The conversation delves into the noise around masculinity, defining masculinity, men's mental health, accountability and integrity, three key areas for men, the importance of follow-through, and a relational check-in.

Takeaways

• Defining masculinity goes beyond traditional norms
• Men's mental health is impacted by societal expectations
• Accountability and follow-through are crucial for personal growth

Chapters

• 00:00 The Noise Around Masculinity
• 06:08 Men's Mental Health
• 11:51 Three Key Areas for Men
• 17:47 Relational Check-In

What does it actually look like to build a creative business, make music, raise a family, and stay grounded in faith — all at the same time?

In this episode, XO sits down with Alexander Boykins — Seattle-based photographer, music artist, and creative entrepreneur — for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations in SAUNAIE history. Alexander has photographed 70+ weddings, been recognized as a 2025 Best of The Bash photographer, and been featured in Canvas Rebel, all while building multiple income streams and showing up as a present father and man of faith.

This is not a how-to conversation. It is a real conversation about what the building actually requires — the sacrifice, the doubt, the moments of almost quitting, and the faith that kept him moving.

What you'll hear in this episode:

→ How photography and music feed each other creatively — and why Alexander went deep on both

→ What 70+ weddings taught him about people, relationships, and what actually matters

→ The '95% customer service, 5% camera skill' philosophy that built his business

→ How he manages multiple creative ventures without losing depth or direction

→ His honest take on AI, social media, and what real success looks like vs. what performs online

→ Faith under pressure — the real version, not the testimony version

→ How fatherhood clarified everything he is building and why

→ Direct advice for every creative who has the gift but hasn't fully bet on themselves yet

Alexander Boykins
Photographer • Music Artist • Entrepreneur

Instagram: @KingBoykinsOfficial
KingBoykins.com
Portfolio: The Bash / Boykins Photography
Alexander@KingBoykins.com

The conversation delves into the journey of building multiple creative businesses while maintaining faith and intention. It explores life before photography and music, the realization of a creative calling, the coexistence of photography and music, and the valuable lessons learned from wedding photography. Additionally, it reflects on the speaker's first wedding photography experience and the challenges and growth that came with it. The conversation covers the journey of Alexander Boykins from truck driving to wedding photography and the establishment of his photography business. It delves into the importance of customer service in photography, the impact of corporate work on personal growth, and the insights gained from wedding photography experiences. Additionally, it explores the understanding of people and relationships through the lens of wedding photography.

Takeaways

• Faith and intention
• Building multiple income streams Experience is a key teacher
• Customer service is paramount in photography

Chapters

• 00:00 Building Creative Businesses
• 06:20 Realizing Creative Calling
• 13:25 Coexistence of Photography and Music
• 19:55 Learning from Wedding Photography
• 27:35 Learning from Experience
• 33:04 The Importance of Customer Service in Photography
• 44:03 Understanding People and Relationships

Alexander Boykins
Photographer • Music Artist • Entrepreneur

Instagram: @KingBoykinsOfficial
KingBoykins.com
Portfolio: The Bash / Boykins Photography
Alexander@KingBoykins.com

The conversation delves into the impact of movement and sleep on cortisol regulation, chronic stress, decision making, and overall well-being. It emphasizes the importance of prioritizing sleep and engaging in consistent movement to reduce cortisol levels and improve overall health. The prescription for self-care and the call to action provide practical steps for listeners to prioritize their well-being.

Takeaways

• Minimum effective dose
• Cortisol regulation

Chapters

• 00:00 The Impact of Movement on Cortisol Regulation
• 05:13 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

The conversation explores the concept of income expansion and the internal barriers that prevent men from achieving it. It delves into the salary mindset, scarcity thinking, waiting for permission, and the strategic approach to building income. It also addresses career strategy and the relationship between economic autonomy and psychological well-being.

Takeaways

• Salary mindset limits income potential
• Building income requires deliberate, layered approach

Chapters

• 00:00 The Salary Mindset
• 08:11 Career Strategy and Understanding
• 13:15 Income Autonomy and Psychological Well-being

The conversation delves into the wealth knowledge gap, the mindset required for wealth building, and the practical financial order of operations. It emphasizes the importance of taking deliberate steps toward financial stability as a mental health intervention.

Takeaways

• Wealth building is a continuous process, not an event that happens after getting finances together.
• The financial order of operations is a proven sequence that works for anyone willing to follow them consistently.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Wealth Knowledge Gap
• 05:18 Step 1: Know Your Number
• 11:26 Step 7: Own Something That Appreciates
• 16:45 Recap of Previous Episodes

The episode delves into the racial wealth gap, highlighting the deliberate policies and structures that have perpetuated it. It emphasizes the psychological impact of wealth disparities and provides strategies for building generational wealth as an act of resistance against the system.

Takeaways

• Racial wealth gap is a result of deliberate policies and structures
• Building generational wealth is an act of resistance

Chapters

• 00:00 The Racial Wealth Gap: Numbers and Realities
• 08:50 Psychological Impact of Wealth Disparities

The conversation delves into the importance of life insurance education and the impact of avoidance and misconceptions about life insurance costs. It also explores the lack of insurance education in schools and the wealth gap's influence on insurance understanding in black and brown communities. Additionally, it addresses the role of agents in insurance mistrust and the impact of captive agents on policy options. The discussion also covers the basics of health insurance, including ACA marketplace coverage and private health insurance, with considerations for self-employed individuals. Furthermore, it provides insights into term insurance and mortgage protection as part of life insurance basics. The conversation covers the topics of mortgage protection, term life insurance, living benefits, return of premium, and indexed universal life insurance (IUL). It delves into the importance of mortgage protection and term life insurance, the process of shopping for mortgage protection, and the detailed understanding of indexed universal life insurance (IUL) and its benefits. The conversation covers a range of topics related to insurance, including the analogy of Ramen noodles, the impact of pre-existing conditions, the importance of understanding debt and expenses, generational wealth and insurance, affordability, and the importance of starting early. The key takeaways emphasize the role of insurance in protecting both the living and the deceased, as well as the importance of education and understanding before making insurance decisions.

Takeaways

• Insurance education
• Importance of life insurance Term life insurance for mortgage protection
• Living benefits of life insurance
• Return of premium option
• Indexed Universal Life Insurance (IUL) Insurance is not just for when you die, it's also for protecting what you're building while you're alive and the people you love.
• Education and understanding are crucial before making decisions about insurance.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Cost of Life Insurance
• 08:35 Insurance Company Mistrust
• 20:40 Life Insurance Basics
• 34:09 Shopping for Mortgage Protection
• 42:38 The Ramen Noodles Analogy
• 48:09 Generational Wealth and Insurance
• 59:25 Affordability and the Importance of Starting Early