While I may not have 10+ years growing conventional lifestyle brands, I believe my extraordinary journey in the arts and my entrepreneurial spirit align perfectly with what Hinge represents. Plus, I write good and you can't deny that, basically.

My relationship with Hinge runs deep and I've experienced firsthand the meaningful connections it fosters. Though I’ve yet to meet "The One" through Hinge, I have met many “This Is Really Beautiful And Great For Where I Am Right Nows,” all of whom have left a lasting impact on my life and helped me to expand into the person I am today: someone uniquely well-suited to the role of Narrative Director at your company.

Throughout my career, I've excelled in some of the most competitive and dynamic business environments, particularly the music industry. As the Creative Director for indie rock band Animal Years, I transformed a group playing near-empty dives in Brooklyn into a nationally touring act with millions of Spotify streams and a presence in esteemed outlets like Rolling Stone, Billboard, and CBS This Morning (no easy feat considering you could throw a soy latte in Bushwick and hit an indie rock band right in their belt-looped carabiner keychains). In the world of music, where countless artists are vying for attention every second of every day, crafting a compelling, authentic narrative is often the key to standing out. Leveraging my writing background, which includes a guest blog for GQ and sketch comedy at UCB, I created briefs that provided context and direction for the band’s story through each album cycle. I then worked collaboratively with our management team, designers, film crews, record label personnel, and publicists to turn those briefs into content that drove awareness and engagement with the band, leveling up from those near-empty dives to ballrooms packed with thousands of people. 

My journey in music has also been marked by the power of storytelling as a director, making music videos that resonate with audiences and influence perceptions. The quality of the treatments I've written for all of my videos, plus my experience managing teams of 20+ people on film productions, is what landed me at Snap, where I had the opportunity to develop ambitious and innovative ad campaigns for global giants like Google, Spotify, and Mint Mobile. In my role as Creative Strategist, I understood the importance of crafting stories for brands and writing copy that not only grabbed attention but also aligned with each brand's identity. This required me to think creatively and strategically to develop original, subversive concepts rooted in empathy like the one I dreamed up for Google’s Pixel 7, which stated “This is an uncool phone” as part of a self-aware effort to confront the iPhone head-on.

The dating world, like the music industry, represents a place where authenticity, creativity, and innovation are paramount in facilitating connection. I'm not the conventional candidate but what sets me apart is my ability to think outside the confines of traditional corporate structures (and job applications). I've built and grown businesses from the ground up with no formal training and my career has equipped me with a fearless curiosity, a willingness to take big swings, and the resilience to adapt and thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

I look forward to discussing how my wide suite of skills, combined with my genuine love for Hinge, can contribute to your mission. Thank you for considering my application.

With admiration and enthusiasm,

Anthony Saladino