F*ck Confidence: The Empowerment Studio Podcast

It’s my birthday week, and if you want to give me a gift I'll cherish, share your favorite episode of the F*ck Confidence podcast with a friend! Nothing says happy birthday quite like helping more people find our little corner of the internet.

In this episode, I talk about turning 39, why I’m feeling so grateful for my 30s, and how I plan to kick off another trip around the sun: dancing under the trees at one of my favorite music festivals, surrounded by art, costumes, and some of my favorite people.

Rachael and I talk about what happens when the Empowerment Team steps back and lets the community take the lead. We get into the best of what’s been happening in our Facebook group lately: selfies, a boundaries thread with really tangible tips, creative show-and-tell, and some very important debates about watermelon and salt. This is an inside peek at our group, and a conversation around how we're allowing it to evolve.

Come hang out at empowermentphotographer.com/community

🤳🏼 Get our FREE selfie guide: https://empowermentphotographer.com/selfie

🔗 Sign up for the #Selfie...

Audy Avery (they/them) and I (Kinzie) are back to yap about the challenge that comes when there's a mismatch between our desire to do things, and our actual capacity to do them. Because we want to do everything, all at once -- but so much of the time, our brains and bodies are like "lol no." (BUMMER!)

So what do you do then? This episode is all about us exploring how to build nourishing and satisfying lives within the constraints and limitations of capitalism and solo parenting and neurodivergence and and and.

We hope...

Rachael and I got to talk about something that's really important to me: what "radically inclusive" actually looks like in the Empowerment Studio. Lately I've been photographing more clients with disabilities than ever, and it's been proof that boudoir really can be for everyone, as long as you're willing to ask what people need and adapt.

We get into the practical stuff (seating, sizing, ramps, modifying poses, sensory-friendly sessions) and the bigger idea that every single person has needs -- but the Empowerment Studio is often the first place someone gets to practice asking for them.

This week Kinzie and Rachael are joined by the one and only Libby — Empowerment Studio's lead marketing strategist, eight-year team member, beloved client, and (per Kinzie) certified "magic human." Libby's been part of the crew since 2018 and finally landed in the studio chair as a guest instead of the one running the show.

The trio traces "fuck confidence" back to its origin story: a January team retreat where Libby, mid-presentation, called out the thing we hear over and over again: "I'd do a boudoir session if I were more confident." And then, exasperatedly, Libby hollered: FUCK CONFIDENCE!!!! Yo...

What a week. Today we’re celebrating everything you’ve created during this Selfie Week -- the selfies, the compliments, the courage. I also introduced our Model Call for folks who feel ready to take this to the next level. And as a bonus, I’m bringing back one of the very first recordings I ever made: a guided Flow Pose to ground and connect with your body before your final selfie.

✨ “You are on a really big journey right now, learning your body in new ways... and that’s a really big deal.”

Thank you for being...

We’re really in the flow now. Today, I invite everyone to take an intentional moment with the compliments you’ve been receiving -- to let them land, even if just a little. There’s no pressure to fully believe them yet -- just practice staying open.

✨ “Maybe instead you say, thank you. You appreciate the curve of my hips. I can receive that.”

Give a compliment, receive a compliment, and let yourself take one tiny step further into that magic today.

And for fun, here's a blog post with some Empowerment Studio compliment t...

It's Day 3 of Selfie Week! This is one of my favorite days of the challenge -- it tends to feel a little more vulnerable, a little more growthy, and also super full of potential. If you're feeling daunted, that’s okay. Today’s about letting in some fun and support wherever you can -- music, movement, moisturizer, a friend cheering you on while you click the shutter.

✨ “Giving those compliments to other people can be a fortifying process for you as well.”

Once you post your selfie, stick around and leave a few kind words for others...

Ooooh this one's fun. I had chills while I was recording it, I remember feeling so deeply that I was talking directly to all of you!!

For Day 2 of Selfie Week, I guided a calming, grounding meditation to help you ease into taking your selfie. We breathed, imagined warm golden light filling our bodies, and connected with ourselves before picking up the camera.

✨ “Maybe we’re not going for a perfect final image—maybe we’re just setting out with the intention of existing in some photos.”

Go post your Day 2 selfie in the group wh...

Welcome to Day 1 of Selfie Week! This episode sets the tone for the whole week -- no pressure, no perfection, just showing up exactly as you are. It's literally about focusing on quantity when you think you might actually be supposed to focus on quality.

(If this is the first you're hearing about our Selfie Week, it's not too late to join! selfietoselflove.com)

I’ll walk you through how to take today’s selfies without overthinking them, help you trust the process, and I'll hype you up to take a ridiculous number of photos with...

