We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Francis Baker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Francis, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I definitely wish I started my creative career sooner. I started blogging in high school which is around the time some of the most well-known creatives did.

Growing up I was self-conscious about my body. Fashion was my way of building my confidence. So blogging was my way of sharing my journey of self-love through fashion. My problem was that I was never consistent with it. I started taking things seriously right before Facebook introduced the algorithm. Before the algorithm, I saw all this engagement and followers, but now my work is rarely seen. It was easier to build a following years ago. At times I feel like I missed the boat and have been playing catchup ever since. There are so many obstacles you have to jump over now to build a following. I find myself following trends on social media instead of setting them. With the algorithm and this push towards video content, it’s hard to stay inspired and motivated. I find myself creating out of obligation rather than authentically expressing myself.

Francis, 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 got into content creation and modeling through blogging. I started my blog for fun, as a way to share my perspective on fashion. Over time, brands started reaching out to sponsor my posts. I also signed with a modeling agency through blogging. I posted a random selfie one day to recommend a skincare product. I ended up getting a DM from one of the founders of Role Models Management about that picture asking if I had representation.

Over time I started partnering with my favorite brands to either model or create content for their marketing. In addition to modeling and creating content, I also shoot photography. Shooting my own work was my way of saving money. But it’s made this experience a lot more rewarding because I’ve been able to build this platform by myself.

What sets me apart is that I’ve had to work for just about everything that I have. Even just being confident, I had to work on that. That’s important to me because I want to inspire people that you can manifest the life you want to live. For example, when I was a teenager I would sit on the family computer and just dream about owning luxury items. It was a full circle moment when I worked up to a point where I could afford it. I’m learning that anything is possible with determination and consistency.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to encourage men to love themselves more. I’ve never fit society’s idea of beauty or masculinity. So I struggled with low self-esteem growing up. I hope to inspire guys to be true to themselves and love their bodies through my work. I hope that other men learn that the way we define ourselves trumps what society tells us to believe.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I’ve been able to open doors that I previously didn’t have access to. For example, I didn’t travel much going growing up. I didn’t get on my first airplane until college. So it was such a rewarding feeling when ASOS for example contacted me about an all-expense paid trip to view a collection in NY. I’ve had a lot of cool moments like that, and it’s crazy to think that it’s the result of picking up a camera and taking pictures of my outfits.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.leeslookbook.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/francisleebaker4/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leeslookbook
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-baker-37592b41/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/francisleebaker
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoXpMtINyTSzNDQvnr4A0_g