We were lucky to catch up with Juliana Lucca recently and have shared our conversation below.
Juliana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents did a lot right that , when I was younger, did not fully understand. My mother Roberta and my father Shawn are both entrepreneurs & business owners. They showed me how possible it is to flourish doing something you are truly passionate about. I got to see the ugly side of entrepreneurship and the amazing freeing side of it as well. I am so grateful to see first hand everything that goes into starting your own business. I remember coming home from a concert for a boy band I was obsessed with as a teenager and showing my parents the pictures I took just playing around and they made it so clear to me that I have an eye for photography that I didn’t realize at all. The photos from that day ended up all over the website for this boy band. That experience was the first time I ever thought of pursuing photography. I don’t think I would have ever took it serious if my parents didn’t say “hey you got this! run with it”. I can look back now and see all the right choices my parents made for me that make me the woman I am today.
Juliana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Juliana. I am a Photographer & recently finished classes to becomes a Birth Doula.
I got into photography as a teenager just setting up photoshoots with friends I hung out with. I would go to the skate parks by my house and meet up with friends who skate so I can broaden my portfolio. I started having artist and designers in my city contact my to set up shoots. It went from a silly hobby to something I truly loved/love.
I now love to get street photography, family photoshoots & landscape. I am currently working on a landscape photobook to launch next year.
In 2016 I took a break from photography to become a mom and devote time with my daughter. While I dove in to motherhood head first, I became aware of so many horror stories other mothers had while giving birth. I too had a traumatizing experience and I became so passionate about changing that. I started studying to become a full spectrum Doula. I assist the birthing person on their journey before, during & after birth.
I have dreams of merging passions and providing birth photography.
I truly believe having dreams & doing self work is what makes life worth it. We all know life can be extremely hard, but I do believe we can make our life become whatever we truly believe we can accomplish. If your dreams aren’t big then you’ll continue to feel small. Written on my white board next to me “If you can dream it you can do it” is one of the many mantras I speak into my day & career. My faith in God and truly believing that whatever happens in my life and career will be His will is what has allowed me to fully trust the process and relieve a mountain of stress and worry. I have put my career in Gods hands and put my heart in promising myself that everyday I will grow and learn and study everything I can.
I am proud of myself for every step of my process of becoming the woman I am today. I am also proud of how hard I push through when my depression and anxiety try to break my completely down.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn when becoming a doula was to stop trying to fix everyone’s problems. There are many hard times during birth that I will not be able to fix. I have learned that holding space for the birthing person can make such a difference and you become that rock for that person. I have seen such a big change in my clients when I just listen and breathe with them.
Have you ever had to pivot?
A time I had to pivot in my life was when I become a mother of two. I had such an immature mindset after my first child that I didn’t fully grow up like I should have. I straddling the fence of really pursuing this fight within the doula community and wanting to party until I couldn’t function. I had to do some real deep self work and drag out the trauma I shoved deep down to make real changes in my life. I started seeing a therapist, reading everything I can on how to coupe with life and going back to church. I made some big changes and created the person I knew I already was , she just needed some attention and guidance. I had to change my life
from full of pity to “what needs to be done next” every day.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: juliemarzee & marzee.media