The DJAA National Conference 2014.

To my fellow Australian DJs;

This is an extract from a chapter I wrote in the book "Running a successful wedding DJ business" by John Beck & Derek Pegnelly:

"I thought that if I want to do this for the rest of my life, I got to be ready to take the whole package that comes with it. I was never a businessman, web designer, event co-ordinator or any other job title that you require to run a successful DJ business... And I could hardly communicate with the people of this beautiful country, when I walked out of the Melbourne Airport ten years ago but somehow I find myself contributing to this excellent book..."

How many opportunity doors have you got open at the moment? How many more do you want to open?

Join us in Ballarat on the 5th and 6th of August 2014 for the DJAA National Conference where amongst other speakers and topics I will be discussing about how you can boost your mix.

Don't miss out.

A ton of gold for mobile DJs and wedding entertainers.

Running a successful wedding DJ business.

In a world where everyone and their dog is a DJ, clients (and even some DJs) find it difficult to understand that there is a difference between one Mobile DJ and another. Some of our clients do not realise that some DJs do more than just play music. This book gives you what you need to know to become a true professional entertainer and set you apart from the rest in the industry. It also shows you that the only competition in your market is yourself.

John Beck and Derek Pengelly are two experts when it comes to the Wedding DJ industry and both of them built their own Mobile DJ businesses from the ground up. In this book they are giving a ton of information about how they did it. Whether you are a beginner or expert in the industry, whether you do just weddings or any type of Mobile events, you are going to find something in this book that will help you and your business grow.

This is your chance to evolve from being just a DJ to become a professional entertainer.

Buy Kindle Edition of the book here.

Back on air.

For the first time in over 10 years, today I find myself producing material for the radio once again.

This morning the nerves kicked in and the butterflies in my stomach where going crazy as I walked in the studio and worked on my first radio feature and as soon as I finished I felt a sense of pride.

I could hear all the emotions I was going through in my voice through my headphones, throughout the whole time, the nerves, the excitement and the pride.

I know that when I listen back in the future, I am going to think how far I have come but I am also going to remember and cherish the moment and all the feelings I was going through when I got the chance to get back on air, forever.

This also came less then a week after the book I was given the opportunity to be a part of was published. Running a successful wedding DJ business is getting great feedback from a lot of DJs from around the world. I just hope that those who read what I have written on a few pages will get inspired to follow their dreams and implement a few of the great ideas to become a better DJ and most of all a better person.

I cannot explain how grateful I am to be given these opportunities to expand myself in such a way that I always dreamt of but never thought I could, until now.

And to those of you who are helping make my dreams come true, Thank you.

Why I still do mixtapes and why every event is unique.

A couple of weeks ago, I was part of a DJ gathering in Melbourne where we had guest speakers from the US. Myself and 2 other local DJs had the opportunity to entertain by DJing in between the presentations.

How do you entertain a group of DJs by mixing a few tunes in a 30 minute time slot?

That question was going on in my head over and over again for a few weeks until I thought of how much I like, ok more love than like, listening to a good mixtape, whether it's something that I mixed myself or by other DJs. I also find that the shorter the mix, the more straight to the point it is, less repetitive and the more I enjoy it. BINGO!!!

Yes, today I am more of an entertainer than a DJ but deep down, I still LOVE and get goosebumps when I hear or do a good mix. Me being me, wanted to create something different, veeery different :). I took this challenge and started my preparation. I knew that most of the guys and girls there, were going to be networking and my mix was going to be somewhat more like background music. Then I thought about those ones who were there for the first time and for a moment felt like they knew nobody. I wanted to make sure that my mix served as a talking point, something to break the ice.

For weeks I worked on preparing this 30 minute mash up mix for long hours and a few sleepless nights. I wanted the set to be perfect like I want every other event I do, not to impress, but because my crowd, my guests are spending time listening to me and they deserve something they will remember.

It was something I never attempted live but now that I got the bug... :)

Now, I do not usually do this, because what I do is not about me but my clients and their guests. However, for those 30 minutes I was the 'main attraction' and I was really proud to receive praise from my fellow colleagues. This is what some of the guests had to say. :)

Glenn Mackay "I'm so glad you did this. I heard a few bits of it on the day and remember thinking how good it was. Soooo glad I get to listen to it all."

Bernard Sutton Power "Absolutely bloody brilliant brother!!"

Peter De Wever "I must admit I forgot to mention on the day how good it sounded. Well done mate."

Robert Huggins "This is just wonderful Thomas Well done I was so busy talking I missed this on the day. It is so wonderful to hear this fantastic effort."

Phil Rampton "Enjoyed it at the time and again now. Nice work Thomas".

Brock Funkwell PI "Sounded fantastic Thomas! I'm disappointed I missed the meeting, but happy that I didn't have to follow your performance there!"

Serge Olivieri "Just finished listening to it properly (only heard bits and pieces on the day), great work Mr Thomas!!"

Thanks for reading and enjoy listening!!! :)

LISTEN HERE

2014: A Big Year

2014 is finally here and I can say, this year is a big year for myself as a DJ/MC. It's a year that I'm looking really forward too.

With workshops from Bill Hermann and Jason Jones with their "The Entertainment Experience - Seminars and Workshops" in a couple of weeks and then Mark and Rebecca Ferrell with "The MarBecca Method" in October, it couldn't get any better. But wait, it does... This year is also the year where I'm hoping to become a member of the DJ Alliance Australia.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who used my DJ services along the years and those DJs who are willing to network and help one another because if it wasn't for all of you, I wouldn't be where I am today.

THANK YOU ALL and all the best for 2014!!!

How much do you charge? - The million dollar question!!!

