Life & Work with Quincy Green

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Quincy Green.

Hi Quincy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I modeled for the first time in 2018 in a financial aid ad for the college I was attending as a student-athlete, Wright State University Lake Campus. However, as I continued my college basketball career with a vision of playing professionally overseas, modeling was put on the back burner.

My basketball career was cut short due to a very unlikely injury where I fell off the back of a moving golf cart, resulting in a hip upslip, fractured sacrum, and emotional wounds. I then dropped out of college as a result of not being able to play. Lost in a sense, I wondered where life would take me next.

As time went on, I’d see commercials & ads for top brands and started to think, “I can do that too.” Unsure of how to begin, I started by posting workout reels & fitness pictures to my Instagram at the beginning of 2022 to get my face out to the world. I was the Director of Sports Performance for my former school, Great Lakes Christian College. After the second reel I posted, I got an unexpected DM from TakeOne Sportswear in Washington, DC, to be featured in their spring collection photoshoot. The following weekend, I took the 9-hour drive from Lansing to DC and made it happen.

The pictures I got back took my self-belief to another level, enabling me to sign with six modeling agencies across the Midwest and East Coast, doing shoots for companies such as Hanes & Louis Vuitton since then. I’ve also expanded my vision and have walked in 5 runway fashion shows, with my first international show coming this July in the Virgin Islands. I also still stick with the habits that got me this far, such as consistent exercising and posting fitness content.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been smooth moments, but everything has definitely not been easy. The mental battles were the most difficult for me, specifically learning to handle rejection and patience.

In modeling, or really anything in life, you have to be okay with being told no. Everything will not go according to plan. There have been times I’ve traveled hundreds of miles to places such as South Carolina and New York to be told no. I had to learn that just because you hear no doesn’t mean that you’re not good enough or you can’t do it. Companies, agencies, and people in general have their own visions that might include something different than what you have, and honestly, that’s okay. We live in a world of plenty & there’s always more.

To be patient involves keeping a clear mind while you wait. This was difficult for me when I was just sitting, worrying, and not doing anything. Constantly checking my phone and my email for whatever outcome I was waiting on and listening to the negative “what ifs” drove me crazy a few times. The shift really happened for me once I switched from the waiting, worrying state to taking the same action that got me the opportunity in the first place.

For me, that looks like meditation and exercise, those are my go to and have really become a backbone for my success so far. Those two actions put me in a place where my mind is clear, and I’m not even thinking about the outcome.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a commercial and runway model. With a fitness and athletic background, my specialty has been sportswear and fitness apparel for the beginning stages of my career. However, appearing in runway fashion shows has given me the ability to shine in a variety of different styles ranging from swimwear to suits.

I am most proud of my journey as a whole, but if there is one moment that sticks out to me, it would have to be the Louis Vuitton editorial I was featured in for the April issue of Just Smile Magazine. Being born and raised in Virginia, to have a shoot on the same streets I used to walk, with the notoriety that Louis Vuitton holds, was truly a full-circle moment.

I feel I set myself apart from others by the time I spend taking care of my mind, body, & soul through practices such as consistent exercise, writing, and meditation. In this industry, taking care of these three things often gives me the confidence to be in the spotlight.

We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
I feel that risk-taking is 100% necessary to elevate in any area of life. Coach Rich used to always tell my team “risk it to get the biscuit”, and that’s something I’ll always apply to my life. I like to think from a “what’s the best thing that can happen?” type of perspective. Yes, there’s a chance for it to go opposite of what you expect, but focusing on that does no good. Faith in God plays the biggest part, when you take a risk you have to believe that you’ll come out on top.

Most of my risks have come from driving long distances to castings, auditions, and other modeling events. The biggest risk I’ve taken was driving from Virginia to New York City for an open audition for one of the biggest agencies in the country. I’ve made a lot of other trips, mostly by car, to events similar to these, but that was the farthest.

The companies don’t pay for traveling expenses, plus getting signed isn’t guaranteed. You really have to just believe & go for it. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @q.green
• Facebook: Quincy Green

Image Credits
TakeOne Sportswear Hanes (Martin Agency), Sara Ellen, Mal Smith, @SmooveFilmz, and Julie Adams