For those in the entertainment industry, the gig economy is no stranger and will continue to be the norm for their professional lives whether you're a part of the production crew, a vendor at a festival, or even the DJ themselves. Based in Kansas City, Ashton Martin differs from your average DJ in his ability to turn each performance into an epic party. Being able to mix between musical genres effortlessly has become a trademark feature that he's successfully been able to use to provide the best quality entertainment experience for his audience. We recently had the opportunity to interview Ashton about his experience with Gig Wage and how our payment platform has helped his business.
A Little About You:
GW: Introduce yourself and your business
AM: My name is Ashton Martin, owner of DJ Ashton Martin LLC. I have been in business for 15 years. I am a professional DJ based in Kansas City. I offer DJ services, representing myself and 50 other professional DJs. I have evolved over the years and now provide services that range from creating private events, weddings, charity fundraisers to venues and clubs. I also oversee ten local venues as their Entertainment Director.
GW: What is your business’s mission?
AM: To provide good, seamless entertainment, production, curation options to clients while also pushing creativity in all realms.
GW: How did you decide to start your business?
AM: I wanted to make the idea of a DJ better understood and represented more professionally and positively. I aimed to prove that if both venue owners and managers respected and communicated well with their entertainment (vice-versa), it would result in a more profitable and better experience.
GW: What key factors have led to your success?
AM: “No days off.” People believing in me, believing in myself, and the thought of not executing to my fullest potential no matter what the cost isn’t something I can handle.
GW: What advice would you give businesses that employ contractors?
AM: Stay up on your books weekly. Have a time set during the week that is dedicated to that and only that. My day is Monday!
GW: What will your business look like in a post-COVID-19 world?
AM: During shut down, I created systems hoping that a Post Covid world would be overloaded with entertainment opportunities. I was correct, it’s a madhouse, and I absolutely love it.
Your Thoughts on Us:
GW: What problem(s) were you trying to solve with our product?
AM: Paying contractors more efficiently every week.
GW: How does our product or service stand out from other options?
AM: It’s so easy, and the customer service is so responsive – always within minutes!
GW: What part of your business has Gig Wage helped improve?
AM: Gig Wage has saved me almost 2 hours a week, and that is everything to me!
GW: What made you happiest about working with our company?
AM: Just the overall speed I can get DJs paid, and it’s perfectly
documented, and more importantly, they have their own dashboard to check and ensure all is good!
The entertainment industry is quickly growing into one of the largest sectors to hire 1099's, and we are excited to be working with Ashton to ensure that he and all the artists he represents get paid on time. If you are looking to hire a DJ for your next event or want to check out one of his upcoming shows, find out more on his website and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
