Photographs by Cristina Gutierrez
"What an honor it is to have our daughter Juliana Fetherman featured in the “Young Trailblazers to Follow” list. It is certainly no surprise that she is receiving this recognition, for she has always been a selfless individual that did everything possible to help the less fortunate. Ever since she was a child, she always managed to lead her peers rather than follow the missteps of others.During her high school and college years, she chose to use her friend network to draw attention to causes that brought awareness to the challenges of the special needs community. "
– Andy Fetherman
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CREATOR? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MANIFEST YOUR CREATIVITY?
To be a creator means to find holes in industries and find solutions to those problems. Manifesting your creativity is easy when you’re doing something you’re passionate about.
WHAT´S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO?
As a society, there are a lot. I think (considering the business I’m in) that we should be paying more attention to isolated populations, specifically the special needs/disabled populations. It is very important that people realize that we have to advocate for people who can’t advocate for themselves.
HOW IMPORTANT HAS FAILURE BEEN IN YOUR LIFE?
Failure is important in my life. It is something being an entrepreneur has really helped me grow in. No one likes to fail, and I used to have a real problem with it (I’m a perfectionist). Now I know it’s an important part of growing and the process. The best way to learn is to fail.
WHAT´S YOUR FIRST THOUGHT EVERY MORNING?
it’s a new day and I can choose to make it a great day or not.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
I was asked to speak on a panel about crowdfunding at Bloomberg HQ in NYC. I was the youngest person on the panel by far and the only woman. Additionally, the other three panelists all raised over a million dollars, and I raised $10,000. During warmups, I was being underestimated by these other panelists. I kept telling myself that I was there because I deserved to be there. I went out and told my story to a room of executives and investors. I was the only one to receive a standing ovation. That taught me to always be confident in what you’re putting out. You might not be the richest, wisest or smartest, but you are the professional at your own business.
WORDS I LIVE BY:
Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever does. People often fail because of their own self-doubt, rather than actually failing.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A TRAILBLAZER?
Being a trailblazer means doing what you believe in, even if you are standing alone. It means not doing what’s “expected," but rather doing what sets your soul on fire, and not stopping until you fix the problem/find a solution.
It also means not getting discouraged by negative feedback. It means being so sure about what you’re doing, no one else'S opinion matters.
WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
Something my dad tells me every time I have a bad day or get frustrated is, "if it were easy, everyone would do it." This is something that is constantly with me and gets me through the particularly difficult times.
WHAT ARE YOU PROUDEST OF?
I am the proudest of my guts to launch my business as junior in college with no business experience (I wasn’t even a business major). I often say I was able to do it because I was naive and didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Today, I am extremely thankful for that. The hardest part is definitely taking that first leap.
BIGGEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER?
Sacred Heart played a huge role in my career and purpose. What inspired me to even start my business was being the president of the autism club. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I loved being the president of the autism club. I knew if I could figure out something that was missing in my brother’s life, I could make a business out of it, and create for myself a role similar to being the president of the autism club. Sacred Heart also gave me many other opportunities to grow into a leader. I was the captain of the cheerleading team, led numerous campus ministry retreats, and was involved in the mentoring program Sunshine Kids. Growing to learn and love the core values of Sacred Heart has really helped me find my purpose.
IF YOU COULD INTERVIEW ANYONE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Ellen DeGeneres. She is the coolest person ever and gets to change lives every day. My ultimate dream is to get on her show.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?
I define success as how happy I am, how good my mental health is and how good of a work-life balance I have. If I don’t have these things, nothing else matters.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE NEVER CHANGES?
I hope that through the growth of the Sacred Heart community, we are still able to maintain the "small college, close knit community” feel.
WHO HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST IN YOUR LIFE?
My parents. I owe them everything.
