Julie Marvel
Julie Marvel is an expert in community building and friendship, known for bringing women together through meaningful in-person and online connection. Her hardest-won insight: authentic human relationships are not a luxury but a necessity, and building them requires the courage to go first, not waiting for someone else to extend the invitation.
From a dinner table moment in high school that left her silently questioning her own intelligence, to years of building women's communities one brave invitation at a time, Julie Marvel's story moves between private self-doubt and very public acts of courage. In this interview with Powerful Blueprints, Julie speaks candidly about the loneliness epidemic hiding behind our most connected era, why every career she has ever held has made her better at the next one, and what she is building now for women around the world. Good morning, Julie!
What is the first thing a college student building something real needs to hear that no professor ever says?
Julie says the single most important thing a young builder can do is start moving before the full path is visible, and build relationships with people whose experiences differ from their own.
If I were sitting across from a college student who wanted to build something of their own, I would tell them to use their creativity and keep moving forward, even when they cannot see exactly where the path is leading. I have had many careers in my life from being an educator to a family photographer, to a community leader and each of those experiences not only taught me new things but also built upon the last experience to give me the comprehensive knowledge I have today. You do not need to have every step figured out before you begin. You simply need to be willing to take the next one.
You are going to make mistakes. Some ideas will work and others will not, but none of that effort is wasted. Every mistake gives you information about what to do differently next time. Failure is not proof that you should stop. It is often how you discover where you are supposed to go.
I would also tell them to build relationships and find a community. Talk to as many people as possible, especially people who have different experiences and perspectives from your own. Those conversations will give you ideas, teach you things you could never learn in a classroom, and sometimes open doors you did not even know existed. I have spent much of my career networking in both a personal and professional setting. True authentic relationships are started with bravery, curiosity and a willingness to go first. Very few people build something meaningful entirely by themselves. The people you meet along the way may become your greatest teachers, supporters, collaborators, and friends.
What belief about herself did Julie Marvel discover was completely wrong?
Julie held the belief for most of her life that she was not smart, a conviction rooted in a different learning style rather than any real limitation, and one she only began to dismantle as an adult through audiobooks and podcasts.
For most of my life, I believed I was not smart. I grew up in a family of readers. My parents and my brother were intelligent, educated, and intellectual. My dad listened to classical music, and they could all talk about books, politics, current events, and the world. I learned differently. Reading was difficult for me, homework took me a long time, and I would much rather have been outside or spending time with my friends. Because I did not learn the way they did, I assumed something was wrong with me.
I still remember sitting at the dinner table when my brother and I were in high school. He showed my parents a school project he had created. It was a photograph of a stop sign with the word "apartheid" beneath "stop." My parents were so impressed by how creative and thoughtful it was. I sat there silently because I did not even know what apartheid meant. I remember thinking, "How can I be so stupid that I have no idea what they are talking about?" That moment stayed with me for years.
Everything began to change when I discovered audiobooks as an adult. Suddenly, books became accessible to me in a way they had never been before. I became obsessed with listening, learning, and understanding more about personal development, business, science, politics, entrepreneurship, and the world around me. Podcasts opened another door, and I realized I had a deep curiosity that had been there all along.
It took me a long time to understand that I was never stupid. I simply had a different learning style. I process information differently, and I express my intelligence through creativity, communication, relationships, and the ability to understand people. As an adult, I have had to build the confidence that I did not have as a child. One of the most healing things I have ever learned is that intelligence does not look the same in everyone.
What is the one thing Julie Marvel believes deeply that most people are not saying out loud?
Julie believes that despite unprecedented digital connectivity, a widespread and underacknowledged loneliness crisis is growing, and that authentic human relationships, built with courage and a willingness to go first, are the most essential and undervalued resource most people have.
If I could say one thing to the world, it would be this: we are more connected than we have ever been, yet many of us have never felt more alone. We cannot replace real human connection with technology, convenience, or a long list of people we follow online. We need one another in the room.
When I was growing up, connection happened naturally. We lived near our families and friends. We played with other children in the neighborhood, went to school with the same people year after year, and regularly gathered around the table. We did not have to schedule every interaction or make a special effort to find community because it was already woven into our lives.
As we grew older, that began to change. Families moved across the country and around the world for jobs, opportunities, and new beginnings. Many people no longer live near the town where they were raised or the people who knew them when they were young. We gained freedom and mobility, but we also lost some of the natural connection that once surrounded us.
Then technology changed how we related to one another. Our phones and social media gave us the ability to communicate with almost anyone at any time. That can be a beautiful thing, but it can also create the illusion that we are connected when we are actually sitting alone. We may know what hundreds of people had for dinner, where they went on vacation, or what their children are doing, yet still feel as though we have no one to call when we need a friend.
The pandemic brought that loneliness to the surface. It forced us to recognize how isolated many people had already become. Now, as artificial intelligence becomes part of our daily lives and it grows more difficult to tell what is real, I believe authentic human relationships will become even more valuable. Technology can help us communicate, but it cannot sit across the table from us, notice the sadness behind our smile, laugh until our stomach hurts, or give us the feeling that we truly belong.
This is why I believe friendship and community are not luxuries. They are essential to our well-being. Yet many adults are waiting for connection to happen to them. They are waiting for someone else to make the first move, extend the invitation, or notice that they are lonely. The truth is that the person you are hoping will invite you may be sitting at home wishing someone would invite them too.
Creating connection requires courage, but it usually begins with something very small. Say hello. Offer a genuine compliment. Ask someone to have coffee or lunch. Join the group even if you feel nervous walking into the room alone. Be generous with the invitation, because inviting someone is a way of saying, "I see you, and there is a place for you here."
