Today we’d like to introduce you to Tess Bruns
Hi Tess, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania, near the Poconos, and moved to Austin after finishing my undergraduate degree. I spent nearly a decade working at Whole Foods Market, followed by roles at two environmental nonprofits after completing my master’s degree. When I had my son during COVID-19, I decided to step back from work to stay home with him for a few years. During that time, I started posting more on Instagram to document my Phoebe Philo era Céline collection, and it’s organically grown over time into a side business — freelance creative work for various brands. In addition, I’m also the creative director for my husband’s real estate team. This role blends my passions for photography, design, and fashion in a very fulfilling way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a working mom, there is the persistent challenge of balancing work and family. Right now, I’m navigating the desire to travel more for my career while feeling guilty about being away from my son. And since my husband and I work together, it can be tricky to separate work from personal life, but we try our best!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work falls into two main areas: real estate and freelance fashion/beauty. For my freelance projects, I collaborate with fashion and beauty brands to create impactful images and videos that promote their products and brand identity. While much of this work is remote, I love partnering with local businesses—two of my favorites are Moss and Cookie Monster Vintage.
In the real estate creative director role, I handle brand consistency, digital content, social media, and advertising. I’m most proud of the quarterly lookbook I produce and photograph, where I highlight agents and their luxury properties. It’s a great way to blend creativity with strategy and spotlight the people and the properties we sell.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
It’s important to me (and vital to my business) to network and build relationships with individuals and brands in a mutually beneficial way. If you read this and are interested in learning more about my work, please reach out to me at tess.bruns@gmail.com.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoebephilofan/
