Meet Michael Anthony Valenzuela

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Anthony Valenzuela. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael Anthony below.

Michael Anthony, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from my upbringing, my family, and my relationship with music.

I grew up navigating a lot of change at a young age, and early on I learned how to adapt, observe, and keep moving forward even when things felt uncertain. My family, especially my grandparents, gave me stability, values, and a deep appreciation for perseverance, faith, and hard work. Watching the sacrifices they made showed me that resilience isn’t loud or dramatic, it’s quiet consistency.

Music became another source of strength. It gave me a way to process emotions, tell my story, and turn challenges into something meaningful. Every setback I’ve faced creatively or professionally has taught me patience, discipline, and humility. Over time, resilience stopped being about “pushing through” and became about staying committed to growth, even when the path isn’t clear.

Ultimately, my resilience comes from choosing to keep showing up, for my craft, my relationships, and myself, no matter the circumstances.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a music producer, DJ, and creative entrepreneur based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. At the core of everything I do is music as an experience, not just a product. Whether I’m producing records, DJing weddings, or developing my artist project, my focus is always on how music makes people feel in a moment and how it becomes part of their memory.

Professionally, I wear a few hats. I run a wedding DJ service where I specialize in high-end, client-centered events. What excites me most about this work is helping couples feel truly seen and taken care of on one of the most meaningful days of their lives. I approach weddings less like a performer and more like a curator and guide, someone who understands timing, emotion, and energy, and knows when to elevate a moment and when to stay out of the way. I’m intentional about professionalism, communication, and kindness, because I believe those things matter just as much as technical skill.

Alongside that, I’m deeply focused on my growth as a music producer and artist. I’m currently developing an artist project under the name Michael Anthony, which lives in the space between Hiphop/RnB, soul, lo-fi, and house music. The project is inspired by cinematic, nostalgic moments, sunsets, road trips, quiet reflections, and the beauty of fleeting experiences. It’s music meant to feel lived-in and emotionally honest. What feels most special about this project is that it represents my truest creative voice, intuitive, imperfect, and grounded in feeling rather than trends.

Right now, I’m finishing my degree in music production and preparing to continue my education in film and media arts, which reflects where I see my work going long term: deeper storytelling, stronger visuals, and more intentional creative worlds. I’m also focused on releasing new music and continuing to build brands that feel legitimate, thoughtful, and sustainable.

If there’s one thing I’d want readers to know, it’s that my work is driven by care. I care about craft, about people, and about creating things that last beyond a moment. Whether it’s a song, an event, or a brand, my goal is always the same: to create experiences that feel meaningful, elevated, and human.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, three things stand out as the most impactful in my journey: self-awareness, discipline, and taste.

Self-awareness has been foundational. Learning who I am, how I work, and what I’m actually good at took time and honesty. Early on, I tried to chase too many directions at once. Growth really accelerated when I started paying attention to what energized me, what drained me, and where my strengths naturally showed up. For anyone early in their journey, my advice is to slow down enough to notice yourself. Pay attention to patterns in your work and your reactions. Reflection is a skill, and developing it will save you years of unnecessary friction.

Discipline is what turned passion into something sustainable. Motivation comes and goes, but showing up consistently, even on days when nothing feels exciting, is what builds momentum. Discipline doesn’t mean grinding nonstop; it means creating simple systems you can return to when life gets chaotic. For beginners, start small. Build routines that are realistic, not heroic. Consistency compounds in ways that are hard to see in the moment but powerful over time.

Taste is something I underestimated early on. Skill matters, but taste, knowing what feels right, what feels honest, and what’s worth refining, is what separates good from meaningful. Taste develops through exposure, curiosity, and patience. Study what moves you, not just what’s popular. Analyze why certain work resonates with you emotionally. Over time, your instincts sharpen, and your creative decisions become more confident and intentional.

If I could sum it up, my advice would be this: be patient with yourself, stay curious, and commit to showing up long before the results make sense. The journey rewards those who are willing to grow quietly before they grow visibly.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

If I knew I only had one decade left, I’d spend it being present, creating deeply, and loving intentionally.

I would slow down in the ways that matter. I’d spend more time with my wife and family, not just around them, but truly present, listening, remembering, and honoring the people who shaped me. I’d prioritize shared experiences over achievements, conversations over distractions, and memories over momentum. Time would stop being something to optimize and start being something to protect.

Creatively, I’d make the work I’ve always felt called to make, without fear of how it’s received. I’d focus on music and art that feels honest and emotionally true, even if it’s quieter or less commercially obvious. I’d release more, overthink less, and trust my instincts. I’d let my work be a reflection of who I am rather than who I think I’m supposed to be.

Professionally, I’d choose impact over scale. I’d work with people I respect, build experiences that feel meaningful, and say no to anything that pulls me away from my values. Success would be measured less by growth metrics and more by whether the work felt aligned and worthwhile.

Most of all, I’d spend that decade practicing gratitude. Gratitude for the people in my life, for the chance to create, and for the simple, ordinary moments that often go unnoticed. If time were limited, I’d want my life to feel full, not rushed, and true, not performative.

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Image Credits

Alecia Davenport

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