Meet Quanteus Johnson | Tortoise And The Hare

We had the good fortune of connecting with Quanteus Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Quanteus, what’s your definition for success?
Success to me used to mean opulence, and status. I’ve since learned that success isn’t necessarily about the amount of money someone has. It’s if they’re happy with their life, and doing what they love for a living. I often battled with if I saw myself as successful, based off unrealistic standards. Whether that’s friends or colleagues succeeding in life, and if I was on their level or not. We are all running our own race in life, some people become successful early on. While other’s may take a little bit more time. But the key is to never give up no matter how slow or bleak the outcome may look.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I grew up in a family of introverts, where I felt like I never quite fit in. My dreams have always propelled me to work toward becoming someone different. Someone who isn’t afraid of taking risk. The only way I knew how was to find jobs that would force me to become someone else. I was often dubbed as the man with 100 jobs, I’ve done everything from being a police officer, to working in the funeral business. I’ve never met a challenge I didn’t meet head on. It wasn’t until I decided to move to Los Angeles, that my life changed altogether. I moved with $500 dollars to my name and a dream that made up the difference. I was homeless much of my time there, from sleeping in my car to booking random extended stays with my then fiancee. I landed my first gig at Universal Studios after beating the pavement for months on end with blisters on my feet and all. I knew that Universal filmed on their backlot so I would sneak on their backlot with my resume in hand to try for interviews. After a ton of “no’s”, I finally landed my first job in entertainment on CSI: Las Vegas and it set my career on fire. I’ve had the privilege to work with NBC, FOX, OWN, Nickelodeon, and many other studios out west. All in all I learned the importance of loyalty, and friendship, even though I’ve always kept my circle small, if it weren’t for my friends in the industry I wouldn’t have gotten allot of the opportunities I’ve gotten. So it is true what they say your circle is very valuable in more ways than one. I remember having to get ready for interviews and jobs cleaning up at gas stations, and knocking out wrinkles in my clothes using the dryers at the laundry mat. I did it all to make a better life for me and my family. And all I had was my faith, and my family more specifically my parent’s. They would call me everyday to check on me. It was in these times that I needed their love the most, when I thought I was in over my head, they kept me sane and for that I am eternally thankful. I want people to remember me and my company as go-getters. We are one in the same in that we will do anything to get the job done, and done right! I’ve gotten calls from Blavity, Netflix and many other organizations to be apart of their creative teams. Although the deals fell through, I’m optimistic on what the future holds for me and my company. Whose mission is to tell diverse stories, and give people of color an opportunity to create the art their way!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to Old Hickory House for breakfast. and then we would head to High Falls State Park to check out the cool scenery. For lunch we would grab a burger and custard at Culver’s, and then we’d head to do an escape room. From there we would go to get dinner at Benihana’s. And then for drinks we would head to a local bar/lounge.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I’d like to thank God who is the reason for my being. I’d also like to thank my parent’s for their love and support every step of the way. I’d also like to thank these people who have been instrumental in me becoming who I am today: Phil Stapleton, Lon Gowan (Stuntman), Rhayvnn Drummer (Tyler Perry Studios), Stella Holmes, Michelle Thornton, Natassia Johnson (Entrepreneur), Shawn Vinson, Ameesh Shah, Toni Caprio, Rhonda Wooley (Theatre Director), Alise Fuller (NBC), and many more people with whom I am eternally grateful for their support along this journey.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/QUANTEUS/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quanteusent/

Linkedin: https://www.instagram.com/quanteusent/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/quanteus1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuanteusEntertainment

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/QuanteusJohnson

Image Credits
Cover photo: Will Daniels (Snap Genius Photography)