Episode 230 - Old Stomping Grounds

Well well well, what better way to bring a live event to the City of Brotherly Love than with the person it all started with?! So much has happened since the initial interview in 2019 and we are ready to unpack it all. 

Have you checked out We Dj, LLC? They may be coming to a city near you, very soon! 

We would be remiss if we didn’t sincerely thank everyone who made this happen - from buying a ticket, to surprising us as an attendee at the event it was certainly one to remember. LIVE EVENT #5 is in the books! 

Tune in to episode 230 as Jordon recalls some major life lessons along his entertainment journey, reflects on the process of officially forming his LLC and much more! 

For more information:

Instagram: @dj_juicy_jayy2 ; @wedj_llc
Email: dj.juicy.jayy2@gmail.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Whoo!

SPEAKER_02 0:00

We went back to where it all started for this one. You know, if there's nothing I love more, it is a live event, a time to really sit down face to face across from an interviewee, get those real-time emotions, get that real-time conversation, get that audience interaction, just get the aura and the ambiance of everything around you. So, look, from episode one to now, episode 230. Man, I gotta give a big shout out to Jordan. Not only for really starting this podcast, really helping me get it off the ground and build the foundation, but really for choosing to return, really for everything that he's done in between then, which you're gonna hear a lot about in this episode. From the development to travel to building a team and forming an LLC to moving over to the legal side of things and really knowing and learning what it takes to build a business, run a business, keep that professionalism and keep the people around you to keep growing, keep moving, keep striving, and keep thriving. Philadelphia, man, y'all turned me up for this one. I'm so happy. Down to business is back. We never left, but it took a little hiatus, had to get some things together, but here we are. So without further ado, enjoy episode 230, Old Stomping Grounds. But nonetheless, like I said, so I started this back in 2019. It was really just trying to find a way to brand myself, and then since then, you know, we've been able to. This is now my fourth live event, first in Philly, so I'm excited for the X-Men City. We've done three in Charlotte, North Carolina. Um, actually, thanks to this young woman right in front of me, Saray. So how that kind of started was uh Saray has an event planning company, Luxhe and Company. I'm always plugging in. Um and so basically I won a giveaway of hers, and she pretty much told me, you know, she would plan an event for me. So I told her, okay, so find me something black-owned and basically a podcast, you know, venues, not really venue specific, but I just want something where I can vibe about with the people. So she was able to find me something. We showed them a lot of love at the Tax and Tea Lounge in Charlotte. Uh, Jordan actually was my DJ for one of those events as well. And we really just made it happen. And so, pretty much got a partnership with the Tax and Tea Lounge. They pretty much told me that, you know, we showed them a lot of love. They really enjoyed the turnout, and so we made it a thing. So I've done three there. I'm hoping to do the same here in Philly, whether it be at this venue continuously or just moving around.

unknown 2:15

But that's what I want to do. The podcast now, we are on episode 214.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

So very excited for that, very excited for a lot of what you know has happened. We relocated from Philly to Florida, from Florida to now Maryland. So it's been amazing. But nonetheless, I'm very, very, very happy to be here today. Um, I kind of like where everybody is sitting, but if y'all want to, if y'all want to move up, if you want to get closer, y'all can definitely do that. I'm not really a mic person, so I'm probably gonna put this down once we start talking. Jordan's gonna need a mic, though.

unknown 2:42

Um, he won't be a little bit. So we'll do that.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

But before we get started, there is just uh a shout-out that I want to make a tribute in a sense that I want to do to just a very special woman in my life, just somebody who has kept me grounded through it all, just somebody who, even when I've been job searching from November to March, even when on some dark days, even when you know things weren't maybe looking the best for me, this is just a woman who has never failed to be a light in my life, be a smile. Um, I parted a little too hard in Vegas, and she made sure I got back to my hotel room safely. And um, she dove me up as soon as we walked outside. She had me the whole way, so I'm very grateful for that. But just a woman who, you know, I've watched endure the loss of a husband, a grandfather, endure the loss of a daughter, my mother, and still just show up every day for everybody and be a light and be a resource, and never let that smile leave her face and never let that love leave her face. So um, if my grandmom and she could just stand up and come up here, I definitely just want to give you the flowers while you're still here because you know you I wouldn't be going without you, and I love you for that. I'm very grateful, and I'm very appreciative.

unknown 3:54

Thank you. Thank you. What do you think?

