A menswear and social media fashion influencer is making a name for himself and sharing tips on how others can make their Instagram pages stand out with big companies. 

Diego Leon, who runs the Instagram account @Dandyinthebronx with over 40,000 followers, says he often went to social media looking for fashion tips prior to running his own fashion page.

“I went to social media to learn how to dress better and then I started to make it a part of my life. I began to dress up all of the time. I remember people started to follow me on Instagram, and they sent me messages about being from the Bronx and liking the way I was dressing. They told me I was so encouraging and it made me feel happy and proud to continue to grow Dandy in the Bronx,” Leon says.

Leon decided to leave his day job as a preschool teacher and become a full-time lifestyle social media influencer with over 42,000 subscribers.

He says he now works with companies to collaborate on what aligns with their brands and his style.

In exchange for his promotional work, companies pay Leon. 

“The promotions can start as little as $10 and can go up to $1,000 to $2,000. It all depends on what you're offering the companies. Whether it’ll be photography, video or blogging. It depends on what they want and what the budget involved is," Leon says.