In this episode of the "Your Power Move" podcast, host Reina Vokoun interviews brand photographer Marci Broe about her unconventional career path and the personal philosophies that guide her. Marci recounts growing up in Vermont with a photographer grandfather, studying advertising in the late‑90s, and spending a decade at TV Guide during the transition from print to digital. Feeling unfulfilled, she left the corporate world twelve years ago and merged her marketing expertise with a lifelong passion for portrait photography, building a successful brand‑photography business. She shares the biggest personal challenge she faced—a difficult first marriage—and how that experience taught her to develop a problem‑solving muscle. Marci explains what drives her work: deep human connections, especially with women, and the legacy of her family’s photography tools. She discusses using AI-generated images and video as inspiration rather than a threat, illustrating this with a client’s skincare brand. Her "power move" is the simple habit of asking for help, reinforced through journaling. Looking ahead, she plans to scale her business by certifying other photographers, hiring sales staff, and possibly merging, while also focusing on health, strength training, and nutrition to thrive through menopause and into her 80s‑90s. A fun personal anecdote reveals her water‑baby upbringing—water‑skiing in Vermont and surfing in California—shaping her confidence. She concludes with advice for women: give yourself permission to try new, scary things and develop the muscle to handle change. Contact information includes her Instagram handle @marcibro photo and website marcybrowe.com.
Chapters
I think that the benefit of wisdom really sinks in when, when you realize that there's always going to be a challenge. However, you have had the years and years of experience knowing, okay, I've dealt with that challenge, I can deal with another.
And I think that really goes to show that life is going to be filled with surprises and, you know, ups and downs and challenges and opportunities. And it's really up to us to look inside of ourselves and figure out what's working and what's not. Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of Your Power Move by PassionFit. I'm Reena Vokoun, your host, and I'm excited to bring you another fun guest episode. I have a very special guest. She is not only my brand photographer for PassionFit, but also a dear friend of mine. Her name is Marci Broe, and I'm so excited for her to share all about her background, her story, and her fun tips based off of her profession with all of you. So welcome, Karsi.
Thanks, Reena. It's so great to see you.
So great to see you as well. And I'm so excited for us to dive into our conversation today. Um, so I would love to start off by having you tell our listeners and viewers a little bit about your background. I know personally you have such an amazing background and I want everyone to hear kind of what led you to doing the work that you are doing today and just even, you know, what you're doing today personally as well.
Oh, sure. Well, thank you. You know, I feel like Reena, we have such similar paths, and I feel like a lot of women get to our age and we, we kind of look back and we think, wow, you know, we've really had a path that led us here. And my particular path is I was a kid that was always interested in photography but never thought I was going to make a living out of it. I was also really interested in advertising and marketing because when I realized that it was somebody's job to make TV commercials and magazine ads, I was like, that sounds like a cool job. So that's, that's where I aimed my ship. When I was in high school, I only applied to colleges that had a major of advertising. And I went to school in New Jersey, which is where I was living at the time, and I got a degree in advertising. And this was the late '90s that I graduated. So it was— I happened to be graduating in a time where there was this tech boom happening. Uh, this is Reena. I know you're— you kind of like landed in the same space. Uh, I, I always wanted to live in Boston, so I moved myself to Boston and I started working for companies in the tech space. And then I got, um, to a company that most people in America know is called TV Guide. I was working at that company for 10 years. It was, it was at the time they were transitioning from a little coffee table magazine to a digital listings that you could navigate with your remote control. So I, for 10 years, worked in the world of like cable and digital listings. And that was, that was a really fun education. But the whole time I was thinking, gosh, this can't be it. Like, what's my next move, my power move, if you will. So in the back of my mind, I was always looking at what other people were doing and other careers. And I had a hobby of photographing people. I love to photograph my friends. I had a hobby— I can't even call it a business because I pretty much made no money doing it. It was just something I did on the weekends, if you will. Um, but 12 years ago, I decided that I really wanted to leave the corporate hustle and start my own business as a photographer. And I really found it clicked when I decided to blend my marketing and advertising experience with my photography. And that's when everything Everything fell into place and I realized that was my passion to be a brand photographer.
I love your story so much. And obviously I know it and I've heard of it, but I just, I love hearing it directly from you because it is so profound. I think it's so relatable. So many women have that passion for your career, your career that you're in, like you did and still do for advertising and marketing. As you know, Marcy, I share that passion. I studied that and worked in it in corporate as well. And even just both of us living in Boston and the New York tri-state area and then coming to the West Coast. Even I think you launched your business the same year that I launched mine.