Wayyyyy back in episode 65 (two episodes ago, hehe), Audy Avery and I talked about how we use the question "Who are you today?" as a starting point for our catch ups. It's really beautiful because it gives us space to share what's going on in our lives, but also to do a little check in -- where we get to notice what is shifting, and what has changed.

And now it's my turn to share with y'all about what's been coming up for me lately. If you're nosy, curious, or just like to listen to a good...

Episode six sevennn AKA oops we took the summer off AKA we're allowed to take breaks when we need them (did you know??)!

Here's the thing. Summer was nuts. It's nuts every year but this year, we (I, Kinzie) tried something different. And it went different than I expected it to. That's okay!

I kept my kid home for most of summer, ended up with more travel than anticipated, and had to drop the plastic balls to keep juggling the glass ones in the air. And what's wild is THAT'S ALLOWED. It's hard, these days...

What if you stopped forcing your ADHD brain to work like everyone else's?

This episode is about unmasking in the most practical sense -- because what if we could build our businesses and our lives around how we actually function instead of how we think we're supposed to do it. We talk about QST (Queer Standard Time), 23-minute appointment slots (though actually, since recording this episode, I'm exploring just having all of my appointments start at 5 mins after the half/hour), and my client who chose to do a $5.27 daily payment plan. Getting specific and creative about...

The very delightful Audy Avery (they/them) is back for another conversation, and this entire episode centers around the question "Who are you today?" which is how Audy and I end up beginning our catch ups most of the time. Because when you're this constantly growth-y and curious and open handed about your becoming, things inevitably shift in significant ways each time we connect.

Today, we're exploring who Audy is -- the shifts they've experienced recently, including how they've gone from nesting temporarily with their partner Brett, to how they're now consciously and intentionally living alone. It's...

What happens when your body forces you to stop before you're ready to?

Max Sheffield (they/he) collapsed a block and a half from their kid's school. That was the moment that redefined how Max was able to move through this world -- in business, parenting, and in terms of how they approached rest.

In this episode, we talk about building a business and a life around how your brain and body actually work instead of how capitalism says they should. We get into chronic illness and entrepreneurship and why your weirdness is your marketing...

Most relationship advice assumes your brain works a certain way. This episode is for when it doesn't.

Kinzie's partner Donnie (he/they) joins to talk about what 16+ years of sharing space as a neurodivergent household has taught them: how to divide labor based on strengths, why explicit communication beats subtle signals every time, and the emoji codes they use to navigate the stuff that's hard or inconvenient to say out loud.

This episode reminds us that we don't need to stretch ourselves to do things the "right" way. What if we could build systems that...

What does it actually mean to explore your gender identity when you weren't raised with the language to do it? In this episode, I'm joined by co-host Rachael (she/her) and guest Audy Avery (they/all) to talk about non-binary identity, gender fluidity, and what it looks like to stop performing who you're supposed to be and start figuring out who you actually are. We get into pronouns, coming out later in life, raising gender-expansive kids, and why "I'm still figuring it out" is a completely valid place to be.

This episode originally aired in 2024 under our...

Most of us are stuck in a cycle we don't even realize we're in. There's a little whisper -- that "what if things could be different" feeling. Then we explore it. We get excited. We maybe even figure out the next step. And then... we talk ourselves out of it. And we settle back into "this is fine."

And then the whisper comes back. And we do it again.

In this episode, we talk about why doubt isn't a stop sign, why being "really busy" can actually be one of the sneakiest ways to stay...

You keep ghosting people because you don't know what else to do. What if we stopped that??

In this episode, we're getting into the stuff nobody teaches you about honest communication in dating -- including how to decline a second date without making someone feel like they failed an audition, and why "let's just be friends" is sometimes... not actually what either person wants.

We also got into what it's like to date as a trans woman: the fetishization, the safety calculations, the exhausting math of when to disclose.

And I introduced one...

If empowerment feels harder than it should, the problem might not be you; it might be isolation.

We've got an incredibly special guest for this episode -- someone who deeply shaped the way I move through the world. I would like to heartily welcome theatre artist and community builder, Angela Marcum (she/her) -- who also happens to be my mom!

In this episode, we talk about where my belief in beauty and community actually comes from, and how those values got built long before the Empowerment Studio ever existed.

This is a...

This episode is a bit of a peek behind the curtain -- we’re right in the middle of running a series of North Star workshops in the Empowerment Experience as we are publishing this episode. It's been so fun!

Inside the program, we’ve always set a North Star -- a vision for what you want your life to feel like and where you want to point your compass for the six months of the program. What I started noticing is how much is actually inside that process. “What do I want?” can open up a lottttt...

