Interviews Episodes

Phil Morse has been educating DJs around the world through his learning platform, Digital DJ Tips, for years. In this episode, we talk about how the art of DJ'ing has evolved to this point, where it's headed and whether or not the future of Dj'ing is in a good place. He also is releasing an updated version of his book "Rock The Dance Floor!" on May 30th, 2024 (the 1st version was an international best seller). Grab your copy of the book via the link in the show notes.

Our job as a DJ is all about the "fun"...until life lands you a severe hit (that eventually happens to all of us in one way or another) which leads to a reality check in keeping things in perspective. I had the privilege of sitting down and talking with Chris Atwood, a stroke survivor, a DJ himself with the SCE Event Group and genuinely just a good dude. He talks through his life before the stroke, during and where things stand now. Shoutouts to Mike Walter and Jason Jani who get their flowers from Chris on this episode as well.

Earlier this year, the Knot published 26 "Do Not Play Songs" from the perspective of a guest attending a wedding. Some (not all) DJs made comments to the effect of, "These are go to songs for me" or "I'd feel handicapped without them." In an effort to help those DJs, Drew Pierce (fellow DJ, editor and programmer extraordinaire) and I give you replacement song ideas for songs #14-26 on the playlist with part of this interview. If nothing else, keep these song ideas on your radar in case they do appear on a client's do not playlist.

Earlier this year, the Knot published 26 "Do Not Play Songs" from the perspective of a guest attending a wedding. Some (not all) DJs made comments to the effect of, "These are go to songs for me" or "I'd feel handicapped without them." In an effort to help those DJs, Drew Pierce (fellow DJ, editor and programmer extraordinaire) and I give you replacement song ideas for songs #1-13 on the playlist. If nothing else, keep these song ideas on your radar in case they do appear on a client's do not playlist.

In talking with DJs weekly, I get the sense we're headed for a similar 2023 where a decent amount of DJs aren't having the year in 2024 that they had hoped for as it pertains to both bookings and revenue. In the same breath, they are hopeful based on inquiries for the upcoming year (2025). I've always been a realist rather than a glass half full/glass half empty type person. The reality is that we still have 3/4 of the year to go. If things aren't hitting, don't pack it in. In this interview with my good friend and DJ industry educator, Joe Bunn, we talk through what can be done to not only save 2024 but also plant seeds for 2025.

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 episode.

So you're a thriving private event DJ in the #2 market in the US and you decide to start over in a new market. What goes into a decision like this? Do you keep your original market location or dump it and go all in on the new one? What's the way to gain marketshare in a saturated market that has great DJs already? All of these questions and more are part of my interview with Krieger, the DJ. He's never at a loss for words and has quite the opinions (which I love!). If you've thought about relocating to another market, this episode is for you.

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.

From time to time this year, I will be sharing tools on this podcast that I use which I think can help you as a DJ. In this episode, I sit down with VIBO's founder, Michael Mahler. Vibo is an event planning music app that I've been using ever since it launched in the US back in 2017. For those not familiar with the app, Michael will talk us through some of the highlights of the product. We'll discuss some of the things on the horizon for the app and then also he drops a golden nugget in sharing one of the things he wishes he could go back and tell his younger entrepreneurial self. Lastly, he'll share where you can find him and demo the product for yourself in 2023.

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, we 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.

We're in the midst of industry convention season. Do you have a strategy in not only deciding which ones to attend but also how to maximize your investment at them? What's a true win? In this episode, I side down with one of my really good friends and photographer extraordinaire, Phillip Van Nostrand. He's based out of NYC and has nailed ROI in attending industry shows. He shares got so many nuggets here that your next show attendance experience will be better for listening to this.

Often we think of leadership as only being needed for companies with a lot of employees and generally, you're thrust into the role as the company grows without any training whatsoever. That can lead to some costly mistakes if you aren't careful. In this episode, I sit down with Broc Barton owner of Elevate Entertainment. He realized early on that the best leaders tend to work on themselves first. Once that is in order, it flows down to the rest of the organization. He's doing some incredible things with his team in this leadership development endeavor that I think could transform our entire industry if we all got on board.

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.

In this episode, I interview one of my favorite DJs I've met in my DJ journey - DJ Hapa. This dude is next level on so many fronts. He is a former recording artist, runs a DJ school, hosts the podcast, A Tribe Called Dad, and still DJs himself while also raising his 3 kids alongside his wife, T Lopez. We talk about the transition from no kids to kids as a DJ, the scarcity mindset of losing gigs, and he shares some of the things he has learned as a DJ dad. 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.

