We recently connected with Dahol Otoide and have shared our conversation below.

Dahol, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

Kobe Bryant is my hero because of how relentless he was — not just in the game, but in everything he touched. I’ve always felt like I had to learn things the hard way — writing, filmmaking, storytelling, marketing — because no one handed me the blueprint. But Kobe’s ‘Mamba Mentality’ showed me that excellence isn’t about having the most resources, it’s about having the most focus.

I still think about that story where he’d be in the gym for hours before and after practice — not for praise, but because that’s what it takes. That mindset influenced everything for me. Whether I was writing 30 blog posts a day alone, shooting my first short with zero budget, or hustling to get my first ad job by tagging brands on Instagram — I always felt like I was in the gym with no lights on, putting up shots, hoping it’d pay off one day.

Kobe proved that greatness doesn’t come from talent alone — it comes from obsession, repetition, and learning through failure. That’s what I carry with me every time I start a new creative project. That’s Mamba Mentality.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a highly versatile creative and marketing expert. I currently have my multi-media startup (93tillinfinitymedia.com) where we help produce content as well as aid various businesses with their marketing, branding, and more. I first got into production through theatre as a kid. I used to go to acting camp at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP) every summer and performed in a few local productions before taking a break in my early pre-teens. That’s when I got into writing.

I had a stutter as a kid, and I noticed something interesting — when I rapped, it would go away. As I got older and started learning more, I came across stories from artists like Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples who went through the same thing. Turns out, the predictable cadence of rap helps regulate breathing and speech production. That really hit home for me.

Falling in love with hip hop early on, I got obsessed with understanding what I was saying — how it was structured. That led me into bar structures, metaphors, and songwriting. Eventually, that evolved into spoken word and poetry. I still remember my mom taking me to poetry slams in Toronto, where I’d perform.

In my early 20s, I sharpened my skills further by starting a streetwear and sneaker blog. It also covered pop culture, television, and film. I was writing 30 blog posts a day by myself — competing with the likes of Complex and Hypebeast. Within a year and a half, the blog hit 130,000 monthly visitors. My work was reposted by Nipsey Hussle, Virgil Abloh, Rick Ross, Jon Wexler, A$AP Mob, and more. One of my favourite moments was landing on the Warner Bros. Canada press list and running an advance ticket giveaway for Suicide Squad (2016).

Eventually, life got busy and I didn’t have time to keep it going. We had momentum, but I was young and didn’t know how to turn that into income. Still, covering so much culture made me curious about TV and film.

I took some acting classes and started doing background work — appearing in scenes on Suits, BET’s In Contempt, and a few others. But I quickly noticed the roles offered were all stereotypical. I knew my background had more to offer than the typical drug dealer or rapper role. As a writer at heart, I saw this as another form of storytelling.

In 2017, I made my first short film — writing, directing, editing, producing, and acting in it myself because I couldn’t afford a crew. It was rough — honestly, kind of garbage — but it taught me everything I needed to know to level up.

Fast forward to 2025: I’ve licensed a 6-minute one-take short film to DirecTV, won Telefilm Canada’s New Voice Award, worked with both local and major brands on the content marketing side, came close to getting a TV show greenlit, completed a 17-minute one-take short film, wrote commercials that generated millions in revenue, published my first book, and I’m currently developing an adult animated series.

What I’m most proud of, though, is the constant learning, the community I’ve built with like-minded people, and the evolution of my skillset in real time.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In summer 2021, J. Cole dropped his first Puma collab, and I wanted to be one of the first online with clean shots of the sneakers. I camped outside a mall overnight, but the release got moved last-minute to a different location. I called 10+ times, finally got a pair on hold, sped across the city, and convinced a random kid on a basketball court to let me shoot him in the shoes for $20. I posted the shots on Instagram, tagged Foot Locker, Puma, and J. Cole — a week later, I got hired to direct, shoot, and edit a national spot for Foot Locker Canada’s “Take It Outside” campaign. All off one post.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding thing is the growth that comes with creating. Every project teaches me something new — about storytelling, visuals, pacing, emotion, or even how to manage chaos. It’s like every time I create something, I level up — and that’s addictive in the best way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.93tillinfinitymedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisdahol
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dahol-otoide-4a08b58a/