Today we’d like to introduce you to Jhoany Barcos.
Jhoany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all started when I was graduating my senior year of high school. I was always shy and not really confident with myself. I went to get my graduation photos taken at Cady Studios, where all my classmates got theirs taken also. While I was there, they said I would be a good candidate to represent my school district in their next magazine campaign. They only pick one student out of 12 school districts to be featured in the magazine. At first, I was shocked because I was just your regular teenager, but they saw I had potential and my mom said I should try it out so I said yes.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
After being featured in my first ever print magazine, my mom thought it would be a good idea to check out modeling agencies. She had a friend recommended me to Atlanta model and talent. We set up a meeting and they wanted to sign me on the spot, even though I had zero modeling experience. I didn’t make the cut to be a runway model cause of my height, but they had me do lifestyle shoots (commercial, print, etc.) I stayed with them for about a year and they let me go because of my availability. I was in school full-time and working at least 25 hours a week to have a stable income. It was hard to balance everything but I still wanted to pursue modeling and I basically started to market myself. Meeting photographers, creatives, and other models who wanted to collaborate with each other. My advice for any girls trying to pursue modeling is to stay determined to reach your goal and stay true to yourself and your image. You want people to love you for who you are as a person and how you express yourself in front of the camera.
Tell us more about the business.
I like to say I’m still an aspiring model, even though I have shot with many respective brands and photographers I still have a lot of work to do.I’m still in university and working and what sets me apart is modeling. I never took classes for modeling so I ultimately self-taught myself how to pose and created my own image for myself which is what I’m most proud of. I can express myself how I want. I basically turn into a different person once I’m in front of the camera. I love that my friends say that I don’t need to show off my whole body to get attention and how proud they are to see me transform over the years.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
I would say the most major problem is I’ve seen is young girls wanting to give up on their dreams because of their competitors and body image. Everyone is born different and they have to learn how to embrace your features. Giving up just helps your competitor reach their goal faster than yours.
Contact Info:
- Email: jhoanybarcosbooking@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jhoanybarcos
- Twitter: @jhoanybarcos
Image Credit:
@11throughjet @monteephotos @shophippiekids
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