Re-thinking my pricing

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
Rick,

I'll chime in here because I am in a similar situation.

To start, I quickly skimmed your site. Design and photos look great, however, I found it to be slightly content heavy. If users are browsing from a mobile device, you'll lose them. If you haven't yet - make sure it is mobile optmized. I am in the process of bootstrapping my site which will take care of a lot of that. In your case, I would try implementing a photo gallery and attempting to use bulleted lists wherever possible (millenials have next to no attention span).

Honestly, I am a big proponent of omitting pricing from the homepage. In your situation, that is potentially what will get you in trouble.

Ten years ago, the bulk of my business was coming in subcontracting for someone else. Whatever dates I was not working for that company I was filling with inquiries from Thumbtack (back when it was still a monthly subscription). I was basically charging the clients I would book myself just a little more than what this other company was paying me, putting my prices at the lower end of the market. I started to get very busy.

Things changed from there - my equipment started aging, people began commanding more (uplights, photobooths, insurance, multiple meetings etc. etc. etc.), I got to the point where I needed help. Around this point, I too got married and realized doing what I was doing was no longer sustainable.

I had to make a decision - close, or convert this from a hobby into a legitimate business. I converted (and got into photobooths and uplighting). The money had to come from somewhere, so I increased prices. This worked fine for a while, then I found I was double and triple booking the same dates. From here, I began having staffing issues. To pay quality help what they demand to keep them loyal, and still make a profit, prices had to be increased again. I was now around the thousand dollar mark. Like you, once I hit this pricepoint business started to slow down. Of course once anxiety set in, I romanced the thought of lowering prices again, however, I have not yet lowered them as I do not want my quality to suffer.

Upon careful analysis and reflection, the pricepoint I am at is not the crux of the issue. The real issue is the fact I've done a great job of reinventing what I have to offer, but have done a crap job of building my brand. It's like going to the grocery store and seeing the generic brand is the same price as the name brand. Unless something great catches your eye as you scan both products, 90% of people will go with the name brand as that is the known variable. Over the years, I had a great referral base - but the referrals were for similar events in the same price range. The problem was I miserably failed at keeping up relationships after events, getting quality content, reviews etc. and I am paying for it now. As the generation gets younger, my "brand" is also not viewed as the "cool" brand, as I do not have the likes, follows, flashy video and social media prescence others do. For these reasons, I have to fight twice as hard to convert and close leads. I know what I need to do - carving out the time to do it is a different story.

Taso has a lot of good information, and he seems to be extremely knowledgeable on business operation, sales and marketing. I don't know him, however, I would actually love to sit down and talk with him or go out with him on a gig. I do however somewhat disagree with Taso's statement that reducing pricing is "dangerous". Increases and decreases in price can all be handled with proper PR and justification. What you need to have readily accessible, however, should someone booked at the higher price call you out, is some sort of added value to show them why they are in at a higher price. Personally, I run on/off season pricing. If someone books with me on a peak date, they are paying more because there is a greater demand - it does not mean they are overpaying by x percent. I believe you can float this if done right, as you are not reducing your pricing as much as you are retooling your packages. We work in a supply and demand industry. That being said, I would coordinate the price slash with the off-season (you may need to redefine what your off-season is if you're super slow) then specifically announce "New Base Package With Ala Carte Options" or something similar when Peak season hits again. This looks more like a different package than a reduction in pricing.

You might also try a "Web Special" to show off that price for anyone who visits the new site. This gives you the opportunity to experiment with the different number but doesn't lock you into anything. You can make it for a limited time or for a limited number of people to give off the illusion of scarcity and exclusivity.

As someone else mentioned, requiring bundles on specific dates might not be a bad idea. Next year, I plan to no longer allow the photobooth to be booked independently of Dj services during peak season since it is simply not worth my time.

Just my two cents...If I had the quick fix I'd offer it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Bobcat
camarofleet said:
Rick,

I'll chime in here because I am in a similar situation.

To start, I quickly skimmed your site. Design and photos look great, however, I found it to be slightly content heavy. If users are browsing from a mobile device, you'll lose them. If you haven't yet - make sure it is mobile optmized. I am in the process of bootstrapping my site which will take care of a lot of that. In your case, I would try implementing a photo gallery and attempting to use bulleted lists wherever possible (millenials have next to no attention span).

