By Michele Hardman
Hard work and responsibility are just a way of life for Juliahnah Forehand. She was born and raised in Panama City. Her mom is Irish/Native American, and her dad is Irish/Portuguese. Her grandfather was full Native American and all of her aunts are part of the local tribe. The family has been here for several generations now, initially coming from Hawaii. Her grandparents met at the paper mill in town where they both worked. Her single mom worked three jobs, so Juliahnah and her sister pretty much raised their two younger brothers, took care of the house, and the farm in Youngstown. This instilled a very strong work ethic in Juliahnah. Yet she says these were the best times of her life—being outdoors in nature and working with the animals. Her creative side was evident even as a kid, whether building roller coasters out of trees or making mud huts. They would spend all day long outdoors and felt like it was punishment to come inside at day’s end. All the farm critters were rescue animals, ranging from pigs, horses, donkeys and cows, and many of them had been abused or had physical challenges, such as blindness or missing limbs.
Her adult working career began with a position as hotel manager at age 21. She loved it and discovered that she’s a natural leader. She enjoyed training people, having those connections, and making a difference. So three years after leaving the hotel, she started her own cleaning business, offering special discounts for local residents and military folks. Since she and her sister have always been so close, it just made sense to bring her onboard with the business too, and she’s helped it expand beyond their expectations. They ran the business for seven years—often working seven days a week—and then decided they wanted to do something fun. Out Of The Box Art Studio opened its doors in November of 2025 on downtown Harrison Street, selling pieces from area artists and offering classes and open studio time. Juliahnah has recently discovered a passion for working with clay—particularly creating pieces that can be used in everyday life. The clay work sort of goes along with her nature-loving, earthy side. After being on the go at full speed for so long, art has been a great stress reliever for her and a good way for her to slow down. She says, “When I have clay in my hands, everything else just kind of stops.” She’s now seeing a side of herself that she’s suppressed for too long, and is happy to be inspiring others to find their own artistic talents as well. They’ve recently started a non-profit branch of the studio, called Out Of The Box Art Foundation. Through this, they can offer classes and activities to retirement homes, the under privileged, and those with special needs.
This young go-getter has a lot going on in her personal life as well. She turns 30 in September and is getting back to her roots, recently obtaining a couple of goats and starting her own farm and homestead on five acres outside of town. This will also include some honeybees since they’re so important to the balance of nature. And she’s getting married in October. Being a history enthusiast, the wedding will take place at an old Pioneer settlement, complete with chickens, ducks and guineas scampering around. When I asked what was on her future wish-list, she said she’d love to someday have a coffee and tea plantation on the 100 acre family property. There are still historic plants and gardens on it, and Juliahnah dreams of developing it into something even more special and unique.
In her free time she likes to hike, fish, and take advantage of the natural springs in the area by canoeing and swimming. North Florida has everything she wants, and she can’t imagine ever living anywhere else.
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