SPEAKER_02 4:11

And I'm not proud of the Vegas moment, but she made it happen for me again. So I thank y'all for that. So, today's interview. So, very excited to be sitting down with Jordan, uh, basically somebody who I consider family. I've known him since I was nine years old. Our families are families. Um, if you've been following the podcast since I started, Jordan was actually my very first interview. So, from episodes one to episode 65, we were all it was all virtual.

unknown 4:38

So it was, I mean, it was all audio. So it was nothing that you could see, it was really just me talking in front of people and just editing some audio.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

From 66 on, we went a lot on video. So you started seeing virtual, we started doing a lot of events in between. But Jordan was one of the very first people that you know. I used to go over his house a lot during the summer, and I've watched now his basement become a studio. I've watched us kind of be put on from a DJ perspective. We have people in the entertainment industry, and you know, they haven't really we haven't really abandoned each other. So pretty much we were doing some talk and we were doing some chat, and I was seeing what he was doing out here, him, King, Taylor, a couple of other people with me, DJ, LLC, and I wanted to really just bring something to life. So Jordan, Keene, Taylor, they really put this together, they made this happen for me, and so I'm excited. So work with somebody who, you know, I was listening to even our first interview and to really just see how everything has come together today. Until then, I've been amazed. So without further ado, I'm about to sit down. We're about to get down to business, and again, I just thank everybody for being here. I thank you for coming and for showing love. Let's get to it. What's going on? Happy birthday too.

unknown 5:43

Alright.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

So do you want to just introduce yourself to the people? Do you kind of want to tell them a little bit about yourself and then we'll just we'll just get into the interview?

unknown 5:51

Alright. Um, I'm not gonna try to mumble like he said I was gonna do.

SPEAKER_00 5:55

I'm gonna try to talk clearly for everybody.

SPEAKER_03 6:04

Uh besides you heard the first podcast, uh where the head took me on my hand at that time. So we decided to come back and talk again. I have more stuff to talk about. And I just wanted to crack jokes out the entire time. So can y'all hear me without the mic?

unknown 6:23

Is that okay? Is everybody good? Y'all can hear me? Okay. So, alright, so we chatted, you know, back in 2019, I guess. I kind of want to just reflect on that a little bit. So for the people who got micro- Ah, y'all want the mic, here we go.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Alright, so for for the people who really may not know you outside of that introduction that you gave, for the people who really may not have been following you from 2019, uh, for those who are just now finding out that your DJ, when you listen to our previous episode, when you think about where you were in 2019, can we just reflect on that a little bit?

unknown 6:58

What was going on for you?

SPEAKER_02 6:59

What was really in the DJ scene for you? Did you start as a DJ in 2019? Where really were you in your journey at that point?

SPEAKER_03 7:06

All right, at that point, it was two years, me DJing. Um, I wouldn't say I was that far into my career yet. Like I would I had a lot of things going on for me. I was working in pretty much all most of the places in Philly, but it wasn't enough. And the reason I said that is in that time, when you DJ, it takes a lot of time, like for you as a person. So it's a lot of commitment, me going places, me having prepared for a place, me having to drive somewhere that may not be the closest place. So I wanted to actually make something residual out of it. So back then it was more focused on me just getting my name out there, me just taking an opportunity like we talked about before. Um again, anybody that ever has an opportunity in life, just take it first, first try. Even if you don't feel 100% comfortable, pressure your break pipes and make diamonds. So those are two things that can happen in that situation. So I always take the most opportunities I can get.

unknown 8:08

Understood. Understood, most definitely.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

Um, I definitely do think about you know a lot of opportunities that have come my way with the podcast and just different things I've been able to do. So I feel you on that. So with with building your rapport, with making things happen, with like you said, getting your name out there, do you feel like, or what do you feel like was the breaking point for you? What do you feel like at a certain point you were just like, okay, I have like my aha moment in a sense.

unknown 8:32

When do you really feel like you really started to kind of take off and really take things under your own control?

SPEAKER_03 8:36

To be honest, it was on a flight coming back from Florida to Philly. Uh I was going to Florida, not the DJ, uh for a family event, but I decided to go out. So I was out in Florida, I was actually hanging out with a couple of the DJs that I know out there. And it was just showing me things that I didn't know that I had to do before. But then it was like one of those, like you said, aha moments. I was like, I understand it now. So when I came back home, it was I just took what I learned down there and implemented it here, and they didn't see that shit before. Oh, I apologize if I can't curse.

SPEAKER_02 9:10

Well, you apologize to my grandmother. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, grandma. And grandma, just to let you know, all my episodes when somebody curses, I always uh I apologize because I don't curse on the podcast. Yeah, I apologize. I'm sorry, grandma.

unknown 9:24

We're not having that today.

SPEAKER_02 9:27

She accepts your apology, though, so it's okay. All right, so understood. Now, when you when you think about DJing back then, do you feel like there were any stereotypes, generalizations that people would make? Because I feel like, you know, now I feel like going to school, going to college, going to grad school, kind of moving after that. I've met a host of different DJs. I've seen different party scenes. I've been in the South a lot of my life. So, well, a lot of my social life. So I feel like that was a different vibe back then. But do you feel like with becoming a DJ, there was kind of just anything that maybe myths that you had to debunk, maybe things that people kind of look at y'all in a certain life, and that's not really who y'all are as people?

