Play only what you love and strictly go for it during every gig! What managers could learn from DJs and vice versa. Part 1.

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logoDjingLast week I read an interesting article about the habits of successful people. This article was full of bright and absolutely excellent recommendations, but to me one vital aspect was missing: You should only commit to those things you really love! Let me show you that managers and DJs have quite many things in common.

Steve Jobs said something similar his famous commencement speech: „You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.“ What has that to do with DJing? Well, over the past two years I met many DJs, playing all kinds of music, just for making money with it. Very often they didn´t even have a special liking for their music, it was just business. Exactly like a lot countless managers who will do everything just for business, money and their career.

When I had picked up Djing again in 2013 after a long break of 25 years, my mentor DJ told me to play few commercial EDM for my very first gig – only 10% of the entire set. I complied, but hated it and decided for myself from then on to focus on House and Techno, the music I love. Unfortunately that dramatically reduced the locations in my area that would let me play, but in the end I found a club where I´m now a main act once a month. I´m very aware of how lucky I am to be a professor for marketing and sales at Deggendorf University in the first place, so don´t have to feed my family on my income as a DJ. But still this was the perfectly right decision for me, as the two moments I would like to share with you will prove. And it will show you how much Djing has indeed in common with managing, with regard to choosing the right career path. Stay tuned! Second part next week.

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