Meet Joanna | Social Worker & Diy creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joanna and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanna, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started my Instagram account in early 2022. By that time, we have been living in our house for just about two years and I have been redoing spaces already. I was posting before and after pictures on my personal Facebook, but felt that something was missing. Since I was already following diy accounts on my personal Instagram, this got me thinking that I should start an account and showcase my projects. It honestly took me a few months before I got the courage to sign up. Would I be good enough? Would people like my projects? I started diydominicana because I wanted to be part the diy community and I wanted an outlet to post my finished and in-progress projects.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I graduated in 2022 with my Masters in Social Work and it was quite the journey. School did not come easy for me, but I knew that I had to get my degree to prove to myself that I could do it, but also show my kids that you can achieve your goal at any age. I chose Social Work because I wanted to be in a helping profession and grow in leadership. Being in graduate school while parenting three young kids was quite the challenge. I actually failed my first semester because I could not balance work, school, and home life. I was devastated and felt that I was not good enough to be in grad school. I took those emotions and used it as a motivator to keep going. Then came the pandemic. Navigating working from home, virtual school for myself and my kids was hard. Looking back, I am very surprised that I did not quit in 2020.

Throughout my grad school career, I felt that I did not belong there. I was either one of the oldest in the class or one of the few black or latina students in class. Though I had many years of experience, I still felt less than. If I could talk to my past self, I would tell her that she is deserving of her spot in the course and to continue to work hard. It will all be worth it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband has been my constant support. He was my sounding board for when I was brainstorming my Instagram name, and I went through quite a few. I am part of a network of creators called School of Esperanza. This network is so full of talent and creativeness. School of Esperanza is about building community and being a better creator. There is a wealth of knowledge in the network and I am thankful for everything that I have learned so far.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/diydominicana