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In this empowering episode of Brown Girl Unscripted, we dive deep into the truth that strength doesn’t come from perfection. You don’t have to have it all figured out to be powerful. Join us as we explore real stories, raw emotions, and inspiring insights that remind you: your power lies in your authenticity, resilience, and courage to keep going—even when life feels messy. Perfect for anyone needing a boost of confidence and reassurance on their journey.

Meet Allaire Bartel, a brand photographer now expanding into brand design and creative direction. Her career began with a personal photo project on sexual harassment that unexpectedly went viral, revealing the powerful impact of work that resonates deeply with women. From there, she honed her craft in New York’s fast-paced editorial world, photographing high-profile events and celebrities. After pivoting into brand photography, Allaire took a break to work at Yale—first as a photo editor and producer at the School of Medicine, then as a studio photographer at the Yale University Art Gallery. Now back to running her own business, she brings a rich blend of experience, creativity, and insight to every project.

💬 What does women's empowerment mean to you? Why is it important?

Allaire Bartel: Lately I’ve been thinking about this in the context of equality versus equity. I think the message we heard a lot growing up is “women can do anything men can do!” which is a great starting point, but not the full picture. I think true empowerment comes from recognizing that women have different needs than men and finding ways to set them up for success in a world that’s designed by and for men. And from there, understanding that the tools needed will be a little different for each person, and that’s ok. I personally have medical concerns – endometriosis and ADHD – and my needs are going to be different from someone who’s a mother, for example, or someone from a different racial or socioeconomic background than me. So I think empowerment means honoring both our collective experiences as women and the needs of individuals so that all women have a better chance of success.

💬 What advice would you give to other women looking to succeed in your industry? What qualities are the most important and what skills should they focus on developing?

Allaire Bartel: I think something that's often overlooked for creative professionals is that most will be freelancers at some point in their careers, and when you’re a freelancer that means you run a business. So it is important to develop your creative skills, but arguably more important to learn foundational business skills – contracts, copyright, accounting, marketing, etc. This is a skillset I’m really trying to strengthen for myself right now because it was never emphasized in my schooling or early in my career. That can be really difficult for artistic people, because a passion for business is not usually why they chose a creative profession, but it’s so so important.

💬 Tell us about a woman who has influenced your career and how their guidance has impacted your professional growth.

Allaire Bartel: The late Hannah Thomson was the photographer that I first assisted in New York. She was an incredibly talented editorial events photographer, and I was very green when I started with her. Not only did I learn a lot about the industry, but she really pushed me beyond what I thought my limits were in terms of my professional skills and what I was capable of. Her encouragement and the network I built from that job set me on the career trajectory that I’m on today.

💬 How do you handle work-related stress and pressure, and what techniques or practices do you use to maintain your well-being while pursuing a successful career?

Allaire Bartel: I really prioritize fitness and nutrition, and make time to do gym classes and cook meals at home. For everybody, but for me specifically living with a chronic illness, it’s super important to make sure my health is in a good place or I just can’t do my job well. Flexibility is also an important part of this, which is abundant when you work as a freelancer, but if I were looking for a 9-5 job I would only consider remote or hybrid roles.

💬 Can you share any lessons or insights you have gained from failures or setbacks in your career, and how you have turned them into opportunities for growth and learning?

Allaire Bartel: The times when I’ve really messed up a gig, I can see in retrospect that all of those mistakes could have been avoided if I had put a little more effort into preparation. I like to think on my feet and value adaptability, but a little extra preparation never hurts. Another lesson I’ve learned is to always get things in writing. Even when an in-person interaction feels friendly and like everyone is on the same page, follow it up with an email that asks the other person to confirm your understanding of the situation. You may need to reference that later. Finally, know that not everyone is going to respect your boundaries, so be really clear and honest with yourself about what those are. Don’t die on a hill for something that doesn’t really matter to you, but at the same time know when to cut your losses if your boundaries aren’t being taken seriously. 

💬 Can you share any strategies or tips for building a successful network and fo💬stering meaningful professional relationships that have helped you in your career?

Allaire Bartel: I’m not a networking expert by any means, but my two cents are: treat everyone with respect, be a good connector for other people, and focus on building real relationships. No one likes to feel used; I think it’s better to approach networking from a place of genuine curiosity and service.

💬 What strategies or tactics do you use for setting and achieving your career goals, and how do you stay motivated and focused on your objectives?

