We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Toni K a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Toni , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

What does it take to be successful? First, I have two crafts that I love. I am a DJ and a hairstylist. There were not a lot of female DJs when I first got started in the DJ industry. It was incredibly challenging to be able to make a name for myself in the male dominated industry. I wanted to learn as much as I could, so I would volunteer to carry equipment for some of the popular DJ’s only for them to turn me down. I had to work extra hard to learn the trade. I would practice day and night learning to mix music. Always putting in the work, being prepared, and never getting any sleep at night that I fell in love with the craft. In the beginning, I only focused on DJing and there were times when I thought of giving up due to beating the pavement seeking gigs. I learned patience, drive, and develop a passion for this art. The keys to be successful in business is to fall in love with what you do, persevere, and push to learn all you can of the trade. Now the spotlight is on female DJs and gigs come to me easy because of the dues that I paid in the beginning. It is this same drive that I put into hairstyling. There are two main keys to being successful in business. The first is to fall in love with what you do and the second is to never give up on your dreams.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Before I became a DJ, I started out in a rap group when I was young. It did not take me long to realize that being in a group was not for me, however it was in this club atmosphere that I had an awakening to the DJ industry. I saw how the crowd would respond to the music the DJ was playing. I observed that it was the DJ that created the crowd’s vibe, and that is when I realized this is what I wanted to do! I discovered that I had natural talent for cutting and styling hair at an early age. My dad would have me to take my brothers to the barber shop instead I would cut their hair. They were my guinea pigs. I would then pocket the money that my dad gave for the barbers, this was the beginning of my entrepreneurship. My dad favored the way I cut my brothers’ hair better than the barber shop, so much, he had me cutting his hair along with his friends. It is the artistry that draws me to both DJing and Hairstyling. Both crafts allow me to help people express themselves. I get a rush by being able to move people, either with the music I play, or with them being happy with a new hairstyle. These two art forms have allowed me to become an entrepreneur. I can set my own schedule and to highlight my creativity. It has also allowed me the freedom and confidence to take on new ventures.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Social media showing my work for both as a DJ and hairstylist. Word of mouth has been a key to building my clientele.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I am Russian/Ghanaian and this has influence my style of music. I bring music from all over the world that created an edge for me. I have special talent of blending two different genre of music together which makes me unique.

Contact Info:

• Website: djtoni-k.com
• Instagram: @djtonikworld
• Facebook: djtonikworld
• Twitter: @djtonikworld
• Youtube: dj toni k