Today we’d like to introduce you to Bri D..
Hi Bri, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It really depends on how far back you’d like to go. I feel like I’ve lived multiple lifetimes. I was raised by a single mother, and I have an older sister. As a child, we moved around a lot. I enjoyed studying and learning new things. I excelled in school, consistently made honor roll, and won awards for writing essays and art competitions.
After high school, I decided I needed to make some money if I wanted a chance at completing college, so I got a corporate job straight out of senior year. I was the youngest person on site. There was always a learning curve, but I was willing to master it. At some point, I realized I was already learning so much and gaining real world experience while earning money, so there didn’t seem to be a point in quitting to go back to school.
After nearly 10 years working in corporate finance, business development, public relations, and digital marketing, I craved more freedom and a creative outlet. I left my job to complete cosmetology school with the goal of unlimited earning potential, owning a salon, owning rental properties, flipping homes, and more. I still have that goal.
After cosmetology school, I worked in a salon and bar in a ritzy Cleveland suburb right as it was opening. I was one of the very first employees and went from unpacking boxes and assembling furniture to becoming fully booked as a nail tech and esthetician. I built a loyal clientele and used my marketing skills to promote myself, the products, the staff, and the shop.
Four things happened there that were pivotal for me:
Staff members and the owner constantly asked for my help with social media since I had grown my personal Instagram account to over 8,000 engaged followers.
Clients and partners also asked for support with their social media.
Clients from the digital marketing agency I had worked at previously reached out for continued help after it closed suddenly, leaving all of its employees without pay, myself included.
One client, who would later become my business coach, talked to me about social media and digital marketing. She owned an agency at the time and begged me to pursue it full-time because she said she could see the passion in my eyes when I talked about it.
The combination of those moments stirred something in me and confirmed I was meant for more, but I didn’t take action then because I was already committed to the path I had worked so hard to create.
Then COVID-19 happened, and everything changed. I was laid off with no pay. The owner decided to cover her own bills with my money and tips, and none of us were paid for months. When she finally paid us with the expectation that we would return, it was too late. I had already decided I would never count on anyone else for a paycheck again.
I went out on my own, and it was hard. I worked for months without pay. It took nearly six months for me to quote a price because I had been helping people for years for free. Soon after, I got my first paying freelance client, a fitness coach and reality star. I grew and legitimized my business with her.
But I felt stuck. She had been referred to me, and I knew I could not rely on referrals forever. So I created a separate business profile and began growing it, first on Instagram and then TikTok. One thousand followers, then ten thousand, then twenty thousand and beyond.
I joined my former client’s coaching program, and that is when everything really shifted. I felt aligned and supported by amazing female founders. I became confident enough to take action. I attended every session, office hour, challenge, and in-person event, and I became unstoppable.
During that time, I had my first five figure month at eleven thousand dollars. Something in me changed. I realized I was making a real difference, people valued my work, and it had the power to change my life. When you grow up experiencing poverty and then have a moment like that, it changes you deeply.
Since then, I have been able to travel both domestically and internationally, work with clients and mentor students around the world, and reach millions of people through social media. It is amazing to see the projects I get to help bring to life.
If you had asked me in the early 2000s what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have had no idea this was even an option, but I am so glad my life has taken this path. Truly full-circle for me, and I thank the Most High.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Growing up, I moved around a lot, which made stability difficult and friendships hard to maintain. I always felt like I was starting over. I also didn’t know I was neurodivergent, so I often blamed myself for things that were actually symptoms. I was officially diagnosed at 29, and it explained so much about how my brain works, why I excel in certain areas, and why I struggle in others. I am still learning something new almost daily about how it affects my body, my energy, and how I process the world.
Because of that combination of constant change and undiagnosed neurodivergence, I became hyper-independent from a very young age. I did everything myself, rarely asked for help, and carried that into entrepreneurship. In the early years of my business, I tried to manage everything alone, and it led to burnout, overwhelm, and a lot of unnecessary hardship. Now, in my fifth year of business, I finally understand how important community and support really are. You cannot grow by isolating yourself, and you cannot build something meaningful while trying to do everything on your own.
Another challenge in this industry is how easy it can be to compare yourself to others without realizing how different all of our paths truly are. People have different opportunities, resources, advantages, and access that you may never see from the outside. They also have their own struggles and shortcomings that are invisible online. Because of that, I never compare myself to anyone. I see myself as an artist. My business is the art. I am creating my own way, in my own timing, while doing a lot of personal and spiritual development along the journey.
