The 6 Questions with Julie Reis, Optima Graphics

Next week my eldest daughter Nina turns 18 and will soon be graduating from high school. Julie Reis joined Optima the year Nina was born and truth be told, I think I’ve spent more time with Julie than my own daughter.

As with many of us at Optima here and gone, we are like a big strange family. Julie and I have always worked well together and eventually she became a very important part of the Optima Creative team. Her ability to read my mind is, well – kind of creepy. She understands the design demands for both grand format and traditional offset print. Much much more important, she understands the client. Her role is not always as up front with customers, as for example, someone in sales would be, but make no mistake, she has had a very big influence on our industry and has helped me grow each and every year.  I’ll add that her bravery in the face of some grim setbacks would give pause to anyone that complains! 

1. Tradeshow industry lore is that we all just fell into tradeshow and once you’re in you never leave. For many people that is certainly true. For others, they leave but a part of them remains.  How did you get into the business?