99.9%, I can guarantee this is the first question that comes to your head when you contact a DJ to hire their services, right? From my experience nearly all enquiries start like this.

How much does a DJ charge?

OK here's a simple answer, DJs charge from less than a $100 to thousands of dollars. That is probably not the answer you wanted to hear, so I will go into a bit of detail of what's the difference between a $100 DJ and a more 'expensive' DJ service. I suggest you continue reading.

Now before I go further, I am NOT the best DJ on the planet and I don't pretend to be but I DO KNOW that I love what I do. I know my limitations and how far I can go. I've got a tremendous respect for every single Disc Jockey out there, I'm willing to share ideas with everyone and help wherever I can. I see other DJs as my colleagues and NOT my competition. I only compete with one person and that is myself, to better my services.

I started DJing as a hobby, my bedroom was loaded with records and cassette tapes - Do you remember them? and a load of speakers, turntables & tape decks. Then I DJed on a Radio Station and got a few gigs from there too. After a few years I went on to Nightclubs and a few Mobile Gigs as a part time, this time it was records and CDs. Now I am a full time Disc Jockey. After my family, this is what I live, breathe and focus on, on a daily basis. Oh!!! and I carry mp3s and fewer CDs nowadays.

What am I trying to say?

Would you have trusted me with your Wedding over 20 years ago when I was still a Bedroom DJ at a $100? Probably NOT. I couldn't even get a small Pub or Club gig back then, let alone MC or DJ a Wedding.

There's probably nothing wrong with a $100 DJ and you can probably find a $400 Wedding DJ who does an excellent job. So what is the difference?

From years of experience, networking and courses I've done all over the years, this is what I can tell about myself. I've always charged for the value I offer. When I started years ago, the value I offered was only worth a $100 - $200. 5 years ago I charged $500 - $600 for a Wedding when today $500 is my minimum deposit. Why? Because I could only offer $500 - $600 worth of value. Because I did not know what I know today. I did not know how to care. I did not know how to fulfil someone's dream and create a special memorable day for them. I did not know how to give my clients peace of mind and STRESS FREE entertainment. I did not offer customer care 24 hours a day. I did not sit down listen and discuss and go into a great detail of what the client want to achieve on their special day.

Today I get excited when I have meetings with my clients. It feels like they draw a sketch of their ideas and then together we paint and colour it on canvas.

I CARE, I really do and all the DJs I know who charge more than average is because they feel the same way as I do. We want to build friendship and TRUST with our clients.

So next time you need a DJ's service, ask yourself a few questions about how you envision your special day or event. Is a cheaper DJ going to fulfil your dreams or do you need the services of someone who will give you peace of mind? Nothing wrong with either. It's your choice.

Choose wisely!!!

Genuine vs fake emotion.

The only thing worse than going to buy something and the person behind the counter doesn't even say "Hi" is a person behind the counter trying to sell you something you don't want to buy or even worse when they're telling you that the dress or suit you're trying on is perfect for you when you can see for yourself it's not.

How many times does that happen to you? I can guarantee that you will never go back to that shop or store not because of their product but the customer care and service.

Are you getting the right customer care when planning your wedding or special event? Are you 'clicking' with the person you're dealing with? Are you going out of a planning meeting with peace of mind or are you still questioning whether you made the right decisions or not? Is your supplier keeping contact with you during your wedding preparations to update you with progress on the planning of your Special Day? Is he/she ready to listen to your concerns? Is their emotion fake or genuine?

Fortunately a lot of wedding suppliers are genuine and passionate about what they do. They're the REAL professionals in the industry. They're the ones who wake up happy every morning because they're happy to go to work and help their clients fulfil their dreams. Go with your instinct and hire wedding suppliers who you really like to be around, the ones who want to work for you, the ones who understand you and most importantly the ones who REALLY care for you.

Choose wisely!!!

Aviophobia - Fear of flying!!!

On Monday I flew to Brisbane for a two day workshop and networking with other professional mobile & wedding DJ/MCs. I must admit, for me, someone who does not like flying, this had to mean something, especially when I knew that 3 days later I had to jump back on a plane to Melbourne. I was not sure what to expect even though this was not my first DJ/MC workshop.

I took the plunge, booked my flights and jumped up on that plane because for some reason I knew that I had to be there. If you ask me what did I get from being there or what do you think the others got from it, I can't give a straight answer because I haven't got one BUT it felt like the other 10 DJs in that room and over dinner, were there just to guide me. I do not know if they experienced the same feeling but I sure did.

Why I chose to become a DJ?

What made me choose to become a DJ is very different from why I choose to keep DJing. Why? Unlike when I started, today it's not just about the music or how I mixed it that makes me happy but the emotions of people at consultations, event planning, events and even after the event. The joy and memories I create, are the biggest satisfaction. It's hard to explain unless you're experiencing it but take my word for it, it's an awesome feeling.

Why am I saying this?

I experienced the same feeling you, our client, will from being around these people in the last couple of days and now that I'm back home it made me think, if that is what you feel when we're around you, guiding you and helping you, I've got the best 'job' in the world. Not just because we play music but because of that feeling. Our industry have an unfortunate reputation of DJs being just a jukebox but I think that is about to change. There are DJs who really care out there and if they care about me, their colleague, imagine how much more they're going to care about our clients, about YOU.

I feel that I went to Brisbane to catch up with some good friends but when it was time to come back home it felt like I was leaving a family behind. If that is what you, my client, think about me after I leave, it makes me realize why I did jump up on that plane to improve what I do and meet other industry professionals even though I don't like flying.

It makes me understand why I care about what I do and why I feel that your event is the most SPECIAL ONE to me.