Brooke Estell

mY STORY:

Storytelling is at the heart and soul of everything I do. It’s why I’m here.

After bouncing from major to major (aka anthropology, women’s studies, journalism, film…yeah), I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English: Language, Rhetoric and Writing from the University of Kansas. I quickly settled into corporate marketing communications – first in law firms then shifting, temporarily, to financial tech; effectively transitioning from B2B to B2C marketing. Despite switching industries, one common thread remained: the lack of diversity in marketing and advertising, including the disparity in marketing resources available to companies owned by BIPOC entrepreneurs. Eager to grow in the marketing space, I went back to school, getting a Master of Science in Journalism in Integrated Marketing Communications from KU (what can I say, I’m loyal).

During the pandemic, I was fortunate enough to begin my journey into freelancing. Marketing wasn’t my first love; that was writing. It was telling stories. After the encouragement of family and friends, I decided to put myself out there creatively. I freelanced marketing comms gigs to pay the bills, but used all my free time to tell stories, whether it be on podcasts, Instagram posts or blogs, I just wanted to explore the lives and stories of BIPOC communities — specifically those of Black women. I imagined myself doing it full-time but for like many millennials, job security, health care and a steady income stream were priorities I couldn’t afford to lose. Then, a week before Thanksgiving, my employer decided to dissolve its in-house marketing team altogether. While surprised, I took this unexpected loss as a silver-lining: I decided to commit myself to becoming an entrepreneur, which further evolved into who I am today: full-time creative, part-time entrepreneur and picky freelancer.

Curious to see what I’ve been up to since 2020? Head over to my portfolio.

Brooke Estell

Hi, I’m Brooke Estell. If you haven’t figured it out yet — my middle name is Noel (and yes, they rhyme). I’m a Midwest girl with a love for creativity, coffee and culture. When I’m not working, you can find me watering my plants, reading my horoscopes (I’m a Capricorn sun, Gemini moon and Leo rising), knee deep in a good book or challenging everyone around me to pop culture trivia.

Resume available upon request.

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