A session with Tumi Brooks

Get the brief
on the industry.

You've been creating the work. Getting the enquiries. But nobody on the inside ever told you what the brand was actually thinking when they wrote that brief. Now they will.

Book a session What we cover

Who this is for

You're already working.
You just need the intel.

Not for someone just starting out. For photographers, directors, hair artists, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, creative producers — anyone working behind the camera who needs to navigate the industry with their eyes open.

You got an offer and you're not sure if it's fair. Someone sent you a number. You have no idea if they're respecting your work or counting on you not knowing better. Let's find out.

You have a contract in front of you and it reads like a different language. Usage rights. Exclusivity clauses. Work-for-hire. You need someone to translate — not a lawyer, but someone who's sat in these negotiations.

You want to pitch a brand or approach an agency and don't know how to frame it. You know your work is strong. You don't know what they're actually looking for when they open your portfolio.

You're in conversations about representation and want to know what to ask. What should an agent actually be doing for you? What are the red flags? What does fair commission look like?

Walk into that room

differently.

Book a session

Choose your
session.

Payment collected before your session. Sessions run on Zoom. Availability capped at three sessions per week.

30
minutes
The Quick Brief

One problem. One answer. Bring your most pressing question.

$150
  • Rate or offer review — is it fair?
  • Contract or deal memo in plain English
  • Pitch direction for one brand or agency
  • One specific, urgent decision
Book 30 minutes — $150
Recommended
60
minutes
The Full Brief

Broader strategy. Multiple questions. We go deeper on where you are and where you're going.

$275
  • Everything in the 30-minute session
  • Portfolio direction for beauty and lifestyle brands
  • Reading a brief from the brand's perspective
  • What your rate card should look like right now
  • Navigating editorial vs. commercial
  • What brands are building and where you fit
Book 60 minutes — $275
Portfolio review
60
minutes + prep
The Portfolio Session

Submit your portfolio one week before. I review properly and come with specific direction.

$350
  • Submit portfolio link or PDF one week before
  • How your work reads to beauty and lifestyle brands
  • What to lead with, what's missing, what to drop
  • Positioning for the briefs you actually want
  • Strategic direction — not image-by-image critique
Book portfolio session — $350
The Year Brief
Four Full Brief sessions across the year, pre-booked. Show up at every inflection point — offer, contract, pitch, decision.
$9504 × 60 min · saves $150
Book the year

A sliding scale spot is available each quarter for artists who need it. No form, no pitch — email directly and tell me where you are.

Scope

What we cover.
What we don't.

Specificity about scope is what makes the time worth something.

What we cover

  • Rates and offers. What fair looks like in beauty, culture, editorial, and lifestyle — and what it looks like when it isn't.
  • Deal memos and contracts. The terms that come up most in beauty and lifestyle work — what they mean, what to push back on, what's standard.
  • Usage and licensing. How usage fees are calculated. What "unlimited" means in practice. What to watch for in exclusivity clauses.
  • Pitching and positioning. How to approach a brand or agency. What they see when they open your portfolio.
  • Representation. What an agent should be doing. Red flags. Fair commission. What a good agency relationship looks like.
  • Reading the brief. What a creative brief tells you about a client — including what it doesn't say.

What we don't

  • Legal sign-off. I'm not a lawyer. I can flag what's unusual and what's worth challenging based on years of brand-side negotiation — but for legal certainty, you need a lawyer.
  • Every industry. My expertise is beauty, culture, and lifestyle. If your question is outside that world, I'll say so upfront.
  • Purpose-finding. I'm not here to help you find your path. I'm here to help you navigate the industry once you're already on it.

Who you're talking to

Tumi Brooks, founder of Vibe Village

Why this session is different

I spent twelve years on the other side of that table. Now I'm in your corner.

For twelve years, I sat in rooms where creative teams were built. I wrote those briefs. I commissioned the shoots. I decided who got hired — and I watched what happened to the artists of colour who came close but didn't make it. Not because their work wasn't good enough. Because nobody on the inside ever explained what was really being evaluated.

Then I founded Vibe Village to change the side of the table I was on. I represent photographers, directors, hair artists, makeup artists, and creative producers of colour in the beauty and lifestyle space. I negotiate their rates, review their contracts, and fight for precedents that protect them long after the shoot is done.

The Brief is the version of that access I can offer to any artist — not just the ones I represent. If you've ever sat across from a number and wondered whether you were being taken advantage of, this session is for you.

Background

12+ years brand-side, Fortune 500 global beauty corporation

Currently

Founder, Vibe Village — artist representation and creative strategy

Roster

Photographers, directors, hair artists, makeup artists, and creative directors

Specialist in

Beauty · culture · editorial · commercial · lifestyle

Writing

UNRETOUCHED — where brand strategy meets cultural intelligence

Culturally intelligent  ·  Production-competent  ·  Brand-literate  ·  Talent-connected

Before you book

Common
questions.

Is this only for artists of colour?

The Brief is open to any artist working behind the camera — photographers, directors, hair artists, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, creative producers. The cultural lens and specific knowledge I bring is most relevant to artists of colour navigating an industry that has historically worked against them. But the knowledge isn't gated by identity. If the problem resonates, the session is for you.

I'm not based in the US. Can I still book?

Yes. Sessions are via Zoom and open to artists anywhere in the world. I'll be clear about where my knowledge is strongest — primarily US and UK beauty and lifestyle markets — so you get the most out of the time.

What if I don't know exactly what to ask yet?

Book the 60-minute session and use the first part to orient. A lot of artists come in thinking they have one question and find the real one halfway through. That's exactly what this time is for.

Do I need to prepare anything before the session?

Bring whatever's in front of you. If there's a document — a contract, a deal memo, an offer — send it at least five days before the call so I have time to review it properly. The more specific you are about what you're bringing, the more specific I can be in return.

How does The Portfolio Session work?

You submit your portfolio — website link or PDF — one week before we meet. I review it properly and come to the session with specific notes on how your work reads to brands, what to lead with, and where the gaps are. This is strategic direction, not image-by-image critique.

What's The Year Brief?

Four Full Brief sessions, pre-booked across the year — one per quarter. A consistent thought partner at every significant moment: a new offer, a negotiation, a pitch, a contract. Pre-booking all four saves $150 vs. booking individually.

I'm earlier in my career. Is this still worth it?

If you're already getting enquiries — even informal ones — yes. This session is most valuable when you have something real to look at together. If you're still building and not yet in those conversations, give it a few months and come back.

Does booking a session give me a path into Vibe Village's artist roster?

No — and it's important to be clear about that. The Brief is a paid consultancy: you're buying time and expertise. Vibe Village's artist representation is a separate relationship that operates entirely independently. Booking sessions doesn't influence, fast-track, or guarantee a place on the roster. If representation is something you're interested in, that conversation lives at itsvibevillage.com.

What if I genuinely can't afford the session fee?

A sliding scale spot is available each quarter. Email directly — no form, no pitch. Tell me where you are and what you're working through.

Stop leaving
money on the table.

One conversation could be the difference between a deal that works for you and one that doesn't. You've earned the right to know how this works.

Book your session