We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Plaboni Sharif. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Plaboni below.
Appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
Funny enough, one of the first, most significant risks I’ve taken now seems so minor – cutting my hair. Like many women, I’ve equated my beauty to the length of the hair on my scalp. The longer, darker, and thicker my hair, the more beautiful and feminine I was. So, when I decided to cut my waist-length mane to a pixie cut, I truly started my transformation into my most confident self.
When I first cut my hair, people were shocked, asking me why I made such a decision. I’ve had long hair since elementary school, never shorter than chin length. I felt like I needed my hair to be beautiful, that my face wasn’t enough. Being a woman required a long, gorgeous mane, and honestly, I was tired of following the rules of femininity. So, I went for the chop.
I won’t lie and say I didn’t mourn the loss of the locks I spent years growing. I was uncomfortable with my bare face but had to commit and embrace it. And the longer I looked in the mirror, the more I realized I did not need hair to be attractive. I could see things I could, like my dark eyes, long lashes, and high cheekbones, realizing that femininity had nothing to do with my hair.
Even then, I pushed harder, crossing the boundaries even more, and got a fade at a barbershop. But, again, I was intimidated, surrounded by men, knowing I was genuinely rejecting femininity with this cut. I left the barbershop with the sides of my head bare, wondering if I was still beautiful with such a masculine haircut. After a few pep talks and a pair of hoop earrings, I realized that regardless of masculinity or femininity, I was still stunning with a fade, pixie cut, or long tresses.
My journey with my hair was my first time taking a risk that required rejecting anyone else’s opinions. When I realized that hair did not define my beauty, I gained a level of confidence I would never have had I not gone for the chop. You don’t need to conform to any gender roles to be beautiful. You simply need to be you.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Plaboni Sharif. I’m a 25-year-old model and content creator. As a petite, curvy Bengali model, I’m passionate about advocating for diversity and inclusion, encouraging others and myself to be their authentic selves. Growing up in a small, traditional Muslim community, I’ve always felt I had to be the perfect Muslim woman to be accepted. However, it wasn’t until recently that I’ve chosen myself, my hopes, and my dreams, and now I use my platform to encourage others to do the same.
As a short, size-eight woman, I never thought modeling was possible until I put myself out there. I started contacting brands on Instagram, asking if they were looking for brand ambassadors, and found that many of them were willing to work with me, even as a small account with less than 1000 followers. So now, I make money from influencer marketing with brands like Parade. Soon enough, I started getting contacted by photographers to do photoshoots, and after my first one, I actively sought to collaborate with others, getting better every time I shot. Soon enough, I will be gracing the runway, and I can’t wait to see where this journey will lead me.
My modeling journey has built my confidence, introduced me to some fantastic people, and transformed me into a woman I admire. I hope people with faces and stories like mine can learn from my journey and know their dreams are always within reach. Whoever you are or wherever you come from, anything is possible if you try.
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Post consistently, even if you don’t think your content is good. Engage your audience, keep their attention, and remind them you are here and thriving.
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Networking and meeting new people is also crucial, as you never know who you might encounter. Community is key!
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Marketing is a great way to boost visibility and increase your audience. Use tools such as TikTok promotions and Instagram ads.
The day after my 23rd birthday, I had an experience that would change my life and how I viewed the world. A memory that I had buried deep down had resurfaced, one where I was molested at the age of 4 by a close male relative. I was hurt, shocked, and scared, and I wasn’t myself for the next few months. It was clear that my body and brain had protected me from memory and finally revealed it when I was strong enough to handle it, but I did not feel strong. Instead, I felt weak, like I was transported back to that 4-year-old girl who couldn’t protect herself—in fear, anticipating the man coming into her bedroom at night while she forced herself to sleep so she wouldn’t remember it.
Luckily, I had an incredible therapist who recommended I do EMDR therapy. EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, a very effective but intense treatment to help survivors of trauma process their experiences safely. It involves repeatedly accessing the traumatic material while using lateral external stimulus to reprocess the memory and create a healthier association with the memory. Unfortunately, each session was difficult and exhausting, and it didn’t help that my support system was limited to my best friend and boyfriend.
When I confronted my abuser and told my family, my family met me with skepticism, telling me I imagined the abuse, protecting themselves from accountability. I felt utterly alone and hopeless, knowing my family did not believe in or defend me. I didn’t see how that hurt 4-year-old girl would get justice, but I kept going on with therapy, knowing I had to heal in some way. I’m lucky to have my best friend and boyfriend because while my family did not support me, they wholly believed in me and ensured I was okay.
Later that next year, I did a tarot reading, where my reader shared her experience with remembering her sexual assault later in life and confronting her abuser. She mentioned forgiveness, as she had forgiven the man who had hurt her, and I found peace hoping that I could do the same.
I completed therapy and found the strength to forgive myself, my family, and my abuser. I understood that when it came to abuse, hurt people hurt people. The man who had hurt me was more than likely hurt before. But most importantly, I was proud of myself for committing to my healing, as now I can share a story I once did not even want to remember. I am a survivor. As much pain as I felt, I did not let the abuse define me – in fact, I alchemized it into something much more beautiful, strength.
To all those who have experienced something similar, I want you to know that you can get through it and that the pain you’ve felt does not define you. I now volunteer with the Georgia Center of Child Advocacy to prevent and provide healing for childhood sexual abuse. Now, I use my experience to prevent others from experiencing the same thing. So, not only am I a survivor, but I am also a healer. And that is a beautiful thing.
- Website: https://www.
plabonisharif.com/ - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/plababe/ - Linkedin: https://www.
linkedin.com/in/plabonisharif/

Kings United Photography, Shotsbygo, Taylor Lauder Photography, Mike Patton