Is Your DJ Business Built To Run Without You?

Welcome And Quick Housekeeping

SPEAKER_03 0:17

What's up, everybody? Welcome back to Beyond the DJ booth. And I am Joe Bunn. We got my man Brian B to my left. Almost August. And damn it, it is almost August. Crazy. Crazy. Episode six. Years blowing by. Season eight, episode six. It's about to get real hot. Oh, it's about to get real steamy. Steamy, as they say. Real steamy.

SPEAKER_04 0:39

Yeah. What wait a minute. I feel like we no no no. 12. No, we have 13 episodes in a season.

SPEAKER_03 0:52

13 times 7 is 91. We're getting close. Okay. We are getting close to 100. We're getting close. I think we're gonna give shit away. Okay. I got some stuff to give away. Okay. Let's do it.

SPEAKER_04 1:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:04

Anyway. I can tell by the way. You and Deadman. Sorry. Ella. I don't know why that's in my head. Yeah, it is. So before we get started, man, I wanted to kind of plug the podcast, if you will. Okay. Two things I need. Right. Number one, are you following us on? I'm gonna look right in the center camera. Are you following us on Instagram? Question mark. At Beyond the DJ Booth. At Beyond the DJ Booth. We clip up the show. You do a good job of that. Thanks, man. And we caption it and we try and find the most, you know, funny or educational clips, I guess.

SPEAKER_06 1:47

Controversial.

SPEAKER_03 1:48

And we usually put about three a week up. So please watch the clips, comment on them. Sometimes there's a call to action. Please respond to those. So that's number one. Number two, if you're watching the podcast on YouTube right now, and or you're you're listening on Spotify, just hit the three dots. Hit the three dots. Share it on your socials and tag at Beyond the DJ booth. We'll reshare it. Please, we'll reshare that. The video is now on Spotify.

unknown 2:17

Spotify.

SPEAKER_03 2:18

Video is on Spotify. Video is on Apple Podcasts. It will be when this drops. And the video is on YouTube. So if you want to see your boys in our little studio, come and check it out. Come check it out. You know what people are saying. Oh, we need another cam. We need another cam. Saquon cam. They've been calling for it. Okay. People have been calling for it. He said, nah. He's got the fit on today. He's got the fit. He put that shit on today. I did the pink. Yeah. Pink taco.

SPEAKER_06 2:49

It's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 2:51

And then most importantly, and I feel like we don't get near enough of these. And it really helps like your rating. Right. And then putting it in the feed or the algorithm or the or the home page, even. The search. Please leave a review. Yeah. Just wherever you're listening.

SPEAKER_06 3:08

Even if it's three words, we'll take it. We'll take it. This shit fire.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 3:12

That big guy.

SPEAKER_03 3:15

You see that kid? Does that kid come up on your feet? Yeah, oh yeah. A little white kid. Yeah. Have you tried the Kool-Aid pineapples yet? Have you tried the Kool-Aid pineapple? Have you tried the Kool-Aid pineapple? It's a CIA operation. Right? They say that. Have you seen these things? No. So basically, people are taking those pineapple spears. Oh, yes, I have seen that. They dump the juice out. Yeah, yeah. They take the juice, mix in a pack of Kool-Aid and then a bunch of sugar. Put the juice back in, put it in the refrigerator, let it cook overnight. And then they're eating them. They say that the equivalent in that jar, it's a big jar, is 19 crispy cream donuts. That's how much sugar is in it. Wow. It's the equivalent of eating 19 crispy cream donuts. Wow. I haven't tried one. I would try one, but I ain't gonna eat like the whole bucket. Yeah, that'd be a gas. That'd be gay. Yeah, that shit tough. That's crazy. I hate that kid. He went

Reviews, Patreon, And Listener Shoutouts

SPEAKER_03 4:12

viral. What is he trying to say? That bitch gas?

SPEAKER_02 4:15

Yeah, yeah. But that'd be gay. Yeah, he's putting the black scent on it. That'd be gay.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Little white kid. That'd be gay.

SPEAKER_02 4:23

With the broccoli cut.

SPEAKER_03 4:24

Yeah, he's got the broccoli, the alpaca. Uh anyway, leave us a review. Thank you. We had a lunch. We did have a lunch, man, with one of our Patreon members. By the way, if you're not a member of the Patreon, Patreon.com slash beyond the DJ Booth Podcast. The Patreon is where you can ask us questions. You can hear episodes before they even come out. You can possibly download some bonus content. I'd like to call it Winky Wink. You can, what else? Get the banger list. Yep. You can get the Serato history sometimes of our shows if we crushed it. Yeah. But one of our loyal listeners and Patreon members from Durham, North Carolina, met up with us at lunch. We had a nice burger. Shout out Marty Nightingale. Yeah. It sounds like a game show host, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_06 5:10

It does.

SPEAKER_03 5:11

Did I ask him if that was his real?

SPEAKER_06 5:12

I don't know. You got there before me. You guys were having a little combo. I think he said it was Martin.

SPEAKER_03 5:17

No, I don't remember. Good dude, though. Good dude. I like I love that dude, man. I beg, I beg him every

DJ Collective Announcement And Mustache Branding

SPEAKER_03 5:23

time I see him to come work for me. And he's just like happy being solo, solo Ricky. I'll be fashioning it. And he's like, I don't need you. I'm doing like 40 shows a year at X dollars. Yeah. He's doing the damn thing.

SPEAKER_06 5:35

Shout out, Marty. Yeah. Um, we have a DJ Collective announcement today. So let me uh open it up and mention it. We're gonna go go go go go on. We're gonna have another general session announcement. Speaker, go on. You love him. Who doesn't? I love him. Who doesn't? The stash is premium. Premium stash. Jack Christian. Via England through Texas to Raleigh. Is that what I'm coming? Right? Yeah. I mean, he's he's actually I haven't seen him speak in a while, but everybody that has seen him speak tells me he's always prepared, brings the fire.

