‍ ‍ Team Member

Executive Sales & Marketing Strategist

Joanna Petit-Frere

Business Development | Leadership | Coaching | Personal Growth

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Multimedia

Trauma Recovery Coach

Sales & Marketing Strategist

FROM PERSONAL HEALING
TO PURPOSE

Joanna’s work is also deeply personal. Having walked through domestic violence, divorce, trauma, narcissistic abuse and the challenges of rebuilding her life as a single mother of two, she understands what it means to find the strength to move forward when life has taken an unexpected and painful turn.

Her own healing journey has shaped her passion for supporting women who are ready to walk away from unhealthy relationships, rediscover their identity, rebuild their confidence, and create a life rooted in greater peace, purpose, and possibility.

As a Trauma Recovery Coach, Life Coach, and Purpose Coach, Joanna walks alongside women as they work to recognize their strength, find their voice, establish healthier patterns and boundaries, and take intentional steps toward the future they envision.

Her approach comes from both lived experience and a genuine desire to see other women heal. She understands that leaving an unhealthy situation is often only the beginning. The journey afterward can include rebuilding confidence, learning to trust yourself again, discovering who you are outside of what you have endured, and finding the courage to dream again.

Joanna’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ is also an important part of her own life and healing journey. For clients who desire faith-based support, she can incorporate Christian encouragement and principles as they work toward healing, personal growth, and renewed purpose. Faith-based support is always offered according to the individual’s preference and is never required.

For Joanna, healing is not simply about what someone has survived, it is about helping them recognize that their story can continue, their voice still matters, and there can be meaningful life on the other side of difficult seasons.

ABOUT JOANNA
Joanna Petit-Frere is a first-generation Haitian American, experienced business professional, entrepreneur, beauty industry subject matter expert, educator, creative director, and strategist with more than 20 years of leadership and client-facing experience. The daughter of Haitian parents, Joanna brings a strong appreciation for culture, resilience, hard work, creativity, and the importance of creating opportunities for others.

Her professional background spans sales, marketing, business development, brand representation, beauty education, photography, visual content, creative production, client relationship management, and entrepreneurship. Throughout her career, Joanna has worked with individuals, brands, creative teams, and retail professionals to strengthen communication, elevate customer experiences, increase brand visibility, and turn ideas into meaningful action.

As the owner of VISAGE-1 STUDIOS, Joanna has led a beauty and creative business providing professional makeup artistry, photography, education, art direction, and content production. Her experience has also included beauty education and brand representation within major retail environments, where she has supported product education, consumer engagement, demonstrations, sales, and relationship development.

At Grace Wellness Institute, Joanna serves as Executive Sales & Marketing Strategist, bringing her extensive background in business, branding, relationship-building, creative strategy, and leadership to support organizational growth and visibility.

Joanna believes meaningful growth happens when creativity, strategy, strong relationships, cultural understanding, and intentional action come together.

EDUCATION
Joanna earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Multimedia from Massachusetts College of Art in 2007. She also studied Fashion Photography & Studio Lighting at the New England School of Photography from 2005–2006. Her formal training in multimedia, photography, visual communication, and creative production complements more than two decades of professional experience in beauty, branding, sales, marketing, education, and entrepreneurship.

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

Joanna’s work in beauty, photography, and creative direction has earned industry recognition, including the Boston Caribbean Fashion Week Beauty Industry Award (2025), Best of Boston Weddings – Best Makeup Artist (2022), Boston FAB Awards – Photographer of the Year (2013), and Boston Fashion Awards – Best Makeup Artist (2012).

I would absolutely include this. It adds credibility without making the page feel like a résumé.

There is also one thing I would update in the wording you already have. Instead of describing her simply as having a “professional background in sales, marketing, business development, brand representation, beauty education, photography…” I would elevate it to something like:

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & LEADERSHIP

Joanna brings more than two decades of experience spanning entrepreneurship, sales and marketing, beauty education, creative direction, photography, visual content development, brand representation, client relationship management, and business development. Her career has included educating beauty professionals, representing nationally recognized beauty brands, directing creative projects, developing consumer-facing content, and building her own creative business. Through VISAGE-1 STUDIOS, which she founded in 2011, Joanna has managed creative projects from concept through completion, including professional makeup, photography, education, art direction, visual content, and client services. Her work requires the ability to build relationships, coordinate teams, manage projects, understand client needs, and translate creative vision into polished results.

Her experience gives her a unique understanding of both the creative and business sides of building a brand, how a company presents itself, how customers experience it, and how strong relationships contribute to sustainable growth.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP, BRANDING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Entrepreneurship has been an important part of Joanna’s professional journey. Through VISAGE-1 STUDIOS, she has built and managed a creative business centered on beauty, photography, education, visual content, and client experience.

Running her own business has given Joanna firsthand experience with the many moving parts involved in building and sustaining a brand—from developing services and managing client relationships to coordinating creative projects, producing content, marketing, and maintaining a strong professional presence.

Her experience also includes working with and representing beauty brands in major retail environments, where she has supported product education, consumer engagement, brand visibility, sales, and relationship development. These experiences have strengthened her ability to understand both the customer-facing and business-development sides of a brand.

Joanna brings that perspective into her work at Grace Wellness Institute, where she helps support strategic growth, visibility, relationship-building, marketing initiatives, and the development of ideas that connect the organization’s mission with the people and communities it serves.

She understands that strong brands are built through more than appearance alone. They are built through trust, consistency, meaningful relationships, clear communication, and an experience that reflects the values behind the business.

I would put this directly after the section we just created about her experience, education, and creative leadership.

“You can walk away from what wounded you, find your voice again, and create a life filled with peace, purpose, and possibility.”
— Joanna Petit-Frere

“Your vision deserves more than an idea. It deserves the courage, strategy, and confidence to bring it to life.”
— Joanna Petit-Frere

AT GRACE WELLNESS INSTITUTE
At Grace Wellness Institute, Joanna brings together more than two decades of leadership, entrepreneurship, sales, marketing, creative development, relationship-building, and client-centered experience.

As Executive Sales & Marketing Strategist, she supports the organization’s visibility, strategic growth, brand development, community relationships, and outreach initiatives. Her ability to understand people, communicate clearly, recognize opportunities, and turn ideas into practical action helps strengthen the way Grace Wellness Institute connects with individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

Joanna also brings a people-centered perspective to her work. Her experiences as a first-generation Haitian American, entrepreneur, educator, creative professional, and leader have shaped an appreciation for culture, individuality, resilience, and the different experiences people bring into their personal and professional lives.

Whether she is helping strengthen a brand, develop an idea, build a relationship, or encourage someone toward their next step, Joanna approaches her work with creativity, professionalism, empathy, and purpose.

Her goal is not simply to help people or organizations be seen, but to help them communicate who they are, recognize what they have to offer, and move forward with greater confidence and intention.