Julie Lilliston Communications Shapes the Future of PR.
When Julie Lilliston founded Julie Lilliston Communications in 2014, she envisioned more than just another public relations firm. Drawing from more than two decades of corporate communications expertise at global agencies Weber Shandwick and MSL Group, she set out to revolutionize how PR agencies serve clients in an increasingly complex business environment. What emerged has become one of Nashville’s most respected boutique communications firms, earning recognition as a “Top 15 Public Relations Agency” by UpCity and among the “Best PR Firms in Nashville” by Expertise.
The agency’s approach centers on specialized business-to-business communications and strategic thought leadership, distinguishing itself in a crowded market through its focus on measurable outcomes and client partnership models. The firm is a fully remote agency and provides public relations services for businesses in professional services, technology, healthcare and manufacturing. As a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the firm has pioneered new approaches to leveraging certifications as competitive advantages.
Lilliston’s innovative mindset was forged during her corporate years, where she developed groundbreaking campaigns that redefined industry standards. Her leadership of the GoDirect public education and engagement campaign for the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve Banks, earned prestigious awards including the PRSA Silver Anvil and PR Week Award.
The campaign demonstrated how strategic communications could effectively bridge complex governmental initiatives and influence change, setting new benchmarks for public sector engagement.
“Innovation in PR isn’t about following trends—it’s about anticipating client needs and developing the right strategy to impact the business,” Lilliston explains when discussing her agency’s methodology. This forward-thinking approach has enabled the firm to develop proprietary frameworks, including their “Business Reputation Builder” program elevating executive visibility and thought leadership for clients through a combination of strategic media relations, speaking platforms and awards programs. The firm has a collaborative model that seamlessly integrates specialists across disciplines—content strategists, social media managers, web developers, graphic designers, photographers, videographers, and market researchers—creating comprehensive solutions for clients under one strategic umbrella.
The agency’s client roster—spanning enterprises across the Southeast such as Spencer-SHE, PALCO and BluWave, educational institutions like Nashville Software School, and financial services companies including Sonata Bank—showcases its cross-sector expertise. The firm’s commitment to community impact is equally impressive, supporting nonprofit organizations including Dismas House, Impact100 Nashville, and WBEC South. “We believe that building strong communities and supporting the vital work of nonprofits isn’t just good citizenship—it’s essential to creating the kind of environment where everyone can thrive,” Lilliston explains. “These organizations are doing transformative work, and helping amplify their missions and build their reputations is some of our most rewarding work.”
Additionally, Julie Lilliston Communications provides custom publishing and editorial services for clients from concept to completion, partnering with graphic designers and printers in Nashville and New Orleans. The firm produces a glossy 64-page annual magazine called WE South, telling the success stories of women entrepreneurs who are members of WBEC South.
Lilliston’s leadership extends far beyond her agency’s walls. She serves on the WBENC Forum Leadership Team as the Chair of the Marketing Team, bringing peer-to-peer educational programming to more than 20,000 certified women business enterprises across the nation. She is also a state ambassador in Tennessee for the SheConnects program on behalf of the Women’s Business Enterprise Council South to facilitate networking among women entrepreneurs.
What sets Julie Lilliston Communications apart is its commitment to continuous innovation through strategic learning and industry leadership. Lilliston’s participation in prestigious programs including the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative and the Tuck School at Dartmouth Executive Education WBENC Capstone program hasn’t been solely about professional development—it has directly informed the agency’s service offerings and client methodologies. She’s currently pursuing an AI certification through PRSA to bring operations efficiencies to her business as well as clients.
The industry has taken notice of this creative approach. The firm’s 2023 nomination for WBEC South’s Supplier of the Year Award Class I, combined with Lilliston’s recognition as a 2020 Women of Influence Award recipient and 2022 Enterprising Women of the Year Champion, reflects not just personal achievement but also acknowledgment of the agency’s measurable client results. As the communications landscape continues to evolve at breakneck speed, Julie Lilliston Communications proves that boutique agencies can compete with global firms and surpass them in agility, creativity, and client results.
The firm’s success demonstrates that the future of public relations lies not in traditional models, but in the bold reimagining of what strategic communications can achieve when innovation meets expertise.
