Real Life Stories: “DJing Has Turned Into A Weapon In Life For Me…”

What Michael wrote:

“DJing has turned into a weapon in life for me – and I don’t just mean the money. I totally mean that. It is a real powerhouse in terms of what it has been able to provide for me, my family, my friends… all from just a silly little hobby that I used to use to get into the bar scene for free booze when I was single and poor.

“I sometimes don’t think people really have an idea of the payoff potential this hobby/skill/passion… or whatever you want to call it… has on changing your life for the better if you let it.

“We all start out somewhere, sucking at it, wanting to get better, wanting new gear, or any gear, at the same time feeling a lot is out of reach. Then we add time, patience, practice, and maybe some coaching, along with any other number of attributes all piled up for us to climb on, and it somehow makes us better.

“As long as we set the right goals, it can turn into something we can actually lean on and use to support us in some way. This is a skill that has no geographical limits. With the culture of DJing expanding to everything, meaning there are more types of gigs out there than ever before, we literally have the potential to be DJing more than ever today.

“Yes, DJing makes me money. I’m a sole proprietor, so all of it coming in is mine. Sometimes there are special occasions of guests coming into town, or an event that might be a little pricey, and I can easily justify them with “DJing will pay for this”, because it does.

“On top of my day job it gives me some great bonus money. My wife says it all the time: She is glad I picked DJing as a hobby because it totally supports itself, and all the ridiculous amounts of gear I’m addicted to buying (and yes I know, I have a problem, but is it a problem if it pays for itself? Anyway, I digress…).

“But DJing is also responsible for some really cool opportunities, like travelling out of state with touring bands and musicians to open for them. I’ve made friends in this field that I NEVER would have met without it… globally! I’ve been able to help friends throw parties, DJ for their children, and all kinds of things that don’t seem like work to me, but are madly appreciated, earning me favours in return.

“And lately, my wife and I are thinking about long-term plans that may or may not involve staying in this same state. One thing I am not scared of, is knowing I could literally pick up and plop down a DJ business anywhere and get it up to speed in no time.The skills are needed everywhere now, not just in clubs/bars but in malls, athletic events and facilities, car dealerships, weddings, work, retail, restaurant, and on and on!

“There is no reason to think you are stuck in some local network unless you literally only rely on word of mouth (which is only a mistake if you want it to be more than that).

“I’m just reflecting on how grateful I am to DJing, and how I literally had no idea how important to me it would eventually become, from a night of free beer in my 20s, to something as heart-warming as my two-year-old daughter begging me to ‘play DJ’ with her so she can slide the pitch fader all the way down so every song sounds like the chipmunks while she attempts to scratch and backspin the platter, belly-laughing the whole time.

“I couldn’t pay for the love I have for those moments and memories.”

• This was originally posted in our student-only Facebook Group, StudentHub. If you’re a student of Digital DJ Tips (which applies to anyone who owns any of our courses) and you aren’t already in StudentHub, click here and ask to join.