Community Highlights: Meet Mia Licano of Memories In Action / Elevated Saints

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Licano.

Hi Mia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story begins with life — with my biological mother choosing life, even if that meant I would not be raised by her. I was placed into the foster care system at birth, and because of that, family has always carried a deep meaning for me.

I was blessed to be raised in a home filled with love, support, laughter, creativity, and encouragement. My parents supported everything my heart was drawn to — music, soccer, and art. My mother inspired a lot of my creative side. She was always making something with her hands, whether it was woodwork, painting, building, or crafting. She carried the skill set of an entrepreneur, even though she chose the role of a traditional homemaker. She was never able to have biological children, but she mothered many children through the foster care system and created a home that felt safe, full, and alive.

Some of my earliest creative memories came from sitting with my mom late at night watching America’s Next Top Model. I was fascinated by the creative direction, staging, lighting, and editorial photography. Watching Nigel Barker and the production of each shoot planted a creative spark in me. I did not fully understand it then, but those moments helped shape my eye for photography and visual storytelling.

As a teenager, my grandfather Angel was impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia, and that changed the way I viewed photos. Photography became more than something fun or pretty. It became a way to preserve what the mind may one day lose. Later, I also realized the important role my father played in shaping this passion. He was always behind the scenes with a camcorder in hand, capturing our laughter, family moments, and everyday memories. At the time, I did not fully understand that this was one of the ways he showed love, especially while working hard to provide for our home. Looking back, I see how both of my parents helped plant the foundation for what would become Memories In Action.

In high school, I took photography and Photoshop classes and participated in building our senior yearbook. That was where I started to see photography and design as more than just hobbies. I had always been naturally creative and entrepreneurial. In elementary school, I remember creating a club, making club cards, and designing flyers. In high school, I created my first business card for babysitting services. Through soccer, I learned door-to-door sales while fundraising for my team. All of those little experiences became cornerstones of who I am today.

The name Memories In Action has been with me since I was 18. My initials are M.I.A., which people often associate with “Missing In Action,” but I wanted to redefine that meaning for myself. To me, M.I.A. became Memories In Action — a name rooted in preserving life, legacy, and the moments that matter.

I started building my skills through photography jobs with companies like Olan Mills, Lifetouch, and JCPenney Portraits. Each one taught me something different. At Olan Mills, I learned how to sell, connect with people quickly, and turn a passing customer into a booked appointment. I managed studios and traveled for pop-up events at a young age, which taught me responsibility and pressure management. At Lifetouch, I worked with Southern California school systems, capturing student yearbook portraits and learning how to work quickly and efficiently. At JCPenney Portraits, I learned patience, posing, lighting, and how to work with families, couples, children, expecting mothers, and even pets.

Those experiences taught me that photography is about more than taking a picture. It is about helping people pause long enough to preserve something meaningful. A photo can become part of a family’s history. It can be passed down for generations. That realization made me feel like I had found a way to use my creative eye in service to humanity.

In my 20s, I began working with local business owners, creating logos, marketing materials, portraits, wedding photography, family sessions, and event photography. I was building my own client base while also working regular jobs, becoming a mother, and navigating the hardships of life. There were seasons where I lost confidence, including a major setback after being robbed of more than $4,000 worth of camera equipment. For a while, I felt defeated and questioned whether my dream was still worth pursuing.

Eventually, that fire came back. One of the moments that reignited me was having the opportunity to work as part of the media team for Festival Colombiano in Los Angeles. I remember someone saying, “I love what you did with your name and logo. It’s really good.” That simple comment reminded me that what I was building had value. I felt alive again, and I made the commitment to reinvest in myself, my equipment, and my dream.

I wanted to show myself and my daughter that the dream was worth the good fight — that if you can see it, you can become it. My 20s brought challenges, but they also refined me. My faith, my daughter, and my desire to build something meaningful helped me keep going.

In my early 30s, I entered a season of healing, identity, and true vision building. I made the decision to stop treating my work like a side passion and start building it as a real business. I legalized my business in California and began learning the parts of entrepreneurship that people do not always see — business administration, pricing, systems, bookkeeping, branding, client communication, and balancing motherhood with growth. My college education and real-life experience started working together in my day-to-day operations.

Today, Memories In Action is becoming more than photography. It is growing into a creative media brand that offers photography, branding, graphic design, custom apparel, printing, marketing, and other creative services for people, families, entrepreneurs, and organizations. My goal is to help people feel seen, remembered, and represented through visuals that reflect who they are and what they are building.

Long term, I want Memories In Action to become a brand rooted in legacy, creativity, and community impact. I see it becoming a space where stories are preserved, brands are built with meaning, and people are given access to creative resources that help them elevate their lives and businesses. I am also working toward converting my apparel brand, Elevated Saints, into a nonprofit that serves people affected by foster care, adoption, trauma, and hardship. My hope is to use creativity as a bridge toward deeper community support.

At the core, my story is about turning pain into purpose, creativity into service, and memories into legacy. I started as a young girl shaped by family, art, faith, and the value of preserved moments. Today, I am building a brand that helps others preserve their stories, build their visions, and leave something meaningful behind.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, but I believe the challenges are a big part of what shaped me into the person and business owner I am today.

One of the biggest struggles was learning how to build identity, confidence, and direction while navigating complex family dynamics and seasons of survival. I was raised in a home with love and support, but also with generational differences, hard seasons, and the emotional weight that came when my parents were caring for their own aging and ill parents. Being adopted also came with moments where I felt deeply loved, but not always fully understood in the way I needed.

