It's Not You, It's the Clothes with Camellia Jade

I met Camellia Jade when we both spoke at the Take the Lead conference. She walked on stage, took off her clothes, and stood in her red underwear. Not for shock value—but to show us what vulnerability really looks like. And what it can make possible.

Camellia is a personal stylist, speaker, and content creator at StyleFinder Boutique. She’s known for sharing style tips online—but what she’s actually doing is modeling how to show up fully as yourself, even when it feels uncomfortable.

This episode is about what happens when you stop hiding—when you let people see you. Camellia shares how being vulnerable has changed her life in real, tangible ways. She talks about:

• Building genuine connection—with clients, friends, and herself
• Attracting new opportunities by being fully honest
• Gaining confidence not by covering up, but by letting go of the armor
• Creating a “front row” of support by leading with truth

Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s the doorway to everything we’re craving: connection, confidence, clarity—and the people who will cheer you on when you show up as the real you.

Connect with Camellia:
Instagram: @camellia_jade
StyleFinder Boutique: shopstylefinder.com or download the app!

Stay connected with me:
Website: angiemizzell.com
Instagram: @angiemizzell
Subscribe to Hello Friday: Join here

Transcript

Camellia Jade (00:00)
The thought popped into my head and I asked myself, should I do this? Should I strip down on stage?

So yeah, I'm known as the girl in the red underwear and I love it.

Angie Mizzell (00:11)
It's like, yes, can we please just stop pretending?

Angie Mizzell (00:16)
Hey, I'm Angie Mizzell and welcome to More Like You. Today's conversation is with Camelia Jade. Camelia is a personal stylist at Style Finder Boutique and she's a woman on a mission to help others feel at home in their bodies. I met Camelia when we both spoke at the Take the Lead conference in Charlotte. And yes, she did strip down to her underwear. But this episode isn't about taking off our clothes. It's about the power of vulnerability.

about dropping our walls of self-protection and letting ourselves be seen.

Vulnerability can feel like weakness, but it's also the exact thing that builds connection, opens doors, and brings in the right people. Being more like you can make you feel exposed, literally naked. Believe me, I know. But today, we're going to flip that narrative so we can turn our insecurities and self-doubt

into authentic confidence.

Are you ready? Here we go. Here's my conversation with Camelia Jade.

Camellia Jade (01:17)
I get asked all the time if I have a background in fashion. The answer is no. But this is where I've ended up and I think it's absolutely where I was meant to be. So I started working with StyleFinder Boutique actually in 2020 during COVID.

So the company had just started going live online to sell their clothes I came to the company just to help with social media. That's what I was doing.

at my previous job working in the wedding industry.

because I have a background in modeling in particular,

I just kind of started helping

out, you know, jumping into photos for the new arrivals. I was doing some online modeling for the shows. If you think like QVC style shows, you know, where they talk about the product and there's a model wearing it, that's essentially what we do. We had just gotten the app.

And things just really evolved from there. Then I started hosting shows. And when the brick and mortar opened back up, I started helping out in the front, working with clients. I listened to Mary Michelle, who's the founder of StyleFinder and she's been a style coach for 15 plus years. And so I picked up a lot of tips and tricks from her.

But I kind of like the fact that I'm not a so-called professionally trained stylist because I think that shows that if you enjoy something, you can make a career out of it. There's no right or wrong way to work in fashion and to have style. It's all just uniquely you.

Angie Mizzell (02:41)
So, StyleFinder is no longer a brick and mortar. So where are you right now?

Camellia Jade (02:47)
So we're still located in Raleigh. We have a warehouse. And while we no longer have a storefront where people can just come in and shop off the street, we are open for in-person style appointments. So I will work with clients one-on-one. And those are the videos that you see online. Those have gotten me a lot of attention online. I've had a few go viral, fortunately and unfortunately, depending on how you look at it.

I absolutely love working with clients one-on-one, especially now because they're so excited to come in and they feel as though they know me personally from following me online because I don't only share those style tips and tricks, but I just talk about my personal life. And so we're able to virtually build a relationship and build a connection. So when we meet in person, it's kind of like I'm just meeting.

a far away friend because most of my clients are not local to the Raleigh area. They're either traveling here or stopping through on vacation or some of them are finding a little excuse on a work trip to take a few hours off and come get styled. So I really enjoy those one-on-one style sessions.