Honestly, I am a big proponent of omitting pricing from the homepage. In your situation, that is potentially what will get you in trouble.

Ten years ago, the bulk of my business was coming in subcontracting for someone else. Whatever dates I was not working for that company I was filling with inquiries from Thumbtack (back when it was still a monthly subscription). I was basically charging the clients I would book myself just a little more than what this other company was paying me, putting my prices at the lower end of the market. I started to get very busy.

Things changed from there - my equipment started aging, people began commanding more (uplights, photobooths, insurance, multiple meetings etc. etc. etc.), I got to the point where I needed help. Around this point, I too got married and realized doing what I was doing was no longer sustainable.

I had to make a decision - close, or convert this from a hobby into a legitimate business. I converted (and got into photobooths and uplighting). The money had to come from somewhere, so I increased prices. This worked fine for a while, then I found I was double and triple booking the same dates. From here, I began having staffing issues. To pay quality help what they demand to keep them loyal, and still make a profit, prices had to be increased again. I was now around the thousand dollar mark. Like you, once I hit this pricepoint business started to slow down. Of course once anxiety set in, I romanced the thought of lowering prices again, however, I have not yet lowered them as I do not want my quality to suffer.

Upon careful analysis and reflection, the pricepoint I am at is not the crux of the issue. The real issue is the fact I've done a great job of reinventing what I have to offer, but have done a crap job of building my brand. It's like going to the grocery store and seeing the generic brand is the same price as the name brand. Unless something great catches your eye as you scan both products, 90% of people will go with the name brand as that is the known variable. Over the years, I had a great referral base - but the referrals were for similar events in the same price range. The problem was I miserably failed at keeping up relationships after events, getting quality content, reviews etc. and I am paying for it now. As the generation gets younger, my "brand" is also not viewed as the "cool" brand, as I do not have the likes, follows, flashy video and social media prescence others do. For these reasons, I have to fight twice as hard to convert and close leads. I know what I need to do - carving out the time to do it is a different story.

Taso has a lot of good information, and he seems to be extremely knowledgeable on business operation, sales and marketing. I don't know him, however, I would actually love to sit down and talk with him or go out with him on a gig. I do however somewhat disagree with Taso's statement that reducing pricing is "dangerous". Increases and decreases in price can all be handled with proper PR and justification. What you need to have readily accessible, however, should someone booked at the higher price call you out, is some sort of added value to show them why they are in at a higher price. Personally, I run on/off season pricing. If someone books with me on a peak date, they are paying more because there is a greater demand - it does not mean they are overpaying by x percent. I believe you can float this if done right, as you are not reducing your pricing as much as you are retooling your packages. We work in a supply and demand industry. That being said, I would coordinate the price slash with the off-season (you may need to redefine what your off-season is if you're super slow) then specifically announce "New Base Package With Ala Carte Options" or something similar when Peak season hits again. This looks more like a different package than a reduction in pricing.

You might also try a "Web Special" to show off that price for anyone who visits the new site. This gives you the opportunity to experiment with the different number but doesn't lock you into anything. You can make it for a limited time or for a limited number of people to give off the illusion of scarcity and exclusivity.

As someone else mentioned, requiring bundles on specific dates might not be a bad idea. Next year, I plan to no longer allow the photobooth to be booked independently of Dj services during peak season since it is simply not worth my time.

Just my two cents...If I had the quick fix I'd offer it.
Click to expand...
I always welcome you or anyone to have a chat or come out to shadow on one of my gigs in NJ/Philly!! And all I meant was primarily to not lower his advertised starting price. Heres how I do it on my site:
2018 Pricing for DJ Taso Starts at $2000
While the starting price for Taso is $2000, most couples find themselves spending around $3000 once factoring in lighting and other various enhancements. To get a full pricing catalog with all packages and services offered, please fill out our contact form and Taso will provide it, along with all information requested, via email within 24 hours. Sometimes a phone call may be necessary if more information is needed before being able to send pricing (mostly for events requiring travel or if clarification is needed).

Pricing Details
1. Taso offers discounted pricing for Weddings during certain seasons and dates. These dates include weddings between Dec-Feb, as well as Sunday-Thursday Weddings. (excludes holiday weekends and NYE).
2. Event Minimums of $2750 May Apply for Friday and Saturday’s during peak Seasons (April-June and Sept-Nov) as well as Holiday Weekends.
3. Travel fees may apply for out of state events (we are based in NJ) and will vary based on location of event and enhancement options desired.
 
