Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa Dean. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I have ever worked on, truly, was myself. I know, I know, not exactly the “aha” moment we may be going for but stay with me. Healing journeys are not for the weak. They break you down, expose the most raw, vulnerable sides of yourself, and dare you to rise. My healing journey was no exception. It broke me open. Once I set my intentions to heal and become my best, highest self, I feel like I was not only breaking apart, but constantly finding tools to help guide me along my journey and piece me back together.
About two years into that journey, my boudoir photography business was born and I quickly realized it was so much more than taking “sexy” photos of women. I was helping women feel seen. I was listening. I was holding space. Photography has always been my creative outlet, but when I started shooting boudoir, something awakened in me. I’d watch women walk in nervous, apologizing for their bodies, for taking up space, for simply existing. And by the time we were done, they’d be in tears, not because of how they looked, but because they finally saw themselves again. Not as “just a mom”, or “just a wife”, or “just a career woman”. They saw their truest selves emerge. That’s when I realized what I was actually doing wasn’t photography, it was healing work disguised as art.
I built my studio around that idea: that empowerment doesn’t start with the perfect pose or outfit; it starts with safety, vulnerability, and truth. My sessions often begin with real conversations, and often, the kind where mascara runs and walls fall down…because that’s where transformation starts. I noticed how many of us are struggling with the same things. We are so unkind to ourselves, yet we give grace to others so effortlessly.
I started sharing the same tools and practices that helped me heal with my clients… lovingly challenging them to step outside their comfort zones. Then, the craziest thing happened, women began telling me I was changing their lives. Every woman who steps into my studio becomes part of something much bigger than a photo shoot. They’re reclaiming pieces of themselves they thought they lost. And truthfully, every session heals me a little more too.
I felt called to do more. That same energy is what inspired my book, Let Her Die. It’s the written version of what happens in my studio and so much more. It’s a space that allows us to dive even deeper. It’s a guide to killing off the versions of ourselves that keep us small and learning to be seen again. The tools inside really are life changing.
The most meaningful part of all of this isn’t the business itself. It’s the ripple effect. Watching women see themselves clearly for the first time, watching them walk differently, speak differently, love themselves differently. It’s in the quiet messages that come weeks later. The “I wore shorts for the first time.” “I stopped apologizing.” “I finally looked in the mirror and smiled.” “We don’t do that anymore.”
That’s when I know it’s working. That’s when I know it’s worth every bit of the chaos, the risk, and the breakdowns it took to build it. Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just my project… it’s a movement of women remembering who they are; and that will always be the most meaningful work I could ever do.
Much Love,
Melissa
Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Melissa Dean. I’m an author, photographer, soul journeyer and creative force redefining what empowerment looks like for women.
Through my boudoir brand, Melissa Dean Boudoir, and my book, Let Her Die: Killing the Version of You That Keeps You Small, I explore the intersection of art and spiritual healing. My work is less about seduction and more about reclamation. It’s about what happens when a woman finally stops apologizing for her existence.
Inside my studio, transformation happens in real time. There’s music, laughter, and often tears. Women arrive nervous, guarded, sometimes disconnected from their own reflection. By the end, they’ve met themselves again…and not as who they were told to be, but as who they truly are.
I call it healing work disguised as art. From immersive photoshoots to the Let Her Die book and companion workbook, every project is designed to remind women that there is no timeline. You are exactly where you are supposed to be.
What sets my work apart is its unapologetic honesty. I don’t sugarcoat the process of transformation. I believe beauty exists in the real… the stretch marks, the scars, and even more so in the stories we’ve survived. My clients don’t just leave with photographs; they leave with a shift in perspective, a deeper connection to self, and a new sense of power that ripples through every part of their life.
What I’m most proud of isn’t the imagery or the pages I’ve published, it’s the ripple effect. The messages from women saying, “I finally looked in the mirror and saw me again.” That’s the heartbeat of my work…awakening women to their own magic one session, one story, one rebirth at a time. I’m proud of what I’m doing and I’m ready to help others see their own worth, too.
I’m also a mom of three, and while they are my greatest teachers, they are also my daily reminder of why I do this work. I want them to move through the world without having to battle the same patterns so many of us have had to unlearn…the self-doubt, the silence, and the need to make themselves smaller to be accepted. I want them to see what it looks like to take up space, own their story, and build something meaningful. They’ve watched me build this business from the ground up…through late nights, setbacks, and small miracles. I hope it shows them that while purpose doesn’t always come neatly packaged, it’s always worth it. We are capable of rewriting our story at any moment. We just have to be willing to show up.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Honestly, my reputation was and is built one woman at a time. I didn’t start with fancy marketing or big ad campaigns. It all starts with connection. Every client who comes into my studio is part of something sacred. I made it my mission to create an experience that felt deeply personal and emotionally safe, not transactional. That energy carries itself far louder than any paid promotion ever could.
Word of mouth is my strongest marketing tool. When a woman leaves her session saying, “I didn’t even need to see the photos, that was life-changing,” it creates the ripple effect. Her confidence is worth more to me than “likes” on a post.
My reputation continues to grow, and this is just the beginning. The only reason I want my reputation out there is because I want more women to find their worth. I want them to come to a space where they can be seen and remember who they truly are. I want them to find my book and learn the tools for themselves so they can find their highest selves, too.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Absolutely. My mission has evolved and has leaned in to helping women remember who they are…who they truly are, before the world told them who they “should” be. Everything I create, whether it’s my photography or my writing, is rooted in remembrance. It’s the way to guide them back to themselves. I believe this is my soul’s purpose.
When a client walks into my studio, it’s not just a photoshoot. It’s a portal. A space where time seems to stand still. Where she sees herself for the first time in a long time. My role is to hold space for her and share the tools that helped me along my journey that may guide her along hers.
It’s the same energy when someone reads my book. It’s a mirror, really. It’s a guide. A way to have things resonate differently and have questions to dive deeper to meet yourself.
My goal is simple. If I can help even one woman (or person) see themselves differently, then I’ve done my job. If they move through the world a little taller, a little more at ease, and a little more in love with themselves; that’s the why. That’s the mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.letherdie.com | www.melissadeanboudoir.com
- Instagram: @melissadeanboudoir
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissajkoko
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-dean-let-her-die
Image Credits
Melissa Dean Boudoir