SPEAKER_03 10:07

I would say that in a corporate world, because when you first DJ, you a lot of people don't do this, they don't just dive in, DJing. A lot of times you're gonna have to have a second job, you're gonna have something to bring you money because you're gonna have to pay for all that DJ stuff you buy. So it was when I started DJing, and I actually uh again, the mistake on my part. If you are doing things in the corporate world, I I it's just one of my things I don't tell them anymore that I'm a DJ. Because the moment I mentioned that I was a DJ, like you said, stereotypes happen. It could be a day I came five minutes late, and their assumption I was out all night. Uh, if I look tired, I'm probably drunk. So it's just one of those things where you just want to avoid those types of stereotypes in a couple of days. Uh again, I I'm tired because I'm probably up DJing, but it has nothing to do with any type of work ethic. Um, besides that, stereotypes DJs get uh negatively, there's a bunch of negative ones that we have, but only interactions through people will debunk that.

SPEAKER_00 11:14

I wouldn't want to say here.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

Understood, and I definitely do, you know, I feel like when I feel like when corporate finds out about your outside world or just that you know you are more than what they see on that nine to five or that eight to five winter, they definitely do make a lot of you know generalizations and assumptions and things like that. So it is it's it's tough kind of keeping that work-life balance, especially as a business owner and entrepreneur. But I'm so glad that you mentioned a second job. Because I feel like a lot of time, you know, there were a lot of people who came to me and thought I was a full-time podcaster. Like this was just what I did. I didn't have a nine-to-five, but I I worked the job like since I started this, since moving to Tampa, now in uh Maryland, I have a job just the same. So can you also just set some light on that? What is it like balancing that? Balancing your because you're a business owner and entrepreneur, you consider yourself, you know, you have an LLC. So, what is that like really balancing what you do from a non-to-five perspective, but also still making sure that you contribute to your business owner?

SPEAKER_03 12:23

As well, you contribute to yourself as a business owner and entrepreneur just the same. Okay, well, that's a letter right now. Uh, besides DJing, I work at a chemical factory as a chemist. So I don't sleep that much as from 4 to 12 is the one time I'm in the factory. But besides that, uh I try to balance it throughout the week, saying I work all week during the weekends, I just submit myself to only DJing fewer events. That's why I said now I created a residual thing where I don't necessarily have to be there every time. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_02 12:58

And I think that's important too because something that I told myself, you know, I found myself at certain points exhausting myself. You know, I would work at nine to five or eight to five, and then in some cases, my first interview would be at 5.15 or 6 o'clock or 6.15 or 7. Sometimes I was doing multiple interviews a day. So it was just like, you know, I would get home, and then it would just be like, wow, I'm I'm done. Like, you know, you get home, you still want to kind of settle in, sit down, enjoy yourself, but you really can't. So that's that's hard, just the same. So I I do like the idea of balance because that's important. I feel like as business owners and entrepreneurs, it's something I told myself was look, if I'm gonna punch the clock, eight to five, nine to five, do that unwillingly every day, then I have to make sure that I'm putting in time for myself too, just the same in my brand, and my business, because you know, eventually my goals are to become a full-time podcaster, to wake up and really just do this. So I want to do a pop-up shop or I want to have an event, I want to be able to do that, I want to be able to travel and everything that comes with it. Now, for moving along in your journey, let's kind of fast forward a little bit. So 2019, you said you were two years in at that point, you were getting your name out, you were moving. So, how did the formation of an LLC come in? How did you start to meet people like the DJs that you have now? How did you start to kind of be able to have it so that you don't necessarily have to show up everywhere, but business is still getting done?

SPEAKER_03 14:14

All right, well, first thing I'm gonna show up take you actually sitting over there, standing over there. So it actually started with me just DJing, traveling a lot. It's a lonely thing, I'm not gonna lie. Just sitting in a car for an hour by yourself, go drive somewhere, and then have to drive back in the middle of the night. It's lonely. My friend right there decided he'd actually come out, hang out with me. He was going to events with me, helping me set up, pack up. And I honestly was enjoying it that me and I actually had a conversation on our way home when Tom saying, but you took this more serious. And we had people who were actually interested in becoming DJs, and they always mentioned it to us, but again, I was always too busy. I didn't have time to delegate stuff like that. So that's where he came involved, and he actually became part of the delegation. Me and I will talk, and then he will delegate to another one of our DJs so that they can actually go do something. Okay, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

So something that I also think about with kind of what you just said is like delegation. And delegation is not always something that's easy to do because as business owners, as entrepreneurs, we we can tend to be perfectionists. I know that I am, you know, I know granted I'm a one-man band. Like there's nobody that contributes anything to down the business from an audio, video, editing, social media profile. Like I kind of handle all in-house operations. But you know, I do want to get to the point where I can delegate that. I do want to get to the point where I build people, I hire people, I bring in a team and everything like that. But I also feel like, you know, sometimes I tell people all the time that nobody's gonna treat your baby like you, you know, nobody's gonna put that tomorrow on it, nobody's gonna put that Jordan on it, nobody's gonna put that Taylor on it. So with delegation, with kind of bringing other people into your circle, what was that experience like? You know, did you have experiences where you maybe had bad business or you maybe just had to, you know, set standards or different things like that? What was that like for you?