SPEAKER_03 6:15

I did. You did uh um a couple times now, but he he was definitely at Midwest TJ's live. What was that three, four, four months ago? He killed that shit. He's great.

SPEAKER_06 6:26

He's given a talk about um I think it's called Get Branded or something like that, and it's about um brand partnerships. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like how you can work with companies and create some product or money or whatever. A different revenue source than just Gigan. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:45

So even got a mustache wax deal.

SPEAKER_06 6:47

He does. Yeah. Wow. That doesn't surprise me though. You ever seen, I don't know. I I went back through his feed a while back and ever seen him without the stash? No, you found it? I found the stuff the pre-stash.

SPEAKER_03 6:59

I asked him, he's I think he's afraid to shave the stash because it's it's so recognizable.

SPEAKER_06 7:04

Oh, yeah. Well, you know, like uh what's it the beard, uh Harden, he has in his contracts his brand. Oh, I know. You told me that. If he shaves it, then it's he loses all like he's gotta pay them back, like it's a big deal to find. Yeah. So I feel like he's gonna be in the same boat. He can't lose the stash now. It's like it's part of the brand. Right? I mean, I hope his wife likes it. Yeah, maybe. I would hope so. They're married. I would hope so. Anyway, he'll be there. Yeah, yeah, Christy. Come join us

Testing A QR Code Photo Wall

SPEAKER_06 7:33

uh November 16th through the 18th in Raleigh. You can go to the DJ CollectiveOfficial.com. I think we've got like 30 or so slots still available. So um get your price keeps going up, though.

SPEAKER_03 7:45

Yeah, I don't know what you're all waiting for. Yeah, DJ Collectiveofficial.com, the DJ Collectiveofficial.com. I just started thinking about something. What whatever happened on that whole rant? I know we're gonna talk about some rants today. The whole thing with like you and the road cases, and then like people were trying to come for your heads on that, but like, did you ever get any cases? No, are your TV screens still in the boxes? No, they're not in the boxes.

SPEAKER_06 8:08

I got a cloth um cover for them. A satchel? Kind of. It's got straps on the bottom. I mean Velcro straps. Authorized or homemade? No, no, no. It's like a uh it's not homemade, it's uh something I bought on Amazon or something like that. I may have got them actually somewhere else.

SPEAKER_03 8:23

But secondly, have you used them again? And then thirdly, are you going to either upsell or give away the START and spotlight thing?

SPEAKER_06 8:36

I funny you should ask. I just had the meeting with the clients. Uh for is this a uh corporate thing? This is no a wedding. Small wedding. Okay. July and August. I haven't had the August one yet, but I did do it for July. Did they want screens? Nope. I actually just said, listen, I have a new service. I'm trying it out. Okay. I said, I think this would be cool for y'all since you have a small guest count. We're talking 50 people. It's not big. Yeah. So I said, hey, this is how it works. Basically, you know, this is a place to capture all your photos. Um, I will put something on your table that is like a photo holder that's got the QR code in there. Yeah. Uh I said, if you can send me an engagement photo. She's like, we don't have any engagement photos. So I was like, oh, okay. Any photo. How about just a photo of you guys just doing, you know, together. Sure. You know, any. Just send me whatever. I said, just send me six. Yeah. Oh, we got plenty of those. So I put it. So they sent me those. I said, I'll get with your photographer. If they can send me anything they have, I'll put them on there. We'll rotate it through. I said, would you want to try it? And then the guest thing. The guest thing's part of that. Right. Okay. Oh, oh, you're talking about the seating chart. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:45

No, no, the instant spotlight.

SPEAKER_06 9:46

The instant spotlight. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:47

But I'm saying, are you going to put out the QR code? Oh, yeah, yeah. On the tables, put the holders. I got you right.

SPEAKER_06 9:52

I said, I'm not going to charge you anything because I want to learn it really well and try it out. I said, it's only a value add. Yep. I can't see a negative. If it doesn't work, we'll pull the plug and no one's the wiser. Yeah. You know? So I said, let's just give it a try. I would love that. So I mean it's free. It's free. Yeah. So now I gotta do do it and I'll let you know. I mean, it's gonna be by two.

SPEAKER_03 10:14

You shouldn't do one screen, just set up a TV screen. One screen.

SPEAKER_06 10:16

I told them I actually emailed the um planner saying this is what I want to do. Uh that got this co-sign from the the the you know the because I think the worst thing you do is show up with a TV screen, especially a 75-incher, and be like, and not tell them that you're coming with it. Right, right, right. I'm not talking about the client, I'm talking about the planner or the venue. Yeah, yeah. So I asked her ahead of time. I mean, we're a month out, and I said, Where do you want this to be? Just want to make sure it's on your radar. I think probably the most trafficked area. Sure. The bar. Yeah. Um, I don't have to be near it. You know, uh it didn't need to be like on the side of the booth or anything. And I'm gonna use my wireless HDMI. Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_03 10:50

Yeah, we talked about that before on here. So all of that keep us posted. Well do. Uh, if you guys uh want to know about this product, it's called one of their mini tools is at sstart.com. This one's the instant spotlight, and basically the premise is you can put up a QR code, guests scan it, and then whatever pictures from their camera roll that night they want to send to the system comes to the TV screens. It's very simple to set up uh before you ask, yes, as AI, so it scrubs people going in and pulling their junk out in the bathroom and trying to put it up there, like any weird shit like that.

SPEAKER_06 11:29

Um it's got other AI too, where it's got like uh almost like a AI background, like a green screen.

