We were lucky to catch up with Jesse Forte recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jesse, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
I’ve taken risks that most people call wild. As an artist I’ve dropped tracks when rent was due and performed like it was the Grammys even when the crowd was three people and a bartender. As a pilot I’ve flown through turbulence with my heart in my throat and my wallet screaming every time the engine started. As an analog astronaut I’ve slept in metal tubes, eaten freeze dried regret, and shared oxygen with people who snore louder than the rover. I’ve faced hunger, homesickness, and WiFi withdrawal all in the name of science. As an inventor I’ve built, broken, and rebuilt ideas while investors vanished faster than fuel in a jet. It’s been exhausting, humbling, and sometimes just plain ugly but every fall sharpened me. I’ve bet everything on belief, kept going when logic said stop, and somehow I’m still standing, still creating, still flying toward the next impossible thing.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Jesse Forte also known as AstroJforte and my life is a mix of science, art, and pure adventure. I started making music on street corners and small stages then somehow ended up training as an analog astronaut inside volcanoes living like we were on Mars. My world sits right between creativity and exploration where I build things like AstrOnyx, a space inspired oral care brand, while writing books and producing music that connects people to something bigger. I focus on solving one problem the gap between imagination and reality by showing that science can have soul and art can have structure. What makes me different is that I blend flight training, space research, and hip hop storytelling into one system that feels alive. I geek out on design, gear, and performance whether it’s a mission suit or a beat that feels like lift off. I help people dream larger through products that feel futuristic and music that sounds interstellar. What I’m proudest of is doing all of this on my own with persistence and vision when the odds said quit. My brand isn’t just a company it’s a journey from Earth to orbit. Every song, product, and project is a reminder that if you can imagine it you can build it.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I’ve had to pivot more times than I can count, in business, art, and life itself. Every setback has forced me to adapt whether it was rebranding AstrOnyx after a production delay, changing my sound when the music industry shifted, or adjusting flight plans when the weather said otherwise. I’ve learned that staying in motion is survival and that the real art is in the pivot itself. Even as I write this, I’m mid pivot turning uncertainty into momentum once again.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I moved to LA, I had nothing but a vision, a notebook, and a drive that wouldn’t quit. I was sleeping on floors, sharing a place with six roommates, and pushing through a dislocated shoulder that made even basic things hard. Still, I recorded 51 songs that year, teaching myself how to turn pain into sound and struggle into story. Every track was a piece of my comeback, a reminder that resilience isn’t built in comfort, it’s forged in chaos. I started from scratch, but I learned that when you’ve got purpose, you don’t need perfect conditions you just need heart, grit, and a reason to keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://astronyx.io
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrojforte?igsh=MXU3ZXNjOXlhc3ppaw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: Jesse N Forte
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessenforte?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Twitter: Hiforte
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/shorts/BvpC_i-zVCE?si=JLCEXS6hKKELouxt
