Getting to Know DJ Party Pam

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Pam Gronlund a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Pam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I went to a performing arts school and studied music, drama and dance. A few years later a friend hired me to work for him as a DJ and said with my background he thought I’d be good at it. I became his most requested DJ and really loved making events fun and filling the dance floor. After working for him, I realized how important not only knowing the right music, but being organized and reliable was equally important. I also realized how critical having back up equipment at each gig was. I learned all of this through deficiencies in how his business was run. I can’t bear disappointing people, so I left that company and started my own. I was afraid I’d fall flat on my face and lose all the money I’d invested in music, equipment and advertising. But here I am years later as a multi-year winner of The Knot Best of Weddings and WeddingWire Couples’ Choice awards. I’m so honored and still love making people happy.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Female DJ’s are the minority. I’m very proud to have broken though that barrier. Sometimes, when I show up at a venue to set up, the staff will still tell me they’ve never seen a female DJ. Honestly, for many events, especially weddings, being female gives me insights that most men just don’t have. I understand how thrilling it is to say “my husband” or my spouse for the first time. I also know that the party isn’t about me, nor do I try to constantly be the center of attention. Most of my Instagram posts focus on the guests – not me. I approach my events the same way. I know I’m experienced, but I’m not full of myself. I pride myself on filling the dance floor and knowing the guests are having a great time. That’s what makes me happy.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, my focus is always on getting people to dance. Unless my client has informed me there will be no dancing for religious or other reasons, I sweat bullets until I fill the dance floor. It’s why Spotify has been a blessing and a curse. I always want to know what my clients do/don’t like regarding music, but in order for a party to truly be a success, my goal is to make EVERYONE happy (which can be a challenge) I never want to walk in the door with a inflexible playlist. I can incorporate what my client wants AND what the guests want. I really am a people pleaser and am most happy when everyone else is.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It’s kind of selfish. I like making people happy. I like having fun. I love music. Being a female DJ is really the perfect fit for a career for me. I have a lot a great reviews, but that’s not a brag, it’s a testament to how hard I work at making a party fun by paying attention to the ages, cultural backgrounds and what’s working on the dance floor. I showed up to set up for a holiday party and told my client the party I did the night before was a blast and was looking forward to the same at their party. She cautioned me this was not really a dancing crowd – they were engineers. Engineers are not known to be party animals in my industry. Plus, employee parties can be challenging because the people you work with are not necessarily the people you party with. I noticed there were many guests from India, so I played some Indian music. I saw heads flip my way in surprise. I got on the mic and said, “If you recognize this music, it’s for you, come out and dance” Little by little, guests started coming out and it was so much fun. My client came up at the end of the night and was shocked and said they had NEVER had so much dance response. I was so happy.

Contact Info:

Website: https://partypam.com

Instagram: @djpartypam

Twitter: djpartypam

Youtube: djpartypam

Yelp: djpartypam

If you’d like to read the full feature, you can check it out here: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-pam-gronlund/.