Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Webb.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Brandon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story is a story of perseverance and faith. At the age of sixteen, I was diagnosed with cancer. The experience strengthened the bond between my family but going through that period of life was tough. I couldn’t give up because that would mean I would be giving in to cancer. The diagnosis altered my college football recruiting experience, but I was still determined to play ball and I accomplished that for two years before my transfer to Southern Methodist University. Battling cancer through high school and college was tough, but the music got me through it.
Music has been a big influence on my life. It has connected me to people of varying backgrounds. Growing up in the church, I was surrounded by music. In middle school, I was playing the piano and in the band. In high school, I was rapping with classmates at the lunch table all for fun and to pass the time by. While in college, I balanced being a new father, work, and new marriage, It was a delicate balance but music was a constant. While focusing in taking care of home, I spend my free time with fellow music heads for recording sessions and to talk big ideas.
After graduating college I moved my family to Phoenix, AZ where I launched Trill Talk Radio. It was a platform to give the independent artist a voice that traditional radio did not offer. While podcasting had been around for a while, the idea of streaming music content was revolutionary and live talk radio was a fresh idea at the time in the mid 2000’s. This was my first venture in entrepreneurship. Although I didn’t know I was being an “entrepreneur”. I was trying to help get the word out to the masses about the amazing talent in the current city I was living in. I was simply doing what I loved and having fun.
I have always been willing to talk, share ideas and stories with anyone. The journey into online radio seemed to be a sure thing. We had expanded to Washington D.C. Our brand awareness had grown and people in the Nation’s Capital expected to see us covering the nightlife. But something kept me browsing the most amazing videos on Youtube which covered mass gatherings of people who were going to techno and house music events. These events were happening all over the country. Diverse groups of people, dressed in outrageous outfits and living carefree. There was a theme of a acceptance and diversity.
My journey into dance music officially began in 2009. That’s when I found a culture and community of people that I identified with. I traveled, I shared ideas, and I understood that you could learn something from any person that you come in contact with.I had never experienced acceptance and the sense of community like this and I knew this was something special. I eventually lead to my enlightenment on people. Community is all about the people.
EDM DFW, The Electronic Dance Music Group of Dallas Fort Worth, was founded on the concept of building community through the principles of Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. We use music as a bridge to connect with our community. We raise awareness and resources for nonprofits through the events we host. We are also a trusted source of information about music news in the EDM, community. Electronic Dance Music is an umbrella term. It is a catch-all phrase for a lot of different types of music. House Music, which was created in the Black neighborhoods of Chicago and Techno, which was created in the Black neighborhoods of Detroit are genres of dance music.
In 2017 we launched One City Music and Art Festival, a new event to celebrate Dallas-Fort Worth creatives. The inaugural event featured 34 performers including DJ’s, rappers, and bands. We stay true to our festival motto “Party With A Purpose” by giving back to the communities in the events we host. 2017 also saw the launch of our newest brand Hip Hop DFW which will serve as a curated music experience paying homage to the type of hip hop I grew up on.
Along with providing the fuel for this new brand, I have expanded services to include artist management, public relations, social media management, advertising and marketing for businesses who need help communicating in this connected world.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has not been smooth. There have been many failed attempts and setbacks along the way. These failed attempts were opportunities to learn. More importantly, they left me humbly aware that I was not always where I thought I was. Life can hand you setbacks and like many entrepreneurs, our dreams are fueled partly by a job or second job. I have left jobs and lost jobs that have set back the timelines I had planned for my business. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have some setbacks and then the patience to work through it to find opportunities to level up.
The key for me when facing obstacles has always been to figure out what my audience is telling me. They will let me know if something is going on or if it needs changing. The voice of your community is very important and can be a source of reaffirming words when dealing with a setback.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the EDM DFW story. Tell us more about the business.
EDM DFW is a music news and media company that primarily covers the Electronic Dance Music and festival scene. Our brand handles promotions, social media management, brand management, advertising, and marketing services.
Most importantly we are a community that expands outside of the state of Texas. Social media is our main platform for building community and we reach over 50,000 unique users across our network of brands. This is amazing as these are people who do not normally have a voice. Social media has allowed us to build with like-minded people and to give them a platform to be heard.
When someone tell’s me they finally feel like their opinion matters, I am immediately floored because that is some huge feedback to receive. Social Media is the ultimate truth. Information flows light speed and It. Our community grows because they believe in our truth in regards to dance music.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck means being in the right place for an opportunity that would not otherwise be there. There is only one thing that gives you luck and that is hard work. Hard work creates opportunities to jump-start a project or creates a totally new project. Opportunities are created by working hard on individual tasks If you complete the task above and beyond the expected requirement, there may be more things revealed than the initial goals you set. Work hard and luck will reveal itself in the form of opportunities.
Also, the wisdom and knowledge you get from others can’t be discounted. Learning from others and listening to what your audience has to say allows you to have a stronger educated guess rather than blindly shooting into the dark on some decisions. Sometimes the answers lie outside of the analytics and your knowledge gained will serve as your only guidance when making decisions.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.edmdfw.com
- Email: info@edmdfw.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/edmdfw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EDMDFWTX/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/edmdfw
Image Credit:
The Complete Show
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