Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Warfield.
Hi Sam, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Like most people, music moves me. It always has. My parents went to college on Singing scholarships, and I grew up singing all the time. As a boy, before my voice deepened, it was Mariah Carey, Pink, women legends. I would belt their songs out. My family dealt with it, hahaha (thanks, you all). I picked up a guitar and sang a little more in high school. But things changed when I came into the world of freestyle rapping. My squad and I were navigating adolescence when Lil Wayne was on his epic run; dropping creative bars with unique metaphors was the wave. We’d combine that with beat-making. You’d find my friends and I dropping beats on the lunch table. We’d use our hands, cups, pencils, and, most importantly, our voices. Making hooks and choruses on the fly we’d interchange freestyle verses. Together we created songs within seconds, but they were actually pretty decent. Like, better than average.
Then I got into recording and learning music production interfaces like Cool Edit Pro, FruityLoops, Cubase, and Logic. Most of my projects were solo. It was me rapping, singing hooks, and laying out song structure. I felt I had enough talent to do something with it, but it passed me by. I invested my energies into other goals. Instead, I focused on the traditional route of college and studies (which was also a blast). I also made music in college but didn’t take it seriously. I graduated with a degree in Business from the College of Charleston in 2015. A few years after graduating, I had been working the traditional 9-5 type of white-collar work computers, clients, customer service, and projects. It was cool for a while, but it got old fast. I left that world to Serve tables again, which some people may have viewed as a digression, but it was freedom for me. Still, I had entrepreneurship goals; then, I suddenly entered the world of DJ’ing. My then-girlfriend, Marissa (now my lovely wife), started working in the wedding industry as an assistant planner. She mentioned how bad many of the DJs were. She said they needed to gain DJ skills, awareness, and professionalism. They were earning a pretty good paycheck too. She was like, “You would be so much better than them.” She believed in me, and that gave me the courage I needed. So that became my new goal: becoming a legitimate DJ. I already had music-making and production experience, so I bought some gear and taught myself how to DJ. Through Youtube and trial and error, I would just DJ in my apartment constantly. After a few months; I was okay. Good enough, I thought, to do some basic gigs…but still had a long way to go (and still do….I’m nowhere near the best DJ in the world).
Once I was skilled enough, I started working with another DJ company. I began with non-critical gigs. Like a 2 hour casual set in a T-Mobile store, for example. I did birthday parties, get-togethers, and eventually weddings. This helped me learn some of the ropes of the private event industry, and I am very grateful for those experiences. Around that time, I started my own Business: Dream Day Charleston. My vision was a fresh take on wedding entertainment. Seeing how Instagram blew up and social media rose, I knew that DJ decor and aesthetics mattered. But other DJs weren’t prioritizing aesthetics for their events. Musically, I was keen on spinning fresh tracks that resonated with a more youthful audience. Tracks that might be viewed as clubby other vendors and guests noticed: “Wow, this wasn’t like all the other boring weddings we’ve been to.” Still, client music goals and maintaining class were paramount within this approach. It was nuanced, different, and modern. Fast forward through 5 years of daily focus and goal setting: Dream Day Charleston has become a top wedding DJ entertainment provider in South Carolina.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s mostly been smooth—just a lot of work and effort to keep it that way. My business moves are calculated as they should be. I look ahead and take actions that are sure-bets. But nothing comes without risk, especially when trusting others with your reputation. And that leads me to my biggest struggle: learning how to manage people—keeping your DJs and team on point to execute quality work- a big challenge. It seems easy, but for me, it’s something I have to focus on. My other primary struggle was working full-time in another job while operating the business and performing weddings. There were months where I’d work full-time as a Server at Fleet Landing, working double shifts (12 hr days), but then I’d also have 10 weddings to perform that month. A night off didn’t exist. It was work work work. I was burnt out between the business, performing, and serving tables. But that paid my bills nicely, allowing me to invest in the business. And I knew the Serving job was temporary. It was cool, too, I liked the people and the place, but it all became too much after a bit. Luckily, I could earn enough through Dream Day Charleston to become a DJ and business owner full-time in 2021!
We’ve been impressed with Dream Day Charleston, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share about what you do and what sets you apart?
We provide talented DJs and Photo Booths for greater Charleston, SC events. We specialize in weddings. We’re different because we prioritize DJ mixing talent, artistry, and decor aesthetic. Our MC interaction is relatable, and we focus on a tailored planning experience for each client. We also focus on technical acumen, the equipment used, and our client communication. This leads to an overall service level that is meant to exceed expectations. Everything here is high-end, and our expectation is top quality. We turn away business and opportunities because our team is small. It’s small for a reason. The quality we expect can only be delivered by certain people. The right people matter; we do right by our clients by providing elite, well-rounded DJ talent.
What makes you happy?
Working on goals and the processes of achieving them. Making music, getting lost in creative processes. Learning new skills. I am getting stronger every year mentally, physically, and emotionally. Before business and pursuits of achievement, though, my greatest joys come from my family, wife, son and spending fun with friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dreamdaycharleston.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamdaycharleston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DREAMDAYCharleston/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samkwarfield/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dreamdaycharleston
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dreamdaycharleston
- Other: https://dreamdaycharleston.com/photobooth/
Image Credits
Carrie Elizabeth Photography, Jessica Hunt Photography, Taylor Rae Photography