Allaire Bartel: There’s this advice out there to never tell other people your big dreams because they’ll tell you all the reasons it won’t work. I ignore that advice and tell everyone. When you’re surrounded by the right people, they’ll help you talk through how to get there in a way that feels like a roadmap, not a deterrent because the work is hard. They’ll also check in on you, which offers opportunities to check in with yourself on your progress. I realize this isn’t particularly scientific, but I think it’s important to put what you want out into the world.

💬 What motivated you to choose your current career field, and what do you find most fulfilling about your work?

Allaire Bartel: I’ve always been artistically inclined, and I developed an interest in photography sometime in my teens. Somehow I’ve never lost that interest or given up on the dream that this is something I can do with my life, be creatively fulfilled, and also make money. A lot of people have a hard time translating their creative ideas, often just into words and certainly into a tangible output, so it’s super rewarding to me when a client loves the final product that we create together and it exceeds their expectations.

💬 Can you discuss any specific trends or changes in your industry that you see impacting careers, and how you are preparing to adapt to these changes?

Allaire Bartel: The big one right now is generative AI, which is not perfect but is advancing very, very quickly. It’s bringing changes in terms of the skills needed to accomplish creative outputs and is also pushing us into uncharted territory regarding intellectual property and copyright. My personal approach is to learn about these tools as they become available, test some of them out, and think about the ways they might save me time or make sense in my personal workflow. But I think the key is to view them as tools that can be harnessed rather than threats to entire professions.

💬 What advice do you have for individuals who are starting their careers or looking to make a career change, based on your own experiences and lessons learned?

Allaire Bartel: Take every opportunity, and if you’re trying to decide between more than one, think about what you can learn from each. Nothing is ever a detour if you learned a new skill and can apply that skill to where you want to end up. I think that’s my main advice: just view everything through the lens of “what will I learn?”

💬 How do you approach professional development and continuous learning to enhance your skills and stay relevant in your industry? 

Allaire Bartel: I do a lot of online courses because I can really focus on whatever skill or problem is top of mind for me at that time. There’s a lot available for free, and I’ve also had good luck investing in courses and coaching programs from professionals that I trust. I’ve never bought one and ended up thinking “what a waste of money.”

💬 Can you discuss any significant achievements or accomplishments in your career that you are particularly proud of and what you learned from those experiences?

Allaire Bartel: My personal project Boundaries, about how jarring and ubiquitous sexual harassment and sexism feels for many women, went “viral” very early in my career. I learned a lot from that experience – a few things that stand out are: 

1) Exposure doesn’t directly translate into compensation.

2) Once your work is out there, it’s out of your hands. The people sharing it have a lot of power over how it and you are perceived, positively or negatively.

3) The importance of being as inclusive as you can when you have a platform.

Another project that I’m proud of is called Faces of the Pandemic, which I did the coordination and creative direction for while working at Yale School of Medicine. We photographed and interviewed healthcare professionals and support staff who worked at the school and partner hospital during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was featured in Yale Medicine Magazine and exhibited at one of the buildings on campus, and it was really rewarding to ensure those perspectives were documented and shared.

I’ve had several other moments in my career where I just paused and thought “wow, this is cool.” A few stand outs are: photographing the decor for the Met Gala, having my artwork exhibit at Miami Art Week, and documenting a Cezanne watercolor while working for Yale University Art Gallery.

💬 How do you balance your career ambitions with other aspects of your life, such as family, hobbies, and personal well-being?

Allaire Bartel: I don’t think there’s a magic bullet here; you just have to be really clear with yourself about what’s most important to you, why, and how you’re going to prioritize that. The unfortunate reality is that career demands and personal well-being are in direct conflict for most people. I’m trying to build a life for myself where I can have both, and for me that means working for myself so I have a lot of flexibility and can create time for things like self-care and hobbies. Having a flexible schedule also means these categories no longer need to be mutually exclusive. I work in the lounge at my gym so that it’s easier for me to prioritize fitness. I also co-work and workout with friends so that I get to see them outside of strictly social time and have people to hold me accountable.

💬 Are there any specific books, podcasts, email newsletters, thought leaders/influencers, or training courses/programs that you would recommend for personal or professional growth?

Allaire Bartel: These are pretty industry-specific, but my favorites right now are:

The Freelance Photographer coaching program

Strong Brand Social’s F the Algorithm workshop

Togue Studio’s Patreon

@aphotoeditor

@photocamp.pro

@amandacampeanu

@risingfitnessbc

@quixoticdesignco

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