SPEAKER_03 16:06

Well, initially, like when we first started it, it was something I had to draw a line with because most of these people were my friends, or still my friends, I'm not gonna say use the word because that sounds crazy, but all these people are my friends. So it was one of those things that I had to separate like our friendship and this business. Because, like you said at the end of the day, nobody's gonna treat my business like the way I want to treat my business. So it was tough conversations, hard conversations uh that you had to have with individuals just so y'all everybody could be on the same, the same mission. Like that was the only thing we wanted to stress to everybody that we wanted to everybody to believe in what we were doing or what we were trying to do, and just watch it build, and hopefully they're there as it's building.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

So you just mentioned the idea of belief and wanting people to kind of understand y'all's stamp, I understand what y'all trying to put on it. So, from what you have formed, from what you're working towards, from what you were tailoring doing, for what you or Taylor are doing, what are you trying to do? What are you trying to accomplish essentially? Is this a thing where it's a Philly message? Is this like a global message, an international message? What should people who are in here today or people who are here in this interview, what should they take away from the impact that y'all are trying to make?

SPEAKER_03 17:18

The impact that we're trying to make is we want to give all our DJs the best opportunity here they can have. It's not just about me, it's not just me wanting to be the best person I want to be, it's about putting everybody in that situation. Um what we wanted to stress, especially the people on air, uh, if you ever look for an event, I know a DJ, if not myself, that can possibly do it for you. And that is very true. And after we're done, you're gonna hear all of this DJing, you guys don't have time to listen, party, and whatnot. But uh vision-wise, I would love for it to be cool.

unknown 17:53

That's that's anybody's ambition to have something that's all around the world, but I understand that you gotta start a small. So you basically only took this event about yourself at my event to other people. I respect what you I respect it, though. Um but I get that, you know.

SPEAKER_02 18:11

I definitely think that DJ may not be for everybody, and it's not I but I feel that way about business ownership. You know, everybody, they're while I feel like anybody can be a business owner, it's not for everybody. You know what I mean? Like we I have no shame in a 9 to 5 and 8 to 5 is the people who are at corporate run. I have no problem with entrepreneurs, I have no problem with people. Everybody I feel like fits their own goal, and I think that that's important as well. But I do think and I do love the opportunity that y'all are giving to creatives. I'm big on that. You know, I feel like creative expression is something where it's really hard to get your start, whether it be with art, whether it be with music, entertainment, anything of the sort like that. Like it's something where you have to be very unique and people have to kind of adopt that. Like people have to love that. It's not easy to be a hoax, it's not easy to entertain, it's not easy to DJ. DJ, I used to want to be a DJ in college, you know, but because of the timing of some things, I just didn't do it. But I still love music to this day. I still, you know, go to different places, get different vibes, and everything of the sort of like that. So I love kind of what y'all are doing. I love the formation of what y'all are bringing because, as you said, it is really making a long-lasting impact. It is really taking somebody that may have been somewhere and you're putting them in different environments, you're exposing them to places because y'all travel, don't move around. As I say, you've done an event for me in Charlotte. I see you in New York, Houston, different things like that. So you guys are definitely moving around and definitely making that. So when it comes to being a business owner, being an entrepreneur, having, you know, to control something, what would you say has been your biggest learning curve? It's not something that, you know, when we grew up, our parents were very much, you know, non-tofers. Our parents worked to the games, they did everything like that. You know, it was pretty much a very strict standard. They weren't really doing much extracurricularly. So I feel like our generation really became those ones to take that stand.

unknown 19:53

We're not having somewhere to just not put 20, 30 years in a place to move around to do what we want to do for us. But I feel like that's something that's not necessarily frowned upon, but it's just looked at differently because of the standard. So for you, what was that realization? What was it as becoming a business owner?

SPEAKER_03 20:08

What was what were some things that you kind of just had to learn or adopt to or adjust to to be where you are today? Well, I had to learn not to let doubt stare my judgment. And it's not even my doubt, it's doubt from other. Because a lot of times when people make these businesses and it's your dream, your aspiration, is it might not be somebody else's that's close to you. So if, for instance, I I looked like that, my mother, she did not want me to be a DJ at all. Uh, I could agree with her in some sense because I was in school for business, I was doing good in school, but it ended up taking off while I was in school, and it was a great opportunity that was brought to me, and I just took went with it. Then it was just hearing the doubt from her at first. It was kind of like, hey, I don't think you should do this. Uh, you then wasted this amount of years in school, and you should at least go this path because that's what you wanted to do when you first walked in that school. And I wouldn't agree with her now at this point. I'm loving what I do. I have a bunch of friends around me that's that doing great. It's more me seeing other people making more than me right now as a DJ, and that's making me excited. I feel like that's one of the toughest things to navigate.

unknown 21:25

You know, people who we look to for judgment, people who we look to and respect those opinions, and we we hold what they say as like, you know, to be bona five.

