The other day I went outside to finally start taking down all the Christmas lights I put up. It's no small task. I'm "that guy" in my neighborhood. I have a simple philosophy when putting up the lights each year. If you can't see them from space you need more. I like to think of my house as the Griswolds, but classier. The way I see it is if I can't make my house look spectacular, then why would anyone hire me to do lighting for their event? Taking down the lights gives me plenty of time to think. Of course I do everything the "DJ" way. All light strings get wrapped a certain way. Colors are separated in tubs and all the extension cords get wrapped... [read more]

As the final hours of 2019 count down many of you are preparing to rock in the New Year at a club or private event. God bless ya. For the second time in twenty years I'm actually off. I don't really mind at all. December was crazy and after 29 years in the industry I'm happy to be able to kiss my wife in person at midnight instead of phoning it in from some venue. I'll be comfortably sitting at home in my PJ's enjoying munchies and a nice scotch on the rocks watching the ball drop. That being said, I'm happy 2019 is almost over. Business wise it was a solid year. On a personal level 2019 was challenging to say the least. No love lost whe... [read more]

When it comes to the DJ business, it seems as though every year, clients want more and more options for their weddings or events. Many DJs and DJ companies are choosing to offer more options. More options mean more money, of course! In my experience, it can certainly help increase your profits; however, there are a few risks and things to be aware of when providing more for your clients. Let's discuss these, now.   Cost - The first thing to consider when deciding what options to include is the investment needed. How much will these options cost you? How much money will you need to buy these upgrades or options? Perhaps you're considering uplighting. The price certainly varies on how much each light will cost. If you're considering other options, you'll certainly need to do your research to find o... [read more]

Thank you. Thank you for reading my blog posts. Thank you for letting me interview you and share your stories. Thank you for letting me into your lives. Thank you for your comments and feedback. Thank you for reading my articles. Thank you for saying hi to me at conventions and sharing lunch or a cup of coffee. Thank you for accepting me into your world on social media. Thank you for being my friend. It's no secret that the next four weeks are some of the busiest in the DJ world. Many of us are doing events daily right up to New Years Eve and a ton of after parties in January. We're so busy making sure that everyone else has a great Holiday s... [read more]

Advertising models are constantly changing. What worked ten years ago is no longer valid and what was working last week is old news. In a world where content is king, how do you sort through the fluff to be seen and heard? What's the new "buzz" word that will magically get you clients and referrals? I have one for you: Authenticity. This was a huge topic at the Wedding MBA in Vegas this past October. All of the social media and marketing seminars had the same message: Be authentic. So, what exactly does that mean? I'll skip the Webster's definition (you can google that) and get to the meat. Authenticity in your business is about communicat... [read more]

I've been working hard all summer to nail down some interviews with people that have not only impacted music and culture but are also changing our industry. Sharing, learning and listening to the stories from these amazing people has been incredible. We cover music, life, travel, working with legends and much more. I wish I could share every word they said with you. Suffice it to say that I've captured the best stuff and put all together for you. Is Disco dead? Not according to Jason Weintraub (AKA Disco Twitter). Jason has been traveling the world promoting disco goodness. In our September issue interview he reveals how he makes old disco tunes so... [read more]

When people put together a gaming setup, they tend to focus on graphics cards, fast internet, controllers, CPU speeds, and gaming headsets or chairs. And all of those things are essentials for serious gamers, but even the most experienced players sometimes leave out a very important ingredient of a grade A gaming rig: a high-quality Virtual Private Network (VPN). Why are VPNs essential to modern gaming? There are actually plenty of reasons. Firstly, they ensure anonymity on chat rooms and gaming platforms. So, if you annoy a fellow gamer and they try to dox your identity, you’ll be fully protected and safe from harm. That’s especially handy for parents with kids who love multiplayer games like Fortnite. Secondly, VPNs can deliver enhanced ping speeds, by routing traffic straight to gaming servers, i... [read more]

September in New England usually means wedding season is starting to wind down, school dances are back in full swing and it's time to think about Holiday parties. After a busy summer season it's a good idea to look around your office and catch up some things you've let slide. There's equipment to be fixed, things to be cleaned, social media and marketing to catch up on, etc. Time to switch gears a little. Here is a really spot on list of ideas from a marketing website I follow. I firmly believe that to truly grow your business, you need to digest content from a variety of sources. I came across Josh Pather on Instagram a few months ago. Not all of h... [read more]

I'll bet that at least half of the people that read the title of this blog thought I was writing about computers and the other half thought I was writing about political correctness. The previous statement clearly demonstrates two important miscommunication principles. 1. Misinterpretation and 2. Not saying what you mean. The folks that guessed political correctness would be right (I've never owned a Mac, but I do have an iPad, iPhone and two iPods). I admit I swear like a sailor on shore leave and I'm sarcastic to a fault. Ask my wife. Maybe it's the generation I grew up in or maybe I'm just getting old and grumpy (more likely) but I was rais... [read more]

First, I would like to apologize to any disc jockeys that actually are lawyers. This blog isn't really about you, but it does pertain to you. There was a good discussion on one of the several thousand DJ forums I belong to about DJs offering legal advice or stating something is against the law without offering any proof. These strands start off innocently enough with someone posting a question about the rules on using a particular piece of gear at an event or about music, files, streaming or sharing. The strands quickly devolve into regional DJs stating how one can or can't do that in their market. A good example: cold sparklers. These things are re... [read more]