From Beatmix to Remix
Lessons from the DJ Booth to the C-Suite
LEARNING FROM YOUR HISTORY
In our professional journeys, we often minimize the relevance of our past experiences. However, every role we’ve held, every challenge we’ve faced, contributes to the person we are today. For me, it all began behind the DJ booth.
As a nightclub DJ, my primary responsibility was to keep the dance floor alive, moving people around the room with a careful selection of beats and seamless transitions. It wasn’t just about playing popular tracks; it was about reading the crowd, understanding their energy, and adjusting the music to keep them engaged and responsive to the waitstaff and bartenders.
Those nights spent mixing music taught me valuable lessons about timing, rhythm, and flow. But more than that, they instilled in me an intuitive sense of how to influence a group’s mood and dynamics. And, it taught me the importance of practice and sequencing. I spent hours practicing beat mixing and dub mixing (overlays of different songs playing in sync) with my vinyl. Beats per Minute (BPM) was my currency and blending them together was my craft.
The ability to read a room, to sense when people are getting restless, when they need something familiar, or when they’re ready for something new, became second nature. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was developing skills that would later become crucial in a very different environment—designing and facilitating workshops and innovation immersions for C-Suite executives.
APPLYING THE NUGGETS
As I transitioned from the world of nightlife into the corporate arena, I found that the lessons I learned as a DJ were surprisingly applicable. Running a successful workshop or leading a team meeting isn’t so different from spinning tracks in a club or at a rave.
Both require a deep understanding of your audience, the ability to keep people engaged, and the skill to shift gears at just the right moment. The element of surprise. The injection of delight. The introduction of a new track from the edge.
One of the key lessons I brought with me was the importance of pacing. In a club, playing too many high-energy tracks in a row can exhaust the crowd; similarly, in a workshop, pushing participants too hard without a break can lead to disengagement.
On the other hand, a well-timed slow jam can bring people back to the floor, just as a reflective discussion point can re-energize a team during a long session. Understanding when to push forward and when to pull back is crucial in both settings. It is all about reading the room and paying attention to the energy flow.
Another nugget I’ve carried forward is the art of improvisation. No matter how meticulously planned a DJ set is, something unexpected can always happen—a request from the crowd, a technical glitch, or an unexpected shift in the room’s energy.
The ability to adapt on the fly, to change the plan without losing the rhythm, is just as important in a business context. Whether it’s adjusting an agenda on the spot or addressing a sudden challenge during a presentation, the ability to pivot while maintaining control of the situation is invaluable.
TAKING IT FORWARD
The beauty of experience is that it’s never static. Just as I transitioned from beat mixing in nightclubs to facilitating workshops in C-Suites, we all have the capacity to remix our skills, adapting and evolving them to meet new challenges. The key is to recognize the transferable skills you’ve accumulated over the years and to apply them in innovative ways.
As you move forward in your career, think about your own history. What seemingly unrelated experiences have shaped your approach to leadership, teamwork, or problem-solving? How can you remix those skills to add value in your current role? Whether it’s a background in sports, the arts, or any other field, there are lessons to be drawn and applied. Those 12 years of piano lessons represent indispensable discipline - and generally something you don’t put on your resume.
For me, the journey from DJing to corporate facilitation has been about more than just transferring skills; it’s been about understanding the power of connection—whether through music or dialogue. It’s about realizing that no experience is wasted and that every beat in your history has a role to play in your future.
So, as you continue to lead and innovate, take a moment to reflect on your own path. What beats from your past can you bring into your present? How can you remix your experiences to create something new and powerful? The dance floor may have changed, but the rhythm of influence and the tact of leadership remains the same.
CONCLUSION
In the end, leadership, much like DJing, is about understanding the room, connecting with people, and knowing when to shift the energy. It’s about taking the lessons from our past and remixing them into something that resonates in the present.
NOW (How you are realizing this today)
What beat from your past is showing up today?
Are you tapping into those I didn’t want to do it, but I did it anyway lessons?
Are you expressing this remix in a story with your team?
NEW (How you will realize this tomorrow)
I will challenge my team to reflect on their life lessons and how we can apply them.
I will bring in new kinds of stimuli to change up our discussions and brainstorming.
I will take my team to an improv class or set up a playzone to tap into our inner child mindsets to unlock a different perspective.
NEXT (I see a world in which)
I see a world in which you realize your incredible equity is a powerful fuel that makes you, you.
THE PAYOFF
"Collaborate with your past self by revisiting and reimagining old ideas in new ways." - Rick Rubin (Producer Extraordinaire)
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If you are seeking a way to optimize your narrative equity, book a free consultation with me, and let's consider the possibilities. My work has raised a collective $1B+ for the companies I have worked with over the last 10 years. And, I have helped dozens of executives to find their narrative voice.
Appreciate this insight and enjoyed hearing how you’ve been able to blend as you go. Inspiring!
“The key is to recognize the transferable skills you’ve accumulated over the years and to apply them in innovative ways.”