North Olmsted, OH – January 7, 2016 – WeddingWire, a leading global online wedding marketplace, named My Life DJ Service as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016 for Wedding DJ in northeast Ohio!
The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016 recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The esteemed awards are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories based on their professional achievements from the previous year.
While many industry award winners are selected by the host organization, the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients.
“We are thrilled to celebrate such a high-caliber, committed group of professionals for the Couples’ Choice Awards’® eighth year,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “We are proud to continue to serve as the industry leader, with over 2.5 million consumer and peer reviews, and feature award-winning merchants...”
As a Couples’ Choice Awards® winner, My Life DJ Service is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of more than 400,000 wedding professionals globally.
We are proud to be one of the top wedding DJ services in northeast Ohio in the WeddingWire Network. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® 2016.
To learn more about the Couples’ Choice Awards®, please visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards.
About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire, Inc. is the leading global online marketplace connecting consumers with event and creative professionals. Operating within a $200 billion industry, WeddingWire, Inc. hosts 10 million monthly unique users across its mobile and web platforms. Consumers are able to read over 2.5 million vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a database of over 400,000 businesses. Globally, it provides these businesses the technology they need to serve their clients through advertising, marketing and business management tools such as websites, payment processing, invoicing and contracts. Founded in 2007, the WeddingWire portfolio of sites serves couples and businesses across 14 countries in North America, Latin America and Europe, making it the worldwide leader in weddings with brands including Bodas.net, Casamentos.com.br, Matrimonio.com and more. The company employs more than 650 and maintains global headquarters in Washington, DC and international headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.
Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!
Showing posts with label entrepreneur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entrepreneur. Show all posts
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Event Pros, What To Accomplish During The Off Season
We are sometimes asked, what do event professionals do during the off season? The answer is that we continue to stay busy but in different ways.
This post is really meant for our colleagues in the event and wedding industries but it may also be of interest to the broader population including brides and grooms, event planners and others in the field, so here we go!..
In northeast Ohio, where we operate, the busy season for us starts in late April and continues strong right to the end of the year. Our slower season is January, February and March, although we still typically have a number of events to fulfill.
First let's acknowledge that for serious event pros, our busy season takes a lot out of us. We're constantly on the go, traveling from one event to the other, conducting planning meetings with clients, setting up, performing and taking down equipment, etc. It's a long busy marathon that doesn't seem to end but when it does, we're truly exhausted. And I can say this because I've been in the industry for over 25 years now, the older one gets the more it seems to take its toll.
A funny thing happens, however, when we finally do enter our slow time of the year. After a couple of weeks of recovery in the way of sleep, rest, and maybe a short vacation, we begin to get antsy for the business again, don't we? We begin to get excited about the coming year and we try to prepare in the best way possible.
Here are some important tasks for event professionals to accomplish during the off season:
Respond to inquiries and book events - Many bookings for the year happen during the down time, so we're actually really quite busy responding to inquiries, answering questions, meeting with prospective clients and generating contracts. The goal here, of course, is to fill up our calendar for the upcoming year!
Review your pricing strategy - If you are going to change your prices, now is the time to do it. Are you adding new packages and prices? How will this affect your marketing strategy?
Review your marketing strategy - If you are going to change your marketing strategy, make these changes while you can before things get busy again. Does your website need an update? Are you going to do more or less paid online marketing? What kind of traditional marketing will you do, if any? Review your print material, are these documents still accurate?
Prepare for the upcoming tax season - Consult your tax preparer, issue tax related documents to employees and contracted workers. Gather and organize receipts, copies of contracts, etc. Make changes in your book keeping routines if you need to in order to have a smoother year ahead.
Repair or upgrade equipment - The field is tough on equipment. During the year you have probably noticed a need to repair or purchase new equipment. Perhaps you finished the last few weeks by using your back-up stuff because something was dropped or broken but you really don't want to start the new season with back-up equipment. Be sure everything works perfectly going out of the gate!
Communicate with your insurance broker - Annually, make or update a written list of equipment inventory (as detailed as possible) and send it off to your insurance broker. Savvy event pros will also include photos for good measure. You want to be sure they know what kind of stuff you own and how much it all costs.
Communicate with your lawyer - Send your lawyer a brief email describing any new services or assets that you've added recently or intend to add to your business. For example make sure he or she knows how many people you employ, describe your services, especially anything new you are adding. It would also be a good idea to have your lawyer do a review of the language in your contract.
