Steven Kelly looks like he portaled here from the height of the 1980s: His mustachioed visage instantly evokes some sort of supercharged Magnum PI. But his day job is wholly of this era. With nearly 3 million followers across and , the former model is one of the most popular “gymfluencers” on social media.
And now that fame is leading to lucrative partnerships. Earlier this year, Kelly filmed his first underwear ad with the -owned brand. He already enjoys “great relationships” as he puts it with GNC and Celsius Energy Drinks, and he just signed with UTA in the hopes of locking down even more endorsement deals.
Not bad for a fresh-faced 27-year-old whose posts primarily consist of him living his sweatiest life in the gym. In a Zoom chat with , the bulked-up heartthrob — who changed up his physique by adding “30 to 40 pounds” to his frame since his modeling days — talks about the business side of effective influencing, which, for him, will soon include a personal line of gym attire. He also shares some tips for staying in shape — and for looking your best when cameras are capturing you nearly nude in a frigid studio.
No. At my agency at the time, they kind of reached out and they just said pretty much, ‘You know, Skims saw you from your social media. They were really interested in your kind of retro ’80s, ’90s-theme aesthetic.
And at the time they were doing this almost like a bikini contest. And there were eight ladies, all very beautiful ladies that we.