David Medina has taken a simple love of music and spun it into a full-fledged, self-sustaining business via his DJ talents.
Tune in this Friday to learn how he was able to spin all the pieces together for a record breaking service.
Segment 1
In this opening segment, Jeremiah talks to David about his background, from his ethnic roots to his rough upbringing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. David discusses the impact his father has had in his life, outlining his father’s journey as an Dominican immigrant. He speaks of the early influence music has had on his life from the Latin music playing in his own home to watching the rise of Hip-Hop in New York as a child. David goes into his formal education at Alfred University, where he studied art and sculpture. He zips back to his junior high and high school years when music started to really become an important part of his life as well as what it was like growing up a Latino kid who was into punk and alternative.
Segment 2
In this segment, David continues with his experiences in college studying sculpture. He talks about getting his start as a DJ through friend he met in college, usurping a college radio program and transforming it into a Latin music station, mixed in with his wide-range of music sensibilities. He details his journey through graduating college and leaving for New York to pursue an art career, getting a job working at Irving Glass and infusing his art with Afro-Latin influence, and his moderate success in the industry. Around this time he began transitioning his career, working as a DJ with small gigs in bars and birthday parties sharing his reluctance for a typical nine-to-five work grind. He talks about getting first noticed and his first major gigs as a professional.
Segment 3
David opens up with a story about starting up a Latin organization at his college in order to bring in more Latin influence into the small community, how his niche in Cuban music helped create a name for himself and pushed his DJ career forward, transitioning from clubs to focusing on weddings and how he feels music can be an integral part of those experiences, learning to put the needs of the customers first. David gaining a love for those gigs because of his role in creating memorable moments for others, his business growing and gaining a reputation for his varied taste and personalized sets. He shares a few stories about the impactful interactions he’s had with bookers over the years.
Segment 4
The final segment begins with Jeremiah and David discussing the factors in creating a successful independent business. David showcases his advertising strategies and the process of getting hired for his gigs. He goes into the importance of selling an ‘experience’ over just a product, putting a lot of love into what you do and that showing through your work. David talks about his reluctance for using social media, Jeremiah countering with a few perspectives on how social media can promote a positive image and could lead to further growth for a business. The show closes with David throwing in a few plugs including his website and a few upcoming gigs.
