We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dan Goode. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dan below.
Dan, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I believe that a purpose is something that naturally grows within you over time, the more you stay true to yourself and follow your dreams. My own purpose has certainly evolved and changed throughout my life.
I wasn’t born with an affinity to music. I certainly wasn’t a musical prodigy. In fact, I really only started to be drawn to music around the age of 8 or 9, marked by when I first picked up a Saxophone. But from that moment on, it was clear to myself and my family (my dad certainly wasn’t happy about all the noise!) that the Sax was going to be a big part of my life. I used to come home and practice all day and into the evening, playing Sax along to pop backing tracks, often playing for 5 hours a day, and sometimes playing a couple of hours of piano after that.
But when I got to the age of 15 I found myself at a crossroads. I had to decide whether I wanted to go the “normal” route of getting a 9-5 job and studying something like math or engineering, OR actually pursue what I really enjoyed, and was talented at- performing and producing music. It was a big decision, but I had always been a bit of a rebel in my own way- and it came naturally to me that this was the right thing to do. I decided to take the leap and apply overseas to Chetham’s School of Music in the UK (I was living in the Netherlands at the time). To my delight, I was accepted and received a scholarship.
That was a huge turning point in my life, where I left my family (who were still in the Netherlands) and moved in to a boarding school to study Saxophone and Music Production. In Chetham’s, I continued to be a “rebel” and an outlier, by being one of the few in the school interested in electronic music and DJing- when almost everyone else was purely interested in Jazz or Classical music. But I felt drawn to it, and kept doing it, despite being largely misunderstood by the majority of my classmates.
Once I finished at Chetham’s, I yet again had to make a difficult decision- would I go to University/ Conservatory to continue studying, or would I move to London and try and build my business from scratch?
I felt I was ready to take on the world, and I really didn’t love the idea of studying for another 3 years, so I once again decided to dive right in and take the risk. There’s been a lot of “risky” decisions that I’ve had to make over my lifetime, but these things are what helped me really refine and understand my purpose and calling.
In London, I started to combine DJing & Sax- something that was almost completely unheard of at the time. Because I was one of the only acts in the UK to combine both, I gained a lot of traction very quickly and was able to scale my business to six figures within just a couple years of moving to London. It’s funny to see how, 10 years later, it appears I started a movement- to the extent that in the last year or so, Memes have been made about “Sax players jumping on the DJ train”.
Now that I have been performing DJ & Sax for over a decade, my purpose has become broader than simply performing- it’s my purpose to give people an experience they can cherish for the rest of their lives, whether that’s at their wedding, birthday party, or a corporate event. Beyond that, I have also recently started sharing my knowledge and strategies with other aspiring musicians in order to help them scale their businesses to 6 figures and beyond, as part of my Luxury Musician coaching program. Serving others and helping them to create success in their own lives has become an integral part of my purpose.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My main business is currently providing Saxophone & DJ services for luxury weddings and events, in addition to owning an international agency (Wedding Sax DJ, with headquarters both in London and Los Angeles), and more recently, offering coaching services to musicians looking to scale their businesses to 6 figures plus, as part of the Luxury Musician program.
It’s definitely an honor to be at a point in my career where I can command a rate of 5 figures for a single performance, especially when that work is such a fulfilling role; the role of giving my clients amazing memories that they can look back on for the rest of their lives and remember with joy and excitement.
At present I perform mainly for weddings, and I offer an all encompassing entertainment package for my clients- this includes providing live Saxophone & DJ performances throughout the entire day and evening (Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, Dinner, Dancing, and Afterparty). The show experience my team and I provide is comparable to a concert, which includes a combination of special FX and dazzling lighting arrays synchronized to the music. My team also provides complimentary drone footage and videography.
My agency, Wedding Sax DJ, has been going strong for 8 years, and it’s always amazing to hear that we are the main provider of work for several of the UK’s prominent Sax & DJ artists.
I recently moved to Los Angeles (at the start of 2024) and Wedding Sax DJ is already gaining traction across the States, generating bookings for musicians all over the country.
As for my coaching program, the Luxury Musician, it’s been awe inspiring to see my students completely transform their entire image and branding, hire a team, and start to actively network with key industry players, all within weeks of joining the program. One of my students, Cameron Black, TRIPLED his rates within 2 weeks of working with me, and was able to book his highest paying events ever within a very short space of time. One of the things I like to stress is that the musical “talent” is rarely the issue. It almost always comes down to a lack of awareness in branding and presentation.
I help my students with optimizing every aspect of their business- from top of funnel marketing, agency optimization, website design, SEO, advertising, through to sales, professionalism and effective communication, and most importantly, delivering stellar results for their own clients.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Focus on your STRENGTHS – and don’t let anyone force you into doing something you don’t want to do. Live is short. And what you’re good at, is usually what you enjoy most. Whatever that is, you’ll find a way to make money out of it. That just so happened to be DJ & Sax for me, and in the grand scheme of things, that’s a pretty random combination of things to be good at! So whatever it is that lights you up and gets you excited, focus on that. You’ll find a market that appreciates what you do, no matter how niche. And be very careful about doing things that you “think” you want to do, that are actually just things that society has conditioned you that you “should” want to do.
2. MARKETING is crucial! Unless you’re a musical prodigy that is lucky enough to be signed to a major record label, you will need to learn how to get eyeballs on you. In the Luxury Musician program I teach my students that it doesn’t matter how good you are- if the branding and presentation is off, it will severely impact your value in the marketplace. It’s about showcasing your talent to the world in a way that average people can understand and appreciate- not just musicians. As a musician, this includes being active and consistent on social media, having a polished website, and networking with key players in your industry, such as event planners, venues, and other artists.
3. Never stop LEARNING – the most successful people are often those who read the most. One of my business mentors, Dan Martell, has read over 1800 books. Why would anyone who wants to be successful miss out on the opportunity to get inside the minds of some of the greatest thinkers and achievers of all time? As part of my Luxury Musician program I encourage all of my students to read daily, and I have a recommended reading list of books that have changed my life.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal clients when it comes to coaching are talented musicians struggling to make more than a thousand dollars per booking, and DJs for private events stuck in the $1-3K range, who are looking to get higher paid bookings for luxury clients consistently and reliably,
If you’re tired of being undervalued and underpaid, being forced to take on lower paying gigs when you know that you’re worth so much more, and you want to start attracting high-paying clients that actually appreciate your time and talent, then give me a follow or drop me a DM on Instagram @dangoode!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dangoodeofficial.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dangoodemusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DanGoodeOfficial
- Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/dangoodeofficial
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