SPEAKER_02 21:34

But it's also still differentiating and saying, hey, well, I want this for Jordan. I want this for me. I want, you know, this may not be kind of the path you have taken, but I love what I do, as you said. You look back at it now, you have no regrets about it, and you would do it ten times over. So I think that that's important, but I also have to convince you for that because that's not something that's easy. You know, I, as someone who's lost my mother, but my mom was, you know, I valued everything she said, you know, right, wrong, or indifferent. So it was just like you know my duke. So it's just like she obviously she they're always there to support you, but they also do have their own opinions and judgments just the same, and they also do have their own way of doing things just the same. So that's that's tough, bro. But at the same time, you know, to stand on that to still be about business and to still do what you're doing now. I'm sure that you know, I'm sure that it was never a thing of she was never gonna accept you or not support you.

SPEAKER_03 22:23

No, I wouldn't say that at all. Right 100%, I can't not disclaim that she's the one that helped me get my original equipment. I just and when I say doubt, I'm saying that as in once she saw me about to take it serious. Because at first she it was it was a hobby that that I wanted to pick up, that she knew I wanted to pick up, and we both assumed it as a hobby that just ended up flourishing, and now it became more serious, and that's for me and her in the hard conversations.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

I love that. And I, you know, I talked, I was talking to mom yesterday, so it was just like it's to see, you know, I can definitely tell that she is beyond proud of what you're doing. But I think that it also just takes you realizing too that you want this, you know, because hearing from other people that it may not work out, or end up, especially for how you respect them, how you see them, that could definitely sway your judgment. And it could definitely sway a lot of the decisions that you make to move forward with that. So with where you are now, out of everything that you've done, and it may really be hard to quantify this or to be very specific with it, what has been like one of your favorite things, like one of your most memorable things, like whether it be an event, whether it be a testimonial that you got, experience, somebody that you met, what's something that you look back on now that you're truly proud of?

unknown 23:34

Happy birthday.

SPEAKER_03 23:36

Happy birthday, happy birthday. Whoever walked in. It's your birthday.

unknown 23:43

My birthday too. Happy birthday.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

Happy birthday, happy birthday. But um that was a great question. But to sum up, I wouldn't even want to say something that um gave me gratification. Something that just made me happy and still does to this day, is the days where I wake up with my entire team and we just prep, prepare, practice, just because those interactions between all of us is what's keeping us centered. It's just one of those things where um we can see if somebody's having a bad week. It's one of those things where we're, since we're all friends, we can have those open conversations and be truthfully and bluntly honest with each other sometimes. And it wouldn't affect nothing. So I just like those days to be honest. Everything else that happens is great. I love all the other stuff, but something that I will never forget is just those days.

SPEAKER_02 24:41

And to give y'all just some insight too about kind of me and Jordan's history, so um I obviously I told y'all that I recorded my very first podcast interview with Jordan, but I actually used to record my podcast episodes at Jordan's house in his basement. So, and one day I literally came because Jordan would still be on the game on the Xbox, and sometimes I would have to come out like, yo, you're being too loud, right? Like I had to tell you in his own house. Like I had to tell him to chill, like, bro, I'm recording it here, like, calm down. Like he had a very back room. And one day I remember coming out and I was joking because you know, we have people, we have mutual friends, family of his that, you know, art music, music artists that DJ, that host, that do different things like that. So one guy literally just came out and I said, bro, why don't we just turn this into a studio? And he was like, I mean, why not? But we were just talking at that point, and I remember moving to Florida, and then I remember getting a FaceTime call one day, and they were constructing, oh, you coming?

unknown 25:42

Yeah, you did. Um, and I remember getting a FaceTime call one day, and they were literally constructing a studio. And then I remember coming back home to Philly and the studio was built.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

And I got mad because they built it after I left, um, and I was just recording in some cement walls, which was cool. But I was very proud of that moment, and I tell them that all the time that you know it was just like what really started as a joke and just kind of us just spitballing the conversation really turned into a reality.

unknown 26:12

And we've been able to provide opportunities for people, they've been able to make music there, we've been able to, as he said, practice and prep. He's been able to build a team. So I just think that that's that's beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 26:21

