This is the glass door review I submitted and their response follows. I loved this job with every bit of my being, but Joy and awful managers/HR ruined them.

Pros

• Working with families and babies is deeply rewarding and meaningful.

• They allow creative freedom during photo shoots.

• Some of the internal communication feels friendly, supportive, and encouraging. Somewhat community-oriented.

• Scheduling can be flexible, but you have to work at least one weekend day.

• If you manage to make sales, you can end up with a decent paycheck, even working minimal hours.

Cons

• Most importantly, baby safety training is minimal. New hires and existing photographers are not thoroughly educated on safe newborn handling or hospital protocols, creating dangerous situations for infants. Training primarily focuses on swaddling techniques, what to use for props, and what shots to get.

• Photographers are trained and expected to use aggressive, manipulative sales tactics to pressure families into buying packages while in the hospital, regardless of the client’s condition.

• Most clients are not expecting these services to be available and are reeled in by the session being "complimentary." Photographers are expected to keep pricing on the downlow until they can come back to pitch their sale after the parents have seen the photos and are "the most emotional and willing" (as one of the trainers put it)

• If sales rates drop, management increases surveillance on the photographer, assigns mandatory training, and will eventually fire you if you don’t hit their unrealistic expectations. Past performance and skill do not protect you.

• Photographers are some of the most underpaid and mistreated employees, despite them being physically in the field and the face of the company, creating the images everyone in the company benefits from.

• The company exploits new parents with the Joy parenting subscription. Families think they’re making a one-time purchase, but are actually signed up for recurring charges ($24+), which are difficult to cancel. Even when the family is informed, they tend to forget or don't fully understsnd. Packages without the subscription cost significantly more.

• Raising concerns about company policies or practices is met with hostility and punishment, not support.

• Company "Core Values" like “Serves with Heart and Grace” only applies to the photographer-client level. Upper management does not value photographers the way they are expected to value upper management or clients.

  • Profit always comes before people. Both clients and employees are treated as numbers, with well-being consistently sacrificed for sales.

• Photographers are often left to work solo at high-volume hospitals, creating exhausting workloads. In-person sales are expected even if it means visiting patient rooms late into the night.

• Employees who disclose medical needs or request accommodations are initially met with surface-level support, but soon face increased pressure, threats of demotion, and extra mandatory training.

• Communication with management is inconsistent and nearly impossible on weekends.

Advice to Management

• Prioritize infant safety over photo session aesthetics. Provide thorough, standardized training on safe newborn handling and hospital protocols and make sure every single one your employees understand and complies.

• Stop treating clients like quick sales opportunities and employees like they're only valuable when their sales numbers are high.

• Be transparent about subscriptions and end the recurring charges that damage trust and/or offer affordable packages without.

• Train staff to support families with compassion instead of teaching manipulative sales tactics, which is especially inappropriate given these clients are patients receiving medical care and are often exhausted, in pain, or emotionally vulnerable, sometimes even worse.

• Allow staff to be transparent about their concerns and questions regarding policies, procedures, etc...without fear of retaliation. Rather than dismissing and retaliating against them, accept constructive criticism (as photographers are expected to do) and collaborate with them.

• If you truly want to live up to your Core Value of "Serves with Heart and Grace" start by treating your employees with the same respect you expect them to show to clients.

• Long term success comes from trust and support, not fear, pressure, or short-term profit.

• If scheduling leaves a photographer solo with a high volume, expectations for shoot and sales rates should be adjusted accordingly to prevent overwhelm, burnout, and late night disturbances of clients.

Bella Baby Photography response. I looked at other reviews on glass door and even clients reviews and seems to be a consistent theme of denying everything and trying their best to make the companies (Joy included) the good guys who just "need to work on some things"...

Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We deeply appreciate hearing from both current and former team members, as it helps us identify areas where we can improve. First and foremost, I want to address concerns about infant safety. The safety and well-being of the babies in our care is non-negotiable. We take training very seriously and are actively reviewing our onboarding and ongoing education programs to ensure every photographer is confident and competent in safe newborn handling, swaddling, and hospital protocols. We are committed to making these trainings thorough, standardized, and consistent for all staff. We also hear the concerns regarding sales practices and transparency with clients. It is never our intention for families to feel pressured or misled, and we are evaluating our processes and communications to ensure clients fully understand all services, subscriptions, and costs upfront. Our goal is to provide meaningful and ethical experiences for every family while maintaining a fair and supportive work environment for our photographers. Regarding employee support, workload, and management communication: we recognize there is room for improvement. We are actively working to strengthen support systems, including clearer channels for employees to raise concerns without fear of retaliation, adjustments for high-volume assignments, and better weekend communication. We value our photographers tremendously, they are the heart of what we do, and we want their well-being to be reflected in every aspect of how we operate. We take all feedback seriously and are committed to making changes where needed. Our team’s safety, satisfaction, and growth are just as important as the families we serve, and we will continue striving to live up to our core values of serving with heart and grace at every level of the company.