SPEAKER_03 11:35

Oh, like Snapchat type filter. Yeah, you can make like fashion covers and stuff like that. Anyway, START.com, check it out. If they have the ability to set up a call with them, please do so, or just try it out. If you don't like it, I'm sure you can cancel anytime. Yeah. All right.

SPEAKER_06 11:49

Hey, real quick, Joe, should we explain the back room or just let people figure it out? I think we should explain. All right, it's our Patreon. We call it the back room, a community for you, our listeners, the booth heads. And if you're not in there, you are missing a ton of stuff. Things like bonus episodes, exclusively recorded monthly for backroom members.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

Plus the tracks that we pull that actually work for the events when we play them and when you play them. Early bashed episodes, giveaways. Look, we have the good stuff there, not junk. We're not gonna email you some sticker.

SPEAKER_06 12:21

And it's $19.99 a month for now.

SPEAKER_03 12:24

Yeah, for now. Go to patreon.com beyond the DJ Booth Podcast. Again, patreon.com slash beyond the DJ Booth Podcast.

SPEAKER_06 12:32

Join us and our booth head community in the back room.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

Um rant in a while. Yeah, go back a screen. Oh yeah, man. What's it? They off the record.

SPEAKER_02 12:45

Uh, off the record, let me talk my sugar honey icy. They throw a shade while I'm sipping on this icy. Don't care if you hate on like me. You know why? Cause that's just how life is. I'm gonna say what I want to say. It's right time to write and read, get out the way.

The Customer Support DM Meltdown

SPEAKER_06 13:16

So, man, I uh you were on a trip and I was seeing you getting tagged and left and right on different things. I think I may have even screenshotted one for you. But uh, what's the deal? What's going on with you?

SPEAKER_03 13:27

Well, first and foremost, let me just say something. About I'm gonna say something real, real here. Real, real. Real, real. This is the real real. I own several businesses that service DJ. In fact, anything I've ever done that did not follow that path was a disaster.

SPEAKER_05 13:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:51

I take pride in saying that we, no matter which business I'm talking about, even stuff that I'm not even involved with anymore, like Cray Hackers, I will take pride in saying anything that I currently own, we have incredible customer service. And the reason why is because I am the one responding to those emails. Now, I've set up autoresponders on all of my Instagram accounts that say, do not leave a message here about Bungear, EventSync, parts for DJs, the DJs of all. Email this address. Those emails all still come to me. Like we've done in the past, all those emails come to me. But what do you know, man? People are on my personal Facebook, people are on these Instagram accounts that I don't check every day. Yeah, sending problems. Hey man, I'm missing uh uh the cup holder on my DJ booth. Yeah, I don't see that. I might not see that for days on an Instagram DM. Right on the Facebook message, I might not see it for two days. Yeah, email the company directly. That email comes to me. This guy on Sunday pushed me to the fucking wall. And I finally blocked, yeah. Yeah. Um and it was on one of those plastic parts, a six dollar part, not a three thousand dollar DJ, but yeah, okay. Um these don't fit. Okay, well, um Did you order the right ones for the rest of the day? So first, I'm I'm on the tour of the Queen Mary. I'm on this a ship bigger than the Titanic, Ocean Liner, taking a tour. Ghosts and ship flying around everywhere. That thing is so haunted. I felt so creepy. And I f I I'll give him one. And Colin's, you know, Colin's like, man, don't do the business today. I'm like, uh, let me just let me just fix this. I I go, maybe we've grabbed the wrong one in the warehouse. Maybe you order the wrong one. Um just send them back. Here's the address. Thank you. Why did you send the wrong ones? Oh. Or something like that. Why don't why don't they fit? And I said, hey man, listen, don't don't message me again. It's Father's Day. I'm with my son.

SPEAKER_05 16:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

On a trip. Third follow-up question. And I just hit block.

SPEAKER_05 16:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:18

Do not fucking do that, man. Yeah. Just email the company direct. Every one of these websites has that email address. And I'm telling y'all, I'm looking right at the camera. Those emails come to me. They're not being third-party. I may send it to Frank. I may send it to Kim in California and go, Kim, handle this.

SPEAKER_05 16:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:35

Hey, Frank, you cut this top wrong. Put another one.

SPEAKER_05 16:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

But I am going to get somebody to activate, unless it's on the weekend, within 12 hours. Yeah. And you're going to have either a new part on the way or we're going to have a solution. Yeah. Or you're going to get labels to simply return it for a full refund. I don't need your money that bad. I had somebody last week. Oh, this thing for $3,000 is a piece of shit. A list this long. Wow. And I go, This is this is just like a bride. You're never going to be happy. Yeah. This guy's never going to be happy.

SPEAKER_05 17:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:07

And I'll have 10 10 emails the same week. Dude, this is the best thing I've ever bought. Look at the pictures. I'm so proud of my setup.

SPEAKER_05 17:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:14

Can't win them all. Can't win them all. I said, I literally said, Kim in LA, send this guy labels, full refund. As soon as it gets back, inspect it, give him his money back.

SPEAKER_05 17:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:24

I don't need your business, man. That money's not going to make or break me. If you're not happy with something that we sold you, then get your fucking money back. Yeah. And please don't message me on any of my personal shit ever again about any of this stuff. I'm sorry. I'm not I'm not going to respond to it.

SPEAKER_05 17:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:38

I'm not going to do it, man. If you email those company addresses, I will respond as soon as I get it, and I'm going to fix the problem immediately. As soon as I see it. Thank you. Rantover. God damn it. What's the other part? What is the other part? I don't know. Man, I'm not even going to address these fucking clowns that are ripping off my shit. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. Okay. Because they're not, they're not, they're not me. They have no community. They have no trust. People buy from people they know, like, and trust. Yeah. I'm going to say that again. People buy from people they know, like, and trust.

