Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominic Hardaway.
Hi Dominic, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
This question led to a lot of internal reflection, I made it a point to think about it on my recent birthday trip so thanks for the opportunity to be vain.
My story starts in my living room dancing with my mother.
I’m many things, some I’m proud of and some I’m not, but I am forever my mother’s child. It was her who taught me my love of music and ultimately made me the DJ you’re interviewing today.
I came to Dallas after finishing college. Large jump in the story, I know, but I’ll spare you my San Antonio and Oklahoma coming-of-age arc. I arrived expecting to live in Plano, climb the corporate ladder, and settle into corporate America. It didn’t take long to realize that life wasn’t for me.
Around that time, I got back into politics, something I had started in college. At the same time, I began building a social media following. As my audience grew, smaller campaigns started seeing me as a communications resource, which led to opportunities on campaign communications teams and eventually roles as a Communications Manager and Digital Communications Director.
In 2022, I worked with Twitter, now X, on the launch of its Sparks program. During that experience, someone suggested that with my background in communications, audience development, and strategy, I should consider marketing. So I took a chance and made the jump into corporate marketing.
Today, I lead marketing research and strategy for one of the largest brands in the world and have been fortunate enough to win three of the most prestigious awards in the marketing industry.
At the same time, I never left music.
What started as DJing evolved into MVMNT, a platform built around bringing people together through music, culture, and community. Through events like Deep Cuts and Bring Back Dancing, I’ve spent years creating spaces centered on connection, discovery, and the simple idea that people still want places to gather around great music.
That same philosophy eventually led to the Dance Floor Initiative, a civic engagement project built on the belief that community starts where people already are. Whether it’s marketing, politics, or music, I’ve found myself asking the same question over and over again: how do you bring people together and get them moving toward something meaningful?
In a lot of ways, everything I’ve done traces back to that living room and dancing with my mother.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A smooth road it absolutely was not. My twenties almost killed me, literally. Therapy taught me that my biggest struggles always come back to me being honest with myself so I can in turn be honest with others. For years I tried to fit myself into boxes and it let to broken hearts and lost opportunities. Imposter syndrome is not a joke.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an economist, a marketer, a DJ, a political & social commentator, and a bit of everything else. I would say I specialize in digital and social communication. The thing I’m the most proud how I show up for my community in ways they will never even know. There is something especially rewarding about seeing people benefit from or enjoy your work without knowing you’re the cause of it.
I’ve been fortunate enough to see things that others don’t always see.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Success is more about adaptability and flexibility than it is intention and planning. Intentionality is a popular buzzword right now. I always thought the concept of intentionality assumes some vanity. It assumes that I’m smart enough to know what I’m doing. I wish I knew that I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was. That yes, I did need to be prepared but prepared to adapt.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domojulio?igsh=eGZkeTJkNmJ6OWxz&utm_source=qr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8sGkrpQ/