I have spent years bringing women together, and I have watched one invitation change the direction of someone's life. I have seen strangers become close friends, women rediscover themselves after a difficult season, and people find hope simply because they no longer had to navigate life alone. We sometimes underestimate the effect we can have on another person just by reaching out.
The world does not need more passive connection. It needs people who are willing to be brave, look up from their phones, and make room for one another in real life. Authentic, positive relationships are among the greatest gifts we will ever experience. If we want a more connected world, each of us has to help create it.
What is Julie Marvel listening to lately?
Julie has been returning regularly to The For Good Life podcast, drawn to its research-grounded approach to mind management and its practical tools for releasing anxiety and showing up more authentically.
Lately, I have been listening to The For Good Life podcast with Jaycee Spagrud. She is a life coach who talks about mind management, emotional mastery, and the science behind changing our behavior. I appreciate that her teaching is grounded in research, but she explains it in a way that feels relatable and practical.
Her podcast has helped me recognize some of the thoughts and patterns that hold me back. I tend to overthink, worry about whether people like me, and give too much power to what others may think. I am learning that these thoughts do not have to control my choices.
At this point in my life, I want to keep stretching my mind and strengthening my courage. I want to release some of that anxiety so I can show up more fully as myself, both personally and professionally. Her podcast is helping me understand that becoming my most authentic self is not about changing who I am. It is about letting go of the fear that keeps me from being her.
What is Julie Marvel's one-year goal, and how should we hold her accountable?
Julie's stated goal for the next twelve months is to build a thriving online community where women from around the world can find meaningful connection, grow in confidence, and begin their next chapter together.
One year from now, I want to have built a thriving online community where women from around the world can find meaningful connection, grow in confidence, and begin their next chapter together.
This year has been a season of enormous transition for me. I took a business that was built almost entirely around in-person events and made the decision to create something that could reach women far beyond my local community. It has required me to let go of what was familiar, trust myself, and become a beginner again in many ways. It has been exciting, uncomfortable, and deeply personal because I know there are women everywhere who are feeling lonely, stuck, or unsure of who they are becoming.
My goal is to create a place where I can teach women about the importance of friendship and community while helping them reinvent themselves and build lives they genuinely enjoy. I want women to feel seen, supported, and brave enough to take their next step, whatever that may look like for them.
Most of all, I want to bring women together from different backgrounds, experiences, and places in the world so we can remember that we have far more in common than we have differences. If you check back with me in one year, I hope I can tell you that thousands of women have found connection, courage, and a genuine sense of belonging within this community.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Julie!
Frequently Asked Questions about Julie Marvel
What is Julie Marvel's core philosophy on friendship and community?
As someone who has spent years bringing women together through in-person and online events, my core belief is that friendship and community are not luxuries, they are essential to our well-being. We live in the most connected era in human history, yet loneliness is widespread and growing. I have watched one invitation change the direction of someone's life, and I have seen strangers become close friends simply because someone was willing to go first. Building real connection does not require a grand gesture. It begins with something very small: saying hello, offering a compliment, or asking someone to have coffee.
How did Julie Marvel overcome her belief that she was not smart?
For most of my life, I carried the belief that I was not intelligent, largely because I learned differently from the rest of my family. Reading was difficult, homework took a long time, and I often felt left behind in conversations that came easily to others. Everything began to shift when I discovered audiobooks as an adult, suddenly the world of ideas opened up to me in a way it never had before. Podcasts followed, and I realized I had a deep curiosity that had always been there. The most healing thing I have learned is that intelligence does not look the same in everyone, and I express mine through creativity, communication, and the ability to understand people.
What is Julie Marvel's approach to building authentic relationships?
Having spent much of my career networking in both personal and professional settings, my approach to building authentic relationships starts with three things: bravery, curiosity, and a willingness to go first. I do not wait for someone else to make the invitation, I have learned that the person you are hoping will reach out may be sitting at home wishing someone would do the same for them. I encourage people to talk to as many individuals as possible, especially those with different experiences and perspectives, because those conversations teach things no classroom ever could. Very few people build something meaningful entirely alone, and the people you meet along the way can become your greatest teachers, supporters, and friends.
What is Julie Marvel's one-year business goal?
After years of building community almost entirely through in-person events, my focus for the next twelve months is to grow a thriving online community where women from around the world can find meaningful connection, grow in confidence, and begin their next chapter together. This transition has required me to let go of what was familiar, trust myself, and become a beginner again, it has been exciting, uncomfortable, and deeply personal all at once. My aim is to create a space where I can teach women about friendship and community while helping them reinvent themselves and build lives they genuinely enjoy. If I succeed, I hope to be able to say that thousands of women have found connection, courage, and a genuine sense of belonging within this community.
What podcast is Julie Marvel currently recommending and why?
Right now, the podcast I keep returning to is The For Good Life with Jaycee Spagrud, a life coach whose work focuses on mind management, emotional mastery, and the science behind changing behavior. What I appreciate most is that her teaching is grounded in research but explained in a way that feels relatable and practical rather than academic. I tend to overthink and give too much power to what others may think, and her work has helped me recognize those patterns and understand that they do not have to control my choices. At this point in my life, I want to keep stretching my mind and releasing the anxiety that can keep me from showing up fully as myself, and this podcast is helping me do exactly that.
What advice does Julie Marvel give to young people who want to build something of their own?
Having moved through several careers, from education to family photography to community leadership, my strongest advice to any young person who wants to build something real is to start before the full path is visible. You do not need to have every step figured out before you begin; you simply need to be willing to take the next one. Mistakes are not proof that you should stop, they are information about what to do differently, and no effort is wasted. Beyond the work itself, I would tell any young builder to invest heavily in relationships, to seek out people with different experiences and perspectives, and to understand that the community you build around yourself will often become your greatest asset.
