by Cyrus Webb
If no one else believes in you, you have to believe in yourself.
This his something that Joshua Barkley has believed since he was a young man growing up in Atlanta, Georgia.
He says his father sat him down one day and told him this: Whatever you want in life you can achieve. Don't let anyone stop you. never ever give up." Barkley says it was something that stuck in his head, and he has tried to live by that advice every since. "It's a burning fire in me to keep me going," he told me during our conversation. Today he is a model, actor and entertainer that is doing the work that he loves and is enjoying the success coming his way.
Under the moniker "Mr. Handsome", Barkley has been on a mission to be the best that he can be every day of his life. When it comes to modeling he told me that when he was younger the attention from the ladies when he took his shirt off was enough to make him want to look his best when he did it. It also pushed him to be mindful of how he carried himself at all times.
Though modeling and the entertainment world can be competitive, Barkley says that he is really the only competition he worries about. "I make sure I work out and take care of myself," he says. He knows that to get (and keep) the attention of the ladies he has to bring his 'A Game' to every opportunity He also realizes that he has to do his research. "I'm online looking at what different people are commenting on and looking for," he explains. Along with networking he knows that is the key to staying relevant in the business.
What keeps Barkley motivated? "Ever since I've been old enough to understand life I've known that no one is going to do for me what I am not willing to do for myself. I have that kind of confidence for myself."
He also knows that he wants to be able to expand on his brand in the future, never placing limitations on himself just because he might look good in front of the camera. Barkley hopes that by him going for his goals and dreams that others will see that they can do the same.
"There's not a lot of opportunities where I'm from," he told me, but if I can keep striving I know I'll reach it to the top."
Stay connected with Barkley on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mr.handsome_joshuab/
