Set small , attainable goals . If you have a day job or are going to school but want to get better at a particular skill , set aside an hour per day to practice and focus on it . If you are disciplined , you ’ ll get there !

Find a community of other DJs . Although there are now a handful of schools and places to find instructional videos on DJing , I find it ’ s equally if not more important to find a group of people in your area who get together to jam and just have fun . Not only is it a much more exciting way to learn , but jamming with other people in a live setting is the quickest way to learn new tricks and get immediate feedback . Plus it ’ s free !

The turntable is like any other musical instrument . It takes years to master and thousands of hours to perfect . I ’ ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach many students over the years . I ’ ve noticed that quite a few enter into it thinking that one hour of instruction is all they will need to be a successful DJ . This couldn ’ t be further from the truth . Approach DJing as you would if you were to start taking piano lessons as a complete beginner . Your dream of becoming a concert pianist is years away , but is very attainable if you work hard .

Never stop planting your seeds . Having a stack of business cards in your bag never hurts . You never know who you ’ ll meet and which new opportunities will come through and present themselves down the line . Don ’ t be shy to introduce yourself and hand them out !

Line up as many steady gigs as possible . Whether it ’ s DJing a regular night at a bar , an afterhours club , a wedding , a corporate event , or playing with a band , get out there . It ’ s inevitable that there will be quiet times throughout the year , so make sure to make your busy season as busy as possible so you ’ re not strapped for cash when things slow down .

Don ’ t put all your eggs into one basket . Diversify the types of projects you work on . If you have the talent and the confidence , try getting creative with your music and applying it to other fields . For example , I toured for many years in a theatrical production as an actor , singer , musician , and DJ . I was also the on-camera DJ for a kids ’ TV show but also scored the music to the entire first season , which ended up being a very lucrative opportunity !

Keep your social media up to date . If your goal is to get out there , make sure to keep people in the loop . These days , you not only need to work on your craft and perfect your skills as an artist , but you must be your own

agent , manager , and marketing professional . It ’ s not as daunting as it seems , and probably doesn ’ t take much more time than you ’ re already spending on Facebook and Twitter .

Maintain a balance . Find time to do other things that make you happy outside of your music career , as it is those very things that will help you find inspiration for your music . I personally love working out and going to my sculpting class . Whether I ’ m totally focused on the sculpture in front of me or I ’ m going for a run thinking about my next chord progression , time away from the computer in a different environment is the key to staying inspired .

Stay true to yourself . Along the way , there will be people that may cast their doubts over you and what you ’ re doing . Always know that what makes you happy is not necessarily what makes someone else happy and that ’ s okay . Stay strong and follow your path .

Treat others as you wish to be treated . It ’ s a no-brainer , but it ’ s so true . It ’ s a small world , and everybody ’ s got a reputation that precedes them . There is a lot of competition out there , so make sure you ’ re the one they choose . If you are respectful to others in your industry , even if they aren ’ t necessarily that way towards you , people will remember .

Don ’ t burn bridges . If anything , be the bigger person . Success is rarely obtained by your and you alone . There are always people along the way who will help guide you towards your goals , and you never know who that person might be in the future .

Adopt the no pain no gain attitude . You ’ re not learning unless you ’ re feeling the discomfort of trying to figure out or understand something new for the first time . Learn to associate the growing pains with progress .

Persevere . You ’ ll hear “ no ” a lot more than you ’ ll hear “ yes ” in your career . Don ’ t let the rejections discourage you from pursuing your goals . I can ’ t count how many times I ’ ve felt discouraged because something didn ’ t pan out the way I had hoped . Had I just given up right there and then , I would have stopped DJing and producing years ago .

Enjoy the ride ! Destination is like a mirage . The closer you get to one goal , the further away the next one becomes . There is always more , so don ’ t wait for the satisfaction of “ making it ” or “ getting there ” as you will never truly be satisfied . Live in the present and recognize how awesome things are in the moment . Don ’ t let frustration hold you back from doing what you really love .