My Story

A lot of what I have done as an adult was not what I had originally planned for my life, but it's probably turned out a lot more interesting than I had imagined! Growing up I was always interested in science. I studied biology in my undergraduate degree at Florida State University with the intention of going into some aspect of medicine or healthcare. While in college, my degree required me to study a foreign language.  Much to my surprise, I chose Russian.  I took 5 semesters of Russian rather than the required 3.  But after finishing college in the late 90's, I had a huge turning point in my life when I went to Russia for a year and a half as a missionary.  Most of what I have done in my businesses and career endeavors since that time is because of seeds planted or experiences I gained in Russia.

While I was living in Russia, I witnessed life in a post-Communist society first-hand.  I was inspired by the grit of the Russian people, but also saddened by the difficulties so many of them faced economically and otherwise.  After my mission, I returned to the U.S. and got a dual Master's in Russian Language & Literature (Slavic) and Russian & East European Studies from FSU.  I had been recruited for the Russian Language & Literature program because they needed someone who could teach Russian to Florida State undergrads, and the head of the department overheard me speaking in Russian with a Russian woman who I was meeting with regularly for conversations to keep up and expand my language skills.  So I taught beginning and intermediate Russian for 3 years, in the same rooms where I had been a student of Russian years before.

For my Russian & East European Studies degree, I embarked on 2 years of research and writing on the topic of underground Christians in the Soviet Union for my master's thesis.  This original research was the genesis for my book, Beneath Sheep's Clothing, published in 2022 - exactly 20 years after I had began research for my thesis.  My passion to preserve freedom in America blossomed as I engaged in this research.  Then another thing I had never planned on showed up that has been a major highlight in my life - the opportunity to make the documentary Beneath Sheep's Clothing!

One not so fun relic of my time in Russia was 6 months after returning, and at the ripe age of 24, I suddenly lost my health.  I  became partially-disabled and, after a year, I was  diagnosed with two autoimmune illnesses.  For all my years of graduate school, plus an additional few years afterward, I had the stamina of a sick 80-year-old.  At my worst, I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without being laid up in bed for the whole next day.

Another key influence of Russia on my life was my exposure to herbs and holistic healing while I lived there.  At that time, Russians often used natural remedies as a first line of defense for their health.  I remember having a respiratory bug and, on the advice of some Russian friends, trying a mustard pack over my chest to clear the congestion.  All winter we we would often drink this amazing homemade raspberry lemon tea with specially-made raspberry jam.  Chomping on raw garlic was recommended by Russians to help get rid of a cold.

After Western medicine had failed to help me with my collapsed health, I decided to turn to holistic healing.  I began a long quest to find answers and regain my health.  My Bachelor's degree in Biology and experience reading scientific papers when I worked on an undergraduate thesis came in handy. I tried multiple dozens of things over a period of many years.  I eventually found some things that worked, taking note that most of those were things that polite society considered "quackery".  This set the stage for my delving into being not just a student, but an advocate for holistic wellness.  I became a Brand Partner with Young Living Essential Oils  as one of their supplements gave me ~85% of my health back within 1 week of using it.  I also became a certified foot reflexologist  - which was also one of the things that had helped my health.

FREEDOM

I believe freedom is the baseline operating system of the Divine.

Experience & Background

Homeschool Mom

2020-present

Since the time when my documentary Beneath Sheep's Clothing came out, I have done some more deep dives into what has gone wrong with education in America and what we can do to reverse it. I have mostly been homeschooling my now 12-year-old son since 2020.  I have created quite a lot of content on this topic, including my Unwoke Lesson Bundle to help parents teach their kids, at home, the value of freedom, the cost of tyranny, and how to understand the ideology of wokeism.  I have lent my time to help a good friend run for state school board in Utah.

My various endeavors over the last 20 years may seem unrelated and eclectic upon first glance, but at their core is a theme of independence from reliance on corrupt institutions or seeking for reform of those institutions.  All I have researched and poured my heart into over these many years are connected with first, empowering myself to become healthier, more independent, and free - then doing what I can to help others do the same.  I don't have all the answers and am still learning, but it is my hope that you will find something here to be of value for your own life.

Sincerely,

JULIE