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

What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on? Tell us the backstory so we understand circumstances/context and why it’s meaningful to you.

As a deejay (@DjMixx305), one of the most meaningful projects I have worked on has been the coordination and execution of my event series, The Potion. It fuses a Caribbean dance party, a vendor market and live music showcases from local artists. It is a platform for friends in creative spaces to express themselves while emphasizing entrepreneurial empowerment via highlighting our art. We add to that a highly mobilized promotion team focusing on personal invites, and at the end of it we have a community celebration built on love. It’s also a great opportunity to share my own musical lineage as a student of the legendary, King Waggy Tee, and member of The Reggaeboyz soundsystem. S/o Jose Maestri and the Twisted Roots family who have been irreplaceable parts of The Potion equation.

In the live musical arena, I have been hosting a weekly capoeira music workshop in North Miami for anyone interested in learning to play our instruments, sing our songs and learn our traditions. I host this event with brothers, Cantador and Chicote, and have been blessed to have a sizeable attendance that has become quite the family. I have been in the Afro-Brazilian martial art space for over 10 years and thank our teachers for our great foundation and continued enrichment (M. Cavalo, M. Venus, M. Ze Com Fome, M. Cabecao, and others). We celebrate our roots and grow stronger together.

As a spiritualist (www.Sangogbemi.com) within the Diasporic Ifa Orisa tradition (Lukumi/Santeria), I am currently co-authoring a book with my brother, Steven Cherena, which will offer a: (i) theoretical primer regarding our Practice; (ii) manual for communal protocol; and, (iii) selection of essays from ourselves and others (among them, Manbo Charlene Desir, Houngan Alain Pierre Louis, Bokor Sena Voncujovi, Sen Elias and Jason Ospina) regarding social and cultural issues we face in ATR’s. It will be the first book of its kind and we look forward to contributing something meaningful.

As an entertainment attorney (www.AttorneyEpstein.com), everyday brings a new iteration of my “most meaningful” project, as I am constantly entrusted with the protection and nurturing of my clients’ dreams. I am honored by the opportunity to be a champion and facilitator helping people reach their heights.

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry/business / discipline/craft etc., what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc. Please provide as much detail as you feel relevant as this is one of the core questions where the reader will get to know about you and your brand/organization/etc.

As might have been clear from the prior question, I am a deejay/event producer representing ReggaeBoyz Sound, trained and sharpened by King Waggy Tee. I am an entertainment attorney with much of my practice focused on music, and a spiritualist specializing in divination within the Lukumi/Santeria tradition.

As a deejay, I got my start playing at a family-owned skating rink, Miami Ice Arena, which ultimately led to community recognition and subsequent opportunities on radio, touring with major artists, and playing at nightclubs, festivals and celebrity functions, worldwide. Being in the industry from childhood with supportive family, friends and elders who were in the same line of work (Buggah, Edwin, Juan, Waggy, Angie B, Drop, Lex of LPMG, and many others), I was able to catch fire quickly because we were all working together and magnifying each other’s light. From there, a beautiful story blossomed.
As a spiritualist, I entered the tradition through my elder J. Ospina and ultimately progressed to fuse Diasporic and Traditional understandings into a practice of comparative study and collective healing. It started with an opportune meeting at J’s shop, Botanica Yemaya Y Chango, many years back, which led to our building a friendship around consultations. Many years and initiations later (which also brought me to Awos Falokun Fatunmbi and Awodele Falokun), I am proud to grow and contribute within our lineage. In a similar way, I evolved into Afro-Diasporic spiritual curriculum development with the help of my brother, Sen Elias, of Crescent City Conjure (with and through whom I have programmed many classes and have offered spiritual readings to a large consumer base) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Very similar to the way I met my godfather in Ifa, I walked into Sen Elias’ shop one day while visiting New Orleans (thank you, M. Cooper) and met him at the threshold. We exchanged words, kept in touch and quickly became brothers. I understood later that this was a chance meeting since, despite his widespread online influence, he was nearly impossible to catch in person. We chalked it up to Destiny- and there was much work to be done!

As an attorney, I started by applying to ChaseLawyers fresh out of law school. And while there was no open position available, after consideration, Mr. Chase and Mr. Bloom created one for me. Through this good fortune and their kindness, I was able to obtain solid training and have been on my way.

What makes me proud when considering my story is that it has been very human-focused and non-traditional… one of manifesting new roads by way of presenting honestly and making vulnerable introductions. Since childhood, I have been persistent and forward enough to knock on doors until they open. Where no opportunity presents itself, I refashion, re-work and re-present in order to create better fits. I have not accepted “no’s,” and as a result, rarely have to face them (by Grace/Favor, if nothing else). I have also been lucky enough to have been appreciated for my non-traditional style, unique voice, and different background in a way that enables my climb. Truly, my story has been written by the love of elders and comrades who dare to collaborate and create new avenues at my side. As such, in all of my doings, I prioritize the collective. The village has built me, so I constantly try to honor that sacrifice by pouring back into it. I love my people and I believe all of my work communicates that agenda of togetherness.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A meaningful meditation has been to not lose sight of the purpose and passions of others, while pursuing purpose and passions of your own. To listen deeply and not force collaborations for the sake of getting work done. To hear when others might not be committed and pivot, as opposed to trying to convince. To use my fire responsibly so as to warm and not burn (a Chango parable). To not let obsession with my mission go unchecked and create blindness towards people who are part of the process. When you are a creator and build things from the ground level, you know how much work it takes to manifest the dream. During that commitment, it is easy to become more purpose-based and less people-based. As one matures, however, we learn that, without people, there is no purpose. So, our listening grows more attentive and our process more genuinely collaborative. We learn the value of organic agreement and the adaptability to reposition when necessary (while maintaining both sensitivity and decency). We learn the satisfaction of not taking the bait and the discernment that comes from poised silence. We learn the compromise between motion and manners so that happiness can thrive where stress was once planted. I’ve seen this play out in both personal relationships and professional settings. The Universe will allow you to bump your head until you eventually start using it.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Management and entrepreneurial thinking come from the ability to nurture relationships and innovate creatively. For that, more than any book or video, my most impactful resource as a human (not just as an entrepreneur), has been the loving guidance of family, experienced mentors and a few good friends. I turn to my people when I need to think and rethink. We can find information in books, videos, etc., but the inspiration comes from one another. I ground myself in a group which inspires me to be better and reach higher. And when we listen to that voice, appreciate the encouragement (and critique) and walk forward in Spirit, life opens up… and by extension, so does both business and entrepreneurship.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @DjMixx305
• Other: Music. @DjMixx305
  Legal. www.AttorneyEpstein.com
  Spirituality. www.Sangogbemi.com
  Feel free to contact via any one of the above!