Angie Mizzell (04:01)
One of the things I've heard you say that I agree with and actually years ago wrote the same line in a blog post that it is not you, it is the clothes. So many times when we're trying things on and it is not cut for our body or doesn't fit our body shape, it is so hard to not feel like we are the one with the problem. But then you can see it on your videos when your client finds something that fits them well.

flatters their body or if you make a slight adjustment, it could be as simple as rolling up the sleeve or anything like that. Then they're like, you can see the transformation on their face where they realize, ⁓ it wasn't me, it was the clothes.

Camellia Jade (04:42)
Yeah, that's so true. And I even catch myself sometimes not recognizing the difference.

I'll give you an example. I was on vacation. I was not prepared. We went axe throwing with my family. And so I need to get a t-shirt, just something that I could wear axe throwing. And so we went to Target. I picked up, you know, a quick $10 tea. It was cute. It worked for the occasion. I washed it and then put it on again and it didn't fit the same.

at first I started to freak out and think,

my goodness, I just wore this. What's going on? Why doesn't it fit me correctly? And then I realized, wait a minute, Camelia, your body hasn't changed. The fabric shrunk. It wasn't quality fabric. And a lot of times those tops are not made to last more than one or two washes before they start to wear a little funny. But most women don't have that knowledge to pull from. And so they're

first reaction is to just think that their body has changed and oftentimes think something very mean and nasty and self-sabotaging when that's really just, it's not the case. And so my goal is to help more women have those tools that they can pull from themselves because like I said, it happens to me and if it happens to me, someone who talks about this every day, how often does it happen to the average woman who has never heard this before?

Angie Mizzell (06:12)
So, and confidence and body positivity is part of your mission. And within your role with StyleFinder, you have developed a personal brand where you're on this mission to help women have more confidence. Which came first, the work with StyleFinder or the mission?

Camellia Jade (06:31)
StyleFinder put the right people in my life to help me come to that conclusion myself. I was very fortunate to have a friend here a few years back and she did the work herself and was really adamant about me changing the way that I thought about my body and the way that I thought about food.

And so she was the first person who got me to stop counting calories. I thought my life would be over if I never counted calories. And to be quite honest, in the last three to four years, I have not counted calories. I've just lived my life and I am okay.

I also started following different people online and making sure that I saw women that were sharing positive messages and putting that in the forefront because we are going to be a reflection of who we are around. We hear that all the time, you know.

the people you surround yourself with can either lift you up or bring you down. And the same is true for what you see online. You can look at images online that make you feel bad about yourself, or you can find people online sharing positive messages that are going to make a difference in your life. And that's what I did.

And so what I'm doing online is nothing new. I'm just utilizing my platform in a different way in hopes that I can change someone's life for the better.

Angie Mizzell (07:53)
Well, you're absolutely doing that. So I had the privilege of meeting you recently when we both were speakers at Take the Lead in

So tell everyone how you started your talk, and then we'll go into how everyone reacted to it from your perspective.

Camellia Jade (08:11)
So when I do public speaking, my message is not for everyone everywhere. There are some people who are amazing speakers and they can speak to any group. And I don't think that I can with my specific message. Of course I can tailor it. But I prefer to make people a little uncomfortable. I like the shock factor of what I do.

I can make an impact without even actually opening my mouth. And so what I do on stage is exactly what I do on camera.

During my style sessions, I work with a lot of midlife women who have had their bodies changed through menopause. Women's bodies change for so many reasons. Childbirth, maybe you're taking a new medication, maybe you've survived some kind of life trauma taking care of a sick loved one. And I noticed I was telling all these women that they're

their bodies were perfect as they are and they need to love themselves fully and wholly. But I wasn't doing the same. And so I made myself uncomfortable by stripping down on camera, down to my underwear. Because people had really misunderstood views of my body. People made assumptions.

the way that my body looked online based on the clothes that I was wearing. So to reiterate that message that your body is not the problem, your clothes are, I started showing people what my body looked like and how I could style it in a way that brought confidence And I remember the very first speaking engagement I did was with a small group of women here in Raleigh. And it wasn't until that morning

I was in the shower thinking about what I was going to say and The thought popped into my head and I asked myself, should I do this? Should I strip down on stage? That's what I do. That's my message. That's who I am. And I did it. And the reaction I got, let me know that the message was received before I said anything. And so

Angie Mizzell (10:07)
Mm.

