Name: Alix Montes
Profession: Advertising & Marketing, Account Executive at LMO Advertising
Age: 25
I have changed/contributed to my industry by: doing my best to bring diverse talent into the industry. I hope to change the industry by constantly challenging the status quo and looking for new ways to bridge the gaps between brands, their values, and their audiences.
Alix Montes is a part of a team that remains focused on the big idea in advertising and marketing. LMO, the largest advertising agency in the DC market has entrusted Montes to build strong client relationships, develop strategy for new campaigns, and co-lead a team that manages a local advertising program for one the agency’s biggest accounts.
When you focus on the big picture you have to factor in the risk that are involved with reaching your goals. At a young age, Montes witnessed both his parents and grandparents take huge risks to ensure he would have a better future. “They are my inspiration because of the sacrifices I saw them make,” Montes tells BE Modern Man. “Although they try to encourage me to have a safety net and avoid making mistakes, I remind myself that they had to take risks to get to where they are.”
Creating change also involves taking risk, both socially and professionally. Harry Belafonte serves as inspiration for Montes who is active in the LEVO League and regularly dishes out career advice and inspiration for professional women. “He is a great example that you don’t have to choose between financial and professional success to give back to society,” says Montes. “In his prime, Harry Belafonte managed to have a successful career as well as dedicate himself to the advancement of the Civil Rights Movement.”
Although he is passionate about women’s issues there is no shortage of advice for the younger generation of BE Modern Man hopefuls. “It comes down to three things,” says Montes. “The economy is increasingly global so you will be working alongside people vastly different from you. Develop cultural competency in order to effectively communicate with people of different backgrounds. Secondly understand women’s issues. Women make up a large percentage of professional marketers and, like Black men, they have historically been underrepresented in leadership positions. However, they are making great strides. To be successful, Black men must be able to interact with women in a professional context. Last thing is to think big and don’t be scared to fail.”
Thinking big is what propelled Montes’s momentum into a advertising and marketing career. During his last semester at the George Washington University he was a part of the National Student Advertising Competition. Working on an 18-person team he was tasked to build brand awareness, market share, and lasting favorability among African-American, Hispanic-American, and Chinese-American millennials for Nissan. “While this was a school project, it was my introduction to what it was like to work at an agency,” Montes tells BE Modern Man. “I got to learn about market research, media planning, creative strategy, group dynamics, and leadership.”
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