Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex Soto. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alex , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I’ve been working on and something that I am very proud of is the upcoming 6th edition of Mr Tourism World. It is a male pageant that will take place in the Philippines this January 27 until February 4th. I will be representing Cuba in this 6th edition with the hope of bringing the international title. A bit of the backstory: I found out about the pageant and the national organization: RNB Cuba with stands for Reinado Nacional de Belleza Cuba, because I follow Rubert Manuel Arias on Instagram. He competed in a different pageant, Mr. International, and I followed his whole journey. When I saw him post about the organization holding auditions to represent Cuba internationally, I reached out to them and received a call from one of the directors, and after a brief phone interview I decided to audition. A couple days after, I received the call that I had been chosen as Mr Tourism World Cuba, and was explained that we would start training immediately. It has definitely been a journey of growth where I have learned a lot about myself, I have worked on my confidence, but above all I feel proud and humbled to bring a little bit of my culture to the Philippines. Mr Tourism World is an international non gubernamental organization founded on 2016 in Bali, Indonesia with company registration in the United Kingdom. The main functions of the organization are sustainable tourism and safe travel, respect for biodiversity, and promote the cultural understanding among nations. The main goal of the competition is to find the next tourism ambassador that will become the voice of the organization and will represent its true values. With the hashtag “charmingly cultured gentleman” Mister Tourism World wants to bring awareness on these important topics and show the world that we can build a better future together.
Alex , 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?
A little bit about myself: I was born and raised in Cuba. Since little I was related to the arts. I danced in a group called “La Bella Época” that was dedicated to keep alive Cuban traditional and folkloric dances. After 12 grade, I traveled to Havana to study French Language and Literature, with English as a second language, with the objective to be a tour guide. I wanted to be able to connect to people through Tourism and show them the beauty of my country and my culture. In 2012, I immigrated to the United States. Since I got here I focused on studying. I went to the school of business and graduated with a Masters Degree in International Business from the Florida International University. I also work full time as a Customer Care Engineer at Jedox, a software company that helps business forecast finances, sales, and budgeting prediction. I have also worked on building my brand online so that I can create a community and spread awareness on important topics such as environmental protection, cultural diversity, safe travel, and social responsibility. Another project I worked on is the creation of a website where I talk about biodiversity, it’s importance, and what we can do to help. I definitely want to educate people and be able to inspire them by showing how important it is to protect our planet, our ecosystem and every form of life that make Earth a true paradise.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
A particular goal on my creative journey is that I wanna build a community and spread awareness. I want to spread the message that together we can build a better world. I want to educate people by showing them how to protect our flora and fauna. I want to spread a message of safe travel and social responsibility. I want to talk about the importance of sustainable tourism and cultural diversity.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, creative or having a social media presence is the ability to connect with people and inspire others. Social media has an incredible reach and gives us the platform to share important topics. It’s an opportunity to build a community of inclusivity and get to connect with people all around the world. It also gives us the ability to educate and spread awareness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alexsoto2.wixsite.com/biodiversity-and-us
- Instagram: alex_ssoto
- Facebook: Alex Soto
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-soto-hidalgo
Image Credits
Darian Martinez. Instagram: @d_flash__