Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dewitt Fleming Jr. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
DeWitt, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
The idea behind my company came about because I needed my product as a performer. I travel all over the world performing, and it was very common that when I arrived for Sound check, the sound crew was either not prepared for me, or were annoyed that they had to deal with me. I am a Tap Dancer. When performing with bands, especially in larger venues it is extremely important to have the Tap Dancer mic’d so he/she does not get lost in the band. Normally, the sound engineers would put down microphones on the floor to pick up the tap dancers sounds. This was always problematic for me because it always resulted in either me not hearing myself, feedback, or me being confined to a specific footprint on the stage. I would often finish my performance feeling as if I was just performing to Be Heard over the band and not fully expressing myself or being present in the moment because I felt I had to Be Heard. This resulted in me hitting the floor really hard or doing bigger steps. Ultimately, I would not feel great about my performance. I also work in musical theater. This is when I was first introduced to the idea of using two Lavalier microphones to mic tap dancing. I thought it was a great idea and decided to buy my own pair to take on tour with me whenever I was dancing with bands. I had to reach out to my Sound engineer friends to find out where to buy these microphones because they were not readily accessible. I had to reach out to a Sound Company to have them build me a pair of mics. I was shocked at how expensive the microphones were. Thankfully, the guy at the Sound Company felt bad for me and was able to dig up a used pair from Broadway. That used pair cost me $700. The mics were great, but I was heartbroken when I accidentally stepped on one during the performance and broke them. My $700 was down the drain. Fast-forward a year or so later I was doing another musical and at the end of the musical the sound engineer Gave me a pair of used Lavier mics. They were very similar to the mics I had bought. I noticed that like the other mics, these were very delicate and could easily be broken. I did everything I could to make sure I would not step on the mics again. However, this time the microphones broke again, but it was because I went to pull them out of my pants after performance and somehow must have broken or tore the wires inside because I was yanking on them. Again, I was heartbroken, And now upset. I was so excited that I solved my problem, but now had another problem. So I reached out to a couple of Sound engineer friends and sought out how to fix the problem. I quickly realized that the Lavalier microphones being used for tap dancing. was actually Mics that were meant to be used for speaking and singing. So I asked my engineers what can we do to make the microphones more conducive to Tap dancing. after months and months of going back-and-forth we finally came up with a design that would be more conducive to Tap dancing. It resulted in microphones that were much sturdier, reinforced, and also were specifically engineered for tap dancing, Not The Voice. Initially, I just wanted them for myself. However, after using them other Tap Dancer started to take notice and asked where I got them from. I told them a friend of mine and I work together to build them. The dancers would say that they wanted a pair. That is when I decided to start my company. After providing a few dancers with the microphones, I realized that I was the only company making these microphone specifically for Tap dancing, and the only company that had them readily available. I then realized that theaters were also fed up with how delicate their mics were and were interested in my microphones to help them keep their cost down. My main concern when I started, the company was to make durable microphones that sound great, and weren’t expensive. It took some time sourcing the materials to keep cost down and quality high. I knew that dancers would need these microphones and I wanted to make sure I kept it at a low cost so they could afford them. I got the most excited because I knew dancers would feel that same relief and satisfaction with being able to fully express themselves without any limitations due to sound.
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 back background and context?
I started in the theater industry when I was about 14 years old. I started tap dancing when I was 17 years old. I started my business in 2016. I wasn’t planning on starting a business however I saw a need for something for myself initially and realized other people had that same need. Thankfully, I did the research and leg work to fill the need for myself and used that to start my business and help fill that need for others. My business sells Lavalier microphone specifically made for tap dancing. My company is the only company that specializes in Lavalier microphones made specifically for tap dancing, and are readily available. I am most proud of the quality of my product and its price point. I am also proud that I am able to help elevate a dancers performance for their sake as well as the audience. In a world where products are not made to last anymore, I am proud to say that my product will last and works great for years. I have been in business for 8 years selling over one hundred mics, and have only had to replace 2. After replacing those 2 mics, the sound engineer from the theater told me that the mics were misused and was not a result of my product. He then purchased two more for his show. The slogan for my company is BE HEARD. Initially it was meant to mean be heard for tap dancing. Over the years it has grown into meaning be heard in everything you do, and make sure your voice is always heard. I am very proud of our BE HEARD line of clothing and accessories.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
I will share a story of my first big sale where the odds were definitely stacked against me. There was a big musical about to open that had a lot of tap dancing in it. The sound designer from the show heard about DeW It Right Tap Mics through a friend. Out of sheer curiosity, he reached out to me just to hear more about the microphones. After having a lengthy conversation with him about why DeW It Right Tap Mics are superior, why they are the most cost-effective, and why they will outlast any other microphone, he told me that they already had a back stock of microphones that the producer insisted they use. He told me he was just calling because he was curious about DeW It Right Tap Mics and wanted to hear more about it. I asked him what type of microphone he was using for the show. He told me the type, and I began to tell him that with a heavy Tap show like the one he was doing, he’s going to go through those microphones in no time. A couple of weeks went by and I get a call from the same sound designer. He was in a pinch. It was two days before the opening of the show, and most of the mics he had for the show had already been damaged in the show’s previews. He asked me how quickly I can send 15 DeW It Right Tap Mics over to him. Thankfully, I had all 15 in stock with the right connector he was looking for. I overnighted him the mics and he got through the entire run of the show without one single mic breaking. that was a very proud moment for me and my Company.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson I had to unlearn is that you don’t have to always have your product fully finished and ready to be sold before you start marketing it or even taking pre-sales. Pre-marketing your product can actually be very valuable and can save you a lot of money. Even when you do marketing census and research to gauge interested and need, there are still unknowns. The questions people start to ask when they see a product is being brought to market or it is something they have pre-ordered can be very eye opening. Even comments on social media post or marketing are really helpful. Also, through pre-sales you can get that extra capital you may need to get you over the hump.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.tapmics.com
- Instagram: @dewitrighttapmics
- Facebook: @dewitrighttapmics
Image Credits
Vicky Good