We recently connected with Julie Roland and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Julie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I hope to help people on the biggest scale possible whether or not anyone actually ever remembers me personally. That being said, if I get to have a legacy, then I hope I’m remembered for being compassionate and inspire others in that way. Sure, I’d love for historians and poets to write about how hilarious, curious, creative, open, honest, and adorable I was, but at the end of the day, we should all hope to leave legacies of kindness.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My story is complicated and I can be very long-winded, but at the root of it all, I am where I am because I’ve always been committed to doing the most good. I’m a Navy helicopter pilot and Lieutenant because I have wanted to serve my country since I was a kid. I started Just Tryna Make Friends because I wanted to promote the arts and build community. I’m a magician so I can add to the amount of wonder in people’s lives. I am going to law school to become a better advocate.
I am passionate about a wide variety of things with seemingly little overlap and I love to find ways to inject my skills from one field into another. I use magic to break up the monotony of a day on deployment. I use tactical mission planning skills when organizing variety shows. I’m not your ordinary Naval aviator, nor am I your ordinary magician. And, as a woman, I am part of a minority that makes up about 7% of both lines of work. I’m also Jewish and identify as queer. In many ways, I often find myself the anomaly which gives me the opportunity to transcend expectations and approach most problems from a unique perspective.

I work incredibly hard, but I could not be where I am today without great parenting, privilege, and some luck. Still, I am proud of the fact that I helped turn a backyard show into a nonprofit that now brings in over $10K a year for local artists and has been voted one of San Diego’s Best Neighborhood Events two years in a row (a testament to the impact it has had on the community). I am proud that I managed to do it while serving as an active duty Naval Officer. I am also proud that many of the Sailors I led during this time have advanced their own qualifications, won awards, and been promoted. I imagine I’ll always be proudest of whatever I am doing that is helping others.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Just Tryna Make Friends has been a free show since the beginning. In fact, it really started as more of a glorified house party which featured performances by some of our (co-founder Emilia Barrosse and my) creative friends. Initial capital mostly came in the form of cash stuffed into a jar we left out on a table, so the fact that people donated at all felt like a win. Sometimes we would get lucky and a rich benefactor would throw in $20. I lost a fair bit of money, spending far too much on beer (a lesson I learned early on is that no matter how much you buy, your friends will drink it all), and we were lucky if we broke even.
The experience of coming to the event was so positive though that despite not generating much money, it generated a buzz. Our friends brought their coworkers who brought their friends and so on, and the word got out. A bigger audience (and more followers on Instagram) helped us draw bigger (more famous/established) performers which then helped draw an even bigger audience. Next thing I knew, the San Diego Union-Tribune put the show on the front page of the Local section. Then we were runner-up for Best Neighborhood Event and were a finalist for Best Place to See Live Music Outside (along with the Rady Shell) in San Diego Reader’s Best of 2021 (and now 2022, too). It was clear that we had become something special. We were never tryna make money, just tryna make friends, so I incorporated it as a 501c3 nonprofit. Shortly thereafter, CBS 8 did a feature on the show. Now we have a partnership with Diversionary Theater who gives us a small stipend, and they have a beautiful venue with a full bar, so there’s even less overhead. All this means more money for the arts and community building.

(By the way, if you are passionate about supporting local art and your community, you can make a tax-deductible donation online even if you can’t make the show. Also, check out Diversionary Theater events at www.diversionary.org )

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Every person who has ever been a part of JTMF has helped make it possible for the show to go on. The fact that San Diego has had a free monthly arts show for the purpose of fostering friendships since 2019 is a testament to the artists and community that have generously held it up all these years. I think the show has the reputation it does largely because folks can feel right away that the show belongs to them too. There is a sense of pride and ownership over this show because it is of the people, by the people, for the people. In whatever way you’re involved, you help build the community. Once you attend, you’re a friend.
My own reputation plays into the success of the show too. When it comes to the venue, I try to be communicative and responsive, take good care of the bartenders, clean up after a show swiftly and thoroughly, and promote other events happening there. I want my performers to feel super appreciated, so I personally support their projects, attend their shows when I can, promote them on social media, and on show days just make sure they have whatever food or drink they want and that they are just generally having a good time. I want to always express gratitude, too. I think it’s this kind of care which helped venues and performers want to work with me or be a part of the show even before there was any money in it. I want to care for the audience too. I do believe that everyone who comes to a JTMF show can feel the warmth. I make it a point to greet everyone with a, “Welcome to the Just Tryna Make Friends show. I’m Julie and I’m your first friend.” It’s not lip service and I think they see that right away.

I just try to be a real friend to everyone involved, and I think that’s exactly the reputation I’ve built.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/jyrola
• Instagram: @jyrola, @jtmfshow, @justanideashow
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jyroland/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jyroland/
• Other: jtmf.org

Image Credits
Michael Leathers, Ruben Sevilla, and JTMF