We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marlina DJ Mina Marie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marlina below.

Marlina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Courage…

…And this is loaded… because it takes Courage in more ways than one, to be successful. In my case, it took courage for me to be and stay true to myself and who I am. I am a woman, working in a male dominated industry, and that in and of itself takes courage. When it comes to staying true to myself, that means I have to keep moving forward no matter what. There are many that don’t take a female DJ “serious”, and I had to let that notion roll off my back and not let it get to me. Staying tru to myself also meant staying true to MY craft… meaning, my style of DJing, the songs I choose to play, my aesthetic and my personality. I had decided early on in the game that I would not conform to anything that I either am not comfortable with, or that I see everyone else doing. For example, there are some songs that I as a woman would never listen to because I feel it’s degrading. Those specific tracks are not played in my sets. I take a chance with that choice because I know they are songs that please the crowd, and sometimes, I do not make some folks happy. But, because it does not sit well with my spirit, I choose to stay true to my truth and how I feel about it. And THAT takes courage. I’m humbly grateful at the fact, that no matter what, I continue to grow in my business and I am always connected to the right people and the right gigs always come my way. That is success in my book!

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 grew up around music. I was pretty much born with it in my DNA. My mom loved to dance, my father was a musician, my brother listened to hip hop nonstop, and other family members were involved with music somehow as well. From singers and musicians who were part of a band, DJs and dancers… it was my life. I fell in love with Salsa at the age of 9 and found myself dancing at every chance I had. I wanted to dance professionally and travel for competitions. In my early 20s I gained an interest in DJing. I was already a mother and figured that it was no longer the time for those dreams. When my father passed away in 2019, I had then realized how precious life was and how it could be over in a flash. I knew my father did not truly fulfill his dream as a musician and I didn’t want that to be me. I had then decided I would get back into dance, and teach. not just a few months later, I broke my foot. Recovery was difficult and has taken longer than expected (I still have not fully recovered). I decided “well, if I can’t dance, then I will make everyone else dance”. I then reached out to a great DJ friend and asked for assistance. It took about 2 months from when I first touched a controller, and I was out working my first gig at the skating rink. Since then, I have grown & excelled and it’s become my full time job. Not just a job, but my own business. I DJ around the Queen City at bars, clubs, lounges and I also provide my service for private parties, conferences, corporate events, weddings and I have even done tea parties. There are no limits or boundaries for where I am willing to provide the ultimate party experience. This year will be huge, as I will be traveling for events. I am beyond excited! So much has happened to and for me in my business and I am so grateful and proud. I am most proud of the fact that I just went for it. I took a chance on something that I loved and it has become such a joy to my heart and spirit. I’ve worked hard and I continue to work hard as I expand and grow. There’s going to be much more to Mina Marie Entertainment so stay tuned…

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’m still currently working on building my audience. But what has helped me is to constantly post about what is going on with DJ Mina Marie. I post reels recapping my weekend and the events I DJ’d. I post my event schedules. It helps keep everyone in the loop. Keeping myself relevant with consistent posting is key.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of Mouth! I am so grateful for the people who recommend me to others. That kind of love and support is top tier. When you have people that are in your corner who believe and love what you do, they are definitely going to talk about you! I have made amazing connections with wonderful people, who always let the next person know “You need to book Mina”!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @mina_marie_jamz
• Facebook: DJ Mina Marie
• Other: www.mixcloud.com/mina_marie_jamz

Image Credits
Delk Develops AuNaturale Photo