Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Perez.
Hi Alex, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised up in Lubbock, Texas a dusty little city. I then went on to major in pre-physical therapy at South Plains College, quickly found out that anatomy and physiology was not my jam, and switched majors to Public Relations. I found myself stumbling into writing for the local college publication, Plainsmen Press, and fell in love with communications! I spent my time there as a feature editor and was very involved in the publication.
I then went on to transfer to Texas Tech University where I majored in Advertising and my love for social media blossomed. At Texas Tech, I learned graphic design, media writing, and much more that developed my drive to create a career for myself in advertising and social media. During my time at Tech, I also worked as an Assitant Manager at ALDO, where my interest in fashion heightened and I knew I wanted to be somewhere in the fashion industry. With my Advertising degree and a strong interest in fashion, I set my eyes on a bigger city, and I moved to Austin, TX shortly after graduation in May of 2020. Once I moved, I was eagerly looking for opportunities at advertising agencies and did a lot of networking. I reached out to an old friend of mine who moved to Austin from Lubbock. He is a Texas Tech Alumni, we worked together at ALDO and he told me he had just started a modeling and creative agency called IV League. I was immediately interested and jumped on board quickly after I met with Isaac Everett and Vickey Lee, the two founders of IV League. I am now Agency Coordinator for the agency, I have my hand in fashion and photoshoots with the modeling side, but I also have clients of my own that I run social media for. My clients range from salons to inclusive fashion brands, and I couldn’t love it more! My clients are continually growing as well as the agency, and I am so happy to be part of that growth!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. I was a 2020 graduate so I do think it created a domino effect of bad luck when I was initially looking for jobs. I like to think of myself as a planner and moving to Austin was a huge leap of faith for me and I wanted to create a safety net for myself. I began looking for opportunities in the spring of 2020 right when the pandemic hit, so not only was this my first time entering the process of looking for a job, but it was everyone’s first experience in looking for a job during a pandemic where the market is low and very uncertain. I had an internship my last semester at Texas Tech, and my supervisor was unfortunately laid off during the pandemic and my internship then lacked the quality it could have had. Due to the uncertainty of the advertising world, a lot of professionals were laid off, and then it created a pool of highly qualified applicants going for the same jobs as I was when I was just a recent graduate. Needless to say, I didn’t get too many calls back. But I persevered and I continued to network and worked with small businesses by helping them with social media to gain experience where I could. Then I came across IV League and I couldn’t imagine being with any other company!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I create a cohesive brand image for my clients through social media. I help my clients find their brand voice, focus on main colors to then help create their brand graphics that eventually will be synonymous with the brand name. I enjoy helping small businesses and more specifically women-owned businesses. As a woman myself, I want to help empower other women and boost their business as much as I can to ensure that they are taken seriously in their field. I like to think of myself as a jane of all trades, in the sense that I can be multifaceted to best help my clients. I offer services from social media strategy to copy to graphic design with logos, or newsletter templates, to even public relation management. In my role at IV League, I will also be on set helping said clients create the best atmosphere for the best campaign photos. When I take on a client, I like to ask what their biggest goals are for their business and then I create a game plan to attack and achieve those goals.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I feel like my success is determined by staying positive and constantly looking at the small wins. In my field, there are always competitors that seem to be one step ahead, but I like to have a meeting with myself to reflect on what I have achieved and in the time I have achieved that. I have only been in Austin working for about five months and I have clients who have been accoladed in Women’s Wear Daily, so taking in those small wins is everything for me and eventually, those will build-up to the big win everyone looks at. It also always helps to have a strong support system, mine is mostly my amazing boyfriend Alex! (Yes, we are both named Alex haha)
Contact Info:
- Email: alex@weareivleague.com
- Website: https://www.weareivleague.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xxalex_lee97/
Image Credits
Kimberly Correa David Cullipher
What to check out next:
Aleasha Bahr is a sales & marketing strategist known for showing introverts and ambiverts the Secret Art of Subtle Selling. She personally sold millions in revenue while discovering introverts are usually top sales people – as soon as they stop trying to act like extroverts. We’ve partnered with her to produce Introverted Entrepreneur Success Stories. Check out episode 1 below:
