The Truth About the Woman You Were Always Meant to Be
The Woman You’re Becoming Is Already In You—Let Her Out
I Want to Let You in On a Secret…
What if I told you that the confidence, the power, the unapologetic freedom you’ve been so desperately searching for isn’t out there somewhere? It’s not in a smaller dress size, a new job, or someone else’s approval.
It’s already in you. Right now.
I know, I know. It can be hard to believe. For years, I didn’t believe it either. Before I ever picked up a camera to photograph another woman, I was a master at hiding. I was so good at performing, at trying to be the "good woman" I thought everyone wanted me to be. The idea of taking up space, of being seen, of celebrating my own body? Terrifying.
My own boudoir shoot was the moment everything cracked wide open for me. It was the catalyst for a journey that led me to found Chicago Boudoir Photography, deliver a TEDx talk, and, most importantly, connect with thousands of incredible women on a mission to reclaim themselves.
I recently had the most amazing, raw conversation about all of this with Gia Lacqua on her podcast, What the Shift. We went deep, and I want to share a piece of that with you.
We talked about the real, nitty-gritty stuff:
What boudoir is really about (Hint: It’s not what you think!) 📸: Forget the idea that this is about creating "sexy pictures" for someone else. This is about you, seeing yourself in your full power, maybe for the first time. It’s an experience of radical self-acceptance.
The lies we've been taught about our bodies & ourselves 🤫: Society has sold us a bill of goods, teaching us to shrink, to be ashamed, to put ourselves last. I shared how we can begin to unlearn this conditioning and start writing our own rules.
Embodied confidence vs. "faking it" 💪: There's a world of difference between pretending to be confident and truly feeling it in your bones. We explored how to move from performance to genuine, unshakeable embodiment. It’s an inside job.
Why your scars are your superpowers ✨: We all have scars, inside and out. They tell the story of where we've been and the battles we've won. It's time we stopped hiding them and started honoring them as part of our beautiful, unique story.
✨ Takeaways — actionable wisdom for women standing at a crossroads
Stop waiting to feel ready. Confidence comes after action, not before it.
Clarity lives in movement. You won’t figure it all out on paper. Try something. Pivot. Repeat.
Your ‘too much’ is your power. The thing you’ve been hiding is probably the very thing people need most from you.
Build the business around the life you want — not the other way around.
Find your people. Whether it’s a coach, a community, or one bold friend — don’t do it alone.
This conversation was a permission slip. It’s your permission slip to stop waiting for the perfect moment and to start showing up as the woman you were always meant to be. She’s in there, I promise. You just have to let her out.
Ready to meet her?