Contributed by Randi Perlman
One day back in spring 2011, right after the soft opening of our new business, a friendly young man sauntered into our shop. With a soft southern drawl, he proceeded to tell me & my husband about his company, its philosophy, and what he could offer us. I liked him immediately, listened intently, and loved his concept of letting the voice of the people be heard. Despite the fact that we had just opened and had no advertising budget, I signed on for a series of print ads to help market our business. His graphic artist/right-hand man helped design a catchy ad, and it was like a magic wand had been waved; customers fill under its spell, started coming in, and never stopped!
Eight years later, as our business grew larger than my husband and I could handle, we made the thoughtful decision to sell. Once again, this time featured on his newly acquired radio station, a campaign advertising the sale of our business led to a successful outcome.
Now, Josh Fryfogle is celebrating 15 years at the helm of his brainchild, Make A Scene! From the beginning, office manager Bryce Burkhart has worked alongside Josh to help run the many tasks involved in producing multiple mediums under one roof. These two young men have taken a simple concept and given it the heartbeat of a community.
All articles are written by community members – there are no paid reporters on staff. At Make A Scene, the goal has always been to harness the power of self-expression, and it is working! Residents from around the Valley send in contributions in the printed form of articles, poetry, opinions, and more. And with the addition of 95.5 The Pass radio station, acquired in 2018, listeners can call in music requests, event notifications, or just say ‘great job’! People feel respected, appreciated, and empowered when their voice is heard, be it in print or on the radio, and it has helped open expanded dialogues on many important, timely and sensitive topics.
Make A Scene is a full-service media company now. In addition to publishing both Make A Scene Magazine and The People’s Paper monthly, they broadcast daily on 95.5 The Pass KNLT FM, build beautiful websites, create video products, and are involved with and contribute to multiple events throughout the Mat-Su.
As the saying goes, they have come a long way, baby! This is my toast to everyone at Make A Scene who has helped make it all happen, but particularly to Josh & Bryce. Anyone who has started and grown a business knows the blood, sweat & tears that go into that kind of venture, and I raise my glass to those two young men for hanging in there through all the tough times, and holding strong to their beliefs. Make A Scene has grown to portray the pulse of the Valley, the voice of the people, and the portal for community information.
Happy 15th Anniversary, Make A Scene! I’m looking forward to the next 15 and beyond, because we, the people, have a lot to say…
