Rising Stars: Meet A.J. Foust

Today we’d like to introduce you to A.J. Foust.

Hi A.J., so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
Modeling wasn’t a passion of mine growing up. I never thought I was pretty enough, and I didn’t fit the description of a model. In fact, I got stared at a lot because I looked different, and that alone made me feel very self-conscious. While I was in college back in 2002, I found out that my cousin, Ketashia Neal, was modeling. When I saw her pictures, I thought they were so beautiful, that at that moment, all I wanted, was to have beautiful pictures like those. I didn’t have to be a model. I just wanted beautiful pictures. I tried to set up my own photoshoots, but my images never turned out as good. That opportunity, however, came in 2009. I was in a dark and very low place in my life. I was dealing with relationship problems, and my self-esteem was very low. One day, out of the blue, Tashia called me and asked if I wanted to do a photoshoot. I gathered some clothes and met her at the Greensboro Arboretum. She did my hair and makeup, got out her camera and we walked around, shooting at various spots. As we were shooting, she would coach me through the poses. She also spoke very encouraging words to help me by saying I was beautiful and so much more. That would forever change my life. A few days after the shoot, I got the images back, and my mouth dropped. My pictures were so beautiful. They were exactly what I wanted. I posted the images on social media and the responses were CRAZY! Many people were telling me how beautiful I looked, and it really helped build my self-esteem at the time. After that experience, I was hooked. My cousin and I worked together a few more times, and then she introduced me to a few websites like Model Mayhem, where I can connect with other talent and book more work. I worked off and on like that for about six years, building connections and relationships with a few photographers. Throughout those six years, I graduated college, became more focused on working in my field, which was engineering, and reunited with a fraternity brother, Delasio Foust, who would become my significant other, the father of my children, and eventually, my husband. After the birth of our first child in 2014, I was laid off from my job. That was a dark season for me, and I didn’t know what to do in life. At the beginning of 2015, I got a call from my sorority sister, Sharita Benson, who is a photographer and a designer, wanting to know if I could help out a young woman she was shooting with posing. I assisted her the best that I could and also made sure that I made her feel beautiful and confident in front of the camera. After shooting the young lady, Sharita suggested that we shoot. I dressed myself in one of her designs and we started shooting. We had so much fun working together on that shoot. The entire year of 2015 I only worked with her, her clothing line, and her good friend Char of SoRebelish, her very artistic jewelry line. Working with them helped me develop an unshakable confidence in my natural appearance. They helped me to embrace showing off my fair skin, and my natural blonde hair, as well as to not rely on so much makeup during shoots. Before working with them, I always had some kind of elaborate hairstyle that would make my hair look more tamed or wear a weave just to look different. Now, because of them, my signature look is my fair skin and blonde afro. 

One day, leaving work in 2016, a cousin on my husband’s side of the family reached out to me and asked if I was still modeling. I told her I was, and she introduced me to a mother and daughter who started their own model mentoring company called Platform Model Mentoring which is owned by Sania Easter and Satonia Shaw. I auditioned for them and was selected to be in their next class. Sania taught the classes and covered everything from posing, to emotion behind the camera, to runway. This opportunity took me to the next level in modeling. To add to that, I connected with another beautiful model named Donyatta Price-Strong, who is around my age and on another skill level. She became a great friend and someone who continues to help guide me throughout my journey. I began learning runway through Platform and attended New York Fashion Week in September of 2016. Donyatta, another model named Adonis, and I got to walk in a fashion show. That was a wrap for us. I remember standing in Times Square, surrounded by all the bright billboard ads, and a strong, overwhelming feeling came over me and the thought…I can really do this. 

With that, I sought out more opportunities as a true model. I have my image and more importantly, I have the faith that I need to follow this new dream. My journey has led me up and down the East Coast, working different events such as fashion shows, model competitions, and talent showcases. This journey has allowed me to learn more about myself and to appreciate how God made me, as well as to see His hands in my journey all along. Because of this, I have learned to look deeper into this journey and use it to serve as inspiration to other women who are looking to follow their bold dreams. And with that vision in mind, I have developed strong relationships with different photographers, designers, stylists, and models, who can help me make that vision come to pass. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Anything worth having is not going to be easy to come by. I have learned the lessons behind the challenges that I have faced and because of that, they were turned into wins. As you can see in my story, the first challenge, for the longest, was me accepting and loving myself the way that I am. Insecurity was a huge challenge for me. I have always compared myself and my work to other models. The industry did not make it any better with all of the competitiveness and rejections. Another challenge I faced was false promises and disappointment. I used to get excited about working events for those who were deeply connected because I thought that meant exposure and more work. These people would actually promise that, but I had to learn that people can get my stuff out there for the world to see, but that doesn’t mean that opportunities are going to be chasing me down. On top of these internal battles, life was happening as well. I was laid off from another job, a high-paying job at that, dealing with post-partum depression from my second pregnancy, and stress from job searching. All of these led to burnout, weight gain, premature aging, and inconsistency due to financial loss. To be honest, I was ready to quit modeling at the beginning of this year. Nevertheless, God came through with a deeper clarity, reminding me that this journey is not for me, but for those who will be inspired by my story. Slowly, but surely, my passion for modeling has come back, along with much-needed wisdom and healing. The main challenge that I am now facing is being an older fashion model. My journey started when I was 25 years old. I am now 40. The industry is getting more diverse in size, race, and gender, but slowly when it comes to age. There have been agencies that have seen my work and liked my look but refused to sign me as a fashion model because of my age. Instead, they want to develop me as an actress, which is something I plan to pursue at a later time. This no longer discourages me, but instead fuels the fire within me. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a FASHION model. That is what I specialize in and what I am known for. I am very proud of the fact that I have overcome the challenges that I have faced on this journey. I did not give up and I am now wiser because of God and the people in my corner, such as my family, friends, and industry friends, cheering me on and giving me much-needed advice. What sets me apart from others is my unique look, and I have even been told multiple times by people who don’t know me that there is something different about me spiritually. 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have a big family. One of my favorite childhood memories was getting together with my cousins and pretending to be characters from cartoons and fairytales. I always had to play the princess.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aj_foust/

Image Credits
Miles Darden Photographer
Sharita Benson
Tracy Darden
SoRebelish
UltimateJunki