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

Naiia, appreciate you joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

Prior to this summer, I prided myself on being a busybody; “hustling” through the entertainment industry by working as often as possible and earning as much as possible. At the time, it worked out perfectly! I loved keeping busy, and constantly booking not only served as a means of validation, but it also made me feel as if I was on the “right path”.

Then, in July 2022, life changed with the birth of my son. Obviously it wasn’t a sudden turn of events, given my husband & I were expecting, left our rent-controlled apartment in Venice, and opted for becoming homeowners in the safer community of the South Bay. But what did change was the expectation – not on the “how-to’s” of being a mother, but the expectation to be a working mom.

The pandemic already put the kibosh on several hats I used to wear; traveling automotive host, occasional princess performer, which allowed me to zero-in on what I enjoyed more that was also high yielding pay-wise. I committed to acting full-time, which garnered stunt performing opportunities, and with working from home I was able to maintain my job as a magazine editor & columnist for 2 publications.

Prior to our firstborn arriving, a discussion was had where we (my husband & I) were in agreement that I’d step back from the industry and he’d continue to support us all (as a set lighting technician). Well the industry had other plans, as I continued to book (booked even MORE so) while pregnant, right up until my 36th week. TV shows, commercials, photo shoots, even stunt work.

Once our son was born, I took the allocated “time off” to recover, readjust, and bond with my little one. During said time, I still received calls from casting directors asking specifically when I’d be back. Sure enough, the moment I was cleared to work, everyone was demanding my time. At the risk of sounding like an ungrateful actor for all of the opportunities, all I wanted to do was stay home and raise my son – especially during those critical first few months.

Realizing how costly kids were (he already has a college fund set-up), the conversation between my husband & I transitioned to “well maybe you could look for work at-home” to “we’re going to need you to work and earn x-amount in order to maintain our way of life”. As a first-time mom, not having familial assistance since our respective families are either out of state or live abroad, it was devastating to hear those words, because not only would I have to “figure motherhood out”, I’d have to do it solo while also worrying about earning.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Those who know me well claim I’m superhuman (in truth, I’m just super tired). I’m the editor of and a writer for Manila Up! Magazine (my column is called “Glass Half-Fil”) as well as EXQUISITE International Magazine (“My So-Cal’d Life”). I’m also a SAG-AFTRA actor who kept busy throughout my pregnancy with mom roles, voice over work, and maternity shoots. I’m also a stunt performer specializing in underwater work; anything from doubling A-listers during underwater scenes to slapping on a 20+ lbs silicone mermaid tail and performing live or on-camera. I book often through Sheroes Entertainment, and am also their Social Media Manager (more stay-at-home income).

Where I struggled most with becoming a new mom wasn’t in how hard motherhood is (and believe me, there ain’t no hood like motherhood). It was with how everyone else expected me to continue on as my busy self while also juggling a newborn. I “bounced back” physically quickly just based on my busy lifestyle, and what people interpreted as #goals was actually me just struggling to keep up.

I am now at a point where – in addition to dealing with a 4-month sleep regression (IYKYK) – my focal point has shifted from financially supporting myself to physically and emotionally nurturing my son. You can’t pour from am empty cup, and in order to fully take care of him the way I intend to, I need to put me first. This means cutting-out some more work, turning down opportunities, and being selective with what I do book.

Recently I’ve been working as a red carpet correspondent at various award shows being broadcast live, which marries my on-the-road hosting background with my journalistic media training. I also just wrapped a feature film called Isleen Pines, where I was the lead in a horror/sci-fi that entailed stage combat and a lot of SFX. These gigs weren’t stressful though, they were fun – which allowed me to come home happy and happily tend to my baby.

It made me realize that for the new year, I’m going to be ultra-choosy in what gets me out of the house and away from my infant. I’m at a point in my career where I want to feel like I’m contributing to society in addition to just earning a paycheck. With the water-related work – and with my son already taking bathtub swim lessons – I plan on donating my time to a charity called Swim Brayv, that advocates for children’s water safety, something I feel strongly about.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Moving forward in my journey – and I guess what I want to illustrate to others who are fellow creatives interested in starting a family – I want to articulate that it is hard. Not impossible, but monumentally hard. And in order to move forward as a first-time parent, there has to be a shedding of ego; accepting that you’re going to miss opportunities, that your single/non-parent artist friends won’t understand, that people will STILL expect you to do and be what you always did and who you always were – and that it is YOU that has to shed light on the fact that, no, you can’t work on a pilot that shoots for 2 weeks out of state. Not right now.

I’m a firm believer in that opportunities will always be there. I wish friends and family were more understanding of the life changes involved with becoming a parent. It’s not just the obvious “there’s a tiny human I’m responsible for now”, but the internal turmoil of “how do I balance being a good example and fostering independence, while also desperately needing help?” Know that parenting – for as “natural” as it is – doesn’t come easily or isn’t as straightforward as one might think.

So what can be done? On the set of Isleen Pines, as well as another commercial I booked & a TV show I’m a regular on, I was able to take pump breaks every few hours – and as a nursing mom, that is critical not only for baby’s nourishment, but mommy’s physical well-being. And if you’re friends with someone who just became a parent for the first time (or even 3rd time), check-in and offer help, but more importantly offer understanding and don’t try to force your ideals of what they should be doing with their careers in the interim (yes…that happens). When a baby is born, so is a mother. There’s no going back.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I absolutely do not have all of the answers. I honestly can’t say what I “did right” during pregnancy/postpartum; I’m very much still learning how to mom. But what serves me is communicating with my husband, accepting my family’s help while still acknowledging boundaries, being firm with employers on what I can and can’t commit to, and most importantly – when I’m at my wit’s end and fatigued to the point of hallucinating – I look at my son’s face; his smile, his dimples, his toothless laugh, and everything I ever did, I’ve never done, who I was/still am/am becoming is completely worth it. You don’t lose the inner artist to parenting, your art just becomes more meaningful, which is as scary as it is rewarding.

And to those who’ve hired me, accommodated my pump schedule, released me from set early so I could get back home sooner – thank you. Thank you for making my 2022 even more momentous by supporting my growing family. Isleen Pines is slated to release Halloween 2023.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.naiialajoie.com
• Instagram: @naiialajoie & @naiyathenaiad
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/naiialajoie
• Other: www.imdb.me/naiialajoie

Image Credits
Justin Lutsky, Joanna Cadena, Matt Leal