A pivot to start the New Year.
Forever grateful to Sierra for capturing our first family photos.
Happy 2025, friends!
I hope you all are enjoying the slow start of the new year with all this beautiful snow we have got here in St. Louis! I sure have enjoyed the cozy snuggles with June while we watched the snow fall outside. Nothing better.
I am three and a half months postpartum after my husband, Aaron, and I welcomed June Noelle into our world on September 29, 2024. Even though the fourth trimester was the hardest part of my pregnancy journey, I have loved motherhood so much. She is the absolute best and Aaron and I ask each other countless times a day “could she be any cuter”? And the answer is always a resounding “no”.
As we step into 2025, I’m writing to share some deeply personal and exciting news about a major pivot in my life and career. After nine incredibly fulfilling years as a brand manager on the marketing team at the Olin Business School at Washington University, I’ve made the heartfelt decision to step away from my role to embrace a new chapter: working inside the home.
This decision wasn’t one I anticipated. Aaron and I felt so grateful to have found a wonderful childcare option for June, and I was fully prepared to return to the work I’ve loved for nearly a decade. However, life has a way of surprising us.
At six weeks old, my daughter smiled at me for the first time, and something shifted inside me. Around the same time, Aaron started a new job that not only brought exciting opportunities for him but also provided a new opportunity for our family to consider what it would look like for me to be with June full time. These moments gave me permission to reconsider my plans—to reflect on what this new season of life could look like. I realized it was okay to change my mind. To pivot.
This pivot doesn’t just mean stepping into my new role as a mother. It also means leaning fully into my passion for photography. For years, photography has been a creative outlet and a business I’ve nurtured alongside my career. Now, for the first time, I’m thrilled to focus all my energy on growing this business and capturing the beauty of family, connection, and life’s little moments. I have no doubt that motherhood will shape and inspire my creativity in ways I can’t yet imagine, and I’m eager to see how this perspective influences what I see through my lens.
My mom, Janell, knit this beautiful blanket for June and I will always treasure having this keepsake in our photos.
I’m endlessly grateful for the time I’ve spent at WashU, for the incredible colleagues who became friends, and for the work that allowed me to grow as a professional and as a person. While I will miss being part of such a dynamic and talented team, I am equally excited for this next chapter of focusing on family and pursuing my photography business with a full heart.
To my friends, family, and community—thank you for your support as I embark on this new adventure. I can’t wait to share the journey with you, both through my lens and in life. Here’s to new beginnings, bold decisions, and the beauty of unexpected pivots. And, thank you God for having me right where I am suppose to be.
Much love, Brooke
“The phrase "normalize changing your opinion" is a way of saying that it's okay to change your mind when presented with new information. It's a recognition that change is constant and that our perspectives and aspirations evolve as we learn and experience the world.” I’ve always loved this quote but it has new meaning to me in this season of life.