Communicate with staff members - It's important to communicate with employees and others who help you operate your business in order to share with them your strategy for the upcoming year. What will be expected of them? How will their respective roles change? Are you adding products or services? Will training be necessary to learn about new equipment, software, etc. Be sure everyone is on the same page about what you want the business to accomplish when things speed up again.
Back up files - You should be doing frequent, periodic back-ups of electronic files during the year but at least annually, be sure to have a back-up system in place.
Prepare for bridal fairs - If you participate in bridal fairs and other such gatherings you know how much work is involved in setting up a booth or table, preparing marketing materials, etc. Be ready with these items so that you can concentrate on being with guests and prospective clients and not running around at the last minute!
Get serious about your health - Many people begin their new year's resolutions during the off season and this is a good time to get serious about your health. As an entrepreneur, your health is an asset of the business. When asked about their biggest fears, self employed people will often say staying healthy is always a big concern. They know that if they should get sick or injured, their business could suffer affecting their ability to make a living. So now is a good time to establish diet, exercise and sleep habits to promote better health for the whole year 'round.
Well, I hope these suggestions are helpful. Please let me know of other tasks to accomplish during the slow season that I may have forgotten to list. I will add them in future updates to the article. Best wishes for a successful year!
Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!
This post is really meant for our colleagues in the event and wedding industries but it may also be of interest to the broader population including brides and grooms, event planners and others in the field, so here we go!..
In northeast Ohio, where we operate, the busy season for us starts in late April and continues strong right to the end of the year. Our slower season is January, February and March, although we still typically have a number of events to fulfill.
First let's acknowledge that for serious event pros, our busy season takes a lot out of us. We're constantly on the go, traveling from one event to the other, conducting planning meetings with clients, setting up, performing and taking down equipment, etc. It's a long busy marathon that doesn't seem to end but when it does, we're truly exhausted. And I can say this because I've been in the industry for over 25 years now, the older one gets the more it seems to take its toll.
A funny thing happens, however, when we finally do enter our slow time of the year. After a couple of weeks of recovery in the way of sleep, rest, and maybe a short vacation, we begin to get antsy for the business again, don't we? We begin to get excited about the coming year and we try to prepare in the best way possible.
Here are some important tasks for event professionals to accomplish during the off season:
Respond to inquiries and book events - Many bookings for the year happen during the down time, so we're actually really quite busy responding to inquiries, answering questions, meeting with prospective clients and generating contracts. The goal here, of course, is to fill up our calendar for the upcoming year!
Review your pricing strategy - If you are going to change your prices, now is the time to do it. Are you adding new packages and prices? How will this affect your marketing strategy?
Review your marketing strategy - If you are going to change your marketing strategy, make these changes while you can before things get busy again. Does your website need an update? Are you going to do more or less paid online marketing? What kind of traditional marketing will you do, if any? Review your print material, are these documents still accurate?
Prepare for the upcoming tax season - Consult your tax preparer, issue tax related documents to employees and contracted workers. Gather and organize receipts, copies of contracts, etc. Make changes in your book keeping routines if you need to in order to have a smoother year ahead.
Repair or upgrade equipment - The field is tough on equipment. During the year you have probably noticed a need to repair or purchase new equipment. Perhaps you finished the last few weeks by using your back-up stuff because something was dropped or broken but you really don't want to start the new season with back-up equipment. Be sure everything works perfectly going out of the gate!
Communicate with your insurance broker - Annually, make or update a written list of equipment inventory (as detailed as possible) and send it off to your insurance broker. Savvy event pros will also include photos for good measure. You want to be sure they know what kind of stuff you own and how much it all costs.
Communicate with your lawyer - Send your lawyer a brief email describing any new services or assets that you've added recently or intend to add to your business. For example make sure he or she knows how many people you employ, describe your services, especially anything new you are adding. It would also be a good idea to have your lawyer do a review of the language in your contract.
Communicate with staff members - It's important to communicate with employees and others who help you operate your business in order to share with them your strategy for the upcoming year. What will be expected of them? How will their respective roles change? Are you adding products or services? Will training be necessary to learn about new equipment, software, etc. Be sure everyone is on the same page about what you want the business to accomplish when things speed up again.
Back up files - You should be doing frequent, periodic back-ups of electronic files during the year but at least annually, be sure to have a back-up system in place.
