My friend Julianne Applegate recently launched her own line of gorgeous, super-environmentally friendly handbags.

Julianne is a former VP and designer for LeSportsac,  but with the launch of JulieApple – her very own, start-from-scratch company – she’s kicking it up a notch!

(Photo courtesy of the Knoxville News Sentinel)

I am in absolute awe of Julianne’s boldness in getting JulieApple off the ground in this economy, including handling all design, manufacturing and distribution for her bags by herself. Plus, she’s dedicated to running her business in ways that are consistent with her values as a person, so all of her bags are created and produced using innovative green technology, and she adheres to equitable trade and labor practices. Last, but not least, Julianne is a very busy, hands-on mom; she and her husband Toby have three terrific children, ages 8, 7 and 2.

JulieApple is the American dream, done right.

I am a huge JulieApple fan, and having been lucky enough to actually see and touch her beautiful new collection firsthand, I KNOW her bags will be a big hit – and her start-up company will be a success – if we can get enough people to see JulieApple products and tell others about them.

So that’s where y’all come in!

I would like to ask all of my blogreaders, whether you are a daily visitor here or just stopped by for the first time today to consider doing me a personal favor; please help me get the word out, guerilla marketing style, about JulieApple.   If all of us spread the word to our own online networks of friends, followers and fans, Julianne’s mom-run, bootstraps startup can get some traction. And truly, she deserves it. It has been an inspiration to me watching her throw everything she has into something that many people told her wasn’t possible, going out on her own and turning her passion into a business in a very challenging economy.

What can YOU do to help, you ask? Well, here are a few options:

• Use your Twitter and/or Facebook account to let all of your friends and followers know about this great contest that JulieApple is running at the moment (and more of these contests and giveaways will follow in the weeks ahead).  Basically, everyone who tweets about @JulieApple or becomes a JulieApple Facebook fan before noon on Tuesday is entered to win a beautiful JulieApple Hardworkin’ Hobo bag, a $128 value, shipped free straight to the winner’s door. On top of that, EVERYONE who gets 50 or more retweets of a @JulieApple Twitter post during that same time frame gets  a $50 gift certificate toward anything in the JulieApple Online Store. It’s a supereasy way to help the word out about my friend’s company and her handbags, plus, you may win a beautiful JulieApple bag yourself! You can read all the details on the contest at the JulieApple Blog. Please join in, and let all your friends know!

• If you have a blog yourself, please consider writing up a little post about JulieApple, asking your own readers to help spread the word. Feel free to cut and paste any and all of what I’ve written here, and just copy it on your own blog, or you can write up something new. You could tell your readers about the contest, or mention the cutting edge ways that Julianne is minimizing her company’s impact on the environment in her design and production process. Or you could simply direct folks to the JulieApple Flickr feed, where they can get a look at dozens of her gorgeous designs and fabrics for this season.

• If you are a member of the media or a blogger, and you would like to do a story on JulieApple or interview Julianne yourself, send me an email (katie.granju – at – gmail.com ) and I will get you set up with a digital press kit right away.  I’ll also get your interview scheduled at a time convenient for you. This is an inspiring story about a passionately determined female entrepreneur and mother of young children working to start her own company in a highly competitive industry – fashion.  Not only has Julianne Applegate managed to launch her startup in this down economy, she’s walking the walk with unique and forward thinking green, sustainable and fair trade practices.  Julianne would be a terrific guest for your TV or radio show, as she’s articulate, poised, attractive, and funny.  So if you are interested in covering the JulieApple story,  let me know how I can help you.

• If you are a blogger with a significant readership,  or you host a TV or radio show, and you would like to request a comped JulieApple handbag or yoga tote to review or giveaway to your audience, send me an email (katie.granju-at-gmail.com) letting me know what you have in mind.  Julianne is very happy to offer bags for review and legitimate promotional purposes.  Each request will be reviewed on a case by case basis to make sure it’s the right fit for all involved, but please ask!

• If you practice yoga, or have a yoga blog, please let your yoga pals and online friends know about the JulieApple line of stylishly sustainable yoga totes.

• If you own, manage or buy for a boutique, store or catalog – online or bricks & mortar – please consider carrying some or all of the JulieApple line for your customers.  You can contact Julianne directly at Julianne – at – JulieApple.com to talk about her line and how to carry it in your own store(s) or catalog.

• If you live in Knoxville (or even if you want to come into town for the event), please join Julianne for the Official JulieApple Holiday Launch Party,  starting at about 8:30 pm on December 4.   The party will be a First Friday event, held at KnoxIvi on historic Market Square, and will feature tasty food and drink, plus an afterparty ’til 1am with a DJ.  Guests will be able to meet Julianne, check out the JulieApple collection for themselves, and be entered for the chance to win a JulieApple bag at a drawing during the party.  It’s all free and open to the public, although if you let Julianne know that you plan to attend with an RSVP via the party’s Facebook invitation,  that would be great. Let your friends, coworkers and family know about the JulieApple Holiday Party, and even if you can’t attend that night, you can keep up with all the fun via the LIVE blogging, photoblogging and twittering that we’ll be doing from party central. It’s going to be a lot of fun!

• And last, but CERTAINLY not least, SHOP JULIEAPPLE! Consider buying a JulieApple bag for someone special on your holiday gift list, or as a treat for yourself.

Thanks to all of you who are willing to help with my totally volunteer (Julianne is not my client and isn’t paying me), shoestring, word-of-mouth-marketing initiative for my pal.  Consider it good karma if you take just a few minutes out of your busy day to let your friends, family and coworkers know about JulieApple, and about what makes this wonderful, family-owned startup truly special.

Thanks, y’all!  – KATIE