We recently connected with David “el Chiquis” Quintero and have shared our conversation below.
David “El Chiquis”, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?
Being a content creator and not having haters, would be like being a politician with no opposition. Unfortunately, a lot of people like to hide behind a screen and sometimes they don’t think about the effects that a message can have on the person they’re hating on. This is something I had to learn to deal with and I had to understand that I don’t have to give that kind of power to people that are not part of my community in social media or in life.
I would advice anyone who is a content creator, a creative or an entrepreneur to just keep going. The more you keep growing, the more “opposition” you’re going to find along the way, but that doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong (obviously, be responsible with the message that you’re putting out there for millions of people). When I first started, I was used to all positive feedback and it’s obvious, my network was formed by my closest people and acquaintances. Although, I’m pretty sure there were already hidden haters among them, and that’s ok. You cannot stop pursuing your passion because you feel you’ll be criticized, or because you think that your art will be made fun of. You need to overcome that fear and remind yourself that this is your path and you’re building something for yourself and for the people that want to join along the way and encourage your growth. You can do this!
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is David Quintero, but most people know me as “El Chiquis Quintero”. This is a nickname that was given to me when I was in middle school and I never imagined it was going to become such a strong part of my brand and personality. I’m an actor, host and content creator and my journey started when I decided to pause my career as an Architect to pursue my other passion, being on stage and on camera. I never imagined I would be reaching a huge amount of people, obviously I dreamt about it, but it just seemed like a dream. Currently, I reached +1 million followers all across social media and I like to encourage people to follow that dream that they feel the need to pursue.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
When I was younger, I knew I wanted to be a performer, I just didn’t know where to start. As many of us, I joined the theater club, glee club, and any workshops that would help me perfect my craft. This first thing you have to work on is overcoming fear. Remember, it’s never too late to start, but please give yourself the chance to do it at some point because you cannot be afraid for your whole life. Once I realized I wanted to do it professionally after becoming an Architect, I was also afraid to pause my career but I went for it.
Second, I knew there was going to be a lot of competition, so you have to be prepared for this. You have to be able to deal with rejection at auditions and probably some hate on social media if you decide to go that way. Remember it’s never personal if someone else gets the part you auditioned for and there is nothing wrong with you. You’re still talented and amazing!
Third, you have to keep pushing and keep preparing for when that big break comes your way. Keep attending workshops, studying and practicing, because the worst enemy of a creative person is arrogance and thinking you already know it all or that you’re irreplaceable. Be resilient and you’ll succeed.
Quick tips and skills that helped me along the way:
Practice public speaking, take workshops on how to audition and how to speak on camera, also learn how to use a camera and how to edit (this will be helpful as a content creator or even as an actor for self tapes), if you dance or sing too, go for it and practice because the more you bring to the table, the better chances of getting that job!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
As a content creator, you always have to be open to collaborate with more creative people. I would love to connect with like minded creators that like to spread a positive message on social media. I feel nowadays we need uplifting energy on every platform because the world already has so much drama going on. I do a little bit of everything like travel, speaking for animal rights, lifestyle as a Mexican American and so much more! Feel free to connect @ElChiquisQuintero and let’s do something together! Also, if you’re a business looking for a bilingual creator for your social media content, feel free to message me and we can work on that too.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ElChiquisQuintero
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElChiquisQuintero
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ElChiquisQuintero
- Other: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@chiquisquinterooficial
Image Credits
Images by Emilio Reyes @EmilioViajando & @Elbobstar
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
