For this look behind the scenes of Goldenbrand lifestyle photography, I am joined by our client Julia Carlson. Julia spent the first phase of her career focused on growth, building wealth, and scaling her seven figure financial business. When we met, she shared her desire for more personal creativity as well as a business and personal brand that reflected everything she was unable to bring to life in her corporate brand. We decided the photos needed to tell the new story of Julia. One focused less on money and more on health, joy, and love. With these images, Julia welcomes you into the beautifully designed Oregon coast home she shares with her family.
Welcome to The Golden Lens, Julia! Tell us about yourself.
I grew up fast. I married at 19, founded my business at 23, and since have been on a journey of practicing self-discovery and mastery while inspiring others to take action. I am not afraid to trust easily and put myself in uncomfortable situations to learn and grow.
"Everything impacts us and it’s critical to look at all aspects to reach the next level."
I have 3 amazing kids in their teen years with my hubby, Chris and we are passionate about living an integrated, abundant life in all aspects — spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical. Everything impacts us and it’s critical to look at all aspects to reach the next level. As fast-paced as my life is, I make time to focus on what’s important (which changes based on what the current priority is). Recently, my business was taking more of my energy and attention which impacted my self care routine and spiritual rituals. I immediately took action and booked myself a 5-day solo trip to a spa to relax, rejuvenate, and get spiritually reconnected. I knew I needed to get quiet, listen, and have time to breathe. The trip was amazing (thank you We Care Spa ) and I returned with a renewed spirit to take on what lies ahead.
Where do you live? Where would you love to live?
Waldport, Oregon, a small coastal town. I have grown to love the Oregon Coast and it feels like I will always be grounded here, but I also love to travel. My dream would be to travel 3-6 months of the year, working remotely, and discover amazing parts of the world. My hubby and I love the British Virgin Islands and would love to host retreats for married entrepreneurs there in the future. We are currently planning our first Power Couples Mastermind sailing trip there in January.
Do you know your human design type and/or astrological sign?
I’m a Generator, but that is all I know about it! In Vedic astrology (which is what I follow), my rising is Sagittarius and my sun is Aquarius.
Tell us about what you do and why it is your passion.
An entrepreneur at heart, I launched into the financial planning field at the age of 19 and have over 26 years of experience helping families and business owners with their wealth management needs. Understanding money and investments comes easily to me and I love to see people either trust me to help them or empower themselves to become financially free.
Over the years as my business grew and I learned to be a better business owner, I naturally helped others do the same. Now, my passion has become helping married entrepreneurs embrace their individual strengths and unite powerfully as a couple. A lot of times the business gets in the way and becomes the priority, leaving no time for self care or family. I want relationships to thrive and for businesses to scale to 8 figures while the business owner(s) takes back their time.
Were your parents entrepreneurs? Were you encouraged to follow your passions and dreams growing up or did you have to discover this for yourself?
No to both. My dad was a pilot and my mom stayed home with me and my brothers. My vision of getting married at 19 was to become a stay-at-home mom. It makes me laugh now! I had an amazing business teacher in high school who got me involved in DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) and totally ignited my entrepreneurial spirit.
When I started my business at 23, I was desperate to create financial independence for myself and I channeled that energy into helping as many other people also reach that goal as possible.
Virtual photoshoot with Julia Carlson, at her home in Waldport, Oregon. Photo credit Lisa Haukom, Goldenbrand Studio.
What's something that you're still working on when it comes to understanding yourself and how to work with your natural areas of genius?
How to apply the breaks and enjoy life. I tend to be future-focused and always onto the next thing, which is a strength because it’s easy for me to manifest and make things happen. I am learning I can do all the things, but just not all at once. It’s also a weakness, as I enjoy having time for self-care, exercise, and time with people I love, but when I push and overcommit those things are sacrificed.
Did you always feel connected to your intuition or was it something you had to learn to trust and use in your business?
Definitely something that was built over time. I had self-confidence early on, but I didn’t have a sense of self-worth. I was always searching for answers outside of myself and only in the last couple years I learned to trust myself for those answers.
Discovering my self-worth has allowed me to slow down and turn inward, tuning into that still-small voice that grants wisdom. In my early years of go, go, go and do, do, do, I was never still enough to hear or trust it.
Virtual photoshoot with Julia Carlson, at her home in Waldport, Oregon. Photo credit Lisa Haukom, Goldenbrand Studio.
