Life & Work with Miles Otway of Leimert Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miles Otway.

Hi Miles , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in London, England. As a child I always loved talking. In fact when I was in school I used to get sent out of class all the time for talking too much! My parents were always told, Miles would do so much better in school if he just stopped talking! I never did. But at 22, I found a way to use my love for talking for good.

I became a radio presenter on a hospital radio station. A year later I was selected for the first ever Continuity Announcer (Imagine a radio presenter but for TV in the UK) internship for Channel 4 (One of the UK’s biggest channels). Another year later, aI signed with a voice over agent! After my wife landed a job in California, It was off to America I went! My first stop was San Francisco, where I became a DJ and MC for weddings and other events. 3 years ago I moved to LA where I added stand up comedy to my repertoire. I’ve been doing stand up for just over 2 years and I love being on stage making people happy! I still go back to England every year to present radio for Glastonbury Music Festival (never forget where you came from).

I would now describe myself as an all round entertainer and a great host for any event!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Moving country was a massive struggle for me. I felt like I had achieved so much in my time in the UK, and when I had finally hit my stride, I gave it all up so that my wife could pursue an opportunity of a lifetime. I’m so proud of what she’s accomplished in that time (even if I do guilt trip her sometimes to get out of doing the dishes), but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect my life. I had to start again in a country I didn’t understand (apart from what I’d seen on TV) and in an industry I was unfamiliar with. There was also the added wrinkle of not being legally allowed to work in the US for over a year. Luckily my wife was able to work from home after the pandemic and suggested we move to LA so that I could get back on the right track. It’s taken sometime but I’m back to hitting my stride out here.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an entertainer!

I DJ and MC for weddings, corporate events, birthday parties ETC. My style is fun, upbeat and cheeky. I have a lot of energy to give, and I’m a firm believer that you get back what you give out! One of my super powers is connecting with people, so I’m very good at getting the best out of my clients, challeneging them to try new things, and making them happy. My mission is to make you happy! I was recently awarded the best reviewed DJ/MC 2025 for one for the companies I work with.

I also do stand up comedy. I love making people laugh and telling jokes about funny things that happen to me and living life as a Brit in the US. Life is too short to not have a laugh. Because my approach to Stand up is the same as when I MC, a lot of producers book me to host their shows to keep the general energy high throughout the evening.

Also the accent…people LOVE the accent!

My dream job is to be a gameshow host.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
You’v got to be in it to win it! There are so many reasons not to do the thing you want to do. But it all just boils down to fear. If you put your mind to it you will start to see results. I’ve done things I never thought I would do, met so many interesting and talented people and surprised myself with my own talent, just because I decided I wasn’t going to be afraid.

Secondly, be nice to everyone, no matter how successful you are or how much money you make, you never know when those people might think of you to host an event or collaborate on a project. Also the word would just be a better place if we were kinder too each other.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://milesotway.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miles.otway/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miles.otway/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?trk=registration-frontend
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MilesOtway
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/milesotway

Image Credits
La Petite Photo