We were lucky to catch up with Art Hernandez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Art , thanks for joining us today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

Public Presentation:

Early in my career, I learned that presentation speaks volumes and can make or break any career. My main objective in building and promoting my business has always been to offer a larger-than-life presence. Representation is significant! A good clean set up and sound is great, but your service must provide quality and consistency. I want my clients to remember my name but most importantly, I want them to remember my service. Reflecting on the past twenty-two years, I feel our stage presentation has evolved and our showmanship continues to advance. I have never been the type to follow another business model. Authenticity is the key factor in our success.

Earlier this year, one of my clients talked to me about years of video footage he had recorded and went on to elaborate on our setups, music, and gear. He expressed how we progressed to our standards and not the industry standards and how our customer service has left a lasting impression.

Once you recognize your weak points, set goals, and follow through with them. I feel that patience and compassion are key components for anyone wanting to start or maintain a successful business.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

It was New Year’s Eve at a family event. I was using our home JVC Stereo that would shut down when the music was too loud! My first years were spent as a club DJ. The club’s name was Johnny’s and it was packed every weekend. The style of music I was playing was more advanced than what was mainstreaming on radio airwaves at the time. Looking back now, it was truly a movement in a small town.
Presently over 90% of my events are in the lucrative wedding industry. The wedding industry is an ever-evolving industry but knowing how to capitalize isn’t easy. There are many nights that I get nervous playing those first dances. The time and effort put into these events is phenomenal. The last thing I want is for my equipment to fail during those “all eyes on you” moments. Your tools are only as good as your mindset.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The other day I met a young lady from Brooklyn, New York. She was trying to launch an online business and wasn’t sure how to market new clients. I explained that you need faith in your product, don’t doubt yourself, and lastly stay true to yourself. Each post doesn’t have to be an immaculate post but remember your next post could lead a prospective client.

We live in a visual society and people love new & fresh ideas every day. Honestly, people stalk the internet just to know what people are doing. As humans we need to learn how to truly separate business from personal and support our competition. When you focus on your own business and what makes it different, then you can truly say your business has evolved.

I like to post progress pics, community information, and short video clips to promote our product. I try to keep my posts short and not long. People get bored too easily and saying too much can be a mistake! As a business owner you always want to let people know who you are, but always keep them guessing what’s next!

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

On man…How much time do I have???

Like most people, we find ourselves in that same repetitive 8-5 routine. Along the way, I always found the “Side Hustle” provided extra funds for my family. While working in the IT industry I found myself always falling back on the DJ Gig for various reasons. It took time to understand the growing pains, learn from my mistakes, but most of all conquer my own demons. I say this now because once I achieved all three is when I saw and felt our business had scaled. A business owner must know when to capitalize and when to pause. When we work for someone else, we are anxious for that payday, but when you have your own business, you set your standards with no limitations. Hernandez Entertainment can finally manage its own resources without support from our other funding sources. As a business owner this is my true milestone in our 22 years.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hedzentertainment.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hedzentertainment