Camellia Jade (10:10)
That is what I did at Take the

For

I literally show vulnerability by stripping away all of my clothes, all of my armor, baring it all, so you can really, truly get to know me. And someone used the word transparent.

and I really, really liked that. I feel like that's the best way to get to know somebody is when you can truly see them. So yeah, I'm known as the girl in the red underwear and I love it.

Angie Mizzell (10:27)
Mm-hmm.

and the red underwear, Like it's cut like it could be a bathing suit, right? We will walk down the beach in something like this. Yet I was thinking, would I even be comfortable in a room like that where everyone has their clothes on in a bathing suit? And the answer is I could maybe do it, but I would feel so vulnerable.

and that is the reason I wanted to talk to you.

today because you raised so many important points about vulnerability. Are you at all nervous that someone might be flustered or?

your own insecurities creep up in that moment where you clearly are in your power and all eyes are on you?

do you second guess yourself at all?

Camellia Jade (11:17)
Of course, I'm human. During my entire talk, I was scanning the room to see if people were nodding, if they were smiling, if they were taking in the message that I was trying to share. But the only reason that I want to make sure that people are taking that message in is because I'm so passionate about trying to help women. And I'm so passionate about the message, and that's what makes me feel insecure, is that

Am I doing enough? Am I sharing this message in the right way that they are going to remember this when they leave? Yes, they'll remember me in my underwear. And it's almost a little bit of a a mind trick as well. Right. You can't forget the girl that stripped down on stage and was wearing her red underwear for her entire talk. So hopefully that also will help them remember at least one thing that I said. So of course, I'm insecure. And when I walked off the stage,

My first reaction was, no, did that take? Did that matter? Did anyone receive my message? What are they thinking right now? But after, when we were talking and I had women come up to me and thank me and share some of their stories with me, that was when I knew that the message was received. And my favorite part was the youngest woman in the room came up to me.

told me that my talk resonated with her, made her think of her younger sisters, and brought her to tears. And when I can bring someone to tears, I know that I have truly touched them and I will be a part of their life forever. And that truly fills my heart the most.

Angie Mizzell (12:55)
You raised so many important points there, so I'm just gonna recap what stands out for me, that even when you are making an impact and your message matters and you know it's important, that this vulnerability that we're about to talk about is very much there. And the part of us that still cares how we're perceived, But the trick is,

we can't shape

for people who might not get it, but it's so affirming when you get those nods what I felt in the room was zero tension. mean, I think if anything, it was almost like people wanted to cheer for you immediately. But to me, that also speaks to

the fact that women crave this. It's like, yes, can we please just stop pretending? And so it was so powerful and it was wonderful to be in the audience.

So what I was thinking sitting in that seat is I do think that being vulnerable is very brave, but I also know how it makes me feel. It makes me feel afraid. It makes me feel, I'm just very nervous. I feel shaky. I...

Sometimes in my moments of vulnerability, I'm not sure I can trust myself to be strong and is it really an act of strength? So there's the second guessing, even though I know that it is the pathway to everything good in our lives is being vulnerable so we can have connections.

Camellia Jade (14:18)
it's really flipping the narrative because I've experienced that myself. Yes, it started with me just getting naked on camera and filming these videos, but I found that through doing that, my connection with some of the women who followed me deepened so much.

And I've had people share very, very personal stories with me about how much they've struggled with their body image and how these videos have helped them. Even though my body looks completely different than their body, the fact that I am talking about things or showing things, they, they're changing their own narrative, the way that they look at themselves and the way that they talk to themselves in the mirror. And so I have found that through just doing that small act,

So many other things have happened. One, I've been able to deepen my connections online, but it's also given me a lot of connections in person. It makes people want to talk to me, which is great for someone like me who actually is more of an introvert. People are so shocked to hear that I do not like networking events. Make me walk up to a random person and have a conversation. Oh hell no. I do not want to do that. I feel so awkward. I feel uncomfortable.

Angie Mizzell (15:27)
Mm-hmm.

Camellia Jade (15:31)
So in a way, being vulnerable has allowed people to come to me who might not otherwise have done that. And also, it's made me a less scary person because they've already seen me in my underwear. They know what I'm working with. You know, how scary can I be when you've seen my jiggle and my bloat and my back rolls and all of that? You know exactly what I look like. And sharing that message and being transparent has also

Angie Mizzell (15:33)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Camellia Jade (16:00)
put down those walls and put down those barriers to make me a lot easier to approach. And through doing that and building connection, that has also led me to so many amazing opportunities. And so you can be vulnerable in so many different ways.

