We recently connected with Luke Sensebe and have shared our conversation below.
Luke, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?
For a time I worked in the mortgage lending industry. I was definitely NOT passionate about the field. I learned that if you rely on the. or a market your “job” can disappear with a downturn overnight, just like many banks did during the financial crash. Being a creative who is self employed means you create your market and referrals. Your career and livelihood is not at the mercy of any “market” rather is based on your talents and customer service.
Luke, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I started my love affair with the art of DJing as an early teen. I was always into breakdancing and graffiti art and DJing to me seemed like an extension of the culture. I would practice with a friend who had equipment whenever I got the chance until I finally got my own equipment shortly after high school and my first paid public performance was for an art gallery in Ft Lauderdale. From then I had some opportunities to play at some clubs, bars both in Ft Lauderdale and Miami. I moved to the West Coast to pursue an art career in the surf industry but life had other plans. My entire portfolio (pre computer days) was completely ruined and all the work and time I had put into my art was unfortunately lost. With nothing to show I got jobs here and there and picked up DJing again. Had I known from the beginning that there is actually a way to make a living at doing what I love, I would have focused just on DJing not just as a “hobby” or side gig while taking all the other different career detours. I have been a full time professional DJ& bilingual MC now for nearly two decades with the majority part of that time self employed. I started my business, Premiere Events Group LLC, to give my clients a “real mix/club DJ” vibe and skill set for their formal and corporate events. When I started in the private event industry there were very few DJs doing what I was doing which was crossing over from the club/mixer style DJs into the mobile & private event DJ world. I have been able to maintain an outstanding reputation in my field because I focus is on my clients, I listen to the vibe they want, then by using my experience plus reading the crowd I’m able to deliver a stellar night of entertainment while also catering to their request and still creating an eclectic and unique listening experience to all in attendance. My company also offers lighting options as well as photo booth and I have a tight knit group of DJs that I trust who I know can deliver on the experience we are known for. Keeping an event modern, classy but still high energy takes a fine balance and trained ear and we have been able to hone in on that experience. To have been in business since 2009 and maintain a 5 star service rating came from putting out clients needs first and experience in the drivers seat.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
The best way for people to support artists and creatives is to realize that while we may be performing for a few hours at a time, our talent was honed in over literal decades. We put in countless hours of practice to get to where we are. There is no “do over” button for live events and we HAVE to deliver on the spot for each event to be a complete success. What hiring artists/creatives that’s what you are actually paying for not the “hours” of the event, set up and break down. Its a different animal not your typical 9-5. So really the best way to support artists and creatives is to pay them for their talents and experience and realize they aren’t a “product” but more of a unique one-of-a-kind service and experience. I think we also deserve to be able to make a living from our hard work and all the years and years we spent honing and perfecting our craft.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
There are so many things that make you resilient as you learn and grow as a creative. The top one being learning to be okay with hearing “NO”. Once I learned and realized that I will not be a match for every client or event I was able to focus on the ones that ARE a match for me. I had to learn that its fine to let a potential client go if we weren’t in alignment. This made me more resilient and allowed me to keep moving forward and knocking on doors and “interviewing” my potential clients to make sure we are the right fit. There are more fish in the sea and I will not compromise on values, beliefs or self worth. It really is okay to say no.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MyPremiereEvents.com
- Instagram: @dj_lux (personal) @premiere_events_group (company)
- Facebook: Luke Sensebe (personal) Premiere Events Group (biz page)
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lukesensebe
- Twitter: @djlux
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/premiere-events-group-mission-viejo-2?osq=premiere+events+group&override_cta=Get+pricing+%26+availability
- Other: Listen Links Soudcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dj-lux-3 Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/DJ_LUX/