Meet DeJarra “Dr. DJ” Sims

A woman in a purple blazer points to a logo for 'Superhero! skin+care' and the message 'Stop hiding your superhero' on a plain gray background.

Dr. DeJarra Sims (affectionately known as Dr. DJ) is a naturopathic doctor who specializes in serious skin conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Her patients don’t usually find her at the start of their journey; they find her at the end. By the time they walk into her clinic, they’re exhausted, discouraged, and often in tears, having already seen multiple dermatologists and tried countless treatments that didn’t work.

She is part scientist, part healer, and part comedian: a female doctor, an improv teacher, a stand-up comic, a comic-con-loving nerd who wears Batman earrings and goes to cosplay conventions. She is also the safe person people cry with, the one they come to when they are out of hope and out of options.

Her brand needed to hold all of that.

Smiling woman with long black hair, gold jewelry, white dress, pointing at a pink background.
Smiling woman in a bright pink top holding a glass of green juice, standing behind a table with various fresh fruits and vegetables.
A happy African American female healthcare professional wearing a white lab coat and pink scrubs, sitting on a stool in a pharmacy or medical office, raising her arms in a victorious pose.
A smiling African American woman in a purple blazer with a white top, wearing a pink stethoscope around her neck, sitting with her hands clasped.
Woman resting her head on a pillow with an eye mask on, lying on her side, in a bedroom setting.
Smiling woman sitting cross-legged on bed, wearing pink pajamas and a sleep mask, holding a mug, with a pink notebook nearby
A woman with long black hair wearing a bright pink dress and large hoop earrings, smiling and standing against a plain white background.
Woman with long black hair smiling, wearing a black and white animal print blouse and black pants, standing against a plain white background.
A woman with long dark hair wearing a purple sleeveless dress, sitting on a white couch, holding a white mug with the words 'Super Hero' in pink, smiling at the camera. There's a side table with a flower arrangement and a few books in the background.
Woman dressed as a superhero in a pink dress with a cape and a stethoscope around her neck, smiling confidently.
A woman with dark hair wearing a purple blazer, white shirt, and black pants, smiling and pointing at herself against a plain white background.
A smiling woman in a white dress with a stethoscope around her neck, standing against a pink background.
Smiling woman with dark hair wearing a sleeveless purple top, sitting on a white sofa in a bright room, with a round side table holding a white mug, a stack of books, and a plant in the background.
A woman with long, dark hair, wearing a black and white patterned blouse and black pants, smiling and sitting against a white background.
A woman in a white dress smiling with arms raised against a pink background.
A woman with long black hair smiling, wearing a sleeveless leopard print blouse and dark pants, standing against a plain light-colored background. 
The Challenge

Reconciling Personal Identity And Audience Identity

A woman with long blonde hair and earrings facing a woman with medium-length dark hair and a pink medical uniform, sitting at a desk in a medical or dental office. The background has two beach-themed canvas prints with seashells and starfish on the wall.

Before Superhero Skin Care existed, Dr. DJ’s world felt like a collection of separate threads:

  • A medical practice focused on skincare and hair loss

  • A hand-made skincare line she was mailing to patients

  • A product for performers (“Voice Restore” throat spray for singers, speakers, and actors)

  • A deep heart for empowering young girls and women

  • A full geeky side: comic books, cosplay, superhero movies, improv, stand-up, comedy writing

Meanwhile, many of her patients were posh, polished, Instagram-influencer types: girly, refined, very online. She didn’t want to hide her nerdy, comedic side to appeal to them, but she also didn’t want a brand that felt like an inside joke they weren’t invited into.

She was holding a real tension:

  • She refused to be someone she wasn’t.

  • She wanted a brand that honored who she is and who her patients are at the same time.

  • She needed a visual identity that could carry both her professional, empathetic doctor self and her nerdy, improv, superhero self without diluting either.

