Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexander Woods
Alexander , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey in the influencer and celebrity relations space started out of my desire to become a fashion editor. I attended Morehouse College where I received a B.A. in English. While in college, I began my professional career interning at Cosmopolitan Magazine, Bloomingdale’s PR department, and Modern Luxury Publishing. I always had a desire to merge telling stories with the rise of social media, and my internships allowed for me to do just that. Post graduation, I began a master’s program at the University of Southern California, where I received a M.S. in Digital Social Media and took an influencer marketing class that changed the trajectory of my career. Sitting in that class sparked my interest in working directly with creators and celebrities to market via their social media platforms and brand partnerships. Since graduating in 2020, I have worked with countless fashion brands, PR agencies, marketing agencies, and freelance opportunities in the influencer and celebrity relations space, focusing on fashion and lifestyle brands. Currently, I am an influencer and celebrity relations, junior manager for a well-respected PR and Marketing firm, working on fashion accounts.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Graduating in the beginning of the global pandemic was one of the hardest struggles as someone who was just starting their career; however, the bright side of that tragedy was brands were forced to utilize creators at home for their campaigns. I quickly became in demand as a professional and saw many openings in my chosen field. But with the ever changing industry, it does cause anxiety because social media is not as steady as we might think and platforms come and go every day. Therefore, as a industry professional I must stay on top of trends, think ahead of what is happening, and stay in the know of everything that is new.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Currently, I hold the role of Junior Manager in the Celebrity and Influencer department of a well-known PR and Marketing firm. I work in the retail division, so my accounts are mainly fashion, which has been my background for my professional career. Every day is not the same and it can always be a little hectic! My role consists of gifting influencers, building out invite lists for client events, staffing events and photoshoots, working on campaign pitch decks, managing influencer campaigns, building relationships with talent, talent managers, publicists, and digital creators, and much more! I love what I do because I have the opportunity to work with a wide array of talent for specific campaigns. Seeing a campaign from ideation to creation is fascinating and the hard work that goes into it from every angle is inspiring. I am most proud of being on the forefront of supporting diverse talent who most likely would not be found or selected from brands. I am a huge advocate of working with minorities, women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and more! My motto is that the audience will support if they see themselves in the campaigns and truly believe brands support them.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I learned that you have to create opportunities for yourself and what is meant for you will come to you! I went from freelance work, to unemployment, to many different agencies. I was really unsure if I could even work in this space or stay in Los Angeles. But I didn’t give up. I utilized my network and took every opportunity (that made sense) presented to me to prove to myself and to my network that I am capable, reliable, talented, and knowledgable. Currently, I still work with a lot of those companies, non-profits, etc. consulting on their social media platforms or simply just supporting their causes and brands!
Additionally, I learned that working in the fashion and entertainment industry, you must gain skills that might not be your exact background or educational expertise. During the pandemic, I assisted celebrity stylists, worked in digital communications for non-profit organizations, managed restaurant social media pages, co-produced and casted a digital talk show, and even did on-camera digital work for Buzzfeed and MTV. Gaining that experience is what sets me a part and helped to build my network.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexanderxwoods.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexanderxwoods/
Image Credits
First image: Jeremiah Hunnus – https://www.instagram.com/hunnus/
