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]

Mobile Beat Las Vegas has always prided itself on featuring major talent at the evening celebrations that are a key part of each event. Each artist or group that has performed at Mobile Beat has made an indelible mark on the music industry in some way; this year is no different. Making his second appearance at MBLV (the first being in 2009) is Rob Van Winkle—aka Vanilla Ice! Rob’s multi-platinum hit “Ice Ice Baby” not only helped brake down stereotypes of who a “rapper” could be, the song also made a whole new generation fans of Hip Hop, both the music and the style. Kids wanted to dress like him, dance like him and be ice cold co... [read more]

In part 1, I asked why $10,000 wedding photographer Jasmine Star says that it’s not necessarily her talent that allows her to demand such a premium price. (There are sooo many talented photographers out there.) She points out that anybody can own her same camera, editing software, pre-sets and filters. So what is it about Jasmine Star’s photography that has brides writing those fat checks? It’s HER. It’s Jasmine Star, the person—not the photographer. If you are a creative, YOU are your U.S.P. (Unique Selling Proposition). Let me explain. In part 1, we discussed why your polite branding is putting brides into comas and the importance... [read more]

There are a few authors I follow on Medium.com, and the following advice came via a column there. I usually don’t outright glom-on to another author’s work, but I have been giving this issue a lot of thought lately and have reached the same conclusions. And, like me, he also loves quotes! So here is a sort of Frankenstein-like conglomeration of Zdravko Cvijetic’s and my own findings on... 15 THINGS YOU SHOULD GIVE UP IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL “Somebody once told me the definition of hell: ‘On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.’” ~Anonymous Sometimes, to become successful an... [read more]

Many DJ companies grow their businesses by expanding their service offerings beyond simply providing music. These new  services can add new dimensions to a company, truly benefitting clients while also increasing a DJ’s bottom line. For too many DJ companies expansion equals buying a nifty new controller (with unnecessary bells and whistles), or some shiny new lights (without a plan for how to upsell them). Expansion should be about adding services that accentuate what you already offer. One person who has mastered the art of successful expansion is Ryan Scheller of Sound Extreme in Sonora, California. I got to hang out and chat with Ryan at�... [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]

Have you ever attended a big national conference like Mobile Beat Las Vegas and heard presentations that will make you a better business owner? Maybe you discovered new technologies or gear that you are certain will give you the advantage over your competition? But what happens when you return home? Many business owners become comfortable in their own methods, which makes change—even positive change— difficult. Scientific research has shown that behavioral changes do not happen in one step, but rather through a series of distinct, predictable stages. These are called the “5 Stages of Change,” a framework describing the series of change... [read more]

Have you noticed that there are some business owners who just seem to get it right every time? It seems like anything they touch turns to gold. How do they do it? What’s that magic formula that finds them so blessed, while many other entrepreneurs continue to struggle? For most successful people, it’s as simple as this: They have a plan. They write down their goals, and stick to them. Goals force practical steps into your life that help make your dreams come true. If you haven’t tackled your business goals for the new year, here are some ideas to help you get started. Remember, they’re only suggestions. For your goals to truly w... [read more]

DJs are more than just musical entertainers. They are consultants, experts and trendsetters. Your customer looks to you to know all genres and styles of music. They expect you to be the life of the party but stay quietly in the background and, of course, come and go without being noticed. But what if you could change that perception? What if, instead of just providing entertainment through music, you could provide an experience: an "unforgettable, still talking about it long afterwards" experience? Well, you can! When you first start your business, your main marketing goal is brand recognition; you need to “get the word out” that you are a... [read more]

In 2001, I produced a DJ Training DVD called The 1% Solution. Over the years, we’ve added more releases and more in-depth subjects and I’m proud to say that the phrase “1%” has become a part of the DJ lexicon. But I’m dismayed at how often it’s misunderstood. The 1% Solution came about as a result of our in-house training methods for our staff DJs. While working on improving performances, I often made the point that I didn’t want to change anything our DJs did by 100%, but that I wanted to change 100 things by 1%—thus the name. The misconception has arisen, however, that this concept is often seen as being “1% better.” The... [read more]