SPEAKER_05 18:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:15

Does everybody like me? Nope. And that's why they buy other shit.

SPEAKER_05 18:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:18

But the people that do know I make great stuff.

SPEAKER_05 18:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

That I stand behind it. That I'm going to send them a new one if it if it shits up, you know, or they don't like it, they're going to get their money back. There you go. If you want to go out there and buy something that looks like what we made, knock yourself out. I can tell you right now, it is, I don't care if it's half price, it is not going to last. Look, stand up, set up like you think it is. Yeah. You get what you pay for. Yeah. And a half price DJ booth is going to be exactly that. Yeah. We sell a booth that will last your entire career. Yeah. I just switched mine out from six years ago. Wow. And the only reason why is because it had the new uh latches on it.

SPEAKER_05 19:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:04

That's it.

SPEAKER_05 19:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:05

I mean, I just did it so that in content, when I showed the backside, people weren't like, yo, my man's got the old school with the screws. Yeah. I just switched it out for that reason. Yeah. And and and and sold mine to one of my DJs, and it looks in perfect condition. It has been on the road for six years. Yeah. Other than the bottom of the base plate, there was nothing on it. I wiped it down with a with a Clorox wipe and put it in the bag and handed it to him, and I felt completely comfortable sending it on down the road for more gigs. Yeah. Under my brand. Yeah.

Travel Rant About Hotel Breakfast

SPEAKER_03 19:35

If you want to buy those, please. I want to hear about them. Let me know your experiences. I'm telling you. Knock yourself out. Yeah. Go buy it. There you go. See if they stand behind it. See what, see what see what happens after you set it up a couple times. You'll see. Go ahead. I mean, my rant's not as good. Well, you should have gone first then.

SPEAKER_06 19:56

Uh I mean, I told you I was on the road for Yeah, this shit was crazy though, because I've never I've I've not run into this. Yeah, so I guess my complaints, and this is dude, this is first world problems, bro. So like I do relax, and so are mine, but I mean, like they're all first world problems, but this is nuts. So I go from Florida all the way to Arizona first. Yeah. Layover. No, I'm there for a gig for three days.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

That's right, that's right. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_06 20:25

I'm staying at a Marriott, a nice Marriott, like a two. I mean, it's like a resort style. I mean, they had probably, and I'm not even joking, like 40 ballrooms. I'm not joking. It was massive. And so anyway, uh, you know, I'm three hours behind or ahead, I should say. So the next morning, you know, first day I get there, you know, I go to bed about six o'clock at night, seven o'clock at night, whatever. I'm up at four in the morning. Of course you are, yeah. Hungry. Uh-oh. Nothing's open. Uh-oh. They don't accept uh like any kind of Uber eats or anything on property. Oh, they don't allow it.

SPEAKER_04 21:04

Damn.

SPEAKER_06 21:05

So I'm like, I'm I'm I don't have a car. I Ubered in.

SPEAKER_05 21:09

Right.

SPEAKER_06 21:09

You know what I mean? I'm what am I gonna go? Someplace at four in the morning, anyways? Like in an area I don't know. So I go, they gotta have room service 24-7. Something have, you know, nothing. Nothing, not till 6 40. Damn, two hours and 40 minutes. So, bro, I am looking at the clock on the TV screen. Like, I'm trying, I'm refreshing it. It's one of those ones where you gotta use the the QR code on the TV screen and you just refresh. And I'm just like, how do you not, as a place that has a Marriott brand and that big and that big, and so did they have one of those little stores by the front desk? They may have, but it wasn't like breakfast food and just like some old ass ramen noodles that they eat them, you know. And then you do all the little microwave it. Yeah, so the hot pocket. Um so, anyways, I and Up, you know, just making my own coffee, at least something. Sure. You know what I mean? Yeah. So whatever. I'm like, okay, it's a Marriott, whatever. Maybe that's just the issue. So I'm like, okay, so I go uh I'm in Arizona, do that whole thing, go back to Florida for a wedding. Sure. Come all the way back to uh Hawaii. Now I'm six hours. Yeah. Ahead that I'm going back, you know. So now I'm I'm so six in the morning is noon. Six in the morning here is six in the morning there is noon East Coast time. Lunchtime, Prime. Lunchtime. Haven't had breakfast yet. Right. It's not six. It's six. So uh I go I'm at a Ritz Carlton. A Ritz Carlton. Now are you are you up or are you getting off the plane? No, no. I this is I went to bed at like you know 10 o'clock at night, up just normal. You know, I didn't set an alarm, but now I'm hungry. And I'm like growling, growling. And I'm like, okay, well, they gotta have something. And so um, same thing. Room service doesn't open, it's a Marriott property, so it's a bond. I didn't know that. Ritz Carlton, I guess it's owned by Bonvoy now. Uh 640. I'm like, 640, bro. Like, I gotta wait another 40 minutes. So I go downstairs because I'm like, it's a Ritz Carlton. They gotta have something. Something's a coffee shop, anything. Maybe they don't do room service, but they gotta arrest. No, and you could, it was so hilarious because you could see all the East Coasters. Yeah, you told me that. Because we're all like zombies walking around this thing at like all his friends like just starving. Yeah, and it was actually earlier than 6. I think I got up at like 4 a.m. because it was really like uh 10. 10 a.m. 10. Right. Yeah. So 4 a.m. There's a bunch of us east coasters just looking for anything. But it was like, you know, just like, where's the restaurants at? Nothing. And then and I mean, that one I I didn't even try to like uber, you know, Uber eats it or I'm like, that would look a little janky at a at a Ritz Carlton.

