PUJA S. GOEL Super Model Status When did you first get into modeling? I first got into modeling when I was 18. I was scouted on my college campus. I didn’t pursue it as a full time profession at the time and decided to finish my studies in medical science. I have been modeling off and on since then. Who or What inspired you to be a model? No particular person or thing really inspired me to go into modeling, or maybe in a way it was every person and thing. I saw it as a way to express myself and display all the amazing qualities of being a woman. For me, is has been a way to celebrate my beauty, personality, and life experiences. What style of model do you consider your work to be? The style of modeling I consider my work to be is mostly artistic as well as fashion. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? If I chose one emotion that drives me to continue to stay in this business it would be passion. I love the feeling of being in front of the camera and creating a vision with the photographer. When I’m in a photoshoot, I completely forget everything else in life and just immerse myself in the moment. It’s a feeling of passion, but also freedom.
What do you think makes you stand out in an industry overflowing with new faces? What I believe makes me stand out in this industry is my cultural background and my life experiences. My background is of South Asian descent. However, I come from mixed cultures making my features unique and versatile. I also have traveled all over the world and am comfortable acquainting myself to new situations and new people. My life experiences have brought me to a place of knowing myself very well. When you show up in the world with true confidence in yourself and feeling incredibly secure in your body, it’s noticed. This I believe can make anyone stand out. What has been your biggest challenge as a model? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how? One of the biggest challenges I have faced as a model is creating the right relationships with photographers and agencies. You want to work with people who respect and value who you are and create content that speaks highly of both the model and photographer. Just like anything in life, the more you value yourself, the more you will attract valuable people to work with. A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art”. Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art? The phrase “you must suffer for your art” is commonly used in the industry. LOL. There are many ways
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