Client Feature Friday: From Black Sheep to Badass Boudoir Biker Babe!

Jezebel VonZephyr works with all kinds of women, from the suburbs of Seattle to all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We love connecting with each client, hearing her stories and capturing her unique spirit. We believe that every session is special in its own way, and we want to share that magic with the world. Every Friday we feature one of our clients and share a little about her. 

Today we spotlight one Belle’s journey from self-sabotage to full-blown self-love! She was brave enough to do her first Jezebel VonZephyr session was in 2017 and we’re not fucking around when we say that it changed her life. She’s done multiple Jezebel sessions since then and we’re so honored to be a part of her self-love journey. Her transformation and honesty are nothing short of inspiring. We hope you enjoy hearing her story!

Age: 47, only a week from 48! My birthday is August 5th!

What is your theme song? “Broken Wing” by Martina McBride. That song has gotten me through SO MUCH since it was released.  So many times I have had my wings clipped by either broken relationships, life tragedies or other events. But I have learned that with hard blows come resilience and growth. That growth has allowed me to spread my wings and pick myself back up and fly again.

What are three words you’d use to describe yourself? Resilient, brave, emotional. 

Is this your first Jezebel shoot? If not, how many have you had? LOL! No way! I have now had, what, five shoots? My first one in 2017 broke the walls down and started my journey. (It inspired my blog post “Journey of the Black Sheep”.) Then I had my Model Rep (now called Brand Ambassador) shoot, the retreat shoot, my Soul2Soul shoot for the EatStayLoveSnoco feature, and then my last shoot (possibly my most favorite!) with my man’s Big Dog Chopper! I now have my sixth one scheduled for August 11th, which is my 2021 JVZ Brand Ambassador Alumni shoot!

Why did you decide to book a session with JVZ? Ooof, this is where it gets deep…I was broken, so very broken, from my recent divorce. I was depressed, overweight, and emotionally broken after moving back home. I saw a post from a friend of mine who was a then-current Model Rep, and her story just resonated with me. I wanted what she had: confidence, beauty, joy. So I thought I could try it out as well…I was tired of feeling so down on myself. I was tired of feeling bullied, hating myself, and being overwhelmed with what I saw when I looked in the mirror. I was selling makeup to others and telling them how beautiful they were, and how they deserved that. How could I tell others how they should believe in themselves, when I wasn’t doing the same for myself? I needed to do SOMETHING…so I messaged Sara. We chatted for quite a while before I pulled the trigger. 

How did you feel before your shoot? TERRIFIED. I was so scared to go through with it that I actually tried cancelling my session. Sara, Tiffany and Kaitlyn would have nothing of it. They knew my story from my messages back and forth with them. So rather than cancelling, they made me reschedule. Two months later, the day came for my shoot. It was a very cold day, and I was more than two hours away from the studio. The roads were icy, so my nerves were on edge for more than one reason. The closer I got to the studio, the more nervous I got. I can’t even tell you how many times I almost turned around and thought about calling to tell them I wasn’t coming. I cried, I screamed, I was nauseous. But something kept me driving on that icy, cold morning.

How was your session? What was your favorite part? HOLY SHIT. First of all: when I walked in that door to the studio I received the warmest hugs from all three of the girls. Those hugs melted away a great chunk of my anxiety. Sure, I still had nerves, but I was much more at ease than I was just minutes before.

I felt like I was with friends that I had known my entire life. 

My session was eye-opening, and most of all: LIFE CHANGING. Those two words – LIFE CHANGING – will forever be the description that I will use. We started out my session with a dress that fully covered me, but was ohhhhhh so beautiful! Flowing, colorful, but cut down to there, but still let me feel covered up and not too exposed.

My first poses were fairly “simple” I guess you could say. But they are the ones that changed me… Sara asked me if I wanted to see what she was seeing, and I said “sure.” She showed me the back of the camera, and I stated, “that’s not me!” She simply replied, “oh but Dia, it IS you!!” The tears instantly sprung up and flowed for a minute (or two? I honestly don’t recall – there were lots of tears that day). That moment is forever the one that will be my favorite part of ANY of my sessions, because I FINALLY saw what others had been telling me they had seen for years. I just hadn’t let myself believe them.

What was your favorite look from your sessions? Why? The now-named “Dia Dress,” not because of the name, but because of how it made me feel, because it was the dress that started my journey…

How are you feeling since your session? POWERFUL. SEXY. BEAUTIFUL. WORTHY. LOVED.

Did you bring anything special with you to the studio? Why? I don’t recall bringing anything that was particularly special to that first shoot. 

How was your reveal? SO EMOTIONAL!!! I bawled the entire time. I couldn’t breathe, and could hardly believe what I was seeing. Was that person on the screen REALLY me?

The joke in the studio is that I am a cryer, and yep – they are right! I am an emotional being and my reveal day brought that out to the highest level!

I finally saw a beautiful, powerful, strong woman who could face the world and not let anyone break her down ever again.

She learned how to begin to love all of her imperfections, both inside and out, no matter what anyone else could say or do.

Any advice for anyone thinking of booking a session with JVZ? Take a chance on YOU! You are worth every single penny you spend on the session. It takes just a few seconds to make the decision to book the session.

My mantra card in my session said “Turn Toward the Fear” and I thought that it was the most PERFECT advice ever for that day! I faced my fear and it has rewarded me greatly. It will do the same for you as well!

Does Dia’s story of transformation spark a flicker of interest in you? Do you want to find your own power and learn to love yourself? Jezebel VonZephyr can help! We specialize in self-love and would love to help you kickstart the next chapter of your journey. Check our calendar and book your own special session with us! We can’t wait to witness your metamorphosis!