Taso, part of Ricks issue of trying to emulate what you do is he simply doesn’t have the time to do all of the social media interaction properly, if I remember correctly he not only had a pretty active DJ schedule but also a full time day job
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
camarofleet said:
Upon careful analysis and reflection, the pricepoint I am at is not the crux of the issue. The real issue is the fact I've done a great job of reinventing what I have to offer, but have done a crap job of building my brand. It's like going to the grocery store and seeing the generic brand is the same price as the name brand. Unless something great catches your eye as you scan both products, 90% of people will go with the name brand as that is the known variable. Over the years, I had a great referral base - but the referrals were for similar events in the same price range. The problem was I miserably failed at keeping up relationships after events, getting quality content, reviews etc. and I am paying for it now. As the generation gets younger, my "brand" is also not viewed as the "cool" brand, as I do not have the likes, follows, flashy video and social media prescence others do. For these reasons, I have to fight twice as hard to convert and close leads. I know what I need to do - carving out the time to do it is a different story.
Click to expand...

I think you are still missing the crux of the issue. You're not viewed as "cool" because you're older than you used to be but still pursuing the same crowd. You have to change something else because Tweeting and Snapchatting will not change that reality.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Ricky B
tunes4046 said:
Taso, part of Ricks issue of trying to emulate what you do is he simply doesn’t have the time to do all of the social media interaction properly, if I remember correctly he not only had a pretty active DJ schedule but also a full time day job
Click to expand...

ding ding ding...........too many irons in the fire. Look, I'm realistic. I'm too old and don't have the level of pizazz as Taso. What I can do, however, is to glean aspects from Taso (and other friends here) to make incremental improvements to what I can do. At present, I have no aspirations of ever being a full-time DJ. I also don't see becoming a full-time photographer either. These, for me, are good part-time incomes, which helps my family to prosper. When I combine it with the base salary/benefits that I get at my State job, we do fairly well.

There are some other irons that we're working on. You've heard (too much probably) about my aspirations of opening a venue. That one has the potential for replacing both my current incomes. My wife is also chasing digital marketing. She's an excellent writer and creative type so she has more to offer than just social media or blog writing. The creative, paired with the photography gives us a real shot at making something happen and those freelancers will average $1k-$3k per month per account. Take a $2k average, times 10 accounts and you're at $240k per year (an with very low CODB). That certainly trumps what we're currently doing and keep in mind that's mid-week money.

Back to Taso's efforts, I have to applaud the guy. He is absolutely KILLING it on his presentation and branding efforts and that full-page video background is a powerful, POWERFUL improvement over what he's done in the past. The guy is certainly doing some stuff worth emulating and learning from each other is what this board's all about.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and steve149
Proformance said:
I think you are still missing the crux of the issue. You're not viewed as "cool" because you're older than you used to be but still pursuing the same crowd. You have to change something else because Tweeting and Snapchatting will not change that reality.
Click to expand...

While many will argue about it. ...Age certainly plays a big role in how busy you are as a Mobile DJ UNLESS you have a specific Niche!

DJ Grandma - Ruth Flowers is a example of that! She still get's booked in plenty of night clubs because crowds love her because of her brand/image (DJ GRANDMA) - Ruth Flowers - Wikipedia

...Of Course, she just plays clubs where she can plug and play. She doesn't lift equipment/set up obviously....

...My Dad is 74 this year, and he still DJs. He does not do weddings any more though. He only does an Elks Lodge (Customers of establishment are generally late 40s to 75 years old). He does an American Legion (Customers are generally late 40s on up to 80+ years old), and he is the DJ for a hand dance club where all the members are between ages of early 50s on up to a couple members in their early 80s).

Everyone will have a Solid Decline in work/bookings at some point when they get older...Even Taso. We will all deal with it in our own way of dealing with it whether that means pushing on, and marketing more in hopes of keeping things going, turning the business into more of a hobby for extra part time income, or hanging up the head phones all together.

I know DJs who still say they are DJs, and only book 1 to 5 gigs a year now for some extra money after the gigs/bookings generally dried up to near zero for them after being full timers for a long time in the past...I have one on my roster.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Bobcat
DJ Ricky B said:
While many will argue about it. ...Age certainly plays a big role in how busy you are as a Mobile DJ UNLESS you have a specific Niche!

