Meet Sienna Turecamo

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

Sienna , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I know with distinct clarity that I have a purpose in this life. I have always known that. The specifics around that purpose continue to unfold and in many ways are directly related to the things I have endured in my lifetime. It’s not my job to know the details of the destination, but to take every step I know intuitively needs to be taken. That act requires deep fortitude and unrelenting faith. I’m not ashamed or afraid of any part of myself. It is in my most broken moments I become better than any prior version of who I’ve been because I will always make the choice to face everything squarely, with dignity and strength, no matter how devastating the pain I must feel to do so. I will never run from hard things or let them make me less of what I am. I welcome shadows, betrayals, trauma and grief. I have been through much of that in my 30 years and become very good at navigating and transmuting it. I am most grateful for those seasons because they are fuel for me to become my most powerful and elevated version. I know what I am capable of doing because of what I have made it through. I am committed to continual self inventory and I am honest with myself and others. I know exactly what my values are, as well as who and what I am. It doesn’t matter what’s happening, those values are everything. Among the most important of those values is to always choose faith over fear and to never give up on what I know is truth. It doesn’t matter who does or doesn’t believe or what has or hasn’t happened. If I have breath in my lungs, I will not stop becoming the best version of what I am supposed to be. That doesn’t mean taking on the world every day, I reject grind culture completely. All you need is faith, the grit to walk in that faith, the heart to do the next right thing and the trust in things you know to be true but can’t see – and miracles will happen. You will always rise. I am clear that part of my purpose is about enduring crushing things, healing, and then being taken to heights that demonstrate that kindness, faith, love, beauty and truth always prosper. To me, pain is one of the most beautiful gifts I can be given. It means I have a story to tell, empathy to share, and kindness to give. If anyone is feeling crushed by their pain, take heart, it means you are meant for something important. I know that with every fiber of my being. Don’t give up on yourself or the things that matter most in this life. We can’t let the pain win. We have victory when we surrender to our humanity, feel it, and take authority over our own experience. We find resilience there. If you’ve been given a challenge you have the capacity to endure it. I know how dark it can get. When you are consumed with it, pray to a higher power, whatever that is for you, ask for help – help will be sent. Don’t ever give up.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am the owner of a luxury wedding and editorial photography company that is focused on creating elevated beauty for the discerning eye. I am rooted on the East Coast of the United States and photograph events worldwide. I am an artist dedicated to being in service to the world. I started my business while in college, shot my first wedding for free, and have never stopped. Thus far on the journey I am honored to say that among others, my work has been recognized in Business Insider Magazine, People Magazine, Brides Magazine and last summer I was a featured artist on PBS Artistic Encounters. Along the way I have also been named an inspiring female entrepreneur, which may be one of my greatest honors. My brand is currently undergoing an expansion into the home goods industry, as well as making the leap into the public arena, while continuing to photograph beautiful brides and grooms around the world. I can’t reveal anything just yet, however, I have some extremely exciting things debuting this year and I can’t wait to see where they lead, and the impact they will make. The underlying goal is always to make this world a better place.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Don’t listen to anyone other than yourself. For me, my business has been a deeply spiritual walk. I just knew it was what I was supposed to do. I felt a tug deep in my soul and I didn’t really have a choice in the matter if I was being true to myself. If you have clarity, even if its clouded by fear and massive self-doubt (which never totally evaporates), trust it and know that there is a reason you feel that tug. Not a soul really understood when I started, but people will come around. At that point, it’s irrelevant. No matter what you believe in, if you need faith to believe in your instincts, take some of mine. I know that my higher power, who I call God, will guide me. Once, when my business was in a slow month and I didn’t know how I was going to pay my bills, I added up the exact amount I needed, wrote my full name on a piece of paper, the amount, the date, and prayed Psalm 23 over it every night for a week. When I was done praying, I placed the paper next to that Psalm in the Bible. I knew it would be taken care of because I felt it, and I clearly heard a date it would arrive while I was praying. On the date, at 9 pm at night, while I was starting to let the doubt creep in, it came in the exact amount I needed. To the cent. Purpose is spiritual, therefore, so is business. Learn yourself, know yourself, empower yourself, use your specific gifts, and trust them. For me, I am a deeply sensitive and connected person, so my spirituality guides me. I don’t listen to the gurus, to the grind culture, or any of it. For me, most of that is incredibly destructive. Put blinders on, too much consumption of others and their opinions or work clouds your voice. Also, those parts of yourself that make you feel other than – from culture, your industry, or your peers – thats where you can start looking for your gifts and the things that are meant for your purpose. Lean into them. It’s scary because it’s different than what you’re surrounded by, but that’s the entire point. Look at your whole self, inclusive of the best and worst, particularly your worst. I believe that some of our greatest assets are found when we face our biggest defects. That’s why we are given them in the first place. Understand who you are, take the next right steps, and then keep going with steady ferocity. When I say steady, I mean, truly, unrelenting.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When I feel overwhelmed it is a great indicator that I have too much on my plate or I have somehow lost perspective. Saying “no” is a superpower. I don’t give my time or energy to people, places and things that aren’t aligned with me, personally or professionally. I want to be present and bring the best version of myself to everything I do. One of my values is quality over quantity. If I feel overwhelmed, it usually means there is too much quantity and I need to stop and give back to myself or, perhaps, that I am worrying about things I can’t control. One of my greatest resources are a select group of people who I can talk to and that share the same goal of being the best version of themselves. They can help me determine where the overwhelm is stemming from. Ask for help and find mentors, not ones who will tell you what to do, but who will offer perspectives that offer growth and reframing. Be vulnerable and admit where you struggle. Learn to love weakness in yourself. Usually, that’s where overwhelm lives, in places like shame, fear of failure, comparison, perfectionism, or insecurity. There will always be someone who can offer wisdom in places you are weakest if you have the courage to be vulnerable. For me, overwhelm is a pretty good indicator I have moved into fear, control, predicting future outcomes, and out of grounded faith. When at a place of no return on the overwhelm scale, my wellbeing needs attention. If I’m a stressed-out, anxious mess, I’m ineffective. Investing in my wellbeing mentally, spiritually, and physically is investing in the foundation for every other thing in my life. Boundaries are also key. I have specific times each week I attend to my mental, spiritual, and physical health. Those times are sacred and it doesn’t matter what is going on in my life, I never miss them. It’s an act of self-love and self-respect. As a female I have also learned how important it is not to run my life in a way the traditional business world dictates. My entire system works differently than my male counterparts. No one is better or worse, but we are different. I respect that. My energy levels aren’t the same throughout a month, they fluctuate as my body prepares itself to potentially create life, as do my hormones – one of my greatest superpowers as a creative person. It’s important I honor that. Rest when I need rest, create with my natural cycles, and not fit myself into any mold other than my own. Even the hours I work are very different than the traditional work world. Every human is different. For me, there is extreme power for me in running a business in a way that is authentic to who I am and using my intuitive and creative feminine gifts. When it comes to tasks, outsource things that drain you, employ people who have strengths you don’t. I couldn’t do what I do without others, in every facet of my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://siennaturecamophotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siennaturecamophotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiennaTurecamoPhotography/

Image Credits

Nikki Daskalakis
Mackenzie Leigh Photography