Today we’d like to introduce you to Fontaine Felisha Foxworth.
Hi Fontaine Felisha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When it comes to where I am today, I feel as though I’m only beginning!
My dream of living and creating in Los Angeles started in 2018 and has lead to my departure and return to the City of Angels 3 times!
This last shot at coming to West Coast, from the East Coast, as a New York City native, happened in February 2021. The pandemic did a number on my life, and I found myself in a whirlwind of problems and unbelievable situations that lead to my first real experience being “homeless shelter” homeless, from New Orleans to Wisconsin and back to NYC.
I decided to take a 3rd leap of faith and head to the West Coast, this time, simply to navigate being in-between homes in a warmer climate. So, I made my way to San Diego because I had learned that being without a roof over your head and a positive cash flow in LA was a quick crash onto skid row. (Which I experienced in 2018.)
It took me five months of going back and forth between day and night shelters, finally getting a temporary 13 weeks spot at the Salvation Army, and working my butt off as a server and bartender to save enough and buy a car in full within 30 days.
After my time was up at the Salvation Army in San Diego, the universe directed me right back to Los Angeles. For the first few weeks, I had a very difficult time looking for and applying to apartments and enrolled myself into a parking lot program, whilst I slept in my car until my beloved RV opportunity popped up on craigslist! I didn’t hesitate. During that time, I secured a gig as a restroom attendant in Calabasas on the weekends, and I drove seniors and low-income health insurance members to their medical appointments during the week.
During that time, I had begun studying real estate but soon realized that it just simply was not my passion. After everything I had gone through, I told myself that there was no way that I was going to spend my time doing something just for money that I did not feel connected to and was not in the creative or spiritual/wellness field. That is the moment I committed myself to a path of learning financial independence and being as creative as I could, whilst ultimately putting myself in a position to contribute to bettering the human condition to the best of my ability.
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?
It most definitely has been tough! I mentioned some of my struggles in the first question, but the biggest struggle has been equally internal as it has been external.
I have always seen myself as a perfectionist and overachiever, but sometimes, I admit that self-doubt, fear, depression, anxiety, rejection, and feeling run down by life has been a great struggle and obstacle in my path. How you feel about yourself and your perception, mindset, or limiting beliefs takes a great toll on someone who has a big heart and a big mind. When both of these aspects of self feels like it’s constantly under attack, it can be hard to care about your dreams and goals, let alone having the strength, energy, and willpower to keep going.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Kickback Standout™️ was born when I realized that LA needed a brand that helps you get to the next level as a creative in a competitive market where what you look like, your following, and who you know stands in between being booked and busy. I wanted to bring unity consciousness into the creative field, where we collaborate and contribute to produce amazing content without the clout and ego.
I believe that all sustainable, ethical, and purpose-driven businesses is about being in service and bringing people together to create, heal, and evolve. KBST is a themed content creation and portfolio-building networking & social media promotion service. We bring all kinds of creatives together to collaborate from photographers, MUAs, to models and stylists/designers to execute creative direction; creating industry-standard, groundbreaking images and stories.
We also provide brand product placement and creative sponsorship opportunities in our one of a kind photoshoots. I act as the Creative Director, Set Designer, resident Stylist, and sometimes I model too! Each event has an original theme, featuring various photography styles, with custom set design, props, and curated styling.
We have successfully had two photoshoot mixer events, and I’m looking forward to expanding and growing on a bicoastal level between LA and NY. Our next tier will introduce “Artist Showcases,” which are highly popular on the East Coast. We want to bring that buzz to LA!
In general, I consider myself a free agent in life. I don’t like being bound by titles or external expectations and labels.
I am an artist and a never-ending void of creative alchemy. I would like to be a working Creative Director and stylist for everything from music videos, fashion editorials to film, tv, and commercials.
As far as what I am capable of, I’m a mixed bag of a writer, freelance model, content creator, storyteller, entrepreneur, humanitarian, revolutionary, and healer. One of the most things I’m very proud of fuses creativity with fashion, esotericism, art direction, graphic design, and tarot! I am the creator of the world’s first non-illustrated, real-life photographed tarot card deck that features over 56 women of color. Melanade Stand’s Tarot has been featured on Afropunk, sold around the world, and MST sits in MIT’s library of non-traditional tarot card decks. The universe moved mountains to aid in the production of this divinatory gift, and I’m very proud of that!
Lastly, I think that fact that I’m unapologetically me, whilst being unapologetically vulnerable, makes me stand out from others in a world where we are programmed to fit in…yet I am no better than a soul. I want to be a beacon for being yourself to the FULLEST against all odds.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Just to follow your dreams and be okay with breaking the status quo. Seems cliche, but following your dreams is simply letting them transform into your reality over a divinely orchestrated journey.
Contact Info:
- Email: Kickbackstandoutphotoshoots@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/kickbackstandout
- Other: TikTok.com/kickbackstandout, https://bit.ly/3yyrHI3
Image Credits:
Creative Director + Founder @FontaineFelishaFoxworth @kickbackstandout Models: Serene @Serenesuniverse Naulia Thompson @Awkward_Artiste Lourvey Bourdan @Lourvey_Bourdan KK Love @kklove_ent Olive Bieni @OliveBieni Mia @SitwithMia Alexis and Aniyah Whiley @Preettyylexx @222Perfect_ Kaitlin Davis @KaiVibe_ Stylists: Naj the Godson @TheWardrobeConnect Marley Skye @_gnarlymarley Photographers: Trin De @Its_Trin.de Ronald Campbell @hollow3photography JR @inceptixnz Oscar Bracho @brachows MUA: Norma Monterroza @makeupbynorma_ Niarah Stansberry @simplyniarah
