We were lucky to catch up with Kendra Baker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kendra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

When I first became a DJ – I had just lost my underwriting job at Quicken Loans. I had been there for about 5 years, and I was fired for using my wife’s parking spot after mine was taken. DEJECTED is not even close to how I felt. My wife and I had just completed the IVF process and we were pregnant our first baby together.

We were living at my mom’s house (she had just undergone a spinal surgery and needed pretty much around the clock care). And we were preparing to purchase a home which felt almost impossible as newly unemployed.

I started DJing in May of 2018, and I was fired in November of 2018. So needless to say I wasn’t the best at the time. But I knew I wanted to grow, it was something I loved and I believed I could make a living to support my wife and two kids doing.

My wife asked me a few days after the initial shock wore off, how I felt about being a full time DJ.

And when she asked me a light bulb just went off. I believed it was possible but having her support in taking such a big risk at such a detrimental time really made me want to go hard! I started DJing in my moms kitchen around the clock, going to club events by myself just to hear the local DJ’s, get to know people on the scene and I went wherever I was welcomed to play and learn as DJ.

I met up with people – went to their houses, invited them to mine. I took the risk of going full time at the worst time possible, and I couldn’t afford for it not to work it. Thankfully – it all worked out.

Had I not been fired, I would have never willingly taken that risk.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m DJ Three Thirteen and I am a product of Detroit! I’m a DJ, a mom, a wife, and an entrepreneur. I started DJing in college, I wasn’t really serious about it – I only owned desktop speakers, no DJ equipment, nothing! I would mix songs together on my laptop and plug it into my subwoofer and play music for my floor in college as a hobby.

I can remember a few times being out at parties with friends and they would say “You should ask to DJ” or “The DJ is terrible you should get on next” and I was always SO NERVOUS! I was literally terrified and anxiety written so nothing serious ever came from it.

Fast forward to 2018 – my wife and starting I attending this annual Lesbian festival in Miami called “Sweet Heat” and I found out the founder was a DJ. I wanted to support the lesbian community and was struggling to find a way to insert myself, and DJing allowed me to do just that. I already partially had the skill, so I went for it.

I have worked with every size, scale, and genre of clients from corporate clients to weddings, to clubs, to birthday and retirement parties – that’s what sets me aside. I can do it all. I’ve toured as a DJ for TLC, I’ve worked with clients like Remy Martin, Motor City Pride, The Detroit Police Department, and the City Of Detroit/Rollercade Detroit to DJ at the Midway at Monroe.

I’ve DJed sold out rooftops in the summer and all of Detroit’s premier nightclubs. Winning the first Remy Martin “Let The DJ Get A Shot” DJ competition, and being the opening DJ at Sheefy Mcfly’s art exhibition.

I’ve been blessed enough to gain a strong lesbian following and I curate lesbian events through Litty Committee Detroit alongside my wife creating safe spaces and LIT-uations at venues around Metro Detroit for women and the LGBTQ community.

I would have to say I’m the most proud of making it. I’m proud that I didn’t quit – no matter what I just kept practicing and pouring into the things I knew I needed to know and it got me here. One of the top DJ’s in Detroit.

Detroit has given me back so much as a DJ, this city has supported me and embraced me. So I’m proud to continue to serve the city with my services as DJ, turning up events, and connecting people in having a great time ANYWHERE. Really being on the pulse of what’s going on in this city is what sets me aside.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media can be a tool and it can really help propel you. Knowing your audience is key, and for most of us it’s just trial, error, and CONSISTENCY. You’ll find your people or they’ll find you.

When I first started DJing I posted a ton of content all the time, videos just to let people know booking me was an option – to try to be the first name people associated with DJ.

My older content motivates me to this day! I’ll see a memory pop up of when I was terrible and it literally gets me out of my seat and behind my equipment. It’s a journey me and all of my followers are on together, and it’s measurable. For them and for me.

In 2022 I made a Top 10 Detroit Jit video. Ghetto tech is a huge part of Detroit culture and one of the biggest things I can remember about FEEL GOOD music in Detroit as a kid. I posted the video to all of my social media accounts and went to sleep – no joke. I woke up the next morning to the video being viral on ALL platforms.

All jokes aside – yesterday, my daughter’s pre-k teacher stopped my wife and showed her the vide like “is this your wife?” LOL I have been booked countless times based off the success of a 40-45 second video. I have people stop me ALL the time locally and mention the video and it wasn’t something I thought would be that successful!

Stay consistent and stay on the pulse to what your people like.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I feel like pivoting is something I do frequently as a DJ from youth events to primetime club events, to weddings.

Staying open to the flow of things and being willing to make changes on the fly to adapt can only make you better.

During Covid I was a full time DJ. LOL – seems silly to say but I was still working, DJing virtual events, practicing non stop and making social media content. I got a set of turntables and learned how to scratch and really perfected my DJing.

Once the stay at home order was lifted, I really gained a lot of traction and started DJing more at large clubs, touring, and generally working more.

The large venues and touring were the biggest adjustments – it was a lot darker, music was louder, there were SO many more distractions. You can’t just press play when you’re playing infront of a couple hundred people.

Coming from staying at home to DJing full time was a major pivot, but in all things – to be successful requires flexibility.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @DJThreeThirteen
• Facebook: @DJThreeThirteen
• Twitter: @DJThreeThirteen
• Youtube: @DJThreeThirteen
• Other: TikTok: @DJThree Thirteen

Image Credits
Jay Fitzpatrick, Dorian Davison