We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Josh McFarland a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Josh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I had the privilege to grow up in a family that loved a VARIETY of music! My great grandparents loved Sinatra & Dean, my grandmother & mother were 80’s hair band rockers, (matter of fact, my first ever concert was Night Ranger with my grandma at a Vet’s Memorial Park situation LOL!) and my father was big into Hip Hop, R&B, Funk, & Soul! Music has played such a vital role in my life! To make a long story short, I used to throw roller skating parties, the REAL roller skating, 4 wheels HAHAHA, and I would make playlists that just had such a good flow to skate to. (I even met my wife at a roller skating party 15 years ago!) So many people would ask me if I DJ’d outside of these events and I kept telling them no. One day I got an inquiry for a graduation party and I told them to let me think about it. I went home and talked to my wife about it and we decided to try it out. I booked the graduation party for $300, and that night I bought my very first set of speakers, my DJ controller & software, and some cheap lights from Party City! I invited some friends over an we had a little house party to practice! From that one event word started to travel. I DJ’d another graduation party, then a wedding, and another wedding and at that point I realized that this is something I want to fully learn and dive in to! February 2013 was the start of the “JWill” Brand and the rest is history!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Josh McFarland and I am an award winning Professional Events DJ & Host out of Grand Rapids, MI. I specialize in high-end, intimate weddings, corporate, and community events, while working together with couples, business owners, and non-profit organizations.

I’m a husband to my wonderful wife of 13 years & father to the most hilarious 8 year old #GirlDad

I’m most proud of being able to say that I’ve taken my love & passion for music and have been able to create an experience that people will never forget in their lifetime! Doing all of this while never forgetting to HAVE FUN! Running a business can be stressful at times, however, never forget your why! Why you do what you do should ALWAYS motivate you to do the best you can with it and to never stop learning, growing, and sharing with others what you’ve learned so that we can all win together! COMMUNITY OVER COMPETITION! I don’t care what anyone says, there is MORE THAN ENOUGH to go around for all of us! Set the ego’s aside, work together to improve your industry, and the rest will fall into place!

One thing that really sets me apart from other DJs is the fact that I don’t ever look at my clients as just another paycheck. I genuinely build long lasting relationships with all of my clients, most of which I literally still talk to, text, go out to eat, share family photos with, to this very day! I don’t book every single “gig” that comes my way, I’m very picky with who I work with. I do this because I want my clients to have the best experience possible and part of that is making sure that not only am I a fit for them, but that they are a fit for me. Working with me is a full collaborative effort, so we have to be able to get along, joke, laugh, and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

I’ve been very fortunately to learn the art of DJing from a variety of different DJs along the way. However what most DJs don’t fully understand or teach is the BUSINESS! I’ve made it a personal goal to help educate, not just DJs, but many small business owners in the wedding & events industry, to learn how to run your business properly. That includes tracking all income & expenses, doing taxes, understanding the ROI of your investments in your business, learning digital marketing & SEO, the list can go on & on.

Lastly, I often get asked how have I made my brand so successful and I always give the same answer: People can tell that I GENUINELY CARE! When you care about something, you take it serious, your desire for it is stronger. People will sense fake a mile away, just be real, be honest, work hard, and show you care…the rest will fall into place!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is knowing that I have the amazing privilege to make people forget about all the negativity/bad things in this world, and even if it’s for a brief moment, just allow the power of music to make them feel good! I’m honored to have been able to DJ for hundreds of couples over the last 10 years and make their wedding day absolutely unforgettable! I worked with the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan for 5 years and DJ’d their Stroll for Epilepsy fundraiser walks in the summer, helping to bring awareness to a community that can sometimes go unnoticed! The countless local small businesses that I’ve partnered with on grand openings, shopping events, fashion shows, curating an experience for their clients, those have been amazing!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

My biggest pet peeve is when people continue to try and nickel & dime true creatives for their work, wanting a discount for everything, or free work for “exposure.” I’m sorry, but the last time you paid rent, I’m pretty sure your Landlord didn’t allow you to pay in “exposure!” Creatives can be very under appreciated, undervalued, but at the same time, they will give you the BEST experience, service, whatever it may be, and they will do it with gratitude because you supported their passion and for us creatives, that means the world!

Also, when it comes to the aspect of DJing, people NEED to let the DJ, DJ! We are in a society now where the sense of entitlement is so wild and people think you should do exactly what they say or ask for. People need to be respectful of the DJ, let the DJ provide you with an experience, let the DJ put you on new music you’ve never heard, and if you ask nicely, not with a phone on your forehead, it’s quite possible we will play your request, but if not, just understand that, that’s ok, enjoy the moment as is!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JWill4Real.com
• Instagram: @JWill4Real
• Facebook: @JWill4Real
• Linkedin: JWill4Real

Image Credits
Alexis Brianne Photography Heather Michelle Photo Stephanie Parshall Photography