DJ Grandma - Ruth Flowers is a example of that! She still get's booked in plenty of night clubs because crowds love her because of her brand/image (DJ GRANDMA) - Ruth Flowers - Wikipedia

...Of Course, she just plays clubs where she can plug and play. She doesn't lift equipment/set up obviously....

...My Dad is 74 this year, and he still DJs. He does not do weddings any more though. He only does an Elks Lodge (Customers of establishment are generally late 40s to 75 years old). He does an American Legion (Customers are generally late 40s on up to 80+ years old), and he is the DJ for a hand dance club where all the members are between ages of early 50s on up to a couple members in their early 80s).

Everyone will have a Solid Decline in work/bookings at some point when they get older...Even Taso. We will all deal with it in our own way of dealing with it whether that means pushing on, and marketing more in hopes of keeping things going, turning the business into more of a hobby for extra part time income, or hanging up the head phones all together.

I know DJs who still say they are DJs, and only book 1 to 5 gigs a year now for some extra money after the gigs/bookings generally dried up to near zero for them after being full timers for a long time in the past...I have one on my roster.
Click to expand...

Except for Cap......................but then again, I'm pretty well convinced that he's an alien.................;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ausumm and ittigger
DJ Ricky B said:
While many will argue about it. ...Age certainly plays a big role in how busy you are as a Mobile DJ UNLESS you have a specific Niche!

DJ Grandma - Ruth Flowers is a example of that! She still get's booked in plenty of night clubs because crowds love her because of her brand/image (DJ GRANDMA) - Ruth Flowers - Wikipedia

...Of Course, she just plays clubs where she can plug and play. She doesn't lift equipment/set up obviously....

...My Dad is 74 this year, and he still DJs. He does not do weddings any more though. He only does an Elks Lodge (Customers of establishment are generally late 40s to 75 years old). He does an American Legion (Customers are generally late 40s on up to 80+ years old), and he is the DJ for a hand dance club where all the members are between ages of early 50s on up to a couple members in their early 80s).

Everyone will have a Solid Decline in work/bookings at some point when they get older...Even Taso. We will all deal with it in our own way of dealing with it whether that means pushing on, and marketing more in hopes of keeping things going, turning the business into more of a hobby for extra part time income, or hanging up the head phones all together.

I know DJs who still say they are DJs, and only book 1 to 5 gigs a year now for some extra money after the gigs/bookings generally dried up to near zero for them after being full timers for a long time in the past...I have one on my roster.
Click to expand...
I don't think DJ Grandma is still getting gigs .. she died 4 years ago .. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard, DJ Ricky B, djcrazychris and 2 others
tunes4046 said:
Taso, part of Ricks issue of trying to emulate what you do is he simply doesn’t have the time to do all of the social media interaction properly, if I remember correctly he not only had a pretty active DJ schedule but also a full time day job
Click to expand...
In all honesty, I think it's fear that drives peoples unwillingness to use social media (for business purposes). All you need to do is post a photo or two regularly, or make a video or make a status. We have access to the best photos nowadays with phones and connecting with photographers, and we have time to post on here... I don't see time as the issue but rather the excuse. The video I made yesterday took me 5 minutes to update for my website, and will be posted on my social media within a minute or two of when I decide I want it shared. Social media isn't really time consuming at all. In fact, if you fall into a routine its pretty quick and easy. I have a routine of posting the same type of stuff:

- when i book a party
- photo albums from an event to facebook
- a photo or two to instagram
- a video recap from an event to all social media
- if i am working i post about what event i am working and anything special about it
- anytime i get a thank you or a review

Each one of those, with exception of making the video for the recap takes less than a minute to do. Those 4 items, based on my business, give me something to post about almost daily during the busy seasons, and during the slower seasons, i have something about 1x per week. It's really not that hard. once in a while I'll post about something new we're doing or if certain months are almost sold out etc.
 
With photographer I found that no prices on teh website was a bad idea.
On the DJ side of things...I took most pricing down and am getting more inquiries.

Not sure if its the market, the competition, or what. Few DJs have pricing on their website. When i look something up I want to see pricing...