SPEAKER_03 23:49

Engage conference.

SPEAKER_06 23:50

Yeah, and you're sitting there eating a damn Taco Bell breakfast burrito. So same thing, man. I'm just waiting until that 640 time frame. But I'm just like, these hotels have to like you have to fagger in travelers, and these are people that I'm not the only one coming from the East Coast, right? Like there was like a a schmorgersborg of people, like you know, a hundred of us that were probably from that that time zone, at least. And like, how do you not think of that as a hotel in hospitality of all things to have at least an all-night menu, you know, or all you know, 24-7. I'm not expecting, you know, eggs benny. No, no, no. But like, give me a couple of things. I'll take anything. I'm like, just like I'm like, you can't hear my stomach through the phone, baby. Like, come on, give me something.

SPEAKER_03 24:37

Give me something. I just don't understand that. I I don't get that either. I I'll be honest. I haven't I haven't run into it, but it makes a lot of sense now that you're saying it. Especially for a premium hotel. The only place I ever run into it where I wake up stupid early like that is Vegas. But Vegas, oh you go anywhere 24-7. Yeah, totally. You know, crackhead still sitting there from the night before, you know, playing blackjack. Lady of the night? Yeah. I'm like lady of the night trolling around. You get a damn burger, I mean, whatever pizza, whatever you want.

SPEAKER_06 25:07

Yeah, it's still prime time.

SPEAKER_03 25:10

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. That's all I got. Oh man. If you've ever tried to clean up your DJ setup and thought there's gotta be a better way to mount this, yeah, there is now. Parts 4 DJs is the new home for all of our custom 3D printed parts. Stuff designed specifically to make your setup cleaner, tighter, and more professional. Cable management, mounts, little fixes that make a big difference. We moved everything off the Bungear site so it has its own home now. Go check it out at parts the number four DJs.com. Uh, let's hit the pop culture on my name. Damn, okay, we're still going. Brian B.

SPEAKER_01 25:48

Joe Bun, dropping heat just for fun.

TikTok Wedding Songs And AI Edits

SPEAKER_01 25:53

Pop talk spinning like a wreck of spine.

unknown 25:57

Woo!

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Pop culture class where the stories collide. Two DJs bringing the flavor we're a while.

SPEAKER_06 26:07

So, Pop Culture Minute. Uh, I wanted to talk about TikTok songs that are just blowing up, man. Um, so I told you about the the Melissa thing. What's it called again? Melissa, I'm drunk and I'm outside. So this was the show's the dance with it. Like just somebody who's doing it. Okay, okay. This isn't the official dance, but this is just some rando.

unknown 26:26

Melissa!

SPEAKER_01 26:29

I'm drunk and outside.

SPEAKER_06 26:35

I'm telling you, it goes off man.

SPEAKER_01 26:36

I'm drunk and outside. Be outside, be moving. I don't see a girl with early hair. I get back. You can accomplish anything you want in life. I like what I'm gonna do. Get it, get it, get it, girl.

SPEAKER_06 26:52

Dude, I'm telling you. This one is the actual one. Anyway, I had uh a guest, uh, uh actual client, I should say, uh, email me one of those like transition things. Yeah, you know, yeah. But this isn't a transition thing. This is another DJ that he saw. Yeah. He's like, Do you have this this record or this mix? And I'm like, and I was just like, this is corny. I I think, but let me know what you think.

SPEAKER_03 27:44

How do you go from the O'Reilly theme song to dad? I mean, like, he's like, why?

SPEAKER_06 27:49

He's like, Can you play that at my wedding?

SPEAKER_00 27:52

No.

SPEAKER_06 27:53

And I'm like, Why? I he's like, it's hilarious, it'll be so funny. And I'm like, there's a balance but striking of like being funny and also holding the party. You know what I mean? Right, right. But this is like this is like not just this exact one. This is one that he sent me, but like he sent me a bunch of these that are not just like jingles that are turned into songs, but a bunch of like TikTok stuff that I'm supposed to try to like fit into this mix of music with people who at a wedding of all things.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

I'm worried about that.

SPEAKER_06 28:23

I am too. And I saw some other DJs saying the same thing that they're also getting some of these people that are kind of got me with it recently as well. But I will say, like, the stuff is trending and it's like becoming some of the bigger songs of the night for me, like bigger than like all those that the Puerto Rico song, the Melissa I'm Drunk Outside, like those songs are becoming the biggest records of the night. So I think it's kind of one of those things too where you have to balance, like, you can't play two minutes of it. You know what I mean? Like, even that little transition is like so quick, but like, I'm like, how do I fit in the O'Reilly auto parts? Like in the middle, like I'm like, I'm not sitting on the ground with my controller, like with some crazy shirt in front of the auto parts store trying to make it ring with my balls on the freaking fader.

SPEAKER_03 29:06

What is that?

SPEAKER_06 29:07

What style is that anyway? So I saw another DJ talking about it. Like, that first of all, a lot of these are AI driven, you know. Like, is there some ethic, you know, concerns, ethical concerns? And then also, like, if this is what the client's wanting, what do you do?

SPEAKER_03 29:25

I don't know, man. Are you running into them? No, yeah. The guy hit me up and he sent me a video and it was a wordplay, and I said, uh, I said, I get what you're trying to do. I was like, I can tell this is pre-produced. Like, I know you think that guy's doing it live. I think I have this edit, like he's definitely not. So if you didn't have the edit, what would you be doing? Uh trying to find it? Making you make it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or I mean you would probably even Steve and be like, hey, can you just make this and I'm gonna play it? And then you would just drop it, figure out if I'm not gonna play it live. I'm not gonna, I'm not that good at that type stuff. I'm not good at the tone play, right? Words. Me either. I'm not saying that. I just I just want to play. So, like, how do you but if he was hell-bent on it, or even this, I would get somebody to make it and just act like I was doing it. I'm not gonna sit there and try to recreate this.