You just have to find out how it makes sense for you. Even last night, I went to the gym at a different time and the weight room was filled with people who looked very in shape, like they knew what they were doing. I'm getting into strength training. I'm doing the barbell with like the bar, maybe 2.5, like no weight on it.

Angie Mizzell (16:28)
Mm-hmm.

you

Mm-hmm.

Camellia Jade (16:41)
And it was very intimidating for me to be there.

going to the gym, trying new machines, trying new workouts, doing something that I'm not confident in, that's being vulnerable to me. But if we flip the narrative instead of looking at it as opening myself up to judgment because those other people in the gym could be like, she's not doing that right, I'm just telling myself, you know what, I'm trying.

I will get there eventually. I will become more comfortable.

Angie Mizzell (17:10)
Mm-hmm.

Camellia Jade (17:13)
recently started working with a health and fitness coach, so I had a program to follow. It was my day to work out,

I'm not working out to be skinny. I am training to be strong.

And my options are either avoid this and stay the same or be uncomfortable and grow.

Angie Mizzell (17:33)
I really love that, the real time example of the self-talk that is bigger and more powerful than just being positive. It's really rooted

your own core message. This is why I'm here, this is what I'm doing. In your talk,

you talked about your castle on the hill. What is that all

Camellia Jade (17:52)
So for me, right when I take my clothes off, I'm stripping away my armor, I am opening myself up to criticism, to harm, to get...

hurt in some way, probably not physically, but maybe emotionally or mentally. I am opening myself up to judgment from others, literally exposing my body. That's a very scary thing to do. But at the same time, I am opening myself up to welcome people in, to hug people with my arms, to bring people into my circle.

Angie Mizzell (18:27)
Hmm.

Camellia Jade (18:28)
to build my, as my friend calls it, front row. My cheerleaders, my supporters, the people who feel like they know Camellia, who believe in Camellia. And so I relate that to the castle on the hill. When we look at a lot of old fairy tales, we always see the image of the castle way high up on the hill, and that's because they want to keep everyone away. So by me,

Angie Mizzell (18:33)
Mm-hmm.

Camellia Jade (18:56)
keeping my clothes on, I'm giving myself a shield. I am doing something so that people can't truly see who I am. And while I'm not saying everyone needs to walk around in their underwear all day, we all do different things to keep others at a distance. And that, to me, I have found, more of a disservice than anything else. You can tell.

Angie Mizzell (19:20)
Mm-hmm.

Camellia Jade (19:23)
when someone is not being 100 % truthful, honest, real. My mom has told me since I was a baby, I am the worst liar in the world. You will find out. So it doesn't do me any good to try to hide anything. I just come off as someone you can't trust. And so what we need to do is instead of keeping our castle on the hill, we need to move our castle into town.

Angie Mizzell (19:27)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Camellia Jade (19:51)
to allow

others to get close to us. I also use the drawbridge analogy. You've moved your castle down off the hill, but you still have your walls and your drawbridge. We need our drawbridge up at times to keep the bad out. But what happens is we keep our drawbridge up all the time. And if you keep your drawbridge up

all the time. Yes, you're keeping the bad out, but you're not allowing anything good to come in. No new experiences, no new growth, no new opportunities, no new friends, nothing when you keep that drawbridge up. If you let your drawbridge down, you have a lot of good that comes in. I have found that in my life, I have had so much good come into my life since I started being more vulnerable in so many ways that

I haven't had any bad, really, touch me. I don't think the bad could, at least bad people. There are some circumstances, of course, that are uncontrollable. But if you let so much good into your life, so many friends, so many supporters, so many opportunities, the bad can't even get in because your castle, your kingdom is just filled with so much goodness.

Angie Mizzell (20:47)
Hmm.

Camellia Jade (21:05)
Who do you surround yourself with? The people that lift you up or the people that bring you down? If you keep your drawbridge open, the people that are going to lift you up are able to come in and do that for you.

Angie Mizzell (21:17)
Yeah,

and let's talk about your front row. You mentioned this in the talk. You just mentioned it just a minute or so ago. you actually had a front row of friends and supporters come support you for your talk. And they were literally on the front row. And their energy actually helped me through my talk.

because I had gone one or two speakers before

And I thought about it, there were several people there to support me. And I was like, really started taking a mental inventory of who's in your front row in life. And I know that's part of what got me through that speaking experience. Because even though I do have experience as a speaker, it had been a while.