At the same time, her patients were arriving in a very specific emotional state: devastated, ashamed, and told by other doctors that “it’s just skin, get over it.” For them, skin wasn’t superficial; it was the source of depression, social anxiety, and feeling unworthy in a world that’s constantly on camera.

She was already acting as their “help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi” moment…aka the last hope. But visually, her brand didn’t reflect that heroic, guiding role or the fullness of who she is.

The Connection

a Super Collaboration

Dr. DJ had already defined the concept of Superhero Skin Care, a brand that could be:

  • Nerdy but cool

  • Girly but not only girly

  • Bold and feminine

  • Both “your doctor” and “your friend”

By the time she came to me, she had a powerful brand concept and a clear sense of who she was. What she needed was someone who could:

  • Translate that strategy into visual storytelling

  • Capture her in all the different roles she plays as doctor, guide, nerd, comic, human

  • Photograph her with real patients, not stock models, in a way that honored the depth of their stories

  • Make the shoot experience feel just as safe, empathetic, and fun as her clinic does

I wasn’t just interested in making her look “professional.” I wanted her brand images to feel like the experience her patients described:someone who can let you cry, validate your pain, crack a joke about poop and diet, and then give you the plan that finally works.

Because my work sits at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and humanity, this felt like a natural alignment.

Bringing the Superhero to Life

The Work
A woman wearing a bright pink, sleeveless, floor-length dress with a cape, smiling and flexing her right arm.

We designed a personal brand shoot that would bring Superhero Skin Care off the page and into real life.

Part of the day took place in her clinic, using real patients who volunteered to be part of the shoot. I wanted to see and capture the truth of what happens when someone sits across from her: the tears, the relief, the awkward-but-necessary conversations about bowels, diet, and inflammation.

We also captured her as:

  • A speaker, on stages and in teaching mode

  • A guide, explaining processes and offering clarity

  • A nerd and superhero fan, with subtle winks to comic culture and her playful side

The goal was not to flatten her into one persona, but to widen the frame so her whole self could exist in the brand: the doctor who knows the science, the human who understands the shame and sadness, and the improv comic who can make people laugh about “stinky topics” while they heal.

Every location, outfit, and setup was chosen to reflect that blend: professional enough to earn trust, playful enough to be honest, and bold enough to say,“This is who I am, and there’s room for you here too.”

A Brand That Honors Her Authentic Identity

The Result

With Superhero Skin Care and the new imagery in place, something shifted for Dr. DJ and for the people who found her.

For Dr. DJ the brand gives her permission to show up as the full version of who she is. She no longer has to choose between “serious doctor” and “nerdy improviser.” Her visuals hold both. The superhero thread isn’t a gimmick; it’s a metaphor for how she sees her patients and herself:

  • She’s not there to be the only hero; she’s there to help them find the superhero inside themselves.

  • Until they have their own confidence, they can lean on hers.

Now, when people land on her site or social feeds, they see exactly what they’ll experience in person: a human-first doctor, a safe place to cry, a nerd who will quote Star Wars and still give you a science-backed treatment plan, and a brand that says, “Your skin story matters, and we’re going to change it together.”

Every one of these images began as a decision: I’m done hiding.

The women you see here stopped waiting to feel “ready” and chose to be photographed as the leaders they already were: confident, credible, unmistakably themselves. As you move through this gallery, don’t just look at the photos. Imagine what shifts when your brand finally looks like your power, your authority, and the future you’re actually building.