SPEAKER_06 30:10

But the thing is, it's like this specific one coming from the O'Reilly.

SPEAKER_03 30:14

I don't how do you the only way that this goes over is if he worked for O'Reilly or something. Right. Or like people knew that. Right. You could kind of talk into the song.

SPEAKER_06 30:25

I was thinking people are gonna look at me like, yo, you played the O'Reilly Auto Parts commercial. Why? I just I mean, I right that's what I'm trying to figure out.

SPEAKER_03 30:35

It's like, how would I even drop a song like that? It would almost have to be coming out like of a hard reset, like from like a country song or like a ballad. Yeah. And then I don't think you play the whole theme song. I mean, like it's like but you gotta get into it somehow. Oh, I think it's a hard start from a cold out type thing.

SPEAKER_06 30:52

I'm just worried because it starts to it's starting to become a little bit more regular for me with these things, and I'm just like, yikes. This is this is and and so I think what you're gonna have like when it reminds me of when video DJing was a big thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And people were um trying to, oh, hey, you gotta watch this, you gotta watch this, and like everyone stopped dancing because they're trying to watch this video, and it's like you're hurting the party, right? Like the best ones, the guys that have actually made it in that world, strike the balance of keeping the party and still having a little bit of entertainment in there at times, yeah. But not if you go all this, the party loses, or if you go all party, then you have no entertainment. So it's kind of like finding the balance. Yeah, him, uh second nature, like all those guys. Even Pierce is real good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, anyway, I just bring it up because I think it's something that's coming down the pike, and you better be prepared for it uh

What’s Fading And What’s Back

SPEAKER_06 31:38

in case those things start becoming the norm, which is scary. You know what I mean? Especially the ones that are that might be my retirement calling. Um speaking of, I just thought in this pop culture segment I would talk about some other pop culture things that are happening. I don't I'm curious if you're feeling this. Um is the Chapel Rowan histori hysteria over? I feel like I'm getting no buzz whatsoever to any of her tracks. Zero.

SPEAKER_03 32:07

Um we we we still see Pink Punny Club on the list and play Pink Punny Club. Straight ahead? Yeah. Oh no, no, uh Fused Disco edit. Okay, and it's always been Fused Disco edit.

SPEAKER_06 32:16

Right, I've always usually used that one too, but it's not I'm getting groans when I I mean I dropped it at an engage. Like, you know, it's like and like there's no reaction. It's almost like why would he it's like becoming the uptown funk? Woo. I would go that far. Woo! I just thought the the window of time is so short. Like that was I mean, I guess it has been out two or three years, but three years now. I mean, it it only ran for a year.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

Yeah, I've seen you drop it, and then I've seen some people kind of like well, not like not giving me a lot of things. It's not so much in your face, but I see them like kind of yeah, right.

SPEAKER_06 32:51

Do I want to be here?

SPEAKER_02 32:52

It's like an energy drive.

SPEAKER_06 32:54

I will say what has come back for me, Lady Gaga. Wow. Any of her stuff. Okay, poker face, bad romance. If you play the chorus. Dude, the chorus hits goes crazy.

SPEAKER_03 33:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 33:09

I don't think you need to play it long, but that's been even just dance, like all of her tracks have. I don't know if it's just a resurgent, why that is, but that's been happening. Okay. Um I had two more questions for you, kind of in this pop culture segment. Uh what do you think the effect of the Taylor Swift wedding, assuming that it's probably may have already happened by the time this episode drops? You think there's gonna be any like is her music gonna make another? Because I I also feel like that one's kind of been on on the I I haven't had any requests for it really. Right? No Opalite, no um But maybe not even just that. The fact that it's potentially happening at Madison Square Garden, like any you think there's gonna be a pop of whatever she does, it's gonna be sign up for something new thing. Does it carry the weight? Nah.

SPEAKER_03 33:53

Okay. It is just it's it's it's either you like her or you don't now, like in terms of these brides. And and so you're not r taking the risk anymore unless it's on a list. No, no, no, no, no, no. Okay, yeah, it's just she's just overexposed. It's kind of like the Beyonce effect. Like I can't stand Beyonce. I think people got very like tired of her and her her nonsense, and it's just overexposed. Yeah, the only song that she ever has had that truly had staying power is crazy in love. I'll play that, I'll play that 90% of the weekends.

SPEAKER_06 34:22

Really? Yeah. I haven't played that in a while. Yeah, it still goes. Okay. Um, uh we're gonna be in August when we drop this. Uh, Song of the Summer Contenders. Are you thinking anything?

SPEAKER_03 34:33

I can tell by the way.

SPEAKER_06 34:36

You think it got dropped too early?

SPEAKER_03 34:38

Did it get dropped too early for it to be a contender? Maybe it did, but I think it's gonna last. And I don't know why. Okay, so that's a track. I don't, it's that catchy. And I'm seeing TikToks about it, memes about it. These people come from other countries or are have adopted that song and her as like uh the Statue of Liberty. Like their Lord and Savior is Ella Langley at this point. Like Can you I know it's because it came out, it didn't come out.

SPEAKER_06 35:07

I think it's been out for eight months or so. Choose in Texas? Yeah, I think it's been out way longer. I think it's been out since like 2025.

SPEAKER_03 35:15

Can you look that up, Saquon? See uh see when choosing Texas by Ella Langley.

SPEAKER_06 35:20

Because I I ask you that actual single because go on, I mean Beauty and the Beat by Bieber. I know it didn't come out, but no, we can't go back that far. We can't go back that far. Yeah. Last year.

