Meet Dion Dupree

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

Dion, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I get my work ethic from having very humble beginnings, Growing up in a single family, low income household afforded me the ability to value hard work and sacrifice. I witness my mom work tirelessly to provide the best she could for my sister and I. I learned at an early age, that if you wanted something, you had to be willing to get out and work for it. I craved to have better than my circumstances so that drive fueled my passions. As I got older, my work ethic evolved into a lifestyle thus me naming my company Grind Mode. I was blessed to be able to achieve what few have been able to coming from a poverty stricken, low income community that was ravaged by gangs and drugs. I was able to create a better lifestyle for my children and family by the developing a strong work ethic. Now I utilize my experiences, challenges and ability to persevere as a testimony to others that dreams can come true if you are dedicated and committed to the process.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the owner of multiple businesses based in Pittsburgh, Pa. I started Grind Mode Management LLC in 2013 as a management services for DJ’s. I am the President of Nick Nice Productions. Nick Nice is a prominent DJ based in Pittsburgh that has built an illustrious 30+ year career as a DJ. I managed him and about 9 other DJ’s in the company by helping them get paid gigs throughout the city. I would also be the first point of contact for a lot of the managers and booking agents from mainstream artists coming into the city for concerts. Gaining popularity and providing great service opened the door for me to be able to work with recording artists. I was reluctant at first, but after seeing the obstacles and challenges they faced as independent artists trying to get exposure for their art, I realized that I could fill this void, I was blessed with an opportunity to start my own record label by getting a Label Partnership through Ingrooves based off my relationship with my now partner, Domingo. Instead of starting a label, I chose to provide distribution services for independent artist and started Grind Mode Music Worldwide. Since I was now able to distribute music worldwide, I began working with more recording artist that led to me realizing the challenges they faced promoting their music and getting on radio. Thus, I created Grind Mode Radio LIVE, which is an online radio station that broadcasts worldwide 247. We began providing the opportunity for artists to share their story and promote their music. As I grew in the business, I started to develop great relationships and partnerships that led to the to my company being able to provide professional marketing, advertising and branding services. I soon realized that these services were also essential for start-ups and small businesses so I started Grind Mode Business Solutions, which focuses on providing branding, marketing and advertising services to help small businesses attract new customers. I started a television network on the Roku platform called Ur Vision Television Network as a means to be able to help independent film makers and visual content creators to have an outlet for their work. I was honored to become a Professional Member of the Recording Academy/Grammy’s in 2022 but always had a passion for working with youth. So I utilized my influence from music to develop a Non-Profit Organization called Grind Mode Multimedia Productions Incorporated and currently developing the Grind Mode Music Academy. Which is a free program for youth ages 10-18 designed for them to learn music production, how to DJ, photography, videography, radio broadcasting/podcasting and them learn how to build a sustainable business around their skill in the arts. Grind Mode is a representation of the lifestyle of those who are willing to grind and work hard to manifest their dreams.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, I think the three qualities that was most impactful to my journey was resilience, commitment and ethical business practices. The three skills that I believed were most impactful were being a good communicator, being a great learner and having great people/time management skills. Three areas of knowledge that was most impactful to me are knowledge of self, knowledge of spirituality and having knowledge of humanity. I would advice anyone getting into any professional field that requires you to service other people to take the time to learn yourself. Understand what makes you tick. Learn what your shortcomings are with a desire to be able to become the best version of you. Learn how to become one with your spirituality in regards to the energy you put into the world. People gravitate towards what they give so if you want to have good people around you, you have to learn how to put out good energy that attracts those individuals. I also think it is very important to learn the nature of humanity and the human experience. I feel this is very important because it will help you have a sound judgment of character and prevent from making decisions based off emotions or superficial factors that many times comes back to bite us in the bum bum. A major part of learning how to educate yourself on humanity, is understanding who you are and valuing the disruptors to our personal growth and emotional development. When you understand these factors, you will be able to see beyond the surface of what one presents but really gain insight into who they are which will give you the ability to help them overcome some of the same challenges that once plagued themselves. You will also see, that we are not much different and basically have the same needs.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
The ideal client for me is a person who believes enough in themselves to understand the importance of staying committed to the process. A lot of times. people want immediate gratification and the moment something doesn’t work to their expectation, they decide to give up. Or, personal challenges come up with family, friends or finances and again, a decision is made to give up. My ideal client is one who understands that nothing is given and you have to be willing to sacrifice and overcome the challenges. Having a client with a positive and realistic growth mindset, will afford me the ability to lock in and know that we are both committed to road that is ahead of us. Far to often, I have started a journey with an individual only to reach the destination alone because they chose to get off when the road became bumpy.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Joanna Haughton of Her Vision Media J Biggz of 2phat Multimedia Dion Dupree of Grind Mode Music Worldwide

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,