Jenny Flett, left, has opened Wild Soul Boutique and Vintage Soul Photography in the former Michele’s Quilting and Sewing building.

For Jenny Flett, owning a business is all about female empowerment – both for herself, and for every woman who crosses the threshold of her new businesses on Main Street.

Whether she is behind the counter at Wild Soul Boutique or behind the camera at Vintage Soul Photography, she wants her customers to celebrate the power of loving the skin they are in.

“They go hand-in-hand,” Flett says, when asked what inspired her to connect her boutique and studio. “When you find something that makes you feel good, like clothes or pictures, it’s just two of the same.” 

Flett is passionate about both her businesses. However, her journey started with photography.

“I’ve always loved photography,” she says enthusiastically. “10 years ago, I got my first camera.” 

Flett kept her work close to home initially, photographing family and friends. Then COVID hit, and, like many other creative spirits, she considered new ways to implement her favorite hobby.

A mother of five, Flett started her photography business in earnest with family photography, before she decided to try something more unique.

“I’ve struggled with self-image my whole life,” Flett shares. Her personal battle inspired her to stage her own boudoir shoot in the midst of the pandemic.

Following the experiment, Flett wanted to help other women reach similar levels of self-empowerment.

“Self-love – that’s what we do here,” Flett reasons.

She started her business, Vintage Soul Boudoir, shortly after, and has enjoyed watching the transformative power the classy, stylized photo shoots have upon her customers.

Each shoot begins with some glamorous treatment. Flett, who is an experienced hair and makeup stylist, gives her clients a professional makeover in a dressing room bedecked with glittery pink wallpaper.

She also has a full wardrobe available for clients, which offers a wide range of styling options from robes to a set of angel wings.

A customized, one-on-one shoot with Flett follows, during which Flett aims to capture a confidence her clients can be proud of.

“When people see the images, they have tears in their eyes,” Flett says. “They have never seen themselves like that before.” 

Flett enjoys capturing moments of all sorts through her camera lens.

Apart from boudoir, Flett’s photography subjects range from families to newborns, from couples to Quinceañeras, from lifestyle to seniors.

It was her new location at 120 N. Main Street which inspired her to expand her work beyond the click of her Nikon camera.

Flett bought the former home of Michele’s Quilting and Sewing Center in the hopes of bringing her photography business a little closer to home.

Flett had previously operated her studio in Kiester, which was a half-hour drive away from the country farm where she lives with her children and her fiancé, Bart Oelke.

After purchasing the Main Street space, Flett still had no notion of opening a boutique when she first stepped into the building. While she was examining the empty space to the left of the store, however, it called upon Flett to try something new.

Already a lover of boho fashion, she decided to open a boutique alongside her photography studio.

“It’s been so fun,” she says, smiling. “It’s a new adventure for me.” 

In keeping with the theme of her photography business, Wild Soul caters to women – “All women,” Flett clarifies. “I have little girls to women in their 80s come in here.” 

She describes Wild Soul’s inventory as “Very boho and western-y.” 

A native of Oregon, Flett aims to transport the western flair she grew up with to her new home in the Midwest.

Flett’s hours are still in flux as she settles into joint boutique-studio ownership. However, she encourages customers to check Wild Soul’s Facebook page for her regularly-updated hours. She plans to finalize the boutique’s schedule in the fall.

Meanwhile, Vintage Soul Boudoir is open for shoots on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Flett schedules other Vintage Soul photography sessions by appointment. She likes to pursue that beautiful, natural glow which can only be caught during a sunset shoot outdoors.

Flett can often be found outdoors even when she is not conducting photography sessions. She loves to travel, hunt, fish, hike, and ride motorcycle.

Hence, perhaps, the name of her boutique.

“I’m definitely a wild soul – the wild woman,” Flett laughs.