Yes. We're, there's, we're living parallel lives in so many ways, Reena.
So many ways. And I think you're just, you're such a great role model for women that you can have a second career. You can take your field of study and your passions and put them together and build a business. So I think it's just so wonderful that you're doing what you're doing today. And, um, obviously in any path that we're on, there are going to be challenges. And so were there challenges for you, um, along the way in journey. And, you know, I'm sure there was a pivotal year that was embedded in that as well. So would you like to share that?
Sure. Yeah, I think there's, there's so many challenges. And I, and I feel, you know, it's almost interesting when you get to a certain age, and I know I mentioned this before, I think you and I are very similar in age. I think that the benefit of wisdom really sinks in when, when you realize that there's always going to be a challenge. However, you have had the years and years of experience knowing, okay, I've dealt with that challenge, I can deal with another. So yes, lots of challenges, but I think that, um, just personally, the biggest challenge that I ever faced was I was in a marriage— my first marriage, because I'm now in a second— but a marriage that wasn't working for me, and I couldn't really articulate why. And that was, that was such a profound challenge for me. I had, I had very difficult time understanding or how to get through it. Um, and so I think for me, when I look back and I think that, okay, I'm on the other side of that now, I really feel like I can handle everything that comes my way because I built this muscle of asking myself, if it's not working, what can I do to get to the other side? And that's a muscle I hadn't developed at that time. That was, um, oh gosh, let's see, 20 years ago. So I have 20 years of experience between that and now, really understanding I have the power to get myself out of any predicament or to change something that's not working.
Absolutely. Well, thank you for sharing that with us, and I think a lot of people can relate. And, um, you know, perhaps you were faced with this challenge in your marriage at such a young age so that, as you said, you could develop that that wisdom to then take with you into other challenges in your life and to be able to look back at it in retrospect 20 years later and understand why it happened the way that it did and how you're better off for it. And you, you know, you've made changes and you're now, like you said, on the other side. And I think that really goes to show that life is going to be filled with surprises and, you know, ups and downs and challenges and opportunities. And it's really up to us to look inside of ourselves and figure out what's working and what's not. So I think, you know, You really, I'm sure, grew from the experience, and I'm just so happy that you found yourself on the other side with a wonderful, happy marriage and wonderful life. And again, I think that's an inspiration for anybody that might be going through challenges, whether it is in a personal relationship or other aspect of their lives. So thanks again for sharing that.
My pleasure.
Yeah. And so what drives you, Marcy? And I know you actually— and I don't want to give this away, but I know you have sort of a family legacy of photography.
Yes.
I want to say with your grandfather grandfather. Um, so I'd love for you to just share, you know, what drove you to, to fulfill this passion of yours for photography, and what's your purpose, and what really drives you to continue to do the work that you do year after year?
Oh, right, thank you. It— I think tapping into what drives you is such a good, um, question to ask yourself. So I did grow up with a grandfather who was a photographer, and he was portrait photographer similar to me, and I even have some of his cameras. I'm just looking behind me, there's just so many cool cameras that I inherited of his that I was able to learn. Um, this particular one is old. I, I learned on a newer model, but I took photography classes in high school because my father— my grandfather passed away when I was younger, so I never learned directly from him, but I had all his equipment. So I just started it as a hobby, and I got to— I got to— I think it's so much easier to fall in love with something when you don't have the pressure of doing it for a living. So, uh, what drove me was just this interest and this curiosity of learning something that was purely a passion and, and a hobby. And I, I realized that I loved taking photographs of people. So I wasn't the person that was photographing nature or buildings so much. I love photographing. I always recruit my friends, let's do a photo shoot. Or I— when I moved to Los Angeles after Boston, everybody there seems to I want to be an actor. So I was doing a lot of like headshots for people. Um, so really at the end of the day, even now, fast forward all these years later that I'm doing it for a living, what drives me is connecting with individuals and really getting to know each person. Like Reena, because I've worked with you, I can so clearly understand what, how, how you want to be seen and how, what you want to get across. And it's different from somebody else that might on the surface be in the same industry as you. But I like understanding who you are and how you're different and how you're going to present yourself in a way that's clear in a snapshot to someone. Oh, that's Reena's brand and that's what she's going to give. And that's what drives me is just those human connections. And it's a lot of girl, uh, you know, I'm a girl's girl. I have a lot of girlfriends and I, I have all my communities other women. So a lot of it's just heart, heart to heart with other women, and that, that feeds me.