This episode is being published in a moment where our government is actively contributing to violence and harm on a global scale.

And while we recorded this a couple months ago… that’s also not new.

This isn’t a one-time moment. It’s a pattern. It’s ongoing.

Which means the question becomes: how do we stay present, resourced, and able to actually show up inside of it?

So in this episode, Rachael and I pulled tarot for you.

Which led us into a conversation about what it looks like...

In this episode, Rachael (she/her) and I (Kinzie, they/she, hey pals!) are diving into what it actually means to take up space in your body -- especially when it doesn’t look or feel the way you want it to.

Christina, in our Empowerment Studio community, submitted a question that unfolded into this podcast. We talk about the difference between taking up space energetically versus physically, and how being in your body can feel like a completely different challenge than just showing up in a room. A lot of people are waiting to feel confident be...

In this episode, my lovely cohost Rachael and I talk with Sarah Staat (yes, they're back!) about their journey with the Empowerment Studio -- from their first photoshoot to going all-in during the Empowerment Experience.

Sarah grew up in a very religious environment where a lot of life decisions were already mapped out for them. Over time, especially after a divorce, they began the long process of figuring out who they actually were outside of that structure. They first found the Empowerment Studio through one of our selfie challenges, and over the years became a deeply involved...

In this episode, Rachael and I (Kinzie) talk through the actual structure of the Empowerment Experience. We’ve talked a lot on the podcast about the transformations that can happen in this program, but I realized some people might be wondering: what do the six months actually look like?

So we walk through the arc of the experience -- from the welcome party and early connection-building, to Selfie Week and our guided group selfie practice, to the monthly Togetherness Times where we make space for play, creativity, and community. We also talk about the Empowerment Party, individual ph...

This episode is a replay of the live F*ck Confidence Workshop -- it was one of those sessions where the energy in the room was just different. (I loved it so much, y'all! I truly think this was our best workshop yet!)

People were having "oh sh*t" moments all over the place. The kind where something clicks and you can't un-hear it, and you've changed. Participants had breakthroughs mid-conversation, got a little uncomfortable (in the best way), and walked away seeing themselves differently than when they showed up.

And I know that sounds...

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it:

Fuck confidence!

In this episode, Rachael and I unpack something that’s been simmering since our January team retreat at the Empowerment Studio. Libby and David and I were talking about the boudoir industry at large -- what people promise, what they sell, what they center -- and one word kept coming up:

Confidence.

Build your confidence.

Find your confidence.

Come in confident.

Leave confident.

But here’s the problem: the number one thing I hear...

We're baaaaack, babyyyyy! Y'ALL, WE MISSED YOU!

If you're new to the podcast, welcome! And if you're returning, OMG HI. This episode is one of my favorite types -- a long, cozy conversation between two people who genuinely like each other. We've got a lot to catch up on!

My amazing cohost Rachael (she/her) and I (Kinzie, they/she) sat down to kick off season 2 of this podcast, and we ended up talking about everything happening inside the Empowerment Studio, which turned into getting excited about what's coming (Cloud Parties! the Empowerment Experience! the...

In this season finale (whaaaaat?!), Rachael (she/her) and I sit down to reflect honestly on how this podcast began, what it turned into, and the unexpected ways it has shifted us along the way. We revisit the early conversations that sparked the idea, the quiet moments where we wondered if anyone would listen, and the episodes that changed the direction of the Empowerment Studio without us even planning it.

We share stories we haven’t told before... the behind-the-scenes chaos, the small victories, the moments that cracked something open for us, and the themes that kept we...

Hey Empowerment Studio, my co-host Rachael (she/her) and I took some time to catch up on everything happening in the Empowerment Studio as we step into 2026. We talk Early Bird enrollment for the next round of the Empowerment Experience, why our free mini sessions through mid-December are worth grabbing, and how the moment you say yes to joining us can start shifting your energy long before the program begins.

Behind the scenes, we peek at our winter break plans, the return of our Facebook group in January, and the new modular sets being built by our...

Audy Avery is baaa-aaaack! (Yes!!) And this time we got together to talk about Audy’s transformation inside the Empowerment Studio -- how, over six years of hanging in our orbit and participating in all our shenanigans (ya know, selfies, mini sessions, cozy events, and our beautiful, kind community), Audy’s done some incredibly deep, beautiful work around embodiment, visibility, and joy.

Somewhere along the way, Audy and I realized that what took Audy years to unfold naturally in our community is now happening in a condensed, intentional way through the Empowerment Experience -- we effectively created a short...

In this live conversation, Jacqueline Gates and I discuss how Glamour Magic has completely changed her life (and the lives of SO many people who are fortunate to work with Jacqueline, either by participating in her community or if they've hired her as a coach).