What I'm finding is I get some info from them (event type, date, location, etc) and then quote a price. EVERYtime i'm quoting higher..and they're like 'wow, that's cheap"...I've double my wedding price since 18 months ago...private party quotes are up 20-30%.

As for website..everything I see/read says mobile is where 2/3 of people are shopping, so a mobile friendly site is critical. I'm not thrilled with my DJ site but it mobile-formatted.

Contacts come in all types..more FB this year than in years past for weddings. Parties are mostly phone calls.

rickryan.com said:
Thanks for your feedback. I've already begun making the changes and think I'm "getting it" a bit more. I've pulled in the uplighting info and will finish fleshing out the rest of the add-on services as well. I'm still searching for that magic sauce that compels a user to fill out the inquiry form. You've got that down cold but mine still feels like a laundry list. I'm thinking I may have to personalize the DJ page more and have my wife do a better photo. This is the part where I wish I was younger and better looking like you.

As for the pricing, I've been waffling on that magic $1k mark. I think what it boils down to is that for the past few months I'm getting a much higher percentage of folks who shut me off when they hear the price. I obviously haven't found the sweet spot yet but I'm going to experiment with re-tooling to see if I can get some "yes" answers coming in.
Click to expand...
 
It's a mental condition. Not insanity..maybe.

I NEVER think of taking pics with my phone or posting to FB. Never. But I'm a computer based internet person...not a mobile device person.

My girlfriend? she's a phone-based web user and is posting shit, checking in , taking pictures constantly.

She freaks if her phone is beyond arms reach.
me? I often forget my phone in the car or at home...and it's my ONLY phone.

Yesterday I maybe sent 1 text..got some spam calls I didn't mind missing...her? 4 photo posts to FB and god knows how many texts and pictures.


I have to change my mindset...that other people give a shit about what I'm doing...I don't care about their activites, so it's not front in my mind that they would care about mine.

So it's a MINDSET to use SM...and I don't have it.

djtaso said:
In all honesty, I think it's fear that drives peoples unwillingness to use social media (for business purposes). All you need to do is post a photo or two regularly, or make a video or make a status. We have access to the best photos nowadays with phones and connecting with photographers, and we have time to post on here... I don't see time as the issue but rather the excuse. The video I made yesterday took me 5 minutes to update for my website, and will be posted on my social media within a minute or two of when I decide I want it shared. Social media isn't really time consuming at all. In fact, if you fall into a routine its pretty quick and easy. I have a routine of posting the same type of stuff:

- when i book a party
- photo albums from an event to facebook
- a photo or two to instagram
- a video recap from an event to all social media
- if i am working i post about what event i am working and anything special about it
- anytime i get a thank you or a review

Each one of those, with exception of making the video for the recap takes less than a minute to do. Those 4 items, based on my business, give me something to post about almost daily during the busy seasons, and during the slower seasons, i have something about 1x per week. It's really not that hard. once in a while I'll post about something new we're doing or if certain months are almost sold out etc.
Click to expand...
 
Best thing about being a bottom-feeder... I hardly EVER RE-think my prices[emoji1]. Still charge the same rates as when I started four years ago. I turn down more gigs than I take... not because of price, but because I don’t do outdoors, or it’s a type of music or event for which I don’t feel like I’m a good fit. I thought this was gonna be a slow season, but I just picked up another political fund-raiser, and may get a couple more before November. Life is good at the bottom.[emoji1]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
DJ Bobcat said:
Best thing about being a bottom-feeder... I hardly EVER RE-think my prices[emoji1]. Still charge the same rates as when I started four years ago. I turn down more gigs than I take... not because of price, but because I don’t do outdoors, or it’s a type of music or event for which I don’t feel like I’m a good fit. I thought this was gonna be a slow season, but I just picked up another political fund-raiser, and may get a couple more before November. Life is good at the bottom.[emoji1]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Instead of BobCat, we shall call you CatFish ...
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and DJ Bobcat
Proformance said:
I think you are still missing the crux of the issue. You're not viewed as "cool" because you're older than you used to be but still pursuing the same crowd. You have to change something else because Tweeting and Snapchatting will not change that reality.
Click to expand...

I disagree...Exactly how old do you think I am? I'm probably closer to Taso's age than some others on this thread.

Realistically, brides want someone experienced to emcee their wedding - and I don't see many "kids" working at bridal shows. Most of my competitors in this market are around my age or older (30's-50's). I'm actually on the younger end of the spectrum and also second youngest out of my own staff.