Absolutely. I can so relate to that, and I can speak firsthand to how, Marcy, you really do get to know the individual. I've experienced that with you. You develop this, this friendship and this trust that goes beyond— like, you're, you're more than my brand photographer, you're a dear friend, as I said earlier. And I do feel like you really understand me, and I have this trust in you. I can put my latest project— we're actually working on a little fun secret project together right now, which we'll share later. But I feel like I can put that in front of you and just trust you because again, you get me, you get my brand, and you just— I know you're gonna help me make magic with it. And I know you do that for all of your clients. So yeah, I just think you're, you're, you're a people person from the inside out, and it's very genuine, and that comes across in your work.
Thanks, Reena.
Of course. And you know, seeing your amazing background when it comes to photography, and from the early days to now digital, and you know, your background in TV and the early days and marketing and advertising with AI, with streaming media, with digital photography, what has been sort of the most interesting thing you've come across, the most interesting thing you've learned from all of these advancements across those different areas of technology, advertising, marketing, TV, and media?
You know, there's so much that I've learned, but I'm gonna use an example that I was just from this morning. I was having a conversation with with, with a woman who is a past client, and she's, she's evolving and she's growing, and she has an organic skincare line. And she had redone her website, um, and she used some AI images and some AI video on her website because she didn't have the assets that she needed from our previous photo shoots and some video I did, because she's evolving. And it taught me something really interesting, and it's just a lesson from this morning. She said to me, I used AI video AI Photos to give me some, um, images and some video that I'm going to then ask you to go back and shoot actual photos and videos of these products. Because right now AI is not perfect, like they didn't get everything perfect, um, and sometimes AI can be kind of low quality. So it was really cool for me to see that as a model she used the AI because she needed something right away, uh, And it looks good. It looks fine. Her website looks great. But then the AI is kind of teaching us, oh, we can actually shoot and use that as an inspiration, if you will, and then replace it with actual photography of people using her products. So that was such a cool lesson. See, I like— I'm always learning and inspired. I don't think it's threatening, you know, because we're in such a time right now where AI— everybody's like, you have to learn AI. You're going to be behind if you don't learn. And of course, you need to learn and you need to adopt. But there's so much fearmongering around HI— excuse me, AI right now. I simply choose to not be afraid of it or threatened by it on whatever level. I'm just so curious. I'm like, what can it teach us?
Yeah, absolutely. I think that curiosity is key. And yes, it's not something to be feared. I've said this before with others, but you and I, we started our careers during the tech boom, right? So we kind of saw what was happening with technology and media back then. And here 20 years later, we can see that we're all fine. We still have jobs. We survived. I mean, AI is another level and I get that, but I agree. I think that the more we can embrace it and use it, as you mentioned, for inspiration, um, I think that's great because no one's ever gonna replace the human eye, right? The, never the the captive, you know, you just can capture so much. It's, you can get captivating images because you're human to human and you know the person. AI is not going to know your clients the way that you do, right? So I think that that's such a great example of how your client, you know, leveraged AI and you could have been threatened by it and thinking, oh my gosh, she doesn't need me anymore. But that was quite the contrary. She actually wanted to leverage that to kind of take, you know, her work with you to the next level, which I think is great. Yeah. Yeah, that's wonderful. Thank you for sharing that story. It really is a good learning lesson for everybody listening in that, yeah, the more we can be curious and embrace things versus being fearful, the better off we're all going to be no matter what profession we're in. So, yeah. So as you know, Marci, this, um, this podcast is called Your Power Move. And I know you've got a bunch of power moves, um, that you use in your life. And I'd love for you to share, you know, what does work for you in various situations, whether it's, um, to get inspired for for your next, um, you know, photography session with a client or something you need to do in your personal life to recharge? What are the power moves or power move that really helps you the most?
Yeah, well, this, this was interesting. In this, in my journaling practice this morning, I did journal. I'm like, what are the power moves that I have? And there's something that I'm kind of working through, a recurring, um, issue or a mirror that's being held up to me. I'm like, oh, I'm dealing with this issue again. And because I've had getting to the other side of things that seem to be challenging in my life. I think a power move that is so simple, but for me, I need to keep reminding it's— I even wrote, my power move is I need to ask for help. And so I did a journaling practice around who can I ask for help? What help do I need? And that might sound basic to someone that's used to asking for help, but if it's not something that you are used to doing, Like me, I just forget I need to ask for help. I need to speak into existence what's troubling me so then I don't keep it all inside. And for me, that is so simple, but it feels like a power move.
