Meet David Forteau

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to David Forteau. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi David, thanks for sitting with us today to chat about topics that are relevant to so many. One of those topics is communication skills, because we live in an age where our ability to communicate effectively can be like a superpower. Can you share how you developed your ability to communicate well?

Growing up I I used to stutter which started in school, I quickly began to realize what the root cause was and I had stage fright even just answering a normal question after getting picked from my teacher.
This was something that bothered me because I felt like I wanted to social and outgoing but sometimes id freeze up and not be able to get the words out leaving me to be teased or alienated from groups.

It wasn’t until high school when I started to find my fashion sense and overall style that I grew a bit more confident and with each positive interaction I felt like words began to flow better.
My vocabulary was extensive because I thought a lot even though I didn’t say much so when I got the opportunity to talk and was heard it felt good having people listen and hang on to my words.

Ever since then I could confidently say my passion became speaking and more like motivational or public speaking and I started to work in that field with charities and other organizations helping youth with varies issues our country was facing ( gun violence & violence against women )

During these times I felt another hurdle was getting even the at risk or youth that had been involved in real street activity it was difficult to get through to them they weren’t really listening.

It was the centre of my job to get them to listen but the reality was I wasn’t connecting I wasn’t able to prove to them how relatable our situations were.

I solved this by being authentic and started opening up about my past and what I been through vs just reading of a script or working with materials that was given to me and I was able to connect and relate.

Moving forward to even this day in al the work I do wether it be fashion related or dance / entertainment I always look back at those years of motivational speaking and remind myself of what it took to bridge the gap and relate to all audiences and this carries me forward and allows me to address. anybody with zero fear or insecurity.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

The moment Hip-hop found me I knew it was the talent that was meant to be my calling.
If I could start us off with a quote it would have to be When Talent & Passion Intersect that is the road you are meant to be on.

I have a passion for speaking to people specifically in mentorship or motivation & my talent areas are dancing specifically Hip hop ( Breakin ) so once I was able to combine the two it lead me to some of the most memorable moments of my life to date.

Ive been on tour with artists backed up danced for the likes of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Rihanna etc
I was able to give back to my community by opening up a dance studio to continue to teach and mentor students interested in pursuing this lifestyle I was promoting at a very young age.
In assisting building the community of dancers in Toronto and being the owner of one of the primary hip hop studios in Canada I also was able to put on events and bring dancers from all over the world to come and teach Toronto kids from the jabbawockeez to other notable figures from Tv shows like NBC world of dance etc.

All of this was for the community that gave me a chance and I loved giving back but I had another love which was fashion and pretty much since 2008 I have been assisting start up clothing brands or modelling more notable brands apparel to co designing for my own brand called Nozo Toronto.

All these aspects have given me the experience and the network of connections to be working as a creative director for hire and flash forward to today Jan 1 2025 I am proud to say I own my own Media Agency in which we shoot commercials, Music videos, Short Films do Campaigns for fashion brands and in all the gigs were this is possible I try and hire dancers or other elements of the entertainment industry that has raised me up and continue to support whatever else I dabble my hands in.

Currently we work with clients mainly in Canada & USA but I look forward to working with people in other countries and help execute other peoples stories and ideas.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Trusting the process, is huge for me, so many times you feel like giving up or something is taking to long but I will never forget how long it took me to get good at some of the dance moves I have and they live with me everyday and they have paid off hundreds of times over.

Reflecting & being authentic, We change as being every seven years and I think its important to look within and listen to your gut allow yourself to remain in the driver seat. sometimes we get caught up in what others think or have to say about our actions and we start to change and act different and one thought I have is if you do something because you’d feel bad saying no 9/10 times you will still end up feeling bad so be as authentic as you can and reflect on your own decisions the self correction is underrated in my opinion.

Think like a student but move like a master, What you know and what you feel confident in shouldn’t be taking lightly but I always leave room for new ideas or opportunities to grow. basically never selling yourself short, we all work hard to attain our individual successes and achievements so be proud of yourself and open up yourself for growth.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Collaboration is something I definitely look forward to because I have gone all in on my strengths but I feel like im lacking in areas and I often meet people that love those areas which I couldn’t wrap my head around but I know its important.

when it comes to Film & Media I love to get behind the camera I can operate I can produce projects but im not great at editing or colour grading can’t do any special effects.

For fashion related ventures im great at production working with factories sourcing garments but im not the best technical designer id love to work with somebody that understands and listens to my ideas and then can draft them up and make tech packs. Even a pattern maker would be awesome.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidforteau/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidforteau/
• Twitter: https://x.com/davidforteau?lang=en

Image Credits

All Photos can be credited to my photography page @Forteaugraphy
And the Popsicle artwork is my image made into artwork by @mistervictory