We recently connected with Julian Rebelo and have shared our conversation below.
Julian, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
The name of my podcast derived from the idea of Chosen Families within LGBTQ+ circles. As a genealogical researcher, photographs serve as critical documents of our relatives throughout history. However, what I was noticing as a common pattern was that often times old photographs and documents were separated from their loved ones, and sold in second hand stores. The goal was to be able to utilize my background in research in order to tell these individuals stories and return them to families. If I could not find an immediate relative, I also welcome these individuals into my life, as part of my chosen family.
Julian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
There is a culmination of factors that have led to the development of the Chosen Families Project. I recently graduated in May of 2023 from Monmouth University with my Bachelors of Science in Chemistry with a minor in interactive and Graphic Design. I also am in process of formal education for genealogy from Boston University. This past year upon my graduation, I also wrote my Honors Thesis, centering around including transgender individuals within forensic anthropology, as well as created posters and other projects centering around telling LGBTQ+ stories and being advocate for the community as a whole. I also had first started a small business within genealogy JRebeloGenealogy about 7-8 years ago, occasionally taking on clients. The project is therefore a culmination of both my scientific, artistic, and queer background, whereby I fused the ideas of returning photographs with my background in research, writing, and queer ideologies. I learned how to record, edit, and market my podcast all on my own, which includes writing, creating the graphics, and publishing it on social media. The most validating element of the Chosen Families Project is being able to send photographs and documents back to relatives. I have returned over 20+ photographs and documents over the past few years to relatives and historical society organizations. Through these relatives, I have been able to learn more intimately about the individuals I have researched, and any time I am able to find success through the project, it is the most redeeming quality despite all the hard work. The podcast has grown popular in genealogical circles, and is available on both Spotify and Apple Music. I have been able to further facilitate my project through working with groups on Facebooks with similar agendas as my project, who also return lost and found photographs to relatives.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Although the Chosen Families Project has not turned into my full time career, it has directly laid integral to the career path I hope to pursue in the future. The Chosen Families Project has allowed me to connect with genealogy in a meaningful way. Throughout my undergraduate career as a science based major, I did not sure exactly which direction I would go in. Within the past few years, I discovered the blossoming field of Forensic Genetic Genealogy. This field incorporates many of the same principles that the Chosen Families Project has, but applies it to a forensic context. Within this field, unknown victims or criminals can be identified through combining traditional genealogical research alongside DNA based evidence. As I further my education to the graduate level, such as through Boston University, as well the University of New Haven’s Graduate Certificate Program in my future field, this podcast has served as a stepping stone as well as a way to develop my background in genealogical research.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative within genealogy is being able to tell an individuals story while applying research based skills. My background in graphic design as well as in the arts has allowed me to be able to find a proactive medium that is a culmination of all my creative skills and talents together with one another.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.julianrebelo.com/blog
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechosenfamiliesproject/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechosenfamiliesproject
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-rebelo-852878206/
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4hhzcb8an4gHcSEnH8k9Sy?si=d96ca369fdf84f08 Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-chosen-families-project/id1627530135