Meet Plaboni Sharif | Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Plaboni Sharif and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Plaboni, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Giving up is not an option. If you have a goal, you can guarantee you won’t achieve it if you give up. There will be moments when things get tricky or don’t turn out how you intended. Simply put, curveballs are inevitable. It’s a part of life. However, if you can take on the challenges ahead of you, you can accomplish anything you want to achieve. My therapist once told me, “Aim for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Set ambitious goals and take risks; you’ll accomplish great things even if you don’t get your intended outcome.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My name is Plaboni Sharif, and I’m a petite curve model based in Atlanta, GA. My modeling career started in 2021 when I began to dabble in influencer marketing. After reaching out to brands, I received a positive response and landed multiple brand partnerships. Soon enough, in 2022, I collaborated with my first photographer. After two years of modeling, I’ve walked on four runways, filmed three music videos, recorded two commercials, and shot multiple photoshoots within the last year. My proudest accomplishment is appearing in Sofaygo’s GO+ album trailer.

My modeling journey has been challenging. There have been many years and moments where I’ve wanted to give up, but it’s been rewarding, and I’ve accomplished more in the past year than I could have imagined. As much as I’ve experienced success, I’ve experienced failure and rejection, but every time I’ve fallen, I’ve picked myself back up. If there’s one thing I’ve learned is that success requires perseverance, sacrifice, and hard work. Most importantly, it requires faith. Have faith in yourself and the universe, and keep going; eventually, hard times will pass.

I want people to know that even with the odds against me, I have found myself in spaces that embraced me, and even when there might not have seemed to be space for me, I created that space myself. If there’s one thing to know, my passion and drive have gotten me this far and will continue to take me even further. I am not your typical tall, skinny, leggy model, and that’s okay because I am a hard-working and passionate model who puts 110% into everything I do.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend was born and raised in Atlanta, so I’d have to take her to some familiar places. If anything screams Atlanta, it’s wings, so I’d take her to our go-to wing spot at home – Crazy Wings in Duluth. There’s nothing like the honey hot wings with lemon pepper and a peach drink with lemonade. She’s a skater, so I know she’d love the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark, where we could lay down a blanket and paint or hop on the beltline to skate (or walk for me.) My best friend loves her art and tattoos, so I’d take her to one of the coolest places in the city, 333 Peter’s Street Station, a beautiful art gallery right by the City of Ink, one of my favorite tattoo shops. Last but not least, I’d book us a photoshoot at Cam Kirk Studios, a haven for photographers, artists, and creatives.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Thank you to my partner, my friends, and my community. Whenever I felt like giving up, my partner, Jaelan, picked me up and motivated me to keep going. He wakes every morning and works hard to ensure I have food, a roof over my head, and the time to do what I love. He constantly reminds me of my ‘why,’ and I am so grateful.

My best friend, Moni, supports me from over 2,000 miles away. She picks up my FaceTime and encourages me whether I come to her with good or bad news. Even when others have negative things to say, she reminds me to cut through all the noise and focus on my dreams. She kept my first composition card up in her room and even flew across the country just to see my first fashion show. She shows me that family runs so much deeper than blood.

My friends and community have believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. When things got complicated, my friends helped me find opportunities to move forward, and my community banded together and supported me, even with their own money, to help me find my way into a better situation. As someone who’s always felt the need to do things alone, I am so grateful for everyone who believes in me and reminds me that I am not alone on this journey.

Most importantly, I’d like to thank myself. I wake up daily and push myself to chase my dreams, even when it’s hard. I never give up on myself, regardless of how badly I may want to. I pick myself up every time I’m down and strive to be better than I was the day before. So, I am grateful for myself for constantly pushing and challenging myself while seeking great things.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plababe/

Image Credits
SceneByIsabelle, Jade Li Photography, Lydia Troupe Photography, ShotsbyGo, Freddie T Visuals