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

Hi Will, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Without taking risks, I wouldn’t own a DJ Business today! Let’s talk post-college… After graduating as a Sport Management Major, without a clue of what I wanted to “do with my life”, I took a risk by accepting a position as a Graduate Assistant in the Athletics Department at North Greenville University (my alma mater). While I would work multiple 60-80 hour weeks, I would have the chance of a lifetime to receive a Masters Degree with all expenses covered by the University. During my time as a Graduate Assistant, I doubled as DJ / Public Announcer for most of the on-campus sporting events. Though I risked failure in both graduate school and work, I powered through by prayer and persistence, finishing as a Master of Business Administration with A LOT of DJ experience.

Once I entered the “real world”, I job-hopped for the next two years, holding jobs in both sales and the food industry. During this time period, multiple college friends reached out to me because they were getting married and in need of a DJ. I had no DJ equipment of my own, other than a laptop (fun fact: I actually borrowed speakers from the wedding venue at my first ever Wedding DJ gig). Once I realized that a steady demand for DJ Service was evident, I wiped out my savings account and started a DJ Business. I felt confident that I could make back the initial investment and had enough live DJ / PA experience to succeed.

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

Hey, I’m Will! I am a 32-year-old business owner from the Upstate of South Carolina. My parents raised me listening to a variety of music genres, so I knew from a young age that I LOVED music! I began writing / recording songs at 12 years old and still write / release music to this day. After making playlists for myself and others throughout high school and college, I began to seriously consider being a “real DJ”. After much consideration, I began my DJ Business, LEVEL Digital Music Entertainment, in 2015. LEVEL has grown from a start-up business to a successful stamp in the entertainment industry here in South Carolina. I am blessed to do what I love, while having an extremely supportive community around me!

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

I am blessed to say that LEVEL is known as a reputable, reliable business within the DJ Industry. More than any marketing strategy, Word-Of-Mouth has grown LEVEL into a highly successful business. I purposefully communicate with each client / potential client in a humble, professional manner and do my best to make sure that the services I provide are custom to exactly what is wanted/needed per event. Also, when providing DJ Services, I have always been a big advocate of paying attention to little details (e.g., making sure an event setup is centered and aesthetically pleasing, helping other vendors in need during events). When clients pick up on the conscious effort poured into each event, they are more apt to share their experience with friends / family members who need a DJ for future events. This concept has taken years to build, but now, most of my business comes from word-of-mouth.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

The initial funding to start LEVEL was provided from my savings account, which had been filled through years of part-time landscaping jobs. Once I had started the DJ business, I spent years reinvesting back into the business assets until I had accumulated the setup / gear that I had initially wanted. The Entertainment Industry is unique in that the initial start-up cost is very attainable for most; however, in order to keep up with the ever-changing, pricy trends of the industry, business owners must continue to make purchases to upgrade setups. To anyone looking to get a foot in the door as an entertainment business owner, I would encourage them to make the initial purchase (laptop, mixer, table, speakers, stands, and cords), then to grow their client base, while adding upgrade purchases when feasible with growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.leveldme.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leveldme
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LEVELdme

Image Credits
Anna Bargeron Photography, Sara Touchet Photography, Payton Urueta Photography, Taylor Avery Photography, Ryan & Alyssa Photography, Catherine Turner Photography