But I love to just to know me is to know that like I love to keep things in-house. Like I'm very much a I'm very much a believer and a supporter of any and anybody who's doing great things. But my giveaways today, they're all black-owned businesses, they're all people who I know who I've had conversations with. The people in this room, like they are people who I know and have had personal relationships with turning brothers, everything like that. So it's just like, you know, I love to just, I love my circle, and I love to just do anything that I can to make sure everybody in my circle is eating in some form or fashion. Whether I reap the benefits from that or not, I don't really care. I did care about the studio. I was a little mad about that. You can still use it. Yeah, I know, but I'm not here anymore. But I was just proud to see that it was opportunity and it was something that he really took on as his own and he had to manage. You know, it was a project where you had to have difficult conversations. You had to have, and that's not, you know, being friends and me and Jordan have had some gripes. We've had some gripes. But at the end of the day, I know that we've always had my best, we've always had our ourselves, our best interest in mind. He knows that it's nothing but love from my side. My delivery may not always show that, but it's always love for me. You know, I'm just very passionate about what it is that I do and who's around because I want nothing but the best to everybody. As I said, I have my uh woman who I met in school who planned events for me. And I'll do anything I can to plug her events in. I'll do anything I can to support my fraternity brothers.

unknown 27:47

My dog from high school is in here and he's modeling now.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

It's just like, you know, it's beautiful to just see everybody in their own regard doing things, and I'm always gonna be a supporter of it. That is literally why I started this podcast. You know, going to school. You couldn't tell me I wasn't gonna be the next Stephen A or Shannon Sharp. They kind of wild it now. So it's just like I'm glad I took the route that I did, but I'm glad that, you know, I didn't really realize until year three why I started this podcast, what was really the mission behind it. I was living through my mother, and my mom was somebody who, you know, at her funeral, I really realized the impact that she had for how young she was. And for people just walking up to me and just telling me the impact that she made in her life, who she was, how they knew my whole life story. And I had never met this person a day in my life. My mom would put you in rooms that you didn't even know you were in. My mom would talk about you in any regard, but she built those that relationship, that rapport, even the same with my grandfather, you know. So to really just be able to support people in any regard, that's who I am, and that's what I want to do. So to really see you doing that now from that perspective, that's amazing. Now, we DJ LLC. You formulated that, you manage that, you delegate for that, you do whatever you want to do with that. What's next for y'all though? You know, I see that, you know, even this weekend, I see that y'all have a slate of different events. You are in different places. I was talking to Keem outside kind of about his journey and everything that he has going on, and still, even with the blessings and everything that's going on, you know, y'all still do have just different things in the mix, bumps and the rows and everything like that. But from the outside, looking in for people who really don't know about y'all, but are now wanting to tap in and tune in, what can they expect to see? Taylor, you're playing around on that. That wasn't us, right? No, alright.

SPEAKER_03 29:32

I just wanted to make sure.

unknown 29:34

Playing around.

SPEAKER_03 29:35

We DJ LLC, first of all, shout out to Keen, because without Keen, we wouldn't even be in here right now. Shout out to Keen. But uh We DJ LLC, uh, for us right now, all we want to do is just grow. Like, I understand the LLC part of it hasn't been there for as long as all of our DJs, but what we want to do is get other DJs involved. Because just from us doing what we're doing now, I get contacted by a bunch of different DJs every other weekend trying to work with us now. But the issue we're running into now is just finding more and more places. So now when we find more and more places, we ended up falling to another issue where we didn't have enough DJs. So now we're just trying to find our balance, which we kind of found in the last like couple of weeks. You've been heard plenty of stories over the phone with everybody, plenty of arguments, but debates, not arguments, debates. But either way, just for right now, we just want to grow. Teach people the DJ is not, you have to be a DJ to actually do this stuff. A lot of people who are learning from the ground up to do this. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 30:51

I don't know. But um seriousness? Yeah, but um, yeah, come on in.

SPEAKER_01 31:06

Please.

SPEAKER_02 31:12

But um, no, I love to uh I love to just hear that, I love to see that. You know, I think that anytime anytime that you can put people on, put people in position, I think that's important, but it's really a good feeling.

unknown 31:28

You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 31:28

Like it's really just even now when I connect business owners and I connect entrepreneurs to see even two of my friends now, Sarah and Ann, like I don't know if I was the reason for that connection, but they said I was. I think they just hyped me. But you know, I love just seeing things like that. Like I said, like I love just connecting pieces to the puzzle that otherwise may have might have been unconnected or untold or untouched. And that's really the podcast. You know, I'm telling those stories that otherwise may have been untold because I'm a firm believer that everybody should be a household name, that everything should be on the map, that if you're doing good work, it deserves to be broadcast and it deserves to be heard about. So I want to be able to do that by any means. So for the people, for even people listening, for even people who are here this episode, for inspiring DJs, what is a piece of advice that you could give? You know, even to people like myself, because as I said, I wanted to be a DJ, but I kind of let I let some things happen. Um I'll blame the bros for a lot of the reasons as to why I'm not a DJ, but uh that's another conversation. But for people who like entertainment, you know, what a fraternity. But for people who are listening to that, hearing that, wanting to be in that in some regard, for people who may come across this episode at some point, what advice do you have for those wanting to get into the entertainment industry for what comes with it, for what you know, for what you've experienced?

