INTERVIEW: KRIEGER - Starting Your Business Over In A New Geographic Market | The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B Podcast

Package vs Option vs 1 Solution Selling: In the DJ vertical (and the creative space at large), "package" selling is the most predominant type. But do we understand the advantages and disadvantages to this versus "Option" selling and "1 Solution" selling? In this episode, I break down the various types of selling options and give my own endorsement to the one that I feel places the highest expression of creative value. I've never been able to articulate this as clearly as I do in this episode. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

26 min listen

The DJC Experience (2023): Philosophy, Changes And Differences: This is follow up to my previous episode on the DJC Recharge. In this episode, I explains the differences between our November experience and what is happening in July (our Recharge) as well as how this differentiates between other learning experiences out there in the DJ vertical. I also talk through some of the more foundational things you can expect a DJC experience if you are considering attending for the first time as well as some of the changes we're making for 2023's event (if you're a veteran who's been before and/or coming back this year). Some of it is breaking news! by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

20 min listen

INTERVIEW: Malike Adigun - The Building Of A Brand: I thought this interview was lost. We recorded this 5 months ago but the file was corrupted. Somehow, I worked some voodoo magic and I was able to bring it back to life. Thank God because there's some gold in here. Malike Adigun is crushing it in Florida with company, Curate Entertainment. A large part of that success has been his marketing and branding. In that vain, he recently launched a new venture called "The Curated DJ" which is a branding and social media agency aimed at helping the mobile DJ figure out their brand identity and tell that story. We talk all the things in this episode. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

35 min listen

DJs: Getting Booking Agencies To Understand Your Process & Value: Here's a listener requested topic. You're NOT an owner...but a pseudo single-op who gets booked out by booking agents and DMCs. You've done the work to improve who you are and operate differently than when you were first added to the roster. How do you go about having that conversation about the "new you" and your "new rate" with new prospective agents/DMCs as well as the older ones who are booking you now and are used to the "old you" and "old rate"? by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

16 min listen

Sales: Are You Leading Or Following Your Prospects?: In this episode, I talk through this idea of either leading or following prospects when it comes to a sales consult or discovery meeting. For so many, the idea of the DJ company driving those interactions may lead to repelling a potential client. Yes, that's true, but I believe that's a good thing...because you leave room for the right clients who are attracted and frankly excited about the journey you're going to take them on. Pricing really becomes secondary. So what it does it look like to lead? I unpack that on this one. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

12 min listen

INTERVIEW: Drew Pierce - Lessons From A Travel DJ: Those that do the "private event" traveling DJ thing for more than a one-off gig or two are rare. Drew Pierce has been in it for a while but since 2020 has really gone "all in". In this interview, I get a chance to talk with him about a lot of different things surrounding this topic - his new booking policy, gear must haves, music he's learned along the way to play in regional locations, travel hacks, and a few hilarious travel gig stories as well. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

25 min listen

Vendor Gifting: Why, How, When And What: A listener requested topic. Gifting is so broad so I decided in this episode to zero in on "vendor" gifting. There are so many reasons why you should consider doing this. How you implement it can be just as varied. When you do this is critical for maximum impact. But everyone also wants to be unique with the what. I spill the tea on what I've done here but with so many resources now available for sourcing gift ideas, your options are truly limitless. Hopefully, by the end of this episode, I inspire you to get in on the gifting game. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

21 min listen

Brian B's December's 2023 Music Review: With my music episodes, I try to present to you evergreen tracks that will be with you for a while. I subscribe to a ton of record pools beyond digging through blogs, Patreon, streaming services, Shazam, and the like. I thought I would share my top 10 most interesting musical track finds with you from the month of December 2023. Bonus: I'll give you the source on where to find the tracks I talk about. Not only do I hope to save you time in finding gems but I also give you my take on how/where I use them within my sets. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

21 min listen

Airline Loyalty Programs: Recently got off a mileage run and documented that journey. I was flooded with questions about what that meant and why airline loyalty programs matter. With that in mind, I decided to record an episode on it. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

13 min listen

Are You Asking For A Client's Event Budget?: This episode could be a game changing listen for you. At the very least, it should give you all the confidence you would ever need to go out to the world with your pricing, no matter what it is. In the last month and a half, I've been asking clients this question: What Is Your Overall Event Budget? Maybe I was naive for the last 20 years, but after reviewing what it is clients are spending on their events and what percentage of the pie we're receiving, it doesn't seem to me to be an even exchange when you look at the overall impact we have on events. I think it's time we change that. Listen and let me know if you agree. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

16 min listen

Is Expansion The Metric For Success?: Recently, there was a discussion in the private event DJ world about how the McDonald's model should be considered as something to emulate - selling services for cheap (and potentially even a subpar product) to produce big net revenue numbers. But is that fool's gold? What are the pros and cons of such an approach? The opposite of this is to sell to less clients for more money. But is there another way other than those two options? I believe there is. We discuss all of this and more on this episode. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