SPEAKER_03 35:37

What I said, eight or nine months.

SPEAKER_06 35:39

You're counting at a song of the summer? What's the one?

SPEAKER_03 35:44

You're just trying to bring something from 20 years ago. I know.

SPEAKER_06 35:47

Well, the only reason why I brought that up is because you're bringing this one in, which is came out in 2025. I think that's okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 35:52

I mean, it didn't really hear the trend until let's call it March. Okay. April. So it it you can't say when it came out. I mean, you can we can't take anything older than a year.

SPEAKER_06 36:05

Okay, so a year.

SPEAKER_03 36:05

Okay, so that's the cat's the cap. That's the metric.

SPEAKER_06 36:07

Okay, okay, just asking. Just asking.

SPEAKER_03 36:10

He's two stepping round the room.

SPEAKER_06 36:13

What do you think it is? I don't know. I don't know. I mean, it was I mean, there is no standard. Well, last year there wasn't either. I know. And it was a what was it, that that um that TikTok track that was the one that said um uh uh like the the vacation little sample that was in that that that house track, you know, it was like a jet two holiday.

SPEAKER_03 36:35

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 36:36

But that song was ancient was ancient.

SPEAKER_03 36:38

That's why I'm bringing up Beauty and the Beat. I didn't just pull that out of the thin air. I got you, I know what you're saying.

SPEAKER_06 36:43

So I don't know. I'm just asking. Well, that was considered the song of the summer, technically. That's what everybody's saying because they didn't have one that dropped. Now, the year before that was Shaboozie, yeah, you know, and all that, but yeah, like there really wasn't one last year, so I'm wondering if this year is gonna be another one of those. Could it be the Puerto Rico song? Oh lord.

SPEAKER_03 37:04

You know, I've yet to play that, or Melissa getting drunk.

SPEAKER_06 37:07

You haven't played the Puerto Rico yet. Nobody's even asking for it. Wow, or Melissa Get Drunk or whatever. Okay, yeah, you'll get it. You're gonna get it. Might be 10 years from now, but you'll get it. Hey, Brian B here. Sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled podcast, but let's be real. You're here because you actually care about your DJ business. And if you've been nodding along, like, yeah, I should totally step up my game, then let me make it easy for you. I've got a coaching platform, the DJ's Creative Edge, where I help DJs like you stand out, raise their prices without feeling guilty, and actually get paid what they're worth. We're talking one-on-one coaching, a killer course option to help you define your uniqueness, and a group coaching option with other DJs who actually get it. The website, the DJ'sCreativeedge.com. That's the DJ'sCreativeedge.com. Because you know, repetition works. And if you want to just lurk for now, hit up Instagram at the DJ's

Exit Strategy For DJs And Selling

SPEAKER_06 38:06

Creative Edge. All right, back to the show before Joe starts yelling in his extra thick North Carolina accent about how back in his day, DJs used CDs and still had to walk uphill both ways to a gig. Let's hit the question of the day.

SPEAKER_03 38:23

Question of the day.

SPEAKER_06 38:30

Steve Shanahan, my uh he's a so cal native right there. Baseball. Is there somebody in the NFL Kyle Shanahan? Mike Shanahan. Mike Shanahan, yeah. Yeah. How do you create an exit strategy when it's time to either retire, sell, or slow down bookings? You create an exit strategy when it's either time to retire. I mean, you're Father Time's kind of uh you're just kidding, man.

SPEAKER_03 38:57

Uh when it's time to retire, sell, or slow down bookings. Um, I mean, you want to go first? No. Okay. Uh how do you create an exit strategy when it's time to retire, sell, or slow down bookings? I mean, I think that number one, you start to have a um retirement age or number in mind or a year in mind. Yeah, you don't want to wait till the last minute. Um but I also think you could have a dollar amount in the bank in mind. Um for me, I don't know that I have the number yet. I don't think I'll play past 60. I'm 55 now. I would say well before that, I'll probably stop playing.

SPEAKER_06 39:41

Yeah. And is it because of physically, or you just think the passion's gone?

SPEAKER_03 39:47

Um the passion will be gone by then. Maybe. Yeah, maybe. Or just ready to do what I'm starting to do now, which is I mean, I'm going to Tokyo this year, Australia this year, yeah. Germany this year. Oh, that's not making you money. Switzerland this year. Yeah, but I need the time off to go. Oh, gosh. I gotta see the world, man. Like I'm I don't want to be so old that I'm not able to get around these places, walk 20,000 steps a day. Totally. And think about how far we walked in New York that day. And we weren't even trying to see anything. We were just walking. Right. So I I I just believe that there's gonna come a point where I just go, man, I do not want to do this on Saturday. I I want to do what everybody else is doing. I want to sit at the pool, I want to be at the beach every Saturday and not select Saturdays that I took off. And so I think I think you you have to think about your money. I think you have to think about the legacy of your company. The Bun DJ company, as long as we keep hiring, and I had two interviews in the last two weeks, and both of these guys, I was like, holy shit, where have these people been? Right. I was like, these guys are so perfect for this company. Like I almost was like younger? Um, yeah. Probably probably mid to late 30s.

SPEAKER_05 40:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 40:58

Both of them look like they had probably one, two kids, like little kids, like your your kids' age. Um I just on paper, they look great. And they've already hit up Randy, they've already scheduled time to shadow, they're gonna come shadow me. Like, as long as I keep these bodies in the pipeline, man, that company will run forever. Yeah, there's no need for me to sell.

SPEAKER_05 41:17

Right.

SPEAKER_03 41:17

Because nobody's going to buy it without Joe Bun attached to it in some way. It's called Bun DJ Company. I don't believe that there are assets or a value to buying a company like that. And certainly nobody here can buy it. But you got all those offices don't count, remember, because they're owned by those people. Right. I can't sell something I don't own.