There were times where I had to learn how to validate myself, use my voice, and keep moving forward even when I felt misunderstood. I became familiar with adapting, pushing through, and looking for opportunity even when the path was not clearly laid out for me.

Survival has been a major theme in my story, but I never wanted to only survive. I was determined to thrive. That determination showed up in different ways. Like not being afraid to ask questions, knocking on doors, selling, creating opportunities, and doing what many people are too afraid or uncomfortable to do. I learned early that opportunity does not always come to you. Sometimes you have to go after it.

A major setback was losing over $4,000 worth of camera equipment after being robbed. At that time, it felt like more than just losing equipment, it felt like my heart and soul was ripped out. For a while, I had to rebuild not only the tools, but also the momentum behind the vision.

Another challenge has been learning the business side of creativity. A lot of people see the finished photo, design, or final product, but they do not always see the pricing, systems, client communication, bookkeeping, legal setup, and administration behind it. I have had to grow not only as an artist, but as an entrepreneur.

Motherhood has also been one of my greatest responsibilities and motivations. Building a business while raising my daughter has required patience, discipline, and faith. There were times I had to move slower than I wanted to, but I also believe those seasons helped me build with more intention.

Looking back, I do not see the challenges as proof that I was not meant for this. I see them as part of my refinement. Every obstacle taught me resilience, adaptability, humility, faith, and the importance of building a strong foundation. The road has not been smooth, but it has made the mission behind Memories In Action even more meaningful.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Memories In Action is a creative media brand rooted in storytelling, legacy, and visual identity. What started as a love for photography has grown into a multi-service creative business offering photography, graphic design, branding, custom apparel, printing, marketing, and other visual media services.

At the heart of Memories In Action is the belief that memories are priceless. Whether I am photographing a family, capturing an event, designing a logo, creating apparel, or helping a small business build its visual identity, my goal is always the same: to help people feel seen, remembered, and represented.

I specialize in creative storytelling through visuals. My work often blends photography, branding, and design to help individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and organizations bring their ideas to life. I do not see these services as separate pieces. To me, they all connect. A photo can preserve a memory. A logo can represent a dream. A shirt can carry a message. A brand can tell a story before a person ever says a word.

What sets Memories In Action apart is the heart behind the work. I care deeply about meaning, not just appearance. I want the final product to look beautiful, but I also want it to feel connected to the person, family, business, or mission behind it. I bring creativity, strategy, and personal care into each project because I understand that people are trusting me with something that matters to them.

I am most proud that Memories In Action is growing beyond being known as just photography. It is becoming a creative media brand that helps people build, preserve, and express their stories in multiple ways. I am proud of the trust I have built with clients, the community opportunities I have been able to serve, and the way my brand continues to evolve with purpose.

Alongside Memories In Action, I also created Elevated Saints, a faith-based apparel brand centered on self-elevation, purpose, and leading by example. Elevated Saints began as a creative expression of faith, growth, and encouragement, with designs that include scripture and messages meant to inspire people in their everyday lives.

Long term, my vision is to grow Elevated Saints into a nonprofit that serves people affected by foster care, adoption, trauma, and hardship. I want it to become a bridge between creativity, faith, healing, and community support.

What I want readers to know is that my brands are not just businesses to me. They are part of a bigger mission. Memories In Action is about preserving legacy and helping people bring their visions to life. Elevated Saints is about using creativity and faith to encourage people to keep growing, healing, and becoming who they are called to be. Together, they represent my heart for storytelling, service, and community impact.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is legacy — not just the kind of legacy that is remembered after we are gone, but the kind we live and build every day.

Because of my story, family has always carried a deep meaning for me. Being placed into the foster care system at birth, being raised in a home that taught me love, creativity, and resilience, and later becoming a mother myself, all shaped the way I see life. I understand how important it is for people to feel seen, valued, remembered, and supported.

Creativity matters to me because it has always been one of the ways I connect with people and make sense of the world. Through photography, design, branding, and apparel, I get to help others preserve memories, express who they are, and bring their visions to life. To me, creative work is not just about making something look good. It is about telling the truth of a person, a family, a brand, or a mission.

Faith also matters deeply to me. It has carried me through seasons where I did not always know what the next step would look like. My faith reminds me that pain can become purpose, that growth is possible, and that the things we survive can become the same things we use to serve others.

Motherhood is one of my biggest motivations. I want my daughter to see that dreams are worth fighting for, that healing is possible, and that we do not have to be limited by what we have been through. I want her to know that she can build a meaningful life with courage, discipline, creativity, and faith.

At the heart of it all, what matters most to me is using my life, my gifts, and my business to serve others. I want to preserve memories, build legacy, encourage healing, and create opportunities for people to feel seen and supported. I do not just want to live a life that looks successful. I want to build a life that is meaningful.

Pricing:

• Logo Design: Starting at $150
• Logo Bundle: $375 for three logo concepts/variations, designed to give clients more flexibility and brand direction
• Brand Foundation Packages: Starting around $500 for clients who want a more complete visual identity, including logos, colors, fonts, and organized brand assets
• One-Page Website Design: Starting at $150 for simple landing pages or starter websites
• Legacy Member Pricing: Available for early clients, returning clients, and community-based entrepreneurs who want to build step by step over time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.memoriesinaction.org
• Instagram: _memoriesinaction
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/memoriesNaction/photos
• Youtube: @teatimewmia5526
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/memories-in-action-riverside

Image Credits
Any photos with me were shot by: Julien Garcia – business name OG_DAYS
He has been capturing behind the scenes photos along my journey, shadowing to continue to grow and learn his own craft and nurture his skills.