Prepare for bridal fairs - If you participate in bridal fairs and other such gatherings you know how much work is involved in setting up a booth or table, preparing marketing materials, etc. Be ready with these items so that you can concentrate on being with guests and prospective clients and not running around at the last minute!
Get serious about your health - Many people begin their new year's resolutions during the off season and this is a good time to get serious about your health. As an entrepreneur, your health is an asset of the business. When asked about their biggest fears, self employed people will often say staying healthy is always a big concern. They know that if they should get sick or injured, their business could suffer affecting their ability to make a living. So now is a good time to establish diet, exercise and sleep habits to promote better health for the whole year 'round.
Well, I hope these suggestions are helpful. Please let me know of other tasks to accomplish during the slow season that I may have forgotten to list. I will add them in future updates to the article. Best wishes for a successful year!
Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Importance of Celebration
For most of my adult life I’ve been involved in the activities of helping people in crisis and paradoxically of helping others celebrate their good fortunes. During my 22 years of work in a large charity organization, I worked with children and adults with disabilities and their families. I also worked with the poor, homeless, persons with mental illness, at-risk teens, victims of abuse, you name it and I’ve probably seen it. And although I am no longer employed in the social service sector, I am still very much involved with charities in an advisory capacity or as a volunteer. Occasionally, I am asked to speak to groups about the effort of serving those in our society who are vulnerable or otherwise disconnected from the “mainstream” and I am happy to do it.
During this time, I also pursued a career path in entertainment as a professional DJ and emcee. At first, when I was in my early twenties, the DJ thing was mainly to help pay for college tuition – which it did. I am grateful to my friend and mentor, Dennis McNulty, for offering to train me and bring me into the industry. The added income allowed me to stay working in charity, which was exhausting, paid very little, yet was very rewarding.
There were many times in my life when in the course of just one day I (and my co-workers) would assist a homeless individual or family with their search for shelter, help them obtain food and clothing – the basic necessities - and then later that evening DJ an event for 300 people where food, drink and all around good cheer and merriment would flow well into the night. I have many examples of such days and weeks where I witnessed both great need and luxurious abundance.
For me, my dual career paths were a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde lifestyle. I was deeply involved with both ends of our lifestyle spectrum in the U.S. It was also a shock to me early in my Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde experience that I could occasionally make more money on a weekend entertaining at parties than I did all week helping our community’s most needy, but that is a topic for another article. I must admit, however, that participating in both career paths was probably very cathartic and healthy for me. It often forced me to step out of the emotional quagmire that people (and those who help them) experience when in crises and into the healthier emotional experience that comes with celebration.
For the longest time I thought that the depression, frustration and sadness of human struggle was far removed from the happiness, cheer and joy that comes with celebrating a significant milestone or achievement. A change in my thinking happened when I worked with the homeless in Lorain, Ohio. One afternoon before a community meal for about 170 people, I addressed the crowd and – almost as an act of desperation - asked anyone in the room if they had any good news to share. No one answered. Silence. People looked at each other wondering what in the world might possess me to believe that they had anything to celebrate. I said, in a second attempt, that it didn’t have to be big good news but even something small is worth mentioning. As if on queue, a little boy raised his hand and shared that he had received an A on a recent spelling test at school. The room erupted in cheers and applause. The boy was ecstatic to receive the recognition. Another person shared that he had an interview the next day in hopes of finally getting a job. More cheer! From that point, I was convinced that celebrating life’s significant moments, big or small, was just as important as responding to need. These experiences are opposite sides of the same coin and to be fully human, we need to make space for both.
Suddenly, my dual career path seemed to make more sense than ever and not so much an ironic paradox. Both endeavors reinforced my personal mission to “help people get to a better place in life”. Sometimes that mission involves helping people when they’re in great need and sometimes it involves helping people celebrate their significant moments.
I have over time, asked my friends who are counselors or otherwise in the field of psychology, sociology, etc. whether it is possible for whole communities to be continually depressed, unable to find even the smallest reason to celebrate. They answered with a resounding yes and I’ve witnessed this myself in a variety of settings. It is possible for families, communities, organizations to be stuck in a self-fulfilling group depression and one of the truest characteristics of this is an inability to celebrate. Vibrant groups celebrate frequently. Vibrant, healthy groups are vigilant, consciously looking for significant milestones and achievements to celebrate. Celebrations are noticed and remembered by members, especially the young and they eventually become the foundation for traditions that help individuals and groups stay strong and prosper well into the future.