14 min listen

The DJC Recharge (July 2023): What To Expect and Why You Need To Be There: What is the DJ Collective Recharge? Yes, it's different than our annual November event. I sincerely wish there would have been something like this when I was starting off so that I didn't have to ONLY learn from personally making massive mistakes as a DJ owner early on. As a now more "seasoned" company owner, I have come to understand the value of real-time mentorship and still have it in place today. This is for every level of DJ owner/operator. You don't want to pass this up...trust me on this. In this episode, I share insight into how this event taking place in Raleigh, NC July 24-25 is laid out and why you need be one of the 50 people in the room. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

16 min listen

The Fifty Thousand Dollar Theft (Update 3): Last year I posted an episode (Season 4, Episode 50) about a $50K theft I experienced. I had some progress on that front and shared update #2 (Season 5, Episode 22) in May of this year. Here's update #3 (more than 20 months after the theft occurred). Cliff notes version: I'm stilling clinging to the old adage that goes, "The wheels of justice grind slowly." by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

15 min listen

DJs Beware: Planner 'Dream Team' Verbiage and Fake Inquiries: I haven't done a rant in a while but this one is warranted. This "dream team"verbiage you're seeing by planners is not helping the industry. In fact, it further divides it. By creating this elitist category of creatives, it also has led to fake inquiries. Nobody deserves that. I address the elephant in the room on this episode. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

15 min listen

How To Pay Your DJs: 3 Options: One of those "learn on the job" things in the mobile DJ world is how to pay your DJs if you become a mutli-op owner. It usually starts with a copy and paste of someone else's way of doing it and then it morphs into whatever it takes to keep your Djs on the staff. Guilty, party of 1 of those approaches. Over the years, it's become apparent to me that there are 3 options to paying your DJs. I go through the pros and cons of each. At the end of the day, you have a 100% booking pie to work with. Once I wrapped my head around that, it was easy to figure out what I could offer my DJs. What are your thoughts? Am I missing a method? Does one I mention resonate for you? by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

15 min listen

PSA: An Open Letter (Podcast) To Destination DJ Gear Providers: Ever been hit up by a travel DJ for gear and don't know what to charge or how to quote? Or maybe you're getting asked to DJ out of market and want to get the inside scoop on how gear providers should be charging and what's typically included. I feel like with the amount of traveling DJ gigs now happening, this open letter (podcast) was needed. Let me know your thoughts. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

27 min listen

INTERVIEW: Gerald Isaac - Why Voice Nuances Matter: On this season of the podcast, from time to time, I will be sharing with you some of the personal tools that I use which I think can help you as a DJ. In this episode, I sit down with my vocal coach, Gerald Isaac. A vocal coach for a DJ? Yeah, I didn't think I would need one either. Now, almost 2 years in of weekly remote (zoom) 1 hour vocal lessons, I've made a 180 - both in terms of my performance being taken to a higher level and with my thoughts that this can be of help (even to a seasoned veteran DJ like myself). We talk through his vocal coaching approach/philosophy, what a typical lesson is like and he even shares a tip at the end on how to keep your voice fresh and strong when you are on a run of 3-4 events in a week during heavy event season. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

30 min listen

Should A DJ's Living Wage Be Given Or Earned?: It's an interesting time we're in. A lot of DJs (and event professionals at large) are dealing with clients who are asking for discounts, concessions, compromises to process, etc. This inevitably leads to the "woe is me" argument that has led some to suggest that all mobile DJs should be given a living wage as a baseline. Number one, this doesn't fix the problem and typically encourages bad behavior. Second, you place great risk on clients who hire you based on this flawed wages suggestion. Third, it's not sustainable and ultimately places a black eye on the industry. These hot takes and a host of more on this episode. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

16 min listen

INTERVIEW: Matty P, Coresmart - Fitness For A DJ: I've always been relatively healthy. That said, I had my fair share of late night eats and energy drinks to get me through gig seasons. But as I got into my mid-late 30s, I definitely was starting to feel the effects of some of these poor choices. I would randomly get injured, back flair ups, indigestion, etc. It finally hit a head and I had to figure this out. Working out was never my thing. I opted for sports. But in 2020-2021, when the world in NYC (where I lived at the time), was essentially shut down, I needed something I could do in my apartment. Enter in Matty Pattison, owner/founder of CoreSmart. This has been a total game changer and I'm excited to share this with you. In this current season of the podcast, I've been sharing certain tools and resources of mine in an effort to help others. There's no paid endorsements here...just giving back to the DJ community at large. Enjoy this interview with Matty P. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

26 min listen

Instrumental Music For Corporate And Wedding Events: If ever I had a strength in DJ'ing, it's this...knowing what music to play during the "in between" moments. In my past life, I had to curate songs that went with specific story or subject lines so I became really good at not only knowing WHERE to insert music but WHAT to insert. Whenever people shadow me at events, this is something that gets mentioned often. In this episode (a listener requested topic), I share moments to look for in corporate and wedding events, play you a few sample tracks and give you intel on where to look for these types of songs. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

