Julianne Fraser, President & CEO, Dialogue New York
Julianne Fraser is a pioneer in the influencer marketing industry and the President and CEO of leading global digital marketing consultancy Dialogue New York. Julianne launched Dialogue with the mission of connecting thoughtful brands with creatives to develop meaningful dialogues that truly resonate with consumers. Her loyal clients are recognizable brands like Brooklinen, Shiseido, Seed, and Sakara Life. Dialogue supports the various elements of clients’ marketing efforts, from social media strategy and content to influencer relations, affiliate marketing, partnerships, and event ideation and execution.
Raised in Canada, Julianne developed a deep connection to NYC from an early age and it was a trip to the city with her mother in her teens that cemented her belief it would one day be home. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Alberta, she moved to NYC to study Marketing and Advertising at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Julianne launched her career just as brands were beginning to understand the value of social media and digital influencers in their marketing strategies. She developed one of the industry’s first-ever hotel influencer marketing campaigns with Ian Schrager Hotels, supporting creators like Chiara Ferragni, Chriselle Lim, and Shea Marie at the very beginning of the influencer renaissance.
Julianne moved over to Lacoste where she managed digital communications for North America and then on to Village Marketing, where she oversaw influencer and partnership strategies for brands such as Care/of, Capsule Pharmacy, M. Gemi, and Rhone. Julianne catapulted her career for over a decade by creating and managing successful strategies for global lifestyle brands. She decided to launch Dialogue NY because she believed there was an opening in the space to create a stronger strategic and multi-layered approach to building authentic relationships between brands and influencers. Through her work and that of her team at Dialogue, clients see consistent growth in both their social following and year-over-year revenue.
Fiercely passionate about disrupting and driving change in the influencer marketing industry, Julianne has felt growing concerns around the echo chamber ripple effect we are seeing play out in the world of influencer marketing. This month, Julianne and her team at Dialogue are kicking off their Creativity Crisis + Solution campaign which will call for all creatives and brands to slow down, to get offline, and to intentionally curate their influences over their influencers. Her mission is to get humans back to connecting to their true creative source even if that means less is more.
Follow Julianne and Dialogue New York to keep connected with her extraordinary work that continues to drive creativity and build authentic and creative brand relationships in influencer marketing.
What is your secret to living a high-vibrancy life?
Being grateful for what you have and mindful not to constantly seek “more.” The people in my life who are magnetic aren’t necessarily the most successful, their gratitude and happiness radiate and are infectious.
Who is a woo-woo working woman that you admire and why?
I recently listened to a Tim Ferriss interview with Claire Hughes Johnson, Stripe’s Corporate Officer. The conversation around her approach to leadership was one of the most refreshing I’ve heard in a long time. She spoke about the importance of saying what shouldn’t be said in a meeting, the power of “Working with Me” guides for leaders to share with direct reports, and how to form healthy boundaries when people request one of your 4T’s (time, treasure, talent or testimony). I highly recommend it!
How do you balance work, wellness, and spirituality?
Being a libra, I am maniacal about balance. It’s something I’ve always prioritized. As life gets increasingly more complex, with both my daughter and business growing up, I’ve learned the importance of compartmentalizing my day. For example, mornings are with my daughter and husband. We have breakfast and spend quality time together to start the day off right. I don’t look at my emails before 8:30AM, since it will make no difference to do so before then. When I arrive at the office around 9:30AM, I’m in work mode. My phone goes on silent mode and I’m able to focus and be fully present for my team and clients.
The hardest challenge of all, I’ve found, is to carve out intentional time for myself. It’s easy to push a workout, self-care, or mindfulness to the bottom of the heap, but in fact, those things allow me to show up best as a mother, wife, friend, and boss. Luckily I have an incredibly supportive husband who talks me out of skimping on “me time.”
Was there any one significant event that moved you onto the path of becoming the woman you are today?
I was told by a previous boss that I would never be able to start a company of my own. That lit a fire in me. I love it when a person underestimates me, it motivates me to prove them wrong.
Personal Mantra?
Your reputation takes a lifetime to build and a split-second to fall. Live a life of integrity.
What inspired you to launch Dialogue New York?
Influencer marketing has always been the Wild, Wild West. Seven years ago, I observed many varying players in the industry, from PR firms to performance marketing agencies and automated platforms, none of which were taking the creative, strategic, and multi-layered approach I believed in. Dialogue crafts meaningful dialogues between brands and influencers and has since become known for it.
Dialogue New York strives to create authentic and powerful relationships between brands, creators, and consumers. How would you advise women to create more aligned and authentic relationships in their work and personal lives?
Don’t be afraid to have difficult conversations. The root of authenticity is transparency and honesty.
Storytelling is an essential component of what your company does when building influential campaigns. With so many women trying to build their brands, what is your advice for really connecting to one’s purpose and creating a meaningful story?
With our heads down constantly on social, it’s easy to copy a trending campaign or competitor’s strategy. In order to develop truly inspiring and unique online content, we have to seek inspiration offline. Put your phone down, be mindful of the world around you, and look to film, nature, food, or music for inspiration. It's amazing the ideas that form when you expand your frame of reference.
What is the best professional feedback you’ve ever received to help you grow as a woman, leader, and entrepreneur?
Be patient. I’ve always been ambitious in my career, but a mentor once told me that in order to step into a new role, I have to have the foundation to support the challenge that comes with it. If you leap too high, too soon, you’ll have further to fall.
You do so much! What are your strategies for staying focused and productive?
I’m a big proponent of the Bullet Journal. I’ve been using this template to stay organized for years. It allows me to map out my week, prioritize my days, and ensure I am intentional with my time.
What are the morning and evening rituals that help you stay focused and grounded?
Cooking fuels me. When I come home after a busy day, I put on my apron, call my sous-chef to the counter (my two-year-old daughter Navy), and craft a menu for our family dinner. The more stressful the day I’ve had, the more complex a meal I make. There is something about using my hands and turning off my brain that is incredibly therapeutic.
What are some things any woman can do every day to connect to herself and her inner purpose?
Gratitude is the most powerful force. It’s easy, especially in a city like New York, to strive for more while never being satisfied with where we are. But life is full of ups and downs and it’s important to recognize how lucky we are today to be fully present tomorrow.
What is the greatest gift you can give yourself?
The belief that anything in life is possible that you set your mind to and work hard for. Yes, I’m that positive, woo-woo friend who says corny sayings, but I know it’s true. I’ve experienced it time and time again. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you believe otherwise.
Absolute favorite healers or practitioners for beauty, health, and wellness?
Yuta Umeda at David Mallet in Paris is an absolute hair magician. Not only do we have the best conversations, I leave feeling fabulous every single time.
Weekly Tui Na massages have changed my life. They release tension and stress in my body from workouts, long work days, and carrying a 30-pound toddler up and down countless stairs in New York City.
Advice to the Woo🖤Woo Working Women out there figuring out how to live their best high-vibrancy life?
Surround yourself with people who lift you up. To live a high-vibrancy life, you have to be surrounded by others who are on the same frequency.