvement channel, writing show descriptions, press releases, captions, and other PR-related programming elements,” Bonner said. “It was just such a cool and different experience than I’d had before. I really started to fall in love with the PR side of things, and it still gave me the ability to help tell great stories.”
More than a decade later, Bonner is the founder and president of Pierce Public Relations, a Nashville-based public relations firm. Her success was honored this year with a Rocky Top Business Award by the University of Tennessee’s Alumni Association. The award is presented annually to recognize the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by UT alumni. Sixty-four companies were recognized with Rocky Top Business Awards this year and Pierce Public Relations was ranked sixth.
“The biggest surprise was where we were on the list,” Bonner said. “I don’t think any of us expected to be in the top 10. Seeing all the businesses that were recognized is impressive. We have a lot to be proud of.”
Adding to that excitement, this year marks Pierce Public Relations’ 10-year anniversary. Bonner said she had doubts when she first decided to start her firm but credits some of her company’s success to emulating the values she sees in her younger brother, who served as an officer in the US Army. She named her business after him because she viewed his values of perseverance, dedication, discipline, and humility as guiding stars for doing business.
Leading the Way
Over the past decade, Bonner has been fortunate enough to meet and learn from various mentors as a new entrepreneur—especially other women, such as Aileen Katcher of Nashville-based Katcher Strategic Communications.
Bonner said Katcher was the first to offer her knowledge and guidance early on her entrepreneurial journey and continues to be an incredible resource. Bonner pays forward the gracious support extended by Katcher and others by using her platform as a women-led business to empower other women interested in becoming entrepreneurs.
“Beginning at UT, and certainly over these last 10 years, I’ve done a lot of growing myself, but to grow women alongside me who can be great professionals and love to come to work has been one of the most rewarding parts of having a business,” Bonner said.
She encourages CCI students interested in starting their own business to take advantage of the many internship opportunities available at the college. She said getting those hands-on experiences in college helped her learn the ins and outs of the industry and prepared her for starting her own business.
She also encourages students to ask questions and connect with individuals they believe will be great resources for advice and insights.
“The beautiful thing about UT, especially once you are an alum, is that people want to help you,” Bonner said.