Being a private detective might sound glamorous but, as Brianne Joseph says, it’s nothing like in the movies: “Charlie’s Angels are not pulling out mayonnaise jars when nature calls.” A licensed private investigator for the past 15 years, Joseph is now head of her own operation, Sly Fox Investigations, one of the most sought-after agencies in Louisiana. She has featured on VH1’s Caught in the Act: Unfaithful, and runs a mentorship program, working to bring more women into the industry. “We’re just natural fact finders, whether you’re a PI or not,” Joseph says. “When a woman is on a mission—honey, watch out!”

Elle Hunt: How did you get into this line of work? 

Brianne Joseph: I really just fell into it. My cousin worked at a detective agency. One day, while I was waiting to take her to lunch, her boss was trying to get information out of someone over the phone. I said, jokingly, “Let me try,” and sure enough, they gave it to me. I wanted to learn more and asked the detective to teach me. Eventually he agreed to let me be his apprentice.

EH: How challenging is it?

BJ: I started out as a surveillance investigator, where you go out in the car with a camcorder and document everything. It’s not as easy as it seems—especially in New Orleans, where it’s hot and humid, and you can’t run your AC, because you’ll give yourself away. You might be there for eight to 12 hours, sweaty and funky. Often you only have one shot to get something that’s vital to your case, so you can’t let yourself be distracted.

EH: I’m guessing you bring a lot of snacks.

BJ: Absolutely. I probably take more snacks than necessary. I like to treat myself. When I’m on surveillance, I’m in my own little space, it’s quiet, I don’t have my kids around—it’s my moment.

EH: What kind of cases do you get hired to investigate?

BJ: It’s mostly cheating spouses, child custody cases and insurance fraud. Sometimes we get hired by individuals, but we primarily work with attorneys, assisting them to collect evidence that’s needed to support their case in court. We’ll track people down and run background checks. We also serve papers, like divorce filings.

EH: What lengths have you gone to, to get that proof?

BJ: At our agency, we don’t just follow someone suspected of infidelity to a restaurant: We go inside to get them kissing on camera, so that there’s no doubt.¹ But there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. We do a lot of undercover and covert operations, where you have to be creative and think on your feet. Often, I’m in character. If I have to infiltrate a party to get information, I’ll dress to the theme—and avoid the host. One time, I had to serve papers on campus, so I posed as a college kid, with a backpack and braids. It’s a good thing I look younger than I am.

EH: Why did you start your own agency?

BJ: When I started out, there were 60,000 PIs in the US, but only 15% were women, and only 3% were African American women—I was literally the minority, in every sense. I ran into a lot of brick walls, trying to get established in such a male-dominated world. At my first industry event, I tried to give my card to a couple of folks and they said: “No thank you.” That’s why I decided to start my own thing and bring more women in. 

EH: And what are your favorite cases to
work on?

BJ: As a mother of two, I have a special place in my heart for child custody cases. I just hate to see children put in harm’s way, or caught in the middle between two parents blinded by anger for each other. It affects the child tremendously, more than people realize.