Summer Glow Story: A Season of Bold Visibility
- Aug 26
- 3 min read
By Ayla Quellhorst
This summer isn’t about soaking in the sun—it's about stepping into the spotlight.
Not in a glittery, filtered, aspirational-aesthetic way (though I’ll never turn down good lighting). I’m talking about visibility that hits deeper. Visibility as a decision. A strategy. A reclaiming of space that some people have tried to convince us we don’t belong in.
Because here’s the truth: I didn’t stumble into success with a camera and a dream. I built a business brick by brick after walking away from an abusive marriage. I learned to lead after surviving a childhood that taught me to read people faster than they could hurt me. And I grew a seven-figure studio while raising a daughter, healing from trauma, and figuring it all out in real-time.
Visibility didn’t come naturally to me. Survival did. But I’ve learned that you can’t lead from the shadows. So this summer, I’m not just letting myself be seen—I’m daring other women to do the same.
From Chaos to CEO
Before I became a luxury boudoir photographer, I was a military photojournalist processing U2 spy plane film and running mission schedules at 18. Structure saved me. Purpose grounded me. But after a medical retirement, I was left without a roadmap.
What came next wasn’t glamorous. I worked admin jobs while going back to school. I left a marriage that felt like a slow erasure of who I was. I started building a studio in my living room, not because I wanted to be an “artist,” but because I needed to create something that gave me—and my daughter—options.
Fast-forward to today: I run one of the highest-grossing boudoir studios in the country, with over $700K in annual revenue, a full-time team, and destination shoots scheduled in Scotland (2025) and Tulum (2027). But behind all of that? I’m still just a woman who had to build what she couldn’t find.
Reclaiming the Glow
When people hear “boudoir,” they assume vanity. But what I see in my studio every day is reclamation. Women coming in post-divorce, post-baby, post-burnout—wanting to see themselves differently. Wanting proof that they’re still powerful. Still worthy. Still a damn force.
That’s what I mean by “glow.” Not curated perfection. But presence. Ownership. The kind of energy that says: I’m still here. I’m not hiding. And I dare you to underestimate me.
The most beautiful photos I’ve ever taken weren’t about posing—they were about permission. Giving someone just enough safety to let the armor fall. That’s when the light hits differently. That’s when they glow.
Why Visibility Matters Now
We talk a lot about confidence like it’s something you can buy or borrow. But the truth is: you already had it. Somewhere under the people-pleasing, the self-doubt, the endless responsibilities—you just forgot.
Visibility, for women, isn’t ego. It’s resistance. It’s saying, “I’m allowed to take up space. I’m allowed to be seen without apologizing.”
And in business? It’s survival. I don’t run ads with my face on them because I love selfies—I do it because I am the brand. Because hiding doesn’t help the people I’m trying to reach. And because every time I show up fully, I give permission for someone else to do the same.
What This Season Is Really About
This summer, I’m leaning into bolder visibility—online, in-person, and on-location. I’m telling the truth about what it took to build a brand that heals instead of just sells. I’m designing destination experiences that show beauty isn’t confined to body types or zip codes. And I’m creating space for women to see themselves clearly—maybe for the first time in years.
This isn’t about going viral. It’s about going real.
So if you’ve ever been told you’re too much, too loud, too late, or too far gone—I hope you know: there’s room for you in the light.
Come stand in it.
Pull Quotes & Talking Points
“I built a business to survive. I built a brand to heal.”
From trauma survivor to CEO: how I scaled my studio post-military and post-divorce
Leading a luxury boudoir brand with same-day reveals, a full-time team, and a no-fluff policy
Using visibility as a leadership strategy—not just for growth, but for healing
Expanding globally with destination shoots in Scotland and Tulum, designed to redefine what beauty looks like across borders
“I’m not here to give women confidence. I’m here to remind them they already had it—and build a brand that proves it.”
Connect With Ayla
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