We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mikey Pugh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Mikey, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I was exposed to the nightlife industry about 4-5 years ago as a club promoter. About 3 years ago, I began learning the skill and art of hosting on the mic. Hosting is a skill that takes repetition and patience. This new talent of mine has brought me to new heights within the entertainment world.
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?
My name is “Mikey Pugh.” I’m a California native born & raised but I’m a Club Promoter & Host in Detroit, MI. I moved to Detroit about 6 years ago by myself without knowing anyone from the city. After a year of getting acquainted, I began going out to different events in the city and meeting some of my future business partners within the nightlife scene. A couple years later, I became a very well-known Promoter in Detroit. I eventually honed my skills on the microphone and began hosting all of the biggest celebrity events inside and outside of the city including: All-Star Weekend, Super Bowl Weekend, Larry Morrow’s MLK Weekend, etc.
I just landed one of the biggest opportunities thus far of my hosting career. I’m currently on a 32-city nation-wide tour with platinum artist, “Jacquees,” also known as the “King of R&B.” This is a life changing opportunity for me to be on tour with one of my favorite artists and I’m excited to see what my future beholds. I aspire to become one of the biggest hosts in the entertainment industry and host some of the biggest concerts & events in the biggest arenas.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
One of the most rewarding aspects to being a Tour Concert Host is traveling from city to city and making people from completely different walks of life have fun together. I truly enjoy interacting with people, seeing them smile, dance, & sing their favorite songs at the top of their lungs.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I first started hosting I was terrible to say the least. I did not understand how to project into the mic, what to say, how to say it, or when to say it. I was discouraged at times that I’d never be able to sound like some of my hosting mentors such as, Fly Guy DC, Justin Floyd, & J Neely. However, I stayed motivated to learn and perfect the art of hosting. Eventually after thousands of hours of practicing over the span of 2 years, I finally found my niche and perfected my sound. Being able to ignite a happiness within an arena full of people from just talking on a mic is a powerful talent and I’m thankful that I persevered through the difficult moments in the past.
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