“The Messy Middle: Where Success is Earned”
My Big Idea—that success is earned in the messy middle—is deeply relevant to the Bloomington-Normal community because we’re a community built on growth, resilience, and reinvention. We’re home to universities where students are navigating their own messy middles, to Fortune 500 companies where employees push through challenges to innovate, and to a thriving creative scene where artists, writers, and entrepreneurs face the same doubts and detours I’ve experienced in publishing.
This idea gives our community permission to reframe struggle—not as failure, but as the most important part of success. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or a dreamer chasing something big, the messy middle is universal. And here in Bloomington-Normal, a place that celebrates both education and innovation, I believe this message can inspire people to embrace their journey with resilience and hope.
About
Julie is a communications professional and multi-award-winning romance author who thrives at the intersection of storytelling and strategy.
By day, she works in corporate communications at COUNTRY Financial, blending creativity with clarity to craft messages that inform, engage, and inspire. She’s also an award-winning instructor in the School of Communication at Illinois State University, where she helps students turn theory into practice through thoughtful, audience-driven communication.
By night, Julie brings her love of human connection to the page as a romance author represented by Chip Rice at WordLink, Inc. Known for her heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories filled with humility, humor, and heroism, her Trading Heartbeats trilogy has earned multiple honors—including a Literary Global Book Award, BookFest first-place wins, Clarion Award, and American Writing Awards finalist designations.
Julie holds master’s degrees in organizational communication and English studies, along with a bachelor’s in public relations. Her professional and creative work share a common thread: using words to move people—emotionally, intellectually, and meaningfully.