That is such a good one. And I don't think it's too simple. I think it's perfect because I share that same sentiment as you. It is hard sometimes to ask for help. Oftentimes we don't want to burden other people and we just want to take it on and just get it done. But if it is something that's challenging or perplexing in your life, I love that you're opening yourself up to the possibility of seeking help from others. So I really, I wish you, you know, success in going through that challenge. I'm here as a friend and resource if you ever need me. And yeah, I think that's great that you're using that as your power move. And again, for those listening in, I want these interviews to be educational and helpful for you guys as well. So if you are also struggling with something, ask for help because none of us needs to do anything alone. We have community, we have family, we have friends that are more than willing to help if needed. So thank you for sharing that. So what about, um, you know, the next decade, Marci? I know you've been in business for 12 years now, which is so exciting. When you look ahead to the next 10 years ahead, where do you see yourself? What do you see yourself doing?
I see myself bringing on— okay, so it's the business, the business question. My, my next 10 years is about scaling and bringing people into the business so I'm not doing all of the, all of the things myself. And I do have help here and there in my business, but I'll be certifying photographers to to do photo shoots that are to my standard. And I, um, I'm in the talks with hiring someone to help me do sales. So for me, the next 10 years is about exiting the day-to-day and really managing kind of the vision and the growth of the company. So that, that could look like maybe a merger with someone else. I am not quite sure. Um, but I think personally, because I turned 50 this year, um, And there's something about entering a new decade where you're just like, wow, I— there, there you, you do think about, okay, what's this next decade going to be for me? And a couple of years ago, I really started focusing on my health. And being a woman of a certain age, of course, the word menopause comes up. And, you know, you— when I'm— I consider myself pretty active and healthy, but the big menopause, it caught up to me, and I was like, dang, it's true, all the things that everybody's saying about it. So, um, it was an opportunity for me to really look at my health. And so now I'm— I've added, um, more strength training and nutrition. So I really feel like I'm living for my 80 and 90-year-old self now. So I'm skipping ahead to, to the, um, last decades of my life and thinking about How can I set myself up so when I'm in those decades, I'm still vibrant and I'm, I'm healthy and I'm living a full life? Because I don't want to be a 90-year-old that's frail mentally or physically. So for me, this decade now coming up is to serve the end of my decades, if that makes sense.
Absolutely it does. And it's very smart. And to have that that foresight to be able to look ahead and know what you want your future self to be like, not just personally or professionally, but even within your own health. I think is, as you know, I salute that. I think it's so awesome that you're, you know, adding strength training, thinking about your nutrition. And you and I have talked about this in the past, so I definitely am so proud of you that you're doing these things, because you're right, it's just going to help you to continue to live an active, healthy, vibrant life, to have all the adventures that I know that you love to have. You're a big traveler with your husband. And, um, I think that that's amazing and that's so smart. And then again, looking at your business, I think that also makes a lot of sense. Scalability is important to, to see that growth. And, you know, kind of like you can't do it all alone and you need to ask people for help. This is another great example of— I wish we could clone you, Marcy, and have 50 Marcies. But, you know, I think if you can at least train people with your philosophies and your level of quality in your standards, I think that's a really smart thing to do so you can serve more people and not run yourself ragged in the process.
It's true. And, and again, it goes back to asking for help because I surround myself with a lot of women, so I'm constantly, what are you doing for this? How did you know about that?
Who—
you know, I'm constantly asking other people what's working for them. And I think that's a good example of asking for help because there's other people that have walked this path before you, and they're, you know, you don't need to figure it out on on their own. And I'm so grateful that we live in a time that we have the ability to communicate with so many people. Um, that could be a positive or negative, but we do live in a time where there's so much information online. And I, and I hope that the people that are following you and are in the PassionFit world are really turning to you as a resource for help too, because you are constantly giving tips and answers. And you, you, you're providing so much information, Reena, and I think we just need to be willing to, to seek the information and, and to implement it. That's, that's the hard part too. The gathering the information is one half, but then the actual, um, you know, the daily habits of implementing what you, what you now know you need to do is another factor.
Exactly right. It's not easy, but it's, it's worthwhile, right? And, and you're, you know, having those communities too of people that can help you, that can inspire you. Like you said, you are part of a lot of different communities, and I, I'm very similar in that respect as well. I know our communities have crossed as well over the years, and I think it's really exciting that you, you have these people to lean on and to help you to continue to grow, and that's what it's all about. So I love that. And Marci, what is a fun fact that maybe not a lot of people know about you that you'd love to share with us today?
