Posts

DJ Training

Here’s one I prepared earlier … Mark and Rebecca Ferrell

/0 Comments/in /by

I was going through my files earlier this week and found this video I made a year ago, it’s about Mark and Rebecca Ferrell. Now I’ve decided to post it because the content is still relevant and, I’ll be honest, I’m too lazy to make it again!

So this post is really for DJs who might be considering training options and also for couples who want to find DJ’s who really want to give their clients more than just music.

I first became aware of Mark and Rebecca around 2009 when I started to look for training opportunities and people offering something more to their clients. I found their Marbecca website (CLICK HERE) and was very taken with their ideals, but they were based in the States and it was unlikely (for numerous reasons) that I would be able to travel to train with them.

A few years later when I was on my first training course with Derek Pengelly and I met Alan Marshall who told me all about his Marbecca experiences. Alan was then responsible for bringing Mark and Rebecca to the UK and so I got the opportunity to train and develop my skills using the Marbecca Method. They visited the UK twice and I was so lucky to train with them at five of their Marbecca workshops, as well as hear Mark speak to gatherings of DJs and just spend time with them.

Mark & Rebecca Ferrell

I love working on my performance and Mark and Rebecca helped me enormously but my time with them has meant so much more to me. To have the opportunity to help couples create WOW Weddings is a real blessing and so much of what I do, how I do it and why I do it is down to Marbecca.

I see many people on social media criticising Mark and Rebecca Ferrell and questioning their motives and ability – I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart that these are two of the kindest and most honourable people I have ever met. I also see many arguments from DJ’s as to why this isn’t for them and that’s fine, BUT if you are a DJ looking to improve your skills I would 100% recommend you consider Marbecca, AND if you are a couple looking for a DJ I’d 100% recommend you look for one who has been trained by Mark and Rebecca Ferrell – and the more training they’ve done with them the better!

I’ve blogged about Mark and Rebecca several times before …
Mark Says (CLICK HERE)
Marbecca 2013 (CLICK HERE)
and Keeping Focused (CLICK HERE)

This is my video, as I say I made it a year ago. If you would like to find out more about them CLICK HERE or just give me a call.

Think Tank, Derek, Milton Keynes … what does it all mean?

/0 Comments/in /by

Think Tank, Derek, Milton Keynes … what does it all mean?


Thanks to Eddie Short (Editor of ProMobile magazine)for this picture which almost makes me look slim!

This time last week was day two of the Think Tank with Derek Pengelly in Milton Keynes. About 50 DJ’s gathered across two days to share their thoughts on the DJ Industry and share ideas. I was one of the DJ’s who’d been invited to speak and share their story.

Avid readers of this blog will know that I spoke at a similar event in Glasgow earlier this year and I was delighted when Derek, the organiser, invited me to do it again.

I first met Derek in February 2011 when I attended an event he ran in Reading. That was a day that changed my life, Derek spoke about finding a direction for my business and how to plan the marketing. It was also the day I met my colleagues Alan Marshall and Stephen Davies who have both helped me on my journey. Derek has run many similar events over recent years and has helped hundreds of DJ’s move their businesses forward – this was announced as Derek’s final event so it was a great honour to speak alongside Derek and many of the DJ’s who he has helped. Although Derek is no longer organising training events he continues to offer a mentoring service and I’m hoping he will continue to speak as a guest at future events.

Derek has also written several books including “Wedding Day Secrets” which I also helped with behind the scenes. The full title is “Wedding Day Secrets – things the industry would prefer Brides didn’t know” and the book talks about the way the “Wedding Industry” treats weddings as an income stream where profit is King and what’s best for the couple isn’t always what’s given priority. Click on the title above if you’d like to know more or email me.

Myself with Alan, Derek, Gary and the book at a “social event” in November 2013 😉

The other speakers were my colleagues Brian Mole, Fabio Capozzi, Martin Keogh, Pete Hawkins, Stephen John Davies, Harry Kilb, Mark Parker, Ian Forest, Euan Bass, Terry Lewis, and Tony Winyard.

It was wonderful to share the Think Tank – I wish I’d had more time and energy to talk to everyone but like many of the attendees I was working Friday and Saturday nights and then only grabbed 4 hours sleep before heading to MK’s, I was running on empty a times.

As for Milton Keynes, I didn’t see much of it but the Hilton was OK and the company was excellent.

Think Tank, Derek, Milton Keynes … what does it all mean? Well it was the end of an era, but hopefully it means a few more DJ’s are thinking about how they can improve and offer their clients a better service. Here’s one of the “Take Aways” I shared with the group.

International Mystery Man Wedding DJ Scotland!

/1 Comment/in /by

Well that was fun! I’ve just had three days in Glasgow ~ The Party DJ / Wedding DJ Scotland! Actually I wasn’t there to DJ I was booked to speak at a “Think Tank” event for DJ’s. I flew up with FlyBe and stayed at The Holiday Inn Glasgow airport where the event was being held – both were good and very reasonably priced.

Over 30 of us were in attendance from all over the place, as well as DJ’s from Scotland and the North of England there were also delegates from the South West and Southern England. Derek, who organised the event, now lives in Cyprus. Derek was the guy who really helped me find my new direction when I attended an event with him in February 2011, so I was delighted when he invited me to speak.

I was actually billed as a “Mystery Guest Speaker” and nobody, except Derek, knew I was going. I even had a silhouette with a question mark on the publicity artwork!

It had actually caused a bit of a stir as people tried to guess who the mystery man was. Thankfully when I was revealed nobody booed or threw things.

There were three other great speakers, all good friends of mine, and the reaction from the attendees was brilliant. First up Ian spoke on “20 Reasons’s Why Other DJ’s Are Stealing Your Clients”. I was next sharing my story and talking about the WOW events I hold. After lunch Martin presented “Weddings – Day In The Life” and finally Euan spoke, his topic was “Background Music Friend Or Foe”. Throughout the day there was plenty of time for questions and the afternoon was rounded off with the four of us giving our thoughts on a number of other topics raised by the attendees.

Ian, Euan, Martin and the delegates

Derek knew I wasn’t keen to speak locally because I’m not really happy sharing with all of my competitors, but the trip to Scotland was great fun and I may be tempted to speak again – I wonder if he has any DJ’s in the Balearics who’d be up for a Think Tank?

You know you’re in Scotland when there’s a Mars bar on your drinks tray, Irn Bru in the mini bar and haggis with breakfast

If you are a DJ looking for training you need to speak to Derek, contact me and I’ll put you in touch.

So, I will probably never be Paul The Wedding DJ Scotland but hopefully I’ve helped some of my colleagues to join in my campaign to stamp out boring weddings!