Entrepreneurship itself started for me during a difficult moment. I was laid off during the pandemic with no warning, and the experience forced me to rebuild everything from scratch. I worked unpaid for months, navigated uncertainty, and had to learn how to trust myself fully. Those challenges pushed me to grow in ways I never expected. They taught me resilience, creativity, and the importance of staying aligned with who I truly am, not who I’m told to be.
Every obstacle shaped me. Every challenge sharpened me. And every stage taught me something about who I am becoming.
As you know, we’re big fans of Allure Atelier Agency. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Allure Atelier Agency is a bespoke creative and social media agency where artistry, strategy, and storytelling come together to help founder-led brands show up with clarity, beauty, and intention. I like to think of it as an atelier for digital presence. It is the place where ideas, identity, and creative direction are crafted with the care of a true artist.
I am a film aficionado at heart. I love cinema, performing arts, and visual storytelling in every form. I bring that passion into the work I do. Whether it is music, motion, color, or composition, I use every artistic tool I have to breathe life into a founder’s vision. My work is rooted in transformation. I want people to feel something when they encounter a brand. That is why I offer in-person CEO content days with music, lighting, curated scenes, guided posing, and a full creative experience. It allows me to capture the founder’s essence and translate it into a living brand online.
What sets Allure Atelier apart is the level of partnership involved. I do not run a high-volume content shop. I work with a limited number of clients because I care deeply about the art we create together. Founders work directly with me as their strategic partner throughout the entire creative and marketing process, and I have curated an amazing team of talented creatives to help carry out the execution behind the strategy. Every project is touched by real people who care about the outcome, not outsourced to anonymous contractors in bulk. There is a genuine connection between me, my agency, and the clients we serve.
My background spans corporate finance, public relations, digital marketing, cosmetology, and visual arts, and I use all of it to build brands from the inside out. I have partnered with clients like art nonprofits, ballet companies, a floral design studio and florists, yoga/pilates studios, wellness brands, and other founder-led businesses that value creativity and depth. When I work with a client, I approach it like conducting a symphony, bringing together strategy, storytelling, visuals, and voice to create something beautiful and cohesive.
We specialize in social media management, creative direction, brand identity development, strategic planning, content production, and elevated done-for-you support for founders who want consistency and a strong online presence without doing everything themselves. We focus on organic, high-converting content rather than paid ads or mass marketing. Everything we do is bespoke, intentional, and crafted to reflect the brand’s true identity.
What I am most proud of is the level of transformation we deliver and the relationships we build. So many founders come to me feeling overwhelmed or unclear about how to show up online. After working together, they finally feel seen. Their brand feels like them. Their content becomes easier. Their audience grows. Opportunities open. And their online presence catches up to the level of excellence they have already built in real life.
At Allure Atelier Agency, we believe every brand is a story waiting to be told. My purpose is to help founders share that story with the world in a way that feels aligned, elevated, and unforgettable.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, my vision for Allure Atelier Agency is rooted in expansion, deeper transformation, and impact. I want to continue working with founders who care about artistry, intention, and connection, and I hope to collaborate with more arts-based organizations, female founders, architects, interior designers, wellness brands, filmmakers, chefs, estheticians, and nail techs. I love partnering with people who are passionate about what they create, and my favorite projects are the ones that feel like a true collaboration where we build something beautiful together.
My goal is to continue delivering the kind of work that clients talk about for years because it genuinely transforms their brand and their confidence. I want every founder we work with to feel seen, supported, and proud of how their story shows up online. At the heart of my future plans is the desire to leave a positive impact on the world by helping people find their people. When the right audience connects with the right brand, something really special happens.
Long term, I dream of evolving the agency from fully remote into a physical creative oasis. I envision restoring an abandoned warehouse and turning it into a beautiful, multi-purpose space with studios, workrooms, an art gallery, sensory rooms, and collaborative environments for creators and creatives. I also hope to eventually build or own an apartment-style community for artists and founders where inspiration, comfort, and creativity coexist.
Every part of my future plans is tied to excellence, growth, and continuous improvement. I want to elevate the agency, expand our impact, and keep refining my craft so that Allure Atelier Agency becomes a place where creativity thrives and transformative work is born.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://allureatelieragency.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialbybri/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077729530837
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allure-atelier-agency
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@socialbybri?si=SWHmwsT7zj8-fd3L
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@socialbybri?lang=en
