FREE Chapter 1 Excerpt

Be a Top DJ in 10 Easy Steps

Chapter 1 - Start with the End in Mind

Everyone wants to be a DJ. You, your friend, the dude who wants to shag your girlfriend, and even Tommy Lee (for your sake I hope Tommy Lee doesn’t have an eye on your girlfriend or you’d better be a speed reader). Being a DJ makes you the focal point, and likely the highest paid attendee of the party. Celebrities as high profile as Will.i.am, from the Black Eyed Peas, and as low as the latest “D” list reality actor play sets at clubs around the world because rockin’ a packed club and being the reason why everyone in the room is loving life in that brief moment, is the best high in the world. Oh yeah, and making 5 figures a night, it ain’t so bad either!

So then, how do you make it? Well, if you don’t spell out your definition of what it means to you to “Make it,” how the hell will you know when you get there? Along the journey, you are going to have friends and family, who with the best of intentions and wishes for you, will try and talk you out of your goals, haters are going to discourage you, and you may even second guess yourself at times. Without a strong foundation, you are likely to throw in the towel in the final lap. So it’s important that you set yourself up for victory in advance.

The good news is the barriers to entry are lower than ever, but before I can help you get anywhere, you need to spell it out where you are trying to go in no uncertain terms, and it’s OK to shoot for the stars while doing this exercise. What kind of gigs do you want to be playing? Private parties, weddings, clubs, stadiums or all of the above? What do you need to have happen professionally and personally in your life to feel like an accomplished DJ?

For me, it originally was to retire from DJing at 35 as one of the top DJs in the industry. Not from music, I will be involved with that until I die, but I just don’t want to be that old ass creepy DJ in teen clubs filled with girls who I may have fathered early on in my career. I’m being satirical, of course, but you get the idea. And no disrespect at all, to any working DJ at any age, this is just a decision I have made for myself.

When I end the DJ part of my career, my goal is to have contributed to the happiest times of the lives of the people on my dance floor and to position myself to make a smooth transition from playing other artist’s music to having others play the music that I have made. As luck would have it, I’m running a few years ahead of schedule – I’m only 32 but not ready to hang up the headphones yet. I’m still having way too much fun, and would hate to leave money on the table!

Focusing a desired outcome helps me to weigh my daily decisions against my end goal. When my agent gets a call for me to perform on a slow night at a tired venue that no one wants to go to, we turn it down no matter what the offer is. Taking a gig like that is a hit on my reputation and will cost me credibility in the long run. Obviously, not every gig will be the hottest brand new club packing them in asses to elbows, but it’s important to know what you are associating yourself with in advance. I get into this much deeper in chapter 4.

Once you know exactly what you want, it’s important to make sure you have made a few lifestyle austments that will position you for success. Since the age of 15, I’ve been working in bars 3 nights a week or more. And by all means, I’ve had my share of experiences courtesy of the good folks at the Patron factory. But, in general, I don’t drink while I’m working. It’s simply a waste of calories, takes a toll on your body, and makes you sound like crap. Think of the club as your office, and your body as one of your tools. No one wants to watch a sloppy DJ make an ass out of himself. Well, OK as much as they like to watch a car accident, but that’s not you. You are there to position yourself as a professional and worst of all, the club owner or client won’t take you seriously and may even try to mess with your money…that’s a big nono!

To belabor the point, another reason that you can’t afford to drink on the job is the stricter DUI laws. It costs upwards of $10,000 in legal fees and fines, not to mention you will lose your driver’s license, making you completely at the mercy of others to get to your next DJ gig. Save it for after you throwdown at an out of town gig once you’ve gotten paid. Just don’t get drunk and try to hit on the…. BUY THE BOOK NOW!

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