We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dionte Askew a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dionte, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
Man!! To keep this answer from taking forever, I am a IT pro by trade and it took a log of time and prayer for me to have the courage to leave and pursue my dream. I became a full time business owner on July 1st of 2022 and it’s been the best decision I ever made. From day one of this journey is was a lot of unknowns. I didn’t know any DJs in my area, let alone to reach out to. I researched on Google and YouTube and found a few helpful options. The thing I learned early in the game is that no one can be you better than you!! I have took my excitement for music and entertaining to a level that few can reach.
I think I could have sped up the process by paying more attention to the market and seeing what was the popular go to items in the wedding industry. 2020 was a gift and a curse in a way because I lost a lot of wedding bookings, but booked a bunch of house parties that took my business to the next level!!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Well I have a pretty good backstory! It is only by the grace of GOD that I am where I am today! I was a undisciplined teenager that went to the Army to learn structure and organization. From my experiences in the Army, I was able to see a path that could lead to success. After the military, I acquired a few IT certifications and went into the Network Engineer field. I never really thought about DJing until I did the music for my uncle’s wedding in 2018, I got so much good feed back form the photographer and caterer, that I decided to jump out and test the waters.
I started Legendary DJ’s with a $600 started kit from Guitar Center lol!! From my first wedding in Asheville NC, I knew I was on the right path to greatness! This is a very hard industry to break into and can be intimidating for the inexperienced. My suggestion is to believe in yourself and continue to push yourself to new boundaries.
What sets Legendary DJs apart from the pack is my attention to detail and my unique ability to communicate with wide array of people from different walks of life. I have found a way to use my humor, jokes and energy to create an atmosphere that few can provide. Most of my reviews are full of descriptions of my energy and my DJ style.
I solve a ton of problems for my clients. Most notably I am the “Wedding Day Therapist”. I often see the bride and groom before anyone else. And I use that time to give the groom a gameday talk like I had before football games or tell the bride how everything is gonna be just like she imagined it as a girl. You would be surprised how much that works!
I am most proud of me not being afraid to fail. Not afraid to jump into a ocean of unknown possibilities and come out above the sharks!! If it all ended today, I am extremely proud of what Legendary DJ’s has become. .
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Being in the IT field, I think I had a advantage over most others in my industry. Because of my background I knew how vital social media would be in my journey of building and branding my business. I built my website from the ground up and immediately created Facebook and Instagram ads. Once TicTok became popular, I used that as well. My advice for anyone looking to build a audience on social media, I would suggest using everything you can. Remember that no one can book you if they don’t know who you are. And always update your Google profile! Social Media is the present and future of small business. Use it daily.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I come from modest beginnings and from a family that had the mindset of complacency. Growing up I never knew I inherited the trait until I was in the Army ready to quit. And the only reason I wanted to give up was because I wasn’t used to structure and rules. This was a very serious obstacle for me and I even went AWOL before I was able to get on the right path. I am so thankful that I had good people in my circle that held me accountable even when I wasn’t to myself.
Through prayer, and people sacrificing their time for me, I was able to set my sights on actual goals and start to achieve them. Fast forward to today and those same characteristics and lesson is what I apply to my business daily. I teach my son and the football team I coach to never give up and always aim higher. There is always someone going through something that is worse than your current situation. And the only limitations you have is the ones you put on yourself!!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.legendarydjs.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/djdontay42
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/diontedolo.askew
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dionte-askew-2a877a74
- Other: TicTok – LegendaryDJs
Image Credits
Image credits are to Emma Gobble Photography.