Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Ashley “DJ Desire” with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Anyone who knows me or sees my DJ calendar would say I have an incredible work ethic, and I owe it all to my parents. I come from a family of entrepreneurs. I grew up watching my parents work incredibly hard on building their own businesses. All my life, I’ve seen what it takes to establish a good work ethic – everything from long nights, early mornings, inconvenient traveling/commutes, and not stopping until the job is done. My parents had me work in the family business as a young teenager, and on and off as an adult. Of course, in my adult years, I actually wanted to help out because it was no longer about keeping me busy in the summer as a teen, but about contributing to the rewards reaped from hard work as a team. These days, I still jump in on my family’s businesses once in a while, but now it’s more about spending time with them.
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 a DJ, MC, and the owner and operator of Desirable Entertainment, a female DJ company. The most exciting part about my business is that I get to encourage and offer desirable female talent within the events industry through mobile DJ services. Being in such a male-dominated DJ industry, I think it is so special to be able to connect with other female DJs and provide work opportunities to them. Another aspect of what I do that I find incredibly special is the type of events and clients I get to work with. This includes clients who are hosting milestone events such as weddings, bachelorette parties, birthdays, graduations, company launch parties, and more! Being a memorable element to events like these really makes what I do so meaningful. I am currently one of the resident DJs at Scottsdale restaurants, Etta and Maple & Ash, while also being The Valley’s favorite DJ for Bachelorette Parties and other femme-forward events. I am working with other amazing female DJ talent who I also book to DJ at Etta along with several private events. This fall, I will be traveling to Los Angeles (where I am originally from) to DJ certain NFL home game tailgate parties for the Los Angeles Rams with the mega fan group called World Tour Rams. This will be my fifth season DJ’ing these tailgate events. With the current success of my female DJ company in the greater Phoenix area, I have put plans in place to expand this business model to another major city in 2024. Be on the lookout for my official announcement soon!
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?
The first and most important area of knowledge that has had the most impact on my journey is the ability to be open-minded to new connections and networks. Who you know can be very important when developing your business or brand.
Secondly, I learned the importance of image verses skill and that there is balance that needs to be had with these two ideologies. In other words, the amount of time and detail you spend learning the technical skills of your craft, should also be given to the physical appearance of yourself and your equipment – and vise versa. It is not enough to just be skilled in your chosen field; you also need to present yourself in a way that reflects your expertise. This includes maintaining a professional appearance, whether it’s dressing appropriately for the job or having a well-organized workspace. Additionally, investing in high-quality equipment can enhance your skills and make a positive impression on others.
Thirdly, I have learned how important it is to truly know your worth and to know your market. As a DJ, rates vary depending on several factors, and it is important to really understand what those factors are. However, regardless of what industry you’re in, with enough experience, skill, reputable reviews or references, and proper research, you shouldn’t be afraid to charge customers what you think you’re actually worth.This was a significant milestone for me in terms of personal development. Once I began charging clients what I am worth, I started attracting more of the events and clients that I truly wanted to work with. As a result, my performance improved, and my confidence to build new client relationships soared.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes! The ideal partnership would be with another brand or company that aligns with my mission of supporting females in their respective industries. Of course, I am open to other concepts as well, but I find the most success occurs when like minded individuals come together. For example, one of the partnerships I have is with a company called Scottsdale Bachelorette. They are a party panning company that focus of services
related to bachelorette parties. Being a female DJ, I saw an opportunity to collaborate with Scottsdale Bachelorette in offering my services as at “at home” experience for their clients. Thankfully, the owner of Scottsdale Bachelorette saw the same vision, thus creating a seamless partnership that just made sense! Other partnerships I currently have and are open to expanding on that are not necessarily in the events industry include medical spas, fashion brands, restaurants, hair and makeup, travel, photography, and sports.
To connect with me on collaboration or partnership opportunities, send me an email at TheRealDJdesire.com@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: therealdjdesire.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdjdesire
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealdjdesire
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealdjdesire?_t=8aP8SPzOGX0&_=1
- Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/therealdjdesire/