You I remember you asked me this a while ago and I am— I can't remember how I even answered that question, but I do know, I think a fun fact about me is that I grew up in Vermont and I was always very much a water baby. My family and I had a house on a lake and so I did grow up water skiing, and then when I moved to California, that translated to surfing. So I grew up water skiing at a really early age, and I think that that, um, really helped instill, um, not only a playful, um, relationship with the water but also a sense of how to handle yourself in the water, because it can be scary if you fall when you're water skiing, or if you're surfing and you get thrown into the waves, then I realize that not everybody is that confident in the water. Like, they flail about and they don't know how to handle themselves. But I, I'm so grateful that I'm not fearful of the water. So that's a long answer to your question.
No, I love it. I love that you're so brave in the water. I don't know how to swim. Most— not everyone knows that about me, but that's what Reena Vokoun. Yeah, I've taken the lesson. Yeah, yeah, this is about you, but yeah, we'll have to chat offline.
No, I am just—
I've taken the lessons. I was in the shallow end in middle school in the pool feeling super embarrassed. My parents tried.
Yeah, I was going to say that must have been something as a kid that you felt othered. So that must have been such an interesting part of your childhood of not being able to join in in certain events.
A little bit, yeah. And I think it honestly, long story short, it came from— I was probably early elementary school, maybe even preschool, and I was swimming at my neighbor's house in their pool, and I turned over on my back and I was actually floating, but I thought I was drowning. So I freaked out. I was crying. I was probably like 4 or 5 years old, and, you know, I was crying. And so my friend's mom called my mom. My mom had to pick me up. And honestly, since then, I think I've just had this fear of deep water. So I really admire people like yourself that, you know, you grew up in water. And you're not fearful of it. And you're somebody who could save a life probably with being, you know, water skiing at a young age. And so that's amazing. And it's not easy. I do think like even just treading water, it's, it's cardiovascularly, it's a hard, hard workout. It's not easy. It, it is.
That's what kind of surprised me when I learned to surf. I thought it was going to be more of like leg work, but by the time you actually get up on your feet surfing, you've already done so much, um, aerobic work with your arms that it's so shoulder and arm taxing. It was a surprise to me to learn how difficult it was to surf because you look at people, they just like get on the board and they look so cool, but you don't see the flailing and the— yeah, before that part. That's the exhausting part, right?
And the core strength and balance that's needed, especially for surfing. Um, but yeah, one thing I can really relate to is, you know, being from the Midwest living in the Midwest and having a lot of friends, you know, that go up north for the summer to the lake and on the East Coast as well. I also see how amazing and wonderful lake life is, which is different from ocean life here on the West Coast. But yes, there's just something about it being on a boat all day with friends and doing jet skiing and water skiing and all of those things. So I love that that is something fun that you do and that you were able to come out to the West Coast and really enjoy it on a different level here near the Pacific Ocean.
Yes.
Yeah. Well, we are just about out of time, Marci. So I would love for you to share if there's one thing that you want our listeners and viewers to take away from our conversation today and your, you know, wisdom from your experiences over the years, what would that be?
I think I would suspect your audience is mostly women, so I'm going to speak to a fellow woman and just give yourself permission to try something new. And change is scary. We're not meant as a human race to embrace change. We like structure. We like knowing what's going to happen next. But I would encourage anyone and women especially that if you're interested in something, if it seems new and scary, embrace that and develop that muscle because there's so much on the other side of the fear of change.
Absolutely. That's the only certain thing there is in life, right, is change. So yeah, I think that's wise. Yeah, wise advice for everybody listening in. And you've demonstrated through your life how you've embraced change in your career, in your personal life, living on the East Coast and now the West Coast, and all the travel that you do. There's so much change that comes with that, but that's how you learn and grow, right?
100%. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, change is inevitable, like you said. So just learning to have a relationship with it, I think, is gonna just make, make your life so much richer.
Yes, I 100% agree. And I feel like those are just, you know, great thoughts to leave everybody with today. Marci, I just want to thank Thank you so much for joining. I sincerely just loved our conversation. I always love our conversations and I'm excited for everyone tuning in to get to know you and hear about you. Where can people find you if they want to get in touch with you?
Oh, thanks Reena for this conversation. I really appreciate you too. And we can always connect on Instagram. As far as I know, I'm the only Marci Bro in the world and my Instagram handle is marci_bro_ photo. My website is marcybrowe.com, and it's M-A-R-C-Y B-R-O-W-E. And those are the great— the best places to connect with me.
Awesome. And I'll have all of this in the show notes as well. Well, thank you again, Marcy, and thanks to everybody for tuning in for another episode of Your Power Move by PassionFit. Lots more coming as we wrap up season 1 this summer and season 2 starting in the fall. So stay tuned, feel free to review and subscribe and tell your family and friends. Thanks again and see you soon. Take care.