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 physical vs digital marketing collateral. What physical ones should you keep? What digital ones should you consider? 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. SPECIAL SALSA PHOTO BOOTH PROMO THROUGH APRIL 30TH. Go to photoboothsupplyco.com ~ for my podcast listeners only, enter promo code: DJBRIANB150 - it gives you $150 off a new booth!!! 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.

This is a 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 reviews. Once you get one, how do you use it promote your business? 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.

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.

This is a new once a month re-occurring series where Joe Bunn and myself talk marketing tips that are pertinent to the particular month in which we record (in this case, January 2021). These are tips aimed at the mobile DJ owner - whether you are a single op, established multi-op owner or veteran DJ company. With booking season in high gear right now and with COVID still a major obstacle for a lot of DJs in various parts of the country, we talk through what we each feel DJ company owners in the categories above should be focused on right 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. 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.

The “Second Act” series is based on the fact that, in my mind, everything we did “pre-covid” was the First Act. The Second Act is what we’re in right now as states start to re-open and we get back to events. What I’ve come to realize as we’ve been going through this pandemic is that there are a lot of great stories out there – things of hope, things that are super raw for folks, and even stories of great loss. I wanted to get these stories out there because I think we can learn a little something from others that are going through it, just like we are. In this episode (volume 6), I interview some from the DJ Industry Media - Eddie Short with Pro Mobile in the UK, John Young with Disc Jockey News and DJNTV and Jim Tremayne with DJ Times in 3 separate mini interviews. Similar to the DJ Manufacturers/Service Providers, these outlets are so important to our industry because they get the scoop for all sectors of our business yet they have no outlet for sharing it in this type of context.…

Episode 100 is here! I decided to take a break from all things serious and add a bit of levity on here - in a year (2020) that could definitely use some. I called on some my insanely talented friends and colleagues to open the vault on event stories that are funny and at times, shocking. My thanks to Bob Conti, Andrea Eppolito, Emily Clark, Lindsey and Cherish Conklin, Graeme Cowgill, Hugh Howser, Amy Shey Jacobs and Mike Walter. 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.

In this episode, I am joined by DJs Drew Pierce and Romin Zandi and we talk through how to navigate a COVID outbreak at an event. Pretty crazy story. Some good takeaways that could help if you run into a situation like this. 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.

The “Second Act” series is based on the fact that, in my mind, everything we did “pre-covid” was the First Act. The Second Act is what we’re in right now as states start to re-open and we get back to events. What I’ve come to realize as we’ve been going through this pandemic is that there are a lot of great stories out there – things of hope, things that are super raw for folks, and even stories of great loss. I wanted to get these stories out there because I think we can learn a little something from others that are going through it, just like we are. In this episode, I interview Ross B with Rock With U Entertainment. This dude is a ball of positivity and he gives some awesome nuggets about how's he built his business to gross $5 million a year and what he's done to assure his company makes it through this pandemic. 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. …

The “Second Act” series is based on the fact that, in my mind, everything we did “pre-covid” was the First Act. The Second Act is what we’re in right now as states start to re-open and we get back to events. What I’ve come to realize as we’ve been going through this pandemic is that there are a lot of great stories out there – things of hope, things that are super raw for folks, and even stories of great loss. I wanted to get these stories out there because I think we can learn a little something from others that are going through it, just like we are. In this episode, I interview Jason Klock with Klock Entertainment. Some may assume it is easier to deal with tough business decisions the bigger you are - quite to the contrary. Jason talks through some of his strategies in getting through this crazy pandemic. 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: …

The “Second Act” series is based on the fact that, in my mind, everything we did “pre-covid” was the First Act. The Second Act is what we’re in right now as states start to re-open and we get back to events. What I’ve come to realize as we’ve been going through this pandemic is that there are a lot of great stories out there – things of hope, things that are super raw for folks, and even stories of great loss. I wanted to get these stories out there because I think we can learn a little something from others that are going through it, just like we are. In this episode, I interview Cooper Brown with One Above Entertainment. He decided to go full-time with his DJ business in 2020 just before the pandemic turned this year upside down. How has and is he navigating this? Listen to his story in this episode. 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: Interes…