SPEAKER_03 32:49

Alright, before I I told everybody, I said earlier, to take that every opportunity you get. That is definitely true. Like, don't I'm not saying that's not a thing. You take every opportunity. Opportunity is what creates more opportunities, and that opportunity might end up being the right opportunity. But besides that, something for people that's inspiring, music industry, DJs, it's getting better now in terms of people collaborating. I say just connect with everybody that's inside of your field. When you connect with people that's in your field, they end up showing you the other door that you can go through and the other opportunities that you may be able to see. And once you see those opportunities, you again you get less and more opportunities. And that's really much how this industry works. It's about being in the right room at the right time, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_02 33:45

I would love them to, though. Uh, but y'all do whatever y'all want to do. How can they support you? How can they contribute to We DJ LLC? What can they do to make sure that you keep Taylor are always operating to the best of y'all abilities?

SPEAKER_03 33:59

Well, something anybody can do. When this is over, I'm gonna yell out Instagram tags just for the company and for myself as well. Then besides that, I'm gonna have that gentleman Tay at one point just go around and talk to everybody. So don't be surprised when he walks up to your table just over a small conversation, just to get to know who you are, where you're from, and how we might be able to help you or somebody, you know.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

We're not gonna lock the doors and make y'all give 40k. Um but we do appreciate all uh you can make that announcement though. What your cash app? Oh no, no, no, we don't make a special thing.

unknown 34:38

Uh we're not collecting any money here today, folks. Unless you want to donate. The podcast is always accepting donations.

SPEAKER_02 34:46

But um we, you know, for to be in this room today, I I I take it as I don't just take it as you didn't have anything better to do, but maybe you did. But I take it as, you know, you really wanted to support that. You, you know, I can look at almost everybody in here, pretty much everybody in here, and at some point, whether you've been on the podcast or sent me a message about the podcast or been to an event or followed a podcast or whatever, you supported me in some regard. And I don't, you know, I don't take any of that for granted. I don't take any of that lightly because essentially you don't have to. So for me, it just means it means the world, to be honest. You know, I'm very I I love feedback and I'm very critical about all of that freedom. Uh you good, welcome. But I I just love the idea that we can all just be here for each other, we can all just be a resource, we can all just have fun. Um, we can all get to know people with some very familiar faces in here. But I encourage any everybody to be somebody new today, to talk to somebody. You never know what the next person can do, what they're involved in, how they can help. You know, uh it's it's a lot of experience in here, resumes are stacked in here, um, and it's a lot of money in here. Um so, like I said, we are taking donations. But I just as I said, I don't take any of this for granted. I don't take any of this lightly. As I said, I hope to continue to do events here. I hope to continue to move around the city, I hope to continue to be impactful as we can. So Jordan, yes. What are you as I wouldn't really say we're at the beginning of the year, but we kind of, I mean, March is still here in a sense. When people, when this episode probably airs, we'll very much probably be in the summer.

unknown 36:23

That's just how backed up I am.

SPEAKER_02 36:25

But um for the people listening, for the people that's out there wanting to tap in, wanting to tune in, what's next for y'all? What are you excited about for the year? Do you have any big events for 2025 that people can kind of put on their radar, put on their calendar? Um, Ramadan is almost over, so the folks are about to be back outside, I feel like. Um, so man, shout out to all my my fasting Muslims during Ramadan as well. You know, I'm I'm definitely keeping y'all in prayer and I'm definitely proud of y'all for doing so and still showing love. But what can people expect? What are you most excited about for the year?

SPEAKER_03 36:54

Well, to be honest, besides all the traveling and stuff, uh in the beginning of August, we're gonna be in Houston uh later in May. We're gonna be in Miami. Uh, I don't know why I went backwards. Uh in July, we're gonna be in Philadelphia. There's a bunch of things going on in Philadelphia uh in terms of summer events and whatnot. Uh just be on the radar for it. If we ever just post it on our page or anything, we're posting it for a reason. It's gonna be a good time.

unknown 37:20

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 37:22

Um for people listening to this interview, for people in here right now, what's something that they probably won't, they probably may not know about you, they may not know about the business, the brand, anything of the sort you can share, or whatever. Uh, what's something that they may just not know about you from us just sitting down and having a conversation right now?

SPEAKER_03 37:42

The reason I started this entire thing, me and me and you were talking about it earlier. Uh, I mentioned it in your first podcast, but like you said before, everybody might not be here. That might be something they want to know, like why I started all this. All I wanted to do was throw a birthday party. I had a great birthday party, great happened, everything was good. Day of the event, the DJ never came. I had about three to five hundred people standing outside just waiting for music that never came. And I had to explain to three to five hundred people why we could not have a party. And again, it was on my birthday, so it would have felt worse. Then from that moment, I just said I wanted a DJ, and I'm not gonna let that happen again. Then opportunities granted itself, like I was telling you, and yeah. Did you invite me to that birthday party?

