MSU students Chase Neal and Robbie Spears definitely have a unique take on art, sound and electronics. Together, the Meridian natives formed The Juliet Collective, a company specializing in custom music products.
Both students come from musical backgrounds, and Spears has a background in electronics, so the duo has the skill and expertise to manufacture quality guitar pedals for musicians.
The Juliet Collective was founded in April 2009, but Neal and Spears have been talking about starting their own business since middle school, Neal said. The idea for custom guitar pedals came after Spears, a business and technology major, was in a car accident, and unable to play guitar, he picked up a new hobby. Soldering was something he learned and loved. With his knowledge of electronics and his love of music, he was confident he could make “a pedal that’s better and different,” Spears said. Neal, counselor education major, lent his knowledge of business, marketing and music industry to help fuel the idea.
The Juliet Collective started in an extra bedroom at Spears’s house until the group decided it needed a bigger space to work. The Juliet Collective contacted Eric Abbot about what used to be the Creative Warehouse on West Lampkin Street to see if it could occupy a space there.
After being in the new workplace for a week, Neal and Spears were informed of the Entrepreneurship Center at MSU. The two met with Gerald Nelson of the Entrepreneurship Center who helped build their company. The Entrepreneurship Center is free to all MSU students, and Spears and Neal stressed the fact this was such an amazing resource to have on campus and they encourage all future entrepreneurs to take advantage of it.
“The goals [of the E Center] are to build a culture of entrepreneurship here at MSU, to provide capital resources such as mentors and financial help and to provide networking opportunities and other resources,” Neal said.
The Juliet Collective now has Jesus Valdez, an MBA graduate assistant, as part of the company to help with the business aspect of The Juliet Collective’s craft.
The business partners currently produce two guitar pedal models. The “Circadia” is a new breed of pedal, most closely related to a tremolo pedal that allows different frequencies from the guitar to be individually influenced for a completely new way of looking at rhythms. “This Kingdom by the Sea,” also called the “JC Fuzz,” is The Juliet Collective’s unique take on a traditional distortion pedal. 
“It’s definitely worthy of its epic name,” Neal said. The Juliet Collective also sell mic distortions, wooden foot pedals, custom amps on a commission basis and are currently putting the finishing touches on a delay pedal.
One thing that sets The Juliet Collective pedals apart from others on the market is the pedals’ original artwork. Wanting to “connect elegance and beauty with music,” Spears and Neal came up with the idea of featuring beautiful women on their pedals. They will soon be having a contest on their website for the next JC girl to be featured on The Juliet Collective products. Anyone can go to the company’s website and vote for the new model.
The second thing Spears and Neal hope to have a competitive advantage in the quality of their products.
“We set out to make every aspect of our gear perfect … we think more like guitar luthiers than the average pedal maker. In that area, people expect craftsmanship and attention to detail. We want them to come to expect it from all of their gear,” Spears said.
Exactly one year after the business started, The Juliet Collective won first prize in the 2010 New Venture Challenge Student Category of the Business Plan Competition on campus through the Entrepreneurship Center. This summer, The Juliet Collective is launching their business at the National Association of Music Merchandisers, the largest trade show in the world. They hope to gain more exposure to retailers willing to carry their products. Spears and Neal are excited about the direction in which their company is going.
“We’ve had some pretty big milestones, and they’re about to get bigger,” Neal said.
Artist relations is another aspect of the company. Musicians give feedback as a road test for the products. Derek Mount from Family Force 5 and Ben Kasica from Skillet use Juliet Collective guitar pedals. Neal is also in contact with other professional musicians and is working on other custom products.
Owning your own business is not easy, but it definitely can be rewarding, Neal and Spears said. Neal has this advice for anyone wanting to start their own business: “Research your market, provide a product or service that is unique, and never give up on your dream. I know that sounds cheesy, but if you don’t stay focused and keep going even when times are tough, you’ll regret it.”