There's very little anyone else in the Cleveland market is offering that we can't. At the end of the day, we have about the same (or better) music subscriptions, lighting, controllers, sound, photobooths etc. that many others around here have. I know as a fact my performers, performance and equipment are about the same as a couple guys in the 2k range who have a larger following. How do I know this? I've gone out on jobs and also subbed for them when they were overbooked.

I'm not trying to brag or sound stuck up - I've done a side-by-side comparison as have a few of my more picky clients who asked me for sample announcements, equipment lists etc. as they were shopping around (I've done a few ex-Djs and Djs' kids' weddings).

So, if someone who used to be in this type of business hires me, or recommends that their daughter hires me (at let's say 1k) over someone double the price (after doing their research), I would venture to guess they are looking more at what I am offering from a years of experience and technical perspective more-so than a bride or groom fresh out of college who is focused on having an "awesome party".

Here's where branding and marketing come in. Like some of you, I am part time. I work in IT/web development Monday-Friday which at times restricts me from running this the way I would like to. The more valuable my time becomes, I also realize I can not take on everything (including all aspects of marketing myself). I have received estimates for professional companies to take over my social media or finish up my custom portal, and they were not cheap. My marketing budget is only $2000 per year, and I allocate the bulk of it to bridal shows. From what I've heard, some of my competitors in the 2k range have marketing budgets 3x-10x larger than mine.

Perhaps my selection of words was poor when I said "uncool". Maybe I am just not relevant or connecting properly to the millenial bride. On average most of my brides are in their late 20's and early 30's. It's rare that I get a couple under 25 or 26.

I believe my deficits to be in the following areas:
-Branding- again, I am probably to an extent the "generic" brand for reasons I will detail out below. Additionally, although I have my company properly registered with the secretary of state, other Djs within an hour of me are using similar names. I haven't made a decision as to what to do about this yet, but these other Djs are smaller, cheaper operations which could potentially hurt my image.
-Web presence- mine sucks - my websites are dated and I haven't moved over my new one from my production server yet.
-Social media presence- mine sucks - I tried doing it myself which was difficult with many pokers in the fire like Rick has, and I also tried extending admin access to someone on my staff. She did better than I did, but was kind of grasping at straws for content (especially during slow season).
-Flashy stuff- 90% of the time I go out alone, so I have had difficulty collecting video testimonials and other good quality content with me in it because at a wedding I have many other responsibilities. I've also dropped the ball at following up and collecting reviews after the fact.
-Overall planning experience- good, with room for improvement. I work full-time so sometimes it is difficult to coordinate meetings during the workday when requested or give a full "VIP experience" which is what I would like to get to. I generally do a kickoff meeting and final walkthrough in person or over the phone when available, but would like more interactive tools to touch base with the client along the way. I've started developing a portal for this - but don't have the time to finish it so I am still using eventplanner for a lot of my operations. My ultimate goal is I want my tools to provide a fun, low anxiety, amazing experience during the planning process.

So again, in my opinion it becomes about the image. The millenial bride wants engaging relevant content and wants to be able to visualize and experience what she is getting during the sales process. I believe this is where I am missing the mark. Other than that I would go head-to-head with most other Djs in the area on mic skills, playlists, mixing abilities and overall management of an event.
 
rickryan.com said:
I have no aspirations of ever being a full-time DJ. I also don't see becoming a full-time photographer either. These, for me, are good part-time incomes, which helps my family to prosper.
Click to expand...

This is the crux of your problem. You have no aspiration, and it shows. There are part time DJs who do this because they LOVE it. They are the ones who come across with the same passion that Taso does.

There's no way to hide something like this, and it turns up on this site most often as contempt for your own customers. It will look different to people with different perspectives but, it will always show through. The comments people make here about your website seem to indicate that the 'flatness' of your aspiration is also showing up in the design.

If you LOVE photography I suggest you go down that road, or maybe something else that moves you emotionally. If you don't LOVE a given job it won't matter how many irons you put in the fire because the result will always be a smolder not a blaze.

It's not necessary for someone to hate their job to place a cap on their potential. You can also do that but not really having a purpose in what you do, or caring about who you work for.
 