SPEAKER_02 38:30

Yes. I invited you to every birthday party. Glad I did though. Uh our birthdays are very close, by the way, a couple weeks apart. So we always try to do something, but it never works. Because during this very last minute, I told you I was gonna throw some cheese.

unknown 38:44

Um, so that's real though.

SPEAKER_02 38:48

You know, I can't really say that I I didn't, as I said, I didn't really realize why I started this podcast. I knew that I wanted to talk to people and I knew that I wanted people's stories to be told, but I didn't really realize that one of my biggest things is like just wanting support, just wanting to be here for people, you know, just taking things like that very seriously. So I I I it's so interesting over my 214 episodes to really hear people's mantras or to hear their whys behind things and to hear that, you know, sometimes it starts from a problem, or sometimes it starts from something that you don't want to do, or whatever the case may be. Now, for everybody that's out there right now, whether they're listening live, whether they're on the you know, Instagram live, whether they're tapping into this episode at a later date, where can they find you? How can they support you? Where can you know? I feel like everybody in here has Instagram, has social media, websites, everything like that. What can we do to follow you?

SPEAKER_03 39:43

All right, first thing you can do, you can follow our DJ page. We just started it up again. Uh by everybody pull out your phones. Go to that Instagram. Instagram, and you're gonna see I'm gonna give you two pages, then from those pages, you can see mostly all of our events and contact me of our DJs and not myself. First page is we DJ underscore LLC. Easy.

unknown 40:09

Say it again.

SPEAKER_03 40:10

We DJ underscore LLC. Now the second one is gonna be a little longer when I'm just gonna everybody ready for that, right? So let me know when everybody got the first one. Put your thumb up if everybody really followed, or they just look at the check in and see if they'll follow it afterwards as well.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

So I'll check the word there, or you don't talk about it. Yeah, Taylor got on his phone, so we will know.

SPEAKER_03 40:33

Uh the second one is my uh personal page, it's my DJ page. Uh PJ underscore juicy underscore J. Two Y. See? Look at her face right there. She's like, slow down for a second. Two Y's is crazy. Two Y's.

unknown 40:51

Talk to him.

SPEAKER_02 40:52

Talk to him.

SPEAKER_03 40:53

They said please repeat that. Dj underscore juicy underscore J. Two Y.

unknown 41:02

J E Y.

SPEAKER_03 41:04

J E Y Y. Is the double Y juicy or J?

SPEAKER_02 41:12

That's a valid question. It was a valid question. Shall we talk about your DJ name? How did you come up with that? Honestly, I didn't come up with it.

SPEAKER_03 41:19

It was uh somebody else named you then. Sound crazy to say that. Yeah. It sounds crazy to say that, but the person that actually gave me the name um or the people that actually helped me get a bunch of my first opportunities. So at the time, it took off, but after all these allegations with the Diddy stuff and all that stuff, it's sound crazy, but it's something that you really can't change at the point I'm at right now.

unknown 41:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:46

Well, listen, then we don't judge. That's all right. That's alright.

SPEAKER_02 41:49

So um to everybody that is out there, to everybody that showed up, that has tempted, that has sent me, you know, love, support, everything like that. I thank you. I appreciate you. To everybody that's in the building today, I'm gonna come around and thank all y'all individually. I feel like I have, you know, probably time to see me, but I'm gonna do it again. Um, but just thank y'all for being here. You know, I was very excited for this to happen. I woke up this morning and, you know, uh everybody was just asking how I was doing. I was just like, nothing is gonna steal my joy today, nothing is gonna steal my shine. Uh the surprises, just the vibe, just everything that's here. It's just, you know, it really felt good today. I really felt good to be able to be here and enjoy that. So I thank y'all so much for coming out of Jordan. I really thank you for being a part of this and just making this happen from episode one to this will probably be like episode like 240 or 250, somewhere in between there. So um, I'm excited for that. And I just, you know, I'm very much appreciative.

unknown 42:45

Um, shout out to my brothers. Uh but I am uh I'm just I'm I'm happy.

SPEAKER_02 42:52

I think y'all, I'll definitely let, you know, Georgia, do you feel like before I officially close it out, do you feel like you know there's anything that we haven't touched on, we haven't talked about, or anything, even some last words or some last gems that you want to leave for the people today?

SPEAKER_03 43:05

Not necessarily for me. I just want to give this opportunity to give you your flowers. Yeah, I've like you said, you've seen me do this from the ground up. I watched you inspire this for a while in your life without you even knowing. You have been through a lot of things in your life, and a lot of us are all watching. You have always had support of all of us. And no matter what you do from here on and what you did in the past or what you want to do in the future, you will always have our support. That's the last thing I'm gonna leave off of.

unknown 43:34

I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 43:35

I appreciate that. So, to all the beautiful people out there, to the bros, um, to everybody who is here. I thank y'all so much. I appreciate y'all for being a part of this. This has been the first live event in Philadelphia. This will certainly not be the last, but this has been another episode of the Down to Business Podcast. Here we're tomorrow turn.