DJ Dayna

What are you up to in life?
If you want a somewhat “deep” answer it would be that I’m going after my big dreams one step at a time, while shining bright, reminding myself to stay present, laugh and love often and try not to take things too serious..and most important is to dance through anything in life. If you want a general answer…. In my professional life I’m continuously working on growing my business and brand, as well as of course dropping good beats and creating a killer vibe for awesome events all over Ohio and on cruise ships internationally!
How can others support you in what you’re up to?
I appreciate any new followers across my social media handles; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube & Snapchat. You can also listen to, favorite, and share any mixes I post on my Mixcloud account ( www.mixcloud.com/djdayna ). I will be more active later this year on my YouTube channel as well…I’m pretty excited about what I’ve got planned so if you want to find me there too and start subscribing, I promise good content is coming! And let’s not forget to mention that if you are looking for or know someone who needs a cool DJ and/or Event Host, refer me! :) I do travel!
What is the best way to reach you if someone has questions for you?
Email me at dayna[at]djdayna[dot]com or through my website www.djdayna.com — I’ll also respond to an IG or FB message.
You’ve worked with all sorts of people — what trends have you observed in human behavior?
In my line of work, I DJ for all types of people from various backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and places. Human behavior is very intriguing to me and can be so unpredictable. I think human behavior can be influenced by a number of factors; how we are raised, where we live, the people we choose to surround ourselves with, the books we read or television we watch, our religious/spiritual practices (if present). I’d say right now this whole social media era has impacted human behavior in both positive and negative ways. On the positive end of spectrum, it has opened of doors of opportunities for people and business like myself to reach more fans and build relationships with a different line of communication. On the other end, I feel [social media] has led some people to become self-absorbed, feel more pressure to keep up, and end up spending more time with their electronic devices and less face to face time with real life people or just picking up the phone to call and hear a voice. I personally still do that and people appreciate it. People have lost the pure enjoyment of staying in the present and putting away that phone/tablet, when it’s not necessary. Sure, I know you want to capture a clip of you being able to see an amazing artist perform, but is it really necessary to have your phone out the ENTIRE time videotaping?? No. Why not capture a clip and spend the rest of the time dancing and singing along with your friends, filling your brain with a memory that will stay with you forever and tap into your other senses.
What are you reading these days?
I love reading! I aim to be either reading an educational/self help book for business or one for pleasure. Sometimes I’ll have both going on at the same time. I tend to read more when I travel and DJ on cruise ships because I have more free time. Right now I’m finishing up ‘#AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur’s Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness’…loving it and probably will re-read it because it’s chock-full of nuggets of advice for entrepreneurs! The next book I plan on reading is Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think And Grow Rich.’ I just finished Chelsea Handler’s ‘Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang’ last night actually…so hilarious. I was laughing out loud by myself while eating chocolate almond crunch Halo Top ice cream! Single life at its best.
Which artists/musicians/venues/songs have had an influence/impact on you?
As a DJ I love and listen to A LOT of music…But prior to becoming a DJ music always was an influential aspect of my life. I have so many memories of venues and songs and artists which have made an impact on me. I could probably write a whole book on this! Haha… but for the sake of this interview, I’ll just mention a few. My dad is a big fan of 50s, 60s, and 70s, so I grew up in a household booming of oldies but goodies and a lot of soul and twirling around the kitchen with my mom to Dancing Queen. I remember doing my weekend chores to those artists and songs from that era. My Dad and I also have taken two cross country road trips together and I don’t think there was ever a moment where we didn’t have the 50’s or 60’s channel playing during our 2,600 mile trip. All those years of scrubbing the floors and cleaning my room listening to those genres has paid off because whenever I DJ events with guests over 60, and throw on one of those jams, I win them over and they can’t believe I know “their music” so well! My first concert was Billy Joel in the Philippines. My Dad was in the Air Force, so we lived all over the the US and overseas. He flew to the base we were stationed at an performed a free show to all of the military and their families. I’ll never forget that moment because it was my first real live concert. I would also turn to music to comfort me when we would have to pick up and move to a new city every 2–3 years.

I always had my family, but it can take a while to make friends and get acclimated with a new city, so music helped me through it. One specific song that came to mind I’d like to mention is Jon Secada’s ‘Just Another Day’. This song my family would have on repeat and blasting in our huge Dodge 14-seater van when we lived in Germany and took our weekend road trips to various countries throughout Europe. It had nothing to do with the lyrical content, but the song is just a damn good song and you can really belt it out! The first venue I DJ’d at, called Brick Street now, in Oxford, Ohio will forever be in my memory. That was my “DJ home” for the last part of college. It’s where I fell in love with the excitement and creativity behind the turntables and taking people on a journey on the dance floor through my music mixology, as I’d like to call it. To wrap up this question, here is a list of artists (in no particular order) who have had an influence on me throughout my life for one reason or another:
Michael Jackson
Madonna
No Doubt/Gwen Stefani
Incubus
Beach Boys
Elvis Presley
50 Cent
Limp Bizkit
Prince
Debbie Gibson
What’s one thing you’d like to see more people incorporating into their daily lives?
I’m a big advocate for living a healthy lifestyle. There’s many things we all can do daily to achieve our optimum health, but since you’re only asking for one….I will say people should laugh and find something to feel grateful for. My motto is to “Shine On!” meaning make every day sunshiny! Believe me it is tough to do this every day and I fall of course with this sometimes and let the stress and anxiety get to me. BUT, at the end of a shitty day, I will still write one thing in my gratitude journal and I tell myself that tomorrow is a new day and today will then be in the past. Following that, if I hadn’t laughed all day, I’ll watch a YouTube video of French Bulldogs because they never fail at making me smile from ear to ear.
Optional Questions via James Lipton via Bernard Pivot
What is your favorite word?
Sparkle.
What is your least favorite word?
C-word. But also ratched.
What turns you on?
6 pack abs.
What turns you off?
Poor grammar…It makes me want to pull my hair out when people say “I seen” instead of “I saw.”
What sound or noise do you love?
Ocean waves.
What sound or noise do you hate?
Balloon Popping
What is your favorite curse word?
Shit (I don’t like to curse. but when I do that’s my go to)
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
There would be two I would like to try: Professional Dancer and Marine Biologist
What profession would you not like to do?
Anything in the medical field. I can’t stand hospitals, blood, or needles.
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
“Are you ready to rock the dance floors up here in Heaven?”