How do you strike a balance between intuition and strategy (intellect)? Maybe this is something you are working toward?
I naturally go to strategy/intellect because I always felt I had to “prove myself” to the world. After discovering I don’t need to prove or do anything to be worthy, I am now able to trust my intuition and let that guide the strategy. It’s a really cool transition but I am also super grateful for all the experience with strategy!
Here is an example: I was recently presented with an opportunity. In the past, I would have done research, spent time thinking over it, written out an action plan, talked to a couple people to get their opinion, then made the decision. All of this isn’t bad, as it helped me build my business acumen, but now I can tune in intuitively and know if something is a yes or no. The result is less work and more trust in my inner guidance.
For me, it’s not about money anymore. It’s about impact and helping others transform and create lives they love. Within that process, I receive the gift of purpose and a life with inspiration to make a difference in this world.
Were you always a founder? Did you have a game plan or did you just go for it? What would you like us to know about your journey to this moment?
I don’t think I’d be a good employee at this point! Since I was 23, I’ve founded (or co-founded) 5 companies personally, and 8 between my hubby and myself. I went from a solo entrepreneur to now having over 20 employees. I learned to create business plans and implement strategies, but for the most part I acted… scared. I hired before I was ready and invested in coaches and programs to help when I got stuck. I got comfortable being uncomfortable and became resilient to the noes. I heard a ton of them early on.
My success was not overnight — years of planting seeds, working long hours, and overcoming hardship led me here. It’s easy to only see today and think, “look at her, she is just lucky.” And maybe I am, but it came with a ton of hard work and tears.
What are you most proud of?
Not quitting. Not quitting on my marriage when I wanted to. Not quitting my business early on when I was on the entrepreneurial roller coaster. Not quitting on myself. Learning to create a community from others by investing in coaches and programs for accountability. Not quitting when I became financially independent.
For me, it’s not about money anymore. It’s about impact and helping others transform and create lives they love. Within that process, I receive the gift of purpose and a life with inspiration to make a difference in this world.
If you could send your younger self a tweet, what would it say?
“Travel more before kids” is my first thought, but we didn’t have the money to do that, so maybe not.
“Trust yourself. The answers are within.”
Where do you find inspiration and motivation on the days you are not feeling it?
I first extend grace to myself when I am not feeling it. It’s ok to unplug, read a trashy novel, or watch reality TV. I don’t beat myself up. However, it doesn’t happen too often because I love what I do and I know myself.
I have found that my creativity and inspiration comes in the mornings. I create my schedule around this and it sets up the rest of my day. I love waking up early and I usually begin with meditation for 10-15 minutes which naturally moves into setting my intentions for the day. I then do some form of exercise (I rotate between yoga, walking and weight training) and have my blended coffee (coffee with collagen protein). I will also do my writing or social media content first thing in the day as I find it flows better. A strong morning routine keeps me inspired and disciplined. In discipline, I find freedom.
Best advice for someone struggling to trust themselves in their business?
Make small commitments to yourself and keep them. For example, your daily food intake. Plan out your ideal healthy menu and follow it. Don’t deviate from your plan (no extra trips to Starbucks, fast food, or even extra healthy snacks). At the end of the day, you will feel awesome. Celebrate and acknowledge these small commitments with yourself. Gradually, you can set bigger goals and see how things unfold.
What's next for you?
I am developing my personal brand beyond myself as CEO and founder of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group. This includes public speaking and sharing my story to help other business owners. I’m also creating curated programs for married entrepreneurs.
Virtual photoshoot with Julia Carlson, at her home in Waldport, Oregon. Photo credit Lisa Haukom, The Goldenbrand Studio.
What did you enjoy most about our virtual photoshoot?
I loved everything about my virtual photoshoot experience! What surprised me the most was the investment of time and Lisa’s thoroughness. Her process from the beginning was professional, organized, and proactive. Before I could ask questions, she had already prepared the next step to follow. I was not overwhelmed at all. The deliverable of my mood boards will inspire me far beyond the day of the shoot. What I loved the most (aside from everything) were all the photos! I had so many favorites.
FOLLOW JULIA
Julia is an award-winning entrepreneur and the founder of the Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group. With more than 26 years of professional experience, she speaks about how she built a multi-million dollar business from scratch while integrating work and making personal time a priority. She inspires growth-minded CEOs to build a sustainable, thriving business with a loyal team, without sacrificing their personal freedom.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