Last edited:
camarofleet said:
I disagree...Exactly how old do you think I am? I'm probably closer to Taso's age than some others on this thread.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter how old you really are - it matters how old you are perceived to be. It's not limited to how you look it includes the way you act, speak, and present. At some point, people lose their "click" factor with a given demographic. (Ask every pop singer who's ever lived.)

A 19 year old dancer once told me: "I think you're probably a lot older.. like 28."
I appreciated that because, I was actually 46 at the time. Perception helped me stay relevant with teens and bar mitzvahs much longer than I otherwise might have. Now, I don't go after that work - I focus on corporations who have significant A/V concerns and my age and experience matter more. My WOW factor isn't contained in a photograph or video, it's within the conversation we have about solving their problem and plotting a path to their goal and budget. I've also changed to use the same approach to weddings which lands me a very no nonsense kind of client which I enjoy much more at this point in my life than the over-the-top whirlwind fantasy events.

I'm not suggesting that someone like Taso can't continue in this business when they age. I merely acknowledge that all of the people I know who did are in management and director positions and no longer out in front holding a microphone or leading follow-along dances.

You have to grow vocationally in addition to simply growing old or you run the risk of being jaded, no longer relevant, or both.

BTW, How many of you in this business have a beard or mustache?
 
Last edited:
What is your dream? What gets you up in teh morning, gets you excited to 'do' or read about?

I have several friends that are musicians, and their dream would to be, well elvis LOL. There is only one of HIm of course...but you CAN make a living as a musician - IF you give up the ego and big dream.

Sure, being a $3000 wedding DJ would be great, being Kalid might be too - but if you cna make a living as a $800 wedding DJ, be your own boss, live the dream so to speak, what's wrong with that?

I too am young a heart and do well booking brides - as a DJ. As a photographer, no, my time has passed - they want 25-40 year old women. If more women DJ's they might prefer them too. But few, very few, young folks dj weddings. Boring for them.

And most don't know the older music...I think it's easier to learn what to play for dancing (new songs) than it would be to learn the last 70 years of music. I had a retirement party last night and they wanted 50s and 60s country music...I know some, but it's all sad as shit stuff and I've no idea what was (is?) dance music out of all that. It's before my time.

And I have a beard AND a mustache...what does that mean?
 
No beard...no moustache since approx 2012 or 2013...

What is your dream? What gets you up in teh morning, gets you excited to 'do' or read about?
Click to expand...
--Not going to my Monday-Friday job any longer...

Sure, being a $3000 wedding DJ would be great, being Kalid might be too - but if you cna make a living as a $800 wedding DJ, be your own boss, live the dream so to speak, what's wrong with that?
Click to expand...
--Unfortunately, many of us are probably caught up in the rat race and this would involve downsizing house, selling off cars etc. There's something to be said about being your own boss and total freedom, however, at the same time many of us have become accustomed to a particular lifestyle which we may no longer be able to afford on a paycut. If I axed my dayjob, I would need a substantial increase in bookings to make my mortgage and car payment.

And most don't know the older music...I think it's easier to learn what to play for dancing (new songs) than it would be to learn the last 70 years of music.
Click to expand...
--I respectfully disagree. While it would be unrealistic to expect any one of us to know all songs ever, part of our job is being well versed in multiple formats and decades. There's a wealth of tools and resources out there. Billboard charts, public libraries, radio, xm, spotify. While I don't necessarily like all formats, I pride myself on knowing Dance songs, Top 40, Adult Contemporary, Rock, Country, Urban, Oldies, Jazz and more spanning pretty much the 20's to today. One thing I do to build up my music knowledge is use an app called "Shazam" on my phone. If I am at a bar or car show and I hear something I am unfamiliar with, I have my phone tag it and I look it up when I get home. I also keep lists of requested songs I did not have to see if there is a gap in my library. For example, I may not be as well versed in Latin, Christian or Alternative music - but it doesn't mean I can't pick up things here and there.
 
I don't know what you guys consider old... but around here the guys that are killing it and are very successful are mostly in their 40's and early 50's. These guys ARE actually the one's MCing and DJing, so I can definitely see guys well into their 50's being successful and in their prime if they brand and market themselves well. By late 50's I think many are looking to start retiring or looking for other income sources.

FYI Idk how old you guy think I am but I'm 31. been djing since I was 17, full time dj since 25 (no other job).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dan The Man
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back