Juliette Vara - Auctioneer
‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ Juliette Vara lives by that motto – and she started early!
As a child Juliette loved being ‘in the know.’ While on a family trip to Los Angeles when she was nine years old, she convinced the hotel bellman to notify her if a celebrity walked into the lobby. When he did she raced downstairs in time to spot stars including singer Belinda Carlisle and actress Shelley Long from the sitcom ‘Cheers.’
Juliette’s pursuit of insider knowledge led her to Boston University, where she earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. After graduation, Juliette established herself as a premiere television reporter, winning three Emmy Awards in top markets including San Diego. For 13 years she was on the breaking news and entertainment beat covering massive wildfires and high profile crime cases one week, then interviewing A-list celebrities for a red carpet premiere the next.
Sizzle Reel Highlights - Juliette hosts and produces a series from The George Jones Museum featuring Music City happenings and artists.
While in San Diego she also discovered the immense fulfillment of working with non-profit organizations. For eight years, Juliette volunteered and served as a board member for a San Diego nonprofit helping make dreams come true for children with cancer and their families.
In 2014, she set her sights on Nashville to pursue another childhood ambition of working among her favorite country music entertainers. She drove cross-country to Music City with a dream and a timeline: just one year.
Exactly eight months later Juliette was named the Pre-Show Host for the most legendary country music venue in the world — The Grand Ole Opry — where she has entertained nightly crowds of 4,400 fans. To date the loosely dubbed ‘audience hype gal’ has roused more than three million people and worked among stars including Garth Brooks, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood.
But the first time Juliette stepped on to the Opry stage she had a deep belief the audience engagement skills she was mastering were preparing her for an additional future stage. In 2019 that ‘aha’ moment materialized when she was introduced to the world of professional benefit auctioneering.
Juliette attended the Kentucky Auction Academy with the goal of combining her passions for storytelling and hyping crowds with her charitable heart. She is a member of the National Auctioneers Association and is thrilled to bring her determination to the fundraising stage.
In her free time, Juliette loves beautiful walks, hiking, concerts and remains active in journalism, freelancing for Good Morning America, 20/20 and People Magazine.
