We were lucky to catch up with Alexander Saint Von recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alexander , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

I was incredibly lucky. I’ve always been told as a model/actor you never book your first audition. Thankfully that was not the case for me. I got chosen to model for Meta (Instagram and Facebook). My first day on set was amazing. They rented out a roller-rink and went for a semi 80’s theme. It was so much being photographed playing air hockey, skating, eating popcorn and having fun in the parking lot. It was with 5 other models and the goal of the shoot was to have fun and show real moments of joy. I felt like I was on top of the world, and especially as a teenager getting that validation from such a huge company felt euphoric.

Alexander , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in Austin, Texas and was a theatre kid growing up, which obviously meant I love attention. And while that is true I like to think I entered this industry to help people. I am a queer person of color. I identify as nonbinary and I love that with every photoshoot I do and campaign I book that I’m showing people that who I am is beautiful and worth celebrating. If it’ll make one kid feel less alone and seen then I think it’s a success. I’m most proud of the heard work that I’ve put into my career. I recently moved to New York since speaking with you last in Austin and it wasn’t easy. From living situations to finding an entirely new network of people I’m lucky that I was able to sign with a New York agent so quickly in under a year. The cold calls to photographers and designers I’ve made as well as connecting with other models truly made this journey so impactful and that’s what I’m most proud of. The main things that I want people to take away about my brand and image is that inclusivity matters and it’s beautiful, it shouldn’t feel like a checkmark on your list, it should feel authentic.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I built a lot of my connections from social media. Something that helps is using hashtags. It helps people looking for your niche find you. If you’re looking to get discovered something I did that helped 2 modeling agencies scout me from social media is go onto their websites and most modeling agencies have a hashtag that models who want to be seen by them will use. I did that as well as tagging my location in all my posts. If I’m in Manhattan I will be tagging the photo location as such. Another big tip I recommend using is changing your “Name” slot to something better for SEO. My Instagram “Name” section (not the username) used to be something quirky until I changed it to “Austin Model” that way photographers and designers looking for models could find me easier when they search on Instagram. Another big tip I always say is don’t let the opinions of others weigh on you. When I changed my Instagram name to Austin Model I had a “friend” talk to me one-on-one and tell me how they thought me doing that was conceited and it looked embarrassing since I didn’t have that many followers. One month later I booked an e-commerce shoot with a designer who told me that he found me through my Instagram name. Being true to yourself and not caring what others think is crucial to anyone’s success. People love to make fun of you until you make it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me is the people I inspire and when I get recognized for my work. Whether it be at the bar (yes it’s happened) and someone recognizes me from a commercial I did or another model knowing me from a friend of a friend I love connecting with people over my art. It does sound a little conceited, but I love to be celebrated for what I’m doing and it really pushes me to keep going. I recently just got the cover of a magazine and then the very next month filmed a commercial for the Superbowl. Both of those got me a lot of coverage from national publications and I was so happy to be able to celebrate it with loved ones and fellow creatives.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: alexander_saintvon
• Other: Tik Tok: alexander_saintvon