Meet Arielle Roth

We recently connected with Arielle Roth and have shared our conversation below.

Arielle, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome and I have been in a long-term, on-again, off-again relationship. I wish I could say I left it in the dust years ago, but the truth is, it still sneaks up on me. The difference now? I see it for what it is – a liar, a thief, and a roadblock that I refuse to let win.

When I started my first businesses, I felt like I didn’t compare to the others or questioned why client’s would choose me over someone else. Who was I to capture someone’s wedding day, their most intimate boudoir session, or to build their company website? I’m a freelancer from a small town in Michigan. I didn’t have thousands of dollars in gear at the time. I wasn’t “good enough.” But clients kept coming, referrals kept rolling in, and their faces lit up when they saw their photos and companies raved about their websites when they were done.

And yet, even as I built Elemental Marketing and Arielle Roth Photography and later expanded into specializing in boudoir through Arielle Roth Boudoir, and Arielle Roth Makeup, that voice in my head would whisper, You don’t really know what you’re doing. It wasn’t until I paused and really looked at my work – the impact it had, the transformations I witnessed, the confidence I helped foster – that I realized something.

I wasn’t faking anything.

I was learning, evolving, showing up every damn day to improve my craft and serve the people who trusted me. Imposter syndrome feeds on perfectionism and comparison, and I had to unlearn the idea that success meant never doubting myself. Real confidence comes from doing the thing despite the doubt.

Running multiple businesses – Arielle Roth Boudoir, Arielle Roth Photography, Arielle Roth Makeup, and Elemental Marketing – means constantly stretching into new roles. I’ve had to become a strategist, an artist, a coach, a leader. And with every new challenge, imposter syndrome tries to creep in. But now, I recognize its voice.

I remind myself that my work speaks for itself. My clients, my results, my growth – all of it is proof that I belong here.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’ve always believed that storytelling has power – the power to heal, to connect, and to transform. That belief has shaped everything I do, from photography to marketing to confidence coaching.

Four years ago, I made the choice to stop drinking, and it was the hardest and best decision I’ve ever made. Sobriety wasn’t just about quitting alcohol – it was about facing myself, healing the wounds I tried to numb, and learning to truly see myself. It forced me to sit with the pain, the trauma, and the cycles of abuse I had endured, rather than running from them.

For years, I let my worth be defined by the way others treated me. I had survived heavy abuse – physically, emotionally, and psychologically – but survival wasn’t the same as healing. Sobriety gave me clarity, the ability to recognize my patterns, and the strength to break free from anything that made me feel small.

This journey has shaped everything I do. Boudoir photography became a space for me to help others reclaim themselves the way I had to reclaim myself. I know what it’s like to feel disconnected from your body, to carry shame, to feel like you’re not enough. That’s why I create a space where people – especially women – can see themselves fully, with love and appreciation, often for the first time. My work isn’t just about beautiful photos; it’s about freedom.

At my core, I am simply a creative. Arielle Roth Boudoir and Arielle Roth Photography are where I create spaces for people to see themselves the way the world sees them – strong, beautiful, and worthy. Whether I’m capturing a wedding, a family, or a boudoir session, my goal is the same: to tell a story that feels real, intimate, and empowering. Boudoir, in particular, has become my passion because it’s about so much more than photos. It’s about stepping into confidence, letting go of fear, and reclaiming power. Seeing my clients leave the studio with their heads held higher than when they walked in – that never gets old.

Beyond photography, Arielle Roth Makeup was a natural extension of my work. So many of my boudoir and branding clients wanted help with makeup, and I love being able to enhance what’s already there – never masking, just highlighting. It’s another way to help people feel confident before stepping in front of the camera.

Then there’s Elemental Marketing, where I use my skills behind the scenes to help businesses tell their stories. I know how overwhelming branding, website design, content creation, and social media can be, especially for business owners of all sizes who are already stretched thin. I take what I’ve learned from 10 years in the marketing industry and growing my own brands to help other brands craft messaging that connects with their audience in a real, impactful way.