Helping people celebrate life’s most significant moments is the purpose of the company I run, My Life Media. It is as much an honor to conduct this work as it is for me to be involved in charity. Both pursuits have their unique challenges and rewards, of course. I am not suggesting that helping an organization plan a holiday staff appreciation or a newly engaged couple plan their wedding reception is more important than running a homeless shelter but I do suggest that both efforts have their necessary place in a healthy society.
Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!
Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
DJ'ing the Company Holiday Party
Here's what we've learned over the years about DJ'ing a company holiday party!
1) "Respectable but fun" is the order of the day. Companies typically want to highlight a successful year with their holiday event, a celebration that allows employees to relax and know they are appreciated. The event is a company sponsored activity and should reflect the values that the company holds dear. Music should be fun and full of energy but not offensive or otherwise damage the sensibilities of the group. Usually, a variety of music is best so that everyone feels they've heard something they enjoy and can dance to. Unless otherwise directed by planners, the DJ should shy away from playing just one type of music all evening. Requests from guests before the event via an online planning tool helps the DJ to prepare, making him or her an effective DJ on the day of the event.
2) Make the sound system available to presenters. Usually, representatives from the company desire to welcome their guests, discuss successes of the year and/or present awards. For this reason, we always have a wireless microphone system set-up and available to company leaders. Occasionally, company leaders prefer it if the DJ assists with announcements, prize giveaways, etc. No problem! We are trained as MC's as well as DJ's. The DJ is flexible and is happy to work with the agenda of the company.
3) This should go without saying but.... A DJ who drinks alcohol with guests is likely to become ineffective and worse, do something to jeopardize the reputation of the company. We typically do not drink alcohol when we are working an event.
Other important considerations go into creating a fun-filled company celebration. These are just few. Please know that we are experienced and proud of our track record as professional entertainers! We hope to be working with you this holiday season to give your employees a celebration they'll truly appreciate.
Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!
Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
How We Named Our Company
Some people are curious to know how we came upon the name "My Life Media" for our company.
One answer is, that the music one uses to celebrate a significant moment, whether it be a wedding, graduation, anniversary, family reunion, etc. is an important type of media that reflects one's own tastes and personality. Music has a powerful affect on us and is as unique as those listening or dancing to it. Music has always been a basic component of one's very culture. When we "bring" music to an event, we are making available to our client a form of media that celebrates a special moment in their life - thus "My Life Media" - is the music media that one uses to celebrate life as considered through the perspective of those enjoying it. The name was changed slightly in late 2014 to "My Life DJ Services" when we registered with the state of Ohio to become a limited liability company.
Another answer to the question is a little more coincidental. Company owner, Jim Gepperth, was listening to the radio on the day that we were considering what to name the company (we were debating several options). At the very moment we were about to decide - the Beatles song "In My Life" came on. The song was written primarily by John Lennon with some input from Paul McCartney. It was designed as a life reflection put to music. We knew immediately that the name My Life would work. If you listen to the lyrics of the song, you'll hear a message that strongly supports the meaning behind our work - appreciating special people and significant moments in our life. Our company exists to help people celebrate significant moments with music. More selfishly, the name gives us reason to play that classic Beatles song whenever someone asks how we named the company. Listen to the song and watch a short tribute to John Lennon here!
Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!
One answer is, that the music one uses to celebrate a significant moment, whether it be a wedding, graduation, anniversary, family reunion, etc. is an important type of media that reflects one's own tastes and personality. Music has a powerful affect on us and is as unique as those listening or dancing to it. Music has always been a basic component of one's very culture. When we "bring" music to an event, we are making available to our client a form of media that celebrates a special moment in their life - thus "My Life Media" - is the music media that one uses to celebrate life as considered through the perspective of those enjoying it. The name was changed slightly in late 2014 to "My Life DJ Services" when we registered with the state of Ohio to become a limited liability company.
Another answer to the question is a little more coincidental. Company owner, Jim Gepperth, was listening to the radio on the day that we were considering what to name the company (we were debating several options). At the very moment we were about to decide - the Beatles song "In My Life" came on. The song was written primarily by John Lennon with some input from Paul McCartney. It was designed as a life reflection put to music. We knew immediately that the name My Life would work. If you listen to the lyrics of the song, you'll hear a message that strongly supports the meaning behind our work - appreciating special people and significant moments in our life. Our company exists to help people celebrate significant moments with music. More selfishly, the name gives us reason to play that classic Beatles song whenever someone asks how we named the company. Listen to the song and watch a short tribute to John Lennon here!
Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!
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