We were lucky to catch up with Dante Webb II recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dante , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
As an Audio/Entertainment company we do not accept upfront deposit to secure a date. This is a complete 180 from industry standard. This protects the company from bad reviews and accusations related to money. Thus building an image of trustworthiness. Also it protect the client from negative feeling about any cancelations or rescheduling.
Dante , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I got into the industry in 2015 in New Orleans Louisiana running sound for events at, my Alma mater, Dillard University.
From there I moved back home to Dallas in 2019 and began working in clubs like Red River Dance hall and Green elephant. There I was an unpaid intern just learning the craft of sound engineering.
Fast Forwarding to March 2022 I took my last $3000 and started my business Full Dive Audio LLC. With the knowledge an experience I acquired as a live sound engineer I began to do contract work around the DFW. However there was a catch.
The common consumer doesn’t know the difference between a DJ and a Live sound engineer. Only in corporate events, festivals, and clubs do the Jobs tend to separate. So I had to learn the art of DJing and pair it with my technical knowledge.
Thus the niche of my company was born. Providing transportable club/festival level sound paired with a DJ in an extremely affordable package.
Providing your standard services like uplighting, PA system, microphone, etc. Then adding things the common consumer doesn’t know/think about. Such when to use as lapel mics, live band integration into PA, live effects for a vocal performance at a wedding or event, etc.
Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?
So even now my business is near death. That’s crazy to say considering the success I’ve had in the last two years but it’s true.
It’s a known fact that across almost all industries, the average failure rate for year one is 10%. I made it out of year 1 but that’s when it really gets tricky. The fail rate raises considerably. In years two through five about 70% of new businesses will fail.
Every decision, purchase, client, review, I views as it could be a death sentence for my business.
There have been close calls especially on the purchase side. The real discernment comes from knowing what items you need now and what you don’t. I was blessed to make the right call at the exactly the right time.
For example I bought several 100ft cables right before an event. This event usually didn’t need them. When I got there I was a long ways away from power as they decided to host the event outside. Without those cables I wouldn’t have been able to service the client and the reviews would have killed my business.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I still work 40hr weekdays on a corporate Job then I work my business once I get off and duding The Weeknd’s
Needless to say but not a lot of sleep or vacations have happened over the past 2 years.
It’s great for business but working 60-80hr weeks with no vacations and little sleep can be taxing.
However, doing what I love and seeing the smiles on peoples faces truly does get me up and energized every time.
Contact Info:
- Website: Fulldiveaudio.com
- Instagram: @dtowngrooves