Right now, I’m in a season of expansion and evolution. I’m continuing to grow my boudoir brand and Elemental Marketing, launching confidence coaching services, marketing consulting services, a business with resources for entrepreneurs, and focusing on making my rentable photography studio in Bay City a resource for other creatives. I’m also navigating personal transitions, including becoming certified in Reiki in this upcoming season.

The heart of everything I do is the same – it’s about connection, confidence, and creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and empowered. Whether it’s through photography, makeup, marketing, or coaching, my work is about transformation. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, there are three qualities that have been absolutely essential in my journey – both in business and in life: resilience, self-trust, and the ability to hold space for others.

Resilience
Life has knocked me down more times than I can count. Sobriety, healing from abuse, and building multiple businesses all required an ability to keep going, even when things felt impossible. Resilience doesn’t mean never breaking – it means knowing that when you do, you can put yourself back together.

Self-Trust
For a long time, I let others dictate how I saw myself – whether it was abusers convincing me I wasn’t enough, or imposter syndrome whispering that I didn’t deserve success. The moment I started trusting my own intuition, everything changed. I built my businesses, left toxic situations, and created a life that felt right to me.

Holding Space for Others
My experiences – sobriety, trauma, healing – have made me deeply empathetic. Whether I’m photographing someone who’s learning to love their body, coaching a client through confidence struggles, or helping a brand tell their story, I know how powerful it is to be seen. That’s why I approach everything I do with intention, making sure people feel safe, valued, and understood.

For anyone just starting their journey – whether it’s in business, sobriety, healing, or self-discovery: You don’t have to have it all figured out to start. Trust yourself. Keep going. Take it one day at a time. And most importantly, know that you are already enough.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

If I knew I only had one decade left, I would live fully, unapologetically, and without regret.

I wouldn’t wait for the “perfect” timing or let fear dictate my choices. I’d pour my energy into the things that light me up – creating, connecting, traveling, and making an impact.

For too long, I let time slip through my fingers – first to corporate jobs that drained me, then to alcoholism that numbed me. I missed moments with people who mattered most, some of whom I will never get back.

I’d write more. Share my story without hesitation. Not just the polished parts, but the raw, messy, beautiful truth of healing, sobriety, love, loss, and growth.

I’d travel. Feel the world beneath my feet. Take photos that aren’t for anyone but me – to remember, to savor, to hold onto every fleeting moment.

I’d make sure the people I love knew it without doubt – knew how much they matter, knew that they were seen.

I’d spend my days pouring into people – helping others find their confidence, their voice, their freedom. Whether through coaching, photography, or just being someone who listens when they need to be heard, I’d make damn sure my time here meant something.

And most of all, I’d be present. No more missing out. No more numbing or running or waiting for “someday.” I’d spend my days wrapped in laughter, deep conversations, slow mornings with my cats, and nights surrounded by the people who make life worth living.

Because at the end of it all, I don’t want to look back and wish I had lived differently. I don’t want to be remembered for playing it safe. I’d want to be remembered for feeling everything, for choosing myself, and for helping others do the same. And I’d want to know that I loved hard, created fearlessly, and never let another moment pass me by.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ariellerothboudoir.com / www.arielleroth.com / www.ariellerothmakeup.com / www.elementalmarketing.org
• Instagram: @arothboudoir / @ariellerothphoto / @arothmakeup / @elemental_marketing_design
• Facebook: @arothboudoir / @ariellerothmakeup / @arothphoto / @ElementalMarketingDesign
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rotharielle/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arothboudoir?lang=en

  Google:
  boudoir – https://g.co/kgs/rN84ALu
  photography – https://g.co/kgs/6RSvUze
  makeup – https://g.co/kgs/4wLErWm
  Elemental Marketing – https://g.co/kgs/9NsukQm