Other Projects
A woman smiling and holding a stack of four pillows in a bright bedroom with a bed, framed black-and-white palm tree pictures, a nightstand, and a sliding glass door.
A woman with a leopard print headband sits on a light-colored sofa, arranging decorative items on a coffee table in a living room.
A woman with long hair, wearing sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and a patterned shirt, is smiling and leaning out of the driver's side window of a white convertible car parked on a beachside road. There are palm trees and the ocean in the background.
A woman sitting on a sofa surrounded by colorful throw pillows, smiling and winking at the camera.
A woman at a desk reviewing a color palette for interior design or home renovation, with paint swatches and color samples, near a window with a potted plant and framed photo.
Woman in a turquoise dress and captain's hat sitting on a boat docked at a marina.
Woman holding a white mug with green interior and the message "let the adventure begin" printed on it, wearing rings and bracelets.
woman in denim jacket and jeans holding a measuring tape in a bright room
A woman with short curly hair, wearing a bright orange dress and jewelry, smiling with one eye closed against a pink background.
A woman in a bright yellow dress standing barefoot on the beach near the water with ocean waves in the background, smiling.
A woman in a red dress and jewelry faces a laptop, placing her hand on her chest and appearing emotional. She sits at a white desk adorned with pink flowers, books, a gold heart ornament, a coffee mug, and a disco ball, with a green plant in the back
A woman with short curly black hair and dark skin, wearing a red dress and gold jewelry, smiling and holding a glittery gold gift box with a white ribbon against a teal background.
A woman in an orange outfit standing at an open door, smiling. She is wearing jewelry and sandals, with lush green plants in a large pot nearby.
A woman wearing heart-shaped sunglasses and a yellow outfit against a yellow background, smiling and holding her glasses.
A woman in a green dress sitting at a folding table with a laptop in front of a large bus with abstract red, white, and black stripes.
A woman wearing a purple sequined dress, holding a tiara above her head, smiling, set against a teal background.
A woman smiling and sitting on the floor next to a set of small brown postal mailboxes in an indoor setting.
A woman with blonde hair smiling and wearing a white top with a striped sweater draped over her shoulders, standing in the doorway of a store, with the store interior visible behind her.
A woman sitting on a beach bed with red and white striped fabric, surrounded by drinks, snacks, and a laptop, with palm trees and buildings in the background on a sunny day.
A woman sitting on the floor in a living room with a laptop, color swatches, and design tools, preparing for a project.
Person typing on a silver laptop keyboard at a desk with a glass of water nearby.
A woman leaning against a brick wall on a city sidewalk, smiling and holding a basket of blue hydrangeas. She is wearing a white top, a white cardigan, a blue skirt, and beige high heels.
A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a gray plaid blazer and white top, sits at a table in a public space, smiling while using her laptop.
A woman standing on a brick sidewalk in front of a large windowed storefront, holding a large bouquet of blue flowers and smiling, dressed in a dark blue outfit and beige high heels.
A woman in a red floral dress smiling at the entrance of a thrift store, and a woman in a blue dress putting on earrings inside the store.
A woman in a black off-the-shoulder dress and high heels, posing inside a restaurant in the left image, and standing in front of pink curtains with greenery and lamps, wearing the same dress and heels, in the right image.
Woman shopping for clothes at a boutique clothing store, browsing a rack filled with various colorful garments.
Two women shopping for clothes and shoes at a retail store. One woman is browsing through clothing racks, while the other woman, wearing a red floral dress, is seated on a white bench in a shoe display area.
Woman painting a mural on a wall in an indoor setting.
A woman with long dark hair, wearing a denim jacket and jeans, sitting on the floor with her arms crossed in front of her, surrounded by colorful abstract paintings, including butterfly artwork and a portrait of a woman with a face covering.
Two people, a man and a woman, are standing at a table in an office, reviewing design plans and color swatches. The man is pointing at a laptop, and the woman is holding a color palette. There are papers, drawings, and a mug on the table, and large w
Three images showing the process of designing and creating a mural. The first image displays color swatches, sketches, and a tablet on a desk. The second image shows two people discussing a large mural on a wall in an office hallway, with one person

a reminder of why personal brand work matters so much

A woman with shoulder length brown hair, wearing a black blazer and pants, sitting on a stool against a white background, holding a professional camera in her right hand, with her legs crossed and wearing beige high-heeled sandals.

When your visuals are finally aligned with who you really are and how you really help, you don’t have to perform. You can just show up and the right people will recognize you immediately.

Work With Me