SPEAKER_06 41:38

Right. But what I mean, what if it was a affiliate for this you consider this an affiliate for Raleigh like you would for Charleston or wherever else? What would be the difference? I I don't understand the question. Well, you're saying that because you don't you're not you're not affiliated with those offices because you have owners, so why wouldn't you just sell it to somebody else? They run it like you they run an affiliate, and what's the difference? I mean, maybe they could. Maybe they could.

SPEAKER_04 42:06

I mean you I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 42:08

They've been successful, is all I'm saying. The other the other uh But I mean, what is the value of the company? Do you think somebody's gonna make seven figures for something that doesn't have guaranteed income? No, I I don't know. Yeah, I mean I I don't think I would get out for for less than seven figures. Yeah, we make over that gross in a year.

SPEAKER_06 42:26

Yeah, but I mean at some point does it become about just getting out from under it?

SPEAKER_03 42:29

Maybe, maybe, maybe you know, but I don't but I don't need to. Right. In other words, uh I mean even if Randy stopped wanting to run the shows, I can book the shows. Right. AI books the shows. Yeah, AI takes care of the league. Like I I I don't know, man. I I just I don't know that there's an exit strategy out of that particular company. And and for me, anything else I've ever gotten out of was for reasons either like like I sold my interest to the other three guys in Craig Hackers. I just felt like there were too many cooks in the kitchen. I had one path I wanted to go, they had another. Yeah. So that's an easy path out for me. Yeah. Right. Come up with a price that's reasonable. Was it what I would probably valued my part at? No. But it was what they could afford and got me out of it and kept us all friends. You know what I mean? Like I think it's just again, you have to look at different different metrics, different reasons. Um, I think always, Steve, if you want to slow down your bookings, it's always about your price point. You know, even me at $1,500 more than the guys keeps me from working every weekend. It just it it's something about that fifteen hundred dollar bonus for Joe Bunn, not everybody's gonna take that and they're still gonna get a great DJ.

SPEAKER_05 43:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:44

So I I don't really I don't know about the retirement or the selling or the or I I do know how to slow down bookings, yeah, and that's all money based. Retirement and selling are are different things. I don't wanna dissuade you excuse me, I don't want to dissuade you. Or or you know, make you um depressed about it. I just don't know. I do hear of DJ companies getting sold. I do, yeah. Um so I do believe that is possible, but I just don't know that you're ever gonna get a number that is going to quote unquote retire you. Right. So maybe it is how much money do you have in the bank? What investments do you have? You know, or maybe you do have assets. Maybe you bought a building, maybe you have 10 vans and 10 sets of gear or whatever. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. I don't know. What do you want to say about this? Uh I mean, I'm not there yet. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 44:33

Um I mean I'm not knocking on the door. Maybe I'll The Grim Reaper ain't coming for me yet. Yeah, but I will say that uh there's a great book, actually. It's called Built to Sell. Okay. By John, I think it's Warlow. Warlow, I brought it in.

SPEAKER_03 44:47

Will you look that up? Built to sell. Built to sell.

SPEAKER_06 44:49

Go ahead. Um, but the biggest premise from the book that I got, and I still try to run it this way for my multi-app, because I'm not in it. I mean, it's based in Florida. Yeah. I'm not John Warlow?

SPEAKER_02 45:00

John Warlow. Warlow. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 45:02

Anyway, his biggest thing is you have to get out of the way and let the business be able to run without you. It's basically his thing. So where it's not dependent on you, you know. Like if you had to step away for six weeks, the question he uh he uses is like, if you had to step away from your business for six weeks, would it run out itself?

SPEAKER_03 45:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 45:21

And if it can, then it's a sellable entity. You know?

SPEAKER_03 45:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 45:25

If it's completely reliant on, like you just said, your name and all the other things, then maybe it's not. But that's but I feel like you've pulled yourself out enough.

SPEAKER_03 45:33

I have, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 45:34

Where, you know, it would still have no, to your point, are you gonna get the value you think? Probably not. Right. Um, but if you've got, I don't know if Steve, I mean, I know you, but I don't know your business anymore, in the sense of like if you have guys working for you or whatnot, and if that's the case, you know, maybe you can get a guy who would want that. You know, it's gonna be an easier sell selling it in-house than an outside buyer.

SPEAKER_03 45:55

The number is never gonna be what you you believe it should be. I had somebody offer me money for bun gear and it was fucking offensive. Yeah, it was an offensive offer. And that's like a yeah, I mean, it was just right. It's a lot looking they're looking at it from just sheer math and not looking at it from the long-term play of getting bun gear out of the brand. Right. I mean, out of the market in the DJ booth space. Like the the the math number was offensive. Hey, you got on your shoes, I bought you. Yeah, you did.

SPEAKER_06 46:25

You did give me, you told me to trash the others. Did you? I did. You promised. I put them in your trash actually at the beach. You did, you didn't. They're gone, they're gone. They gone.

SPEAKER_03 46:35

So the whole bottoms were just about falling off. I was like, I can't have my man looking like this.

SPEAKER_06 46:40

I don't know these have worked out, they're lighter, they're new ultra. I'll take them.

SPEAKER_03 46:44

Right on. Okay. Anyway, Steve, I hope that helped a little bit. Yeah, I don't know. Get some new shoes.

unknown 46:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 46:50

Which is good, buddy. Anyway, uh, thanks for listening, everybody. If you are new to this podcast and haven't heard about the the company that's really uh supporting us right now, and that is DJ Event Planner Planner.com. Oh, somebody just died. That's okay. So check us out next week. We'll see ya. Thanks, y'all.