This recording picks up in the second half of our live session -- in the first half, we tuned into Jacqueline’s video on Glamour Magic (which is absolutely worth catching if you haven’t yet -- the link is below).

We talk about the ways Jacqueline practices Glamour Magic as a tool...

"If I'm not vulnerable with you, how will you connect with me."

Our beloved friend Jamie Byers (she/her) is the founder of:

1️⃣ Plump Resale (a curated thrift experience that helps every body, especially plus-size folks, find their personal style),

2️⃣ The Byers Effect (her intuitive energy-work practice blending grounding, sound, and magic), and

3️⃣ Jamie Byers graphic + web design for artists, dreamers, and small businesses doing good things in the world

-- all based right here in Kansas City.

Jamie joined us for a live podcast reco...

This moment together with Ellie feels like a slow sunrise -- tender, intentional, and full of heart.

My sweet and powerful friend Ellie Berland (she/her) -- founder of HERA (@hera_co_) -- helped us welcome in our day with a beautiful and grounding ritual. Pour yourself a cup of tea and join us.

Ellie began with a gentle reflection that connected us with our brains and our bodies and our hearts before guiding a breath of life practice to help us connect with our days. From there, she pulled a card and invited us...

Our Beloved Libby spent her Saturday morning with us Live in the Empowerment Festival. A little meal prep, a cup of coffee, and a lot of discussion on living as a disabled person in the US. This conversation is strong and powerful and fun and cute and helpful. I strongly recommend digging into this one.

🤳🏼 Get our FREE selfie guide: https://empowermentphotographer.com/selfie

🔗 Sign up for the #SelfietoSelfLove Challenge: selfietoselflove.com

📸 Follow us on Instagram: @empowermentstudio__

🌐 Learn more about our boudoir sessions and Empowerment Experience: empowermentphotographer.com

👥 Join our Fa...

This live was very much more visual than audio (so I HIGHLY recommend joining our facebook group so you can watch the replay there.) That said, if you want to just hang out with us you're ALWAYS welcome to! This would be a great podcast episode to throw on in the background, as if we're just in the next room hanging out with you (hooray for body-doubling!)!

🤳🏼 Get our FREE selfie guide: https://empowermentphotographer.com/selfie

🔗 Sign up for the #SelfietoSelfLove Challenge: selfietoselflove.com

📸 Follow us on Instagram: @empowermentstudio__

🌐 Learn more abou...

Hey Empowerment Studio, it’s Kinzie Elizabeth -- and today, Rachael and I are going full-on Pinterest-core. No, this episode isn’t sponsored by Pinterest (though honestly, maybe it should be? Pinterest, you out there?), but it is part of our Empowerment Studio Festival lineup -- a whole collection of events and moments designed to help you explore, play, and reconnect with yourself in creative ways.

This one’s all about how I use Pinterest as a powerful tool for style evolution, self-discovery, and vibing with who I’m becoming next.

Rachael came in as a total...

Movement to create Movement! Its time to dance a bit and journal a bit! Take some deep breaths and dive in with us!

🤳🏼 Get our FREE selfie guide: https://empowermentphotographer.com/selfie

🔗 Sign up for the #SelfietoSelfLove Challenge: selfietoselflove.com

📸 Follow us on Instagram: @empowermentstudio__

🌐 Learn more about our boudoir sessions and Empowerment Experience: empowermentphotographer.com

👥 Join our Facebook Group: The Empowerment Studio

Oh Hai Empowerment Studio! David here! Here's our Empowerment Festival kick-off: a cozy GRWM with David and Kinzie! Pour a cup of coffee, or a tasty bevo of your choice, and hang out with us as we talk all things Festival, with some meal prep, neurodivergent calendar planning, and deep breaths thrown in for good measure.

🤳🏼 Get our FREE selfie guide: https://empowermentphotographer.com/selfie

🔗 Sign up for the #SelfietoSelfLove Challenge: selfietoselflove.com

📸 Follow us on Instagram: @empowermentstudio__

🌐 Learn more about our boudoir sessions and Empowerment Experience: empowermentphotographer.com

👥 Join our...

Heyyyyy Empowerment Studio, it’s Kinzie Elizabeth -- and the Empowerment Festival is here! In this solo episode, I’m giving you the full rundown of what’s happening October 9–11 (plus our wrap-up on the 14th) so you know exactly what to expect and how to join in.

I’ll walk you through each day’s theme -- Ground, Revel, Own, and Witness -- and share all the ways you can participate, whether you’re here in Kansas City or joining from anywhere in the world. This festival came together fast, and it already feels like pure magic. So grab...