INTERVIEW: DREW PIERCE - What Songs To Play vs The Knot's DNP List (Part 2) | The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B Podcast

Are You Really Triggered By The Knot's Do Not Play List?: I had a completely different direction I was going on the podcast this week and then the Knot's Do No Play List article (from January 2024) made the rounds on social media. As usual with these things, it conjured up a lot of emotion within the DJ community and boy did we see a few folks get triggered. I'm frankly at a loss as to why. What an opportunity you have to show yourself as the expert to your client. In this episode, I give you my thoughts on this. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

15 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

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

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

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

Why I'm NOT A Fan Of Wedding Formality Song Edits Or NY/NY Mini Dance Sets: I've heard a lot of DJ podcasts recently reference the benefit of short formality song edits and NY/NJ Mini Dance Sets. I want to give the other side of that argument. Simply put, I'm not a fan of either. I think both hurt the reception more than they help. In this episode, I give you my take on both and leave you with some food for thought. View the songs discussed on our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3B062ZZKgEoFrhM28KYuM5?si=b99e46a023b7436b DJs: Interested in Heavy Hits Music Pool? Go to https://heavyhits.com/For my podcast listeners only, enter promo code: BRIANB - it gets you a 30 day trial for $5. Try it now. 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. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

19 min listen

Brian B's January 2024 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 January 2024. 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

20 min listen

High Priced DJs: Mastering Preferred Venue Lists: A homemade Halloween costume, Chevrolet Astro van seats, and blowing $1000. What do these things have to do with being the highest priced DJ on a preferred venue list where you find yourself unable to land events due to the other lower priced DJs on the list? You'll have to listen to find out. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

10 min listen

Brian B's February 2024 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 February 2024. 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

18 min listen

Brian B's March 2024 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 March 2024. 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

22 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

6 Tips For Longevity In The DJ Game: I think the saying goes, "Father time is undefeated". That being said, in this day and age, we have all the tools and resources to DJ much longer than ever before. So how do you have longevity in the DJ game? In this episode, I share 6 tips which I believe give you the biggest chance for staying a DJ long-term. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

16 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

What's In My DJ Rider?: Upon looking at the title, you might think to yourself, "This guy sure is full of himself! A rider? For a private event DJ?" The answer is 'no' to the full of himself part but 'yes' to the need for it as a private event DJ. In this episode, I talk through why I feel it's important to have one and some of the things you should include. At the end, I share where you can download my personal DJ rider in full. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

11 min listen

What Are Planners Looking For In DJ Gear Set-Ups?: As you move into higher end events, you will inevitably be working with a planner. So it makes sense to ask, what are planners looking for in DJ Set-ups? This may influence what you invest money into. I don't think it's as complicated as it may seem. Communication is key. In this episode, I talk through what is truly important here and share a few of the things that have worked well for me. 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. 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. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

11 min listen

6 Time Efficiency Tips For DJs: Being a mobile DJ owner is not for the faint of heart. Since running my own business, I've never found a time where I was like, "I'm bored." It doesn't matter if you're a single-op or a multi-op owner; you will always have a never ending list of things to do. That being said, we should never be beholden to our job. It should be a means to an end. Over the years, there's 6 things I've incorporated into my workflow to help me stay efficient with my time. Time is the one thing we can NEVER get back. Once it's gone, it's gone. In sharing these tips, my hope is that you can find at least one of them useful and that it can give you a sense of feeling like you are in control of your responsiblities instead of time and tasks controlling you. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

16 min listen

What Is Your Deposit For?: Have you ever had to articulate to a client what your deposit is for? To me, the answer to this question is just one in a line of questions that tells the story of your business. In this episode, I talk through the most commons answers to this question that I hear from DJ companies. Then, I try and give a perspective on it that I think could really change the trajectory of how you approach your business in general. DJs: Interested in Heavy Hits Music Pool? Go to https://heavyhits.com/ For my podcast listeners only, enter promo code: BRIANB - it gets you a 30 day trial for $5. Try it now. 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 by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

13 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

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

33 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

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

Event Attire: Our Approach, Tips and Hacks with Rob Ferre: I used to think that event attire didn't REALLY matter as an entertainer at private event functions. If the skills were on point, fashion was just an after thought. Maybe I was right when I first started. However, these days it's just as important as your DJ Set-Up. In this episode, I talk with my good friend and colleague, Rob Ferre from Life of The Party out of Salt Lake City, Utah. We talk through our two different approaches as well as give some Tips and Hacks as it pertains to DJ fashion. 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. 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. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

29 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

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

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

How and Why I Get A 75% Deposit Upon Booking: I've been pretty vocal about the need for me to get a 75% deposit from clients upon booking. This isn't about a money grab - in fact, far from it. In this episode, I break it down to help a DJ who tried to make the shift to this 75% with a client and it caused some pushback from said client. The DJ was looking for advice to counter this and book them. Context is everything. Listen to this episode for clarity here. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

20 min listen

Booking and Working International Events: Have you ever thought about DJ'ing internationally? 9 times out of 10 most clients are going to have a planner help them with this. So who better to ask about this than a planner who ONLY does international work but is based in the United States. In today's interview, I talk with Paulina Corvi from Paulina Corvi events. She discusses how she picked the location she serves, how she markets herself, and what her creative bent and processes are. 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

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

Why You Should Care About After Parties: Has anyone else seen an increase of after party inquiries? I feel like once a week I'm getting a call for this type of event. In this episode, I talk through why I think after parties are on the rise and furthermore why I think they're here to stay. I give you some reasons why I think you should consider doing them and also give you a tip on how to market for them. by The Travel DJ Blend with DJ Brian B

10 min listen

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INTERVIEW: DREW PIERCE - What Songs To Play vs The Knot's DNP List (Part 2)

INTERVIEW: DREW PIERCE - What Songs To Play vs The Knot's DNP List (Part 2)

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