20 min listen

W2 (Employee) vs 1099 (Subcontractor) Classification: In response to the last episode, some listeners wanted me to cover W2 (Employee) vs 1099 (Subcontractors). I've actually run my company both ways a few different times. In this episode, I share the pros and cons to both and give you an option at the end that may be advantageous for those wanting to blur the lines between office workers/event performers. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

23 min listen

FAMS and Minis: Networking Redefined: Just got off a week where I went on an invite only FAM trip to Vail, CO and have another invite only FAM I'm attending next month in Martha's Vineyard. If that wasn't enough, I'm hosting my own 'minis' in June and July. Never heard of these things? What I've found over the past year or so is a desire for networking to be more intentional and less surface driven. In this episode, I define these networking event types making the argument that these might just be the future and encourage you to think about hosting your own. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

16 min listen

Are Your Clients "Venue Poor"?: We've all heard of people who buy houses that are at the top end or above their budget and then they have no money to purchase the necessities to compliment the purchase. They are often referred to as "house poor". Believe it or not, this happens quite often in the private event world. Clients will secure a venue and not have any money to compliment the space with like-minded creatives. These types of clients can be referred to as "venue poor". It's such a shame that this happens for a special event that may only occur once in their lifetime. How do you overcome this issue? I give you 3 ways to do so in this episode. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

15 min listen

What Happens When The Bottom Falls Out Of Your Pricing Model?: When the financial belts of our clients tighten or a disaster strikes (hello wildfires, oil spills and COVID), you're able to really test how resilient of a pricing model you have. When it comes down to it and things aren't booking, what do you do? A lot of companies are dropping their prices in order to keep business coming through the door. Sounds like a solid strategy, but is it? Have you ever thought of the consequences of making that type of move? In this episode, I talk through both the short-term and long-term effects of a price reduction strategy as well as how to create a pricing structure that not only allows you to make it to the other side but to do so in an even stronger position than you are today. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

22 min listen

With Bad Customer Service Comes Opportunity: I've been noticing the denigration of customer service...not just on the national level but on the local level and even within the event industry. Therein lies the opportunity. In this episode, I talk through some of things I've noticed with the decline of service and I give a few tips on how you can stand out. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

14 min listen

INTERVIEW: Rob Ferre Part 2 - Traveling Solo and Must-Have Flying Apps: In today's episode, I continue with Part 2 of my Rob Ferre interview. With this section of the interview, we focus in on traveling solo and must-have flying apps. Even if you are just a casual flyer, this episode is chalk-full of nuggets. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

27 min listen

Goal Setting Strategy in 2024: Is goal setting hard for you? It was for me. For years, I felt like I struggled striking the perfect balance between making goals too easy and too hard for myself. There was no rhyme or reason to how I'd figure out what my goals were. A few years back, I started to get real intentional about my goals and put together a structure that not only serves my business well, but also is used for me personally and for my family. I wanted to share it with all of you in hopes of helping you create a goal strategy that sets you up for success in 2024. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

16 min listen

Working With Billionaires: In the last couple years, I've been blessed to punch up in working with high net worth clientele. At the ultra luxury level, there's quite a difference in what those types of clients value and the behavior that needs to go along with it. While I have been able to naturally adjust, I wish I had some of the nuggets I share in this episode without having to adapt on the fly. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

16 min listen

Brian B's July 2023 Music Review: With my music episodes, I try to present to you evergreen tracks that will be with you for a while. I subscribe to a ton of record pools beyond digging through blogs, Patreon, streaming services, Shazam, and the like. I thought I would share my top 10 most interesting musical track finds with you from the month of July2023. Bonus: I'll give you the source on where to find the tracks I talk about. Not only do I hope to save you time in finding gems but I also give you my take on how/where I use them within my sets. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

24 min listen

Marketing Your Differences With Joe Bunn: This is a once a month re-occurring series where Joe Bunn and myself talk marketing tips that are pertinent to the working DJ. Whether you are a single op, established multi-op owner or veteran DJ company, we do our best to cover it for all the DJ categories. In this episode, we talk about marketing your differences. How do you separate yourself from others in your market? Joe Bunn and I share our thoughts. Have a topic you want covered? Drop me a DM at @thetraveldjblend. Has this podcast helped you? Share your thoughts by leaving a review on the Apple Podcast App. DJs: Interested in Heavy Hits Music Pool? Go to heavyhits.com For my podcast listeners only, enter promo code: BRIANB - it gets you a 30 day trial for $5. Try it now. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

19 min listen

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INTERVIEW: KRIEGER - Starting Your Business Over In A New Geographic Market

INTERVIEW: KRIEGER - Starting Your Business Over In A New Geographic Market

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