I do a lot of stuff online, but when people are literally in the room with you, and you can see their eyeballs, and it was a vulnerable moment,

Part of the reason I felt as comfortable as I did was because my own front row was there.

I think people have,

more people in their front row than they even know.

Camellia Jade (22:23)
I have grown my front row and I have to give my friend Jen credit. She's the one who coined that term and I just think it is so beautiful. My front row, all of those women who were there to support me at that conference are all women who have come into my life since I started becoming more vulnerable and pushing myself and building my community. All of those women I had known for less than a year, They all traveled from Raleigh to Charlotte. Some of them got rooms.

just to come see me talk

And what's so funny

is a few of them didn't know that I was going to undress on stage. And I said, really? You've seen all my videos and you didn't think that was going to happen? But what they said too, which I thought was so interesting was they said that as soon as I took my clothes off, I was more confident. I stood taller. I had more of a presence when I was in my underwear.

Angie Mizzell (23:04)
And that's funny.

Camellia Jade (23:17)
And I think that's just because it again relates back to the message and why I am there. I am there to help women change their minds about not only the way that they look at themselves, that is a huge topic that I talk about. But as I've said, it doesn't have to be just in...

exposing yourself and taking your clothes off and being vulnerable in that way. You can be vulnerable, like I mentioned, going to the gym, trying a new experience when you get a new job.

That's being vulnerable when you take up a new hobby. That's being vulnerable when you go to a networking event, you meet someone for the first time. That's being vulnerable, exposing yourself in some way. So that's what I really want people to take away is you can be vulnerable in so many different aspects of your life, and it is the best thing that can ever happen when you start to really open yourself up. But the way that I connect with people

the most and the way that I am personally the most vulnerable is by talking about body image because that's something that I know every single woman at one point in her life has struggled with and probably still does. I don't think any woman can 100 % say that she loves her body fully every single day. It is a lifelong journey and I am just here to be your companion on that ride.

Angie Mizzell (24:44)
What would you say to the listener who is on the edge of doing something vulnerable, brave, scary, feels like it's time to take a step forward, but is terrified?

Camellia Jade (24:57)
I would say the worst thing is to not know what opportunities you're missing. I was vulnerable when I first started sharing my videos online.

Every single video I post, people look at my following and say, she's made it. She has a big following. Every single time I post a video, I am being vulnerable. I am exposing myself to the internet trolls. And let me tell you, they do not stop. I've been doing this really for three years now, building an online presence. And it still gets to me. But I wouldn't have these opportunities if I didn't post. I wouldn't have.

all of these amazing women in my life if I did not post. You don't know what could happen.

Angie Mizzell (25:40)
Alright, so where can people find you?

Camellia Jade (25:42)
Thank

the best place to find me is going to be on Instagram. So my Instagram handle is Camellia just like the flower, underscore Jade, just like the stone.

or if you download the Stylefinder Boutique app, you can see me on our live shows that we do Monday through Friday. Sometimes we do some fun weekend pop-up shows. And that's a great opportunity to see some fun fashions and learn some great style tips.

If dressing for your body is going to help you find confidence, that is what I am here for. Because sometimes, working on the outside and feeling a little bit better and a little bit more confident in your clothes can help you on your journey to loving yourself more on the inside. Wearing different clothes is kind of like a band-aid. It's going to help that wound heal, but

you still have to do the work on the inside. But I have noticed in myself, I think dressing better, finding confidence in my clothes has helped me on that journey to self-love and having confidence on the inside because I know on a day that I get dressed, I feel really good. My attitude is great. And on the days that I don't get dressed, it's a little bit different. And so I challenge everyone.

to take a day, put together an amazing outfit, and see how you feel. Then the next day, wear your usual whatever clothes and take note of how you feel and how you move about the day and see if you notice a difference.

Angie Mizzell (27:12)
that is a great piece of advice to end on. I actually do this on a regular basis. Like I get dressed and then some days I can't even be bothered with it and it absolutely makes a difference. So, Camelia, thank you so much for being here today. I'll be sure to link your Instagram and the Style Finder boutique. All those links will be in the show notes and thank you for the messages

and the mission that you.

have for women because it is well received and very much

needed.

Camellia Jade (27:41)
Thank you so much for having me.

Angie Mizzell (27:43)
Thanks for listening to More Like You. I invite you to stay connected with me on Instagram at angiemizzell and by signing up for my free newsletter, Hello Friday. It's a weekly dose of inspiration and encouragement. Just go to angiemizzell.com to subscribe.