As I wrote the title of this article, I realized it sounded like an overly loud used-car-lot radio advertisement. Annoying spokesman voice aside, the call to "act now" has important consequences beyond its use in marketing. Whether we are setting goals for our company, choosing a training or education, or even just taking a quick note at an event, deciding to act now in lieu of procrastinating and potentially forgetting something is an important skill to learn. It's happened to all of us. We are at an event and suddenly a brilliant idea comes to us. Perhaps it's a song that we realize would fit perfectly with a certain playlist. Maybe it's a new way of phrasing an announcement or preparing for our next event. Whatever it is, the idea comes and, instead of acting on it immediately, we attempt to store it in... [read more]

So unfortunately, I'm turning the camera back on to do another video on this phone charging station concept. So the first thing I will say is that there are people who see this as a positive thing and they want to pursue it and they get it and they're like, yeah. What a great idea. We'll provide the service. There are others who are pretty fearful that things are going to happen to someone's phone. And what they're doing is, they're taking responsibility for everything that's happening with this phone charging station; security, for example. Some people want to put cameras up now to monitor the phones. The problem with that is with a security, you're also somewhat accountable and responsible. So if you consider that and let's say your camera doesn't get the person's face and they take the phone, then your vi... [read more]

It’s easy to hit the fast food joint on the way home after an event or have that extra slice of cake at a wedding. Believe me, I know. It’s also easy to sit on the couch and not exercise too. It’s a choice, just like including exercise and healthy food in your daily routine. Am I perfect? Nope. Not even close, but as I close in on 30 years in this profession, I’m coming to grips with the fact that I’ve spent far too much of it being so busy that I neglected my diet and exercise. Slowly, those results of accumulated bad choices began to change my mood, habits, and waistline. These choices became more apparent when I needed it most: lo... [read more]

In order to grow your business and add depth to your client list, your goal should be to create a lasting, memorable, very positive experience for your customer. Not just on event day, but all the way through your journey to get there.  It’s not just about showing up and playing four or five hours of great music and packing a dance floor. There is way too much competition out there to be less than stellar or exemplary when it comes to delivering A+, 5-star customer service every step of the way. Whether you are a single operator or multi-DJ business, service, support, sales, operations and every other department within your organizatio... [read more]

Think about the last time someone gave you a free, unexpected gift, but you had nothing to give back in return. How did it make you feel? Thankful? A little bit awkward that you could not reciprocate? Did you think “I must repay that person somehow, sometime in the future? These emotions and thoughts are all tied to reciprocity. I recently experienced reciprocity when I visited my local dry cleaners to have a button sewn back onto a jacket I needed the same day for a wedding. The owner said, “Come back in two hours it will be ready.” Sure enough upon my return he reached behind him and lifted my jacket off the bottom rail, pl... [read more]

Weddings are the main source of income for most mobile DJs. I get that. But more and more entertainers are reaching out to me, trying to enhance their business or in some cases completely overhaul it. I don’t know if it is today’s brides or the thousands of “competitors” that have invaded the industry over the years. Believe it or not: You CAN make a great income outside of the actual wedding industry. PLAN WHAT YOU WANT TO DO Start with a plan on what types of things you want to do to supplement your income. You might want to increase your bottom line and you might want to completely revamp what you have been doing. I have had d... [read more]

When it comes to DJing, not all DJ gigs are the same. I'm pretty sure you're already aware of the huge differences in pay and expectations between club/bar DJs and wedding & private event DJs. Bars versus private events are literally night and day! Today, I want to discuss a private event that is similar to a wedding, in many ways, which are Quinceaneras. First of all, you may not be aware of what a Quinceanera even is. Basically, it's a special celebration for when a girl (usually of Latino or Hispanic origin) turns 15 years old. There are ceremonies that take place, a church mass (usually Catholic), and of course a fun party with dinner and music! That's where a DJ comes in! If you want more details about the ceremonies of a Quinceanera, check out my article What is a Quinceanera? So now you may ... [read more]

Since day one of working (not just DJing), time management was embedded within me, and it continues to be a strong focus of mine. The sooner I completed the task in front of me, the sooner I could do something else that, hopefully, resulted in me getting one step closer to my goal— which probably meant I was getting paid as well. This was actually a lot easier at the beginning! As I started growing the business, I was thinking at 140 BPM, with dozens of ideas all shouting for attention at once. I needed to figure out a way to keep focused on my vision, and not be a victim to distractions. There are many different directions you can go with ti... [read more]

Six years ago, on any given Friday or Saturday night, you could find me at one of the local wineries or hot hotels DJing for any number of clients. Depending on the season, it could be any type of event. Wedding, prom, corporate holiday party, you name it. About 10 years ago, at our peak as a DJ company, we did over 50 corporate events in December, 35 proms and about 70 weddings. That is fairly decent for a company that did NO advertising. Today, I do a lot fewer events. I book headline talent and manage multiple six- and seven-figure event budgets for concerts and festivals. I often get the question: “How did you get from there to here?�... [read more]

Arguably the most important piece of equipment we have is our voice. We use it to lead, guide, inform and coordinate at our events. Knowing what to say and when and how to say it is tantamount to a successful event. Each word choice instantly affects the mood and vibe of the guests and room. Do you always know the right thing to say at the right moment? Do you struggle at your events or second guess yourself on the microphone? What if there was a simple acronym or quick little guide rule you could use when deciding what to say? I'm a fan of Jay Shetty, former monk and internet wisdom guru. He's the quieter version of Gary Vaynerchuk. Jay's vid... [read more]