Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Julie Anne Barber. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Julie Anne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Chase What Sets Your Soul on Fire

The year was 2011. I was 27, armed with an MBA, and working for a Fortune 50 company in corporate finance. I had done everything I was told to do – go to college, get a degree, land a good-paying job. And yet, there I was, boxed into a tiny cubicle, rarely seeing daylight, never spending time outdoors, quietly questioning every life choice I’d made. Why was I so miserable?

One day, a friend from FSU reached out after seeing some photos I’d taken. She offered to train me as a wedding photographer. I had never even been to a big wedding before, but the first time I held a camera at one, I was hooked.

For nine months, I lived a double life—corporate finance by week with a “regular job”, driving four hours on weekends to help her shoot weddings. Then one Monday morning, I walked into work, handed in my resignation, and walked out. I couldn’t keep shrinking my soul. We aren’t meant for cubicles and fluorescent lights.

For over a decade, I photographed luxury weddings across the world. But when my dad was diagnosed with cancer, I left Atlanta for good and moved back to my family’s cattle ranch in Central Florida. I traded 50,000 people in a five-mile radius for 50,000 people in the entire county—and I don’t regret it for a second.

Today, I’ve blended everything I’ve learned—cattle ranching, agritourism events, yoga teaching, and visual storytelling—into what is now Oak Creek Preserve: 180 acres of special wetlands in Zolfo Springs, Florida. It’s becoming a healing center where you can wander flower fields, meet our mini Highland cows and donkeys, take family photos under the oaks, join community yoga, and simply be.

I’ve spent seven years studying the nervous system and somatic therapies, traveled to see the world’s beauty, and honed my creativity so every experience—whether a photo session, yoga class or an agritourism workshop—tells a story.

None of it happened because I followed a script. It happened because I listened to the fire in my soul and chased it with everything I had. I’ve never let anyone tell me how life “should” be lived. We’re meant to explore our passions, even if they don’t make sense to anyone else.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Julie Anne, the founder and heart behind Oak Creek Preserve, a 180-acre regenerative cattle ranch, flower farm, and wellness retreat in Zolfo Springs, Florida. My path here has been anything but linear. It’s been a tapestry woven from my deep roots in ranching, my passion for creative storytelling through photography, my calling as a yoga and wellness teacher, and my love of the land.

I grew up surrounded by agriculture and open spaces, which taught me early on the value of stewardship. Caring for the earth in a way that gives back more than it takes. After earning my MBA, I spent years blending business strategy with creative ventures, but I felt a pull toward something more grounded, purposeful, and healing. That calling brought me home to the land and to founding Oak Creek Preserve, where I could merge my diverse skills into one place and one mission.

At Oak Creek Preserve, I raise grass-fed and non-GMO grain-finished cattle with integrity. This means no hormones, no antibiotics, just clean, nutrient-rich beef from animals raised with respect for both the land and their lives. We also launching a seasonal flower farm, growing vibrant blooms for u-pick experiences, cut flower sales, and herbal products like teas and tinctures. On the wellness side, I lead yoga classes, sound baths, and healing arts workshops beneath the shade of our oak trees, often incorporating the gentle presence of our Highland cows and mini donkeys as part of the experience.

What sets Oak Creek Preserve apart is the way it bridges worlds – agriculture and wellness, production and creativity, tradition and innovation. It’s not just a ranch, a retreat, or a flower farm; it’s a place where people come to reconnect with the rhythms of nature, learn where their food comes from, and feel restored in both body and spirit.

I’m most proud of the way we’ve built Oak Creek Preserve as a space of community, connection, and authenticity. Whether it’s a family filling their freezer with locally raised beef, a photographer capturing magic in the flower fields, or a guest finding deep peace during a yoga session under the oaks, our work touches people in ways that go beyond a transaction. Tt’s about creating experiences and memories that last.

What I want potential clients, visitors, and followers to know is this: Oak Creek Preserve is a living, breathing invitation to slow down, to get your hands in the dirt, to nourish your body with real food, and to remember the simple joy of being in nature. Everything we do here, from ranching to farming to creative and healing work, is rooted in integrity, sustainability, and a genuine love for people, animals, and the earth.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The last five years have tested me in ways I could never have imagined. In 2020, I lost both my father and my sister, and not long after, I was in a devastating car accident that left me with a traumatic brain injury. I spent much of 2021 and 2022 in recovery — hours inside hyperbaric chambers, relearning how to read, and spending long stretches in meditation to quiet my mind and heal my body.

Through all of it, I held onto a vision. I could see Oak Creek Preserve, a place where my skills in ranching, wellness, and creativity would come together to create a space for healing, connection, and raising healthy cattle with integrity. That vision became my anchor.

In 2022, just as I was beginning to rebuild, Hurricane Ian struck Central Florida. Out of our 180 acres, 160 were underwater. The barn was destroyed. It felt like starting over from scratch. Then, in 2024, Hurricanes Debby, Milton, and Helene hit undoing so much of the cleanup and restoration I had spent years working on.

It has been hard. It has been lonely. There were moments I questioned if I could keep going. But each time, I returned to that deep knowing in my bones that what we are building here has purpose. No one ever said it would be easy. But it will be worth it. The storms, both literal and figurative, have taught me that resilience isn’t about avoiding hardship; it’s about anchoring yourself to your divine purpose and letting it carry you through the chaos. For me, that purpose is Oak Creek Preserve. And that is what keeps me moving forward.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Bootstrapping Your Way Into Business

Having an MBA in finance has given me a solid foundation in how money works — both the opportunities and the pitfalls. In business, you can take out massive loans or bring in investors, but I’m a strong believer in bootstrapping your way forward.

Bootstrapping is the process of building a business from scratch with little to no outside capital. It’s financing growth through your own resources, keeping control of your vision without giving up equity or taking on heavy bank debt.

When I launched my photography business, I didn’t have piles of cash to throw at it. Instead, I got a 0% interest store credit card from a big-box retailer that sold professional camera gear. My first Nikon D800 and two pro-level lenses cost over $7,000, a big investment but I was able to pay it off over 12 months without interest. I built my own website, leveraged social media to reach clients, and put in late nights to grow, all while avoiding serious debt.

Even now, as I prepare to build a new barn to replace the one I lost in Hurricane Ian, I’m applying the same principles. I’m exploring different financing options , maybe a small line of credit with a competitive interest rate, but always with the mindset of minimizing risk and keeping control.

My philosophy is simple: work to become your own lender. Let your business grow slowly and organically so it can evolve into what it’s truly meant to be. When you grow too fast, you risk overbuilding or building in a direction you might later regret.

No one ever said bootstrapping is easy. It takes patience, creativity, and grit. But it’s worth it because you end up with a business that’s truly yours. So don’t be afraid to pull up your bootstraps and get to work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.oakcreekpreserve.com www.julieannephoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakcreekpreserve
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560505061726 https://www.facebook.com/julieannephoto/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieannebarber/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@oakcreekpreserve

Image Credits

headshot copyright: Photos by Rissa.

All other images are my copyright — Julie Anne Photography