Today we’d like to introduce you to TJ Welch.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My childhood was filled with days of “dance-offs” in the living room, or creating my own “radio shows” on a cassette player and karaoke machine by running to hit “record” as fast as I could during the current top 40 radio shows and adding in my own voiceovers.
By the time I was in high school, I was the on-air radio personality, shadowing the local radio hosts and MCs learning everything I could, and previewing new music releases to figure out which would be the new hits. During the week after school, I would travel to Cleveland, Ohio for weekly acting and modeling classes or rehearsing for the school play between sports practices. I was obsessed with entertainment and performance.
In my 20’s I loved traveling to new places and found myself in Florida with a local popular band which then pushed me into DJing at the same nightclubs and bars. I could tell some crazy stories from my club and bar DJ days! Ha! My DJ career really took off from there as friends and bar regulars began asking me to DJ their weddings.
Once I realized I really loved weddings, I completed a 6-month wedding planning internship to learn everything I could from behind the scenes at weddings and watch what other wedding DJs were doing.
Years later, I’ve found my forever home for Be Entertained in Dallas Fort Worth. I am really grateful for my background in all genres of music and experiences which molded me as an artist and my company into what it is today. Dallas is such a melting pot for different cultures and music tastes and keeps me constantly evolving my style and learning new music.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road I chose was lonely in the beginning and I wouldn’t say it was easy the first half of my career. I didn’t know or had even heard of any other female DJs until just the past 5 years.
Being an underdog in a male-dominated industry had its’ challenges. But I’ve always had the, “Well, I’ll show them!” attitude! I’ll never forget the day a bride told me she couldn’t hire me since her groom said he didn’t want to hear a female voice announcing their wedding. It was a downer. But luckily times have really changed over just the last few years and brides/grooms alike want to support female-owned and female artists.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized I, myself, could actually help change the industry and introduce more female DJs to the market. I know being a woman, characteristics like being able to read body language and energy cues as well as genuinely wanting to have a great time and take care of others, are traits that make great DJs. The rest could be learned so Be Entertained Events, my solo-op company, grew into training my own female DJs which grew us quickly into a female DJ collective.
My road has changed a lot from doing what I loved to also fulfilling a purpose and passion. My once challenging and lonely path has evolved into this amazing supportive group of women (and very supportive male mentors) who help each other grow.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a female DJ Collective. That in itself sets us apart since there are very few companies like us in the world.
The group of women on my team make us so diverse and that was my first vision and dream of the group. I love that we are married, single moms, divorced, and every race and have a wide range in our ages. We learn and grow from differences, not similarities. We have different music and cultural strengths that support each other to do almost any kind of event for any age range. We are stronger and more talented together.
Within the last 2 years, we have also grown into lighting design, livestream offerings, and multiple photo booth options. This year we added live music add-ons. Each year we change by just listening to what our clients want most and adding value to unforgettable events.
Although we specialize in weddings and corporate events, we are so honored to be asked to be a part of a lot of female empowerment events and conferences. I hope to travel to DJ larger women’s events throughout the upcoming years as an area I am most passionate about.
Other events we DJ can be anything from birthday parties, to fitness events, charity events to company celebrations, and even celebrity artist openings.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
There is always risk involved as an entrepreneur.
I’ll never forget the day my bar closed and the panic tears that followed. (I bartended for years as a 2nd job which was a safety blanket while building my company.) It forced me to throw myself 100% into Be Entertained Events. It was the best door God ever closed for me to show me another door was wide open just waiting for me. I worked hard and took on the mindset that failure just was not an option.
The risk is never-ending- every financial decision to invest in better equipment, hiring coaches, and paying for training or ongoing education in my field. Some people would see investing in my company as a constant risk, especially in today’s world. I choose to “trust the journey” (my life motto that is literally my only tattoo, lol!). You have to really believe in yourself and your talent as an artist and business owner that others will see your value you are working so hard to showcase. You have to risk stability in return for knowing you are following your purpose and your passion.
The risk is worth the joy though. And DJing is 100% about bringing joy to others.
Pricing:
- Wedding DJs range from $1200-$2500
- Photobooth ranges from $400-$1000
- Party DJs range from $600-$2000
Contact Info:
- Email: Info@beentertainedevents.com
- Website: www.beentertainedevents.com
- Instagram: Sheisdjtj
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/BeEntertainedEvents
Image Credits
Xo yours truly photography
One love texas photography
