Client Feature Friday: Learning to Honor and Appreciate Herself

Jezebel VonZephyr loves to shine a spotlight on women of every age and size. We live to connect with each client; and we pride ourselves on holding space for each of them so we can hear her stories and capture her unique spirit. We believe that every session is special in its own way, and we want to share that magic with the world. On Fridays we shine a spotlight on a client so she can share a part of her story. 

Today we dive deeper into one Belle’s story! She was previously featured and was eager to share more. She gets honest about her self-love journey, how she learned to honor her body and herself, and how self-care has changed since she’s had a Jezebel session. 

Age: I just turned 40 September. 

How many sessions have you done? 3  

When was your first one? Bothell, 2018? I did a Signature Experience. 

When was your most recent one?  May 2022!

What was your relationship with yourself like before you did a JVZ session? It wasn’t great.

I was always focusing on the “bad” parts of my body. The stretch marks, the cellulite, the bumps, and lumps.  

What did you love about yourself prior to stepping into the studio? I have always been a fan of my legs and butt. 🙂

How would you describe your experience with JVZ? Life-changing.

I remember back to my first session with Kaitlyn calling me to ask how I want my shoot to feel and what was off-limits. I recall telling her that  I wasn’t a huge fan of my stomach.

Fast forward to the day of my shoot. One pose was me on a couch in a bra and panties.

I was nervous of course but Sara paused a moment after taking the photo and showed it to me through the camera. I never in a million years thought that I looked that good.

She then said “you know what is front and center, right?” It was my belly and I didn’t even zone in on it. I was too busy being blown away that it was me and that other people see me like that.

After the first shoot, I really started to embrace my body and all its “social” flaws.

Since that day, I have gone on to do two more sessions: a mini and another Signature. Then I became a Brand Ambassador!!

I want other women to really stop and see that they are worthy. This is SELF CARE at the highest level really. 

What was the most challenging thing about your first session? Being nervous. I had done a couple of sessions with another studio. Of course, none of their models were “plus-size”.

I knew that I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable as a plus-size women in this space. I also didn’t want to be airbrushed until it no longer looked like me.

Did anything change for you after you saw yourself through the Jezebel lens of love? ABSOLUTELY. I no longer focus on the stuff that I hated about my body.

I now honor my body and everywhere it has been and where it will take me. 

Did you challenge any of your previously held beliefs about yourself, your body, self-love, and/or self-care after your Jezebel experience? 100%.

I learned that I am not the inner mean girl that shouts at me all the time about my body and the way I look. I have grown so much in shutting her up.

How did your relationship with your body change after your session? I began to really start to look deep inside to figure out why I was thinking the way that I was about my body. It actually started in childhood which I didn’t realize until I became a BA. Now, I get it and I am working on really letting go of that trauma. You only get one body, it is better to work with her than against her.

What does self-love mean to you? It means accepting myself even if others don’t.  

Has Jezebel helped you with how you define it? JVZ has helped me by stepping back and seeing that I am an incredible human with a lot to offer.

I have a hard time seeing myself the way that others see me. If they love me for me, what is stopping me from loving me? 

What do you love most about yourself now that you’ve done at least one session and some processing? I am embracing my “hip dips”, belly, and all of my parts that may not be what the social norm is, but it is what I love.

How do you take care of yourself? For me, self-care has me focusing more on the mental health aspect of it. Your mind has to be healthy in order for the rest of you to be healthy.  

Has your self-care changed at all since doing a JVZ shoot? 100%.

I have sure shut my inner mean girl up since stepping in front of the lens. My inner mean girl is a liar anyway.

How do you hope to continue growing and nurturing your relationship with yourself and your body moving forward? Instead of focusing on what “bothers” me about my appearance, I try to really see the good.

I speak to myself now the same way that I would speak to a loved one. I wouldn’t tell them they are too fat, have too much cellulite, have saggy boobs etc, so why would I say those things to myself?

If you could go back and give past-you any advice before your first session, what would you say to her? It is going to be okay, I promise.

If I would have known that after that first session that my entire self-love journey would take off the way that it did, I would have done it in my 20’s.

Anything else you would like to share about your journey and/or Jezebel experiences? It is worth every single penny. I have tried a ton of things in the past to see myself the way that I am and none of them even remotely came close to how I felt after having three sessions with Jezebel.

I walk with my head higher and look for the beauty in every single woman I pass.

Do you want to have a better relationship with your body? Are you looking to silence your inner Mean Girl? Then a Jezebel VonZephyr session should be in your future!

Let us help you learn to honor yourself and your body. We help women see themselves through our lens of love. Some time with us may just change your life–just like it changed this Belle’s! What are you waiting for? We can’t wait to see how you’ll shine!