Daily Inspiration: Meet Sierra Williams

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Williams.

Hi Sierra, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a DJ. Growing up in Inglewood, I kept Power 106, 93.5 KDAY, and 100.3 The Beat on constant rotation, and I spent my summers at World on Wheels in LA. Even then, the DJ was the person I couldn’t stop watching, the one who set the tone for the entire room.

My professional journey began about eight years ago. I was mostly self-taught at first, figuring things out on my own, before enrolling at the one and only Beat Junkie Institute of Sound. I’d always wanted to learn the traditional craft of DJing on vinyl, and training there didn’t just sharpen my skills; it deepened my passion and my respect for the culture behind it.

Since then, DJing has taken me all over the city. I’ve had the opportunity to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Sway’s Universe on SiriusXM’s Shade 45, L.A. County Fair, and Noname’s Book Club, along with a range of venues and cultural events throughout Los Angeles.

Off the decks, I work as an associate marketing director at a university here in LA, where storytelling is at the heart of what I do. Those two worlds are more connected than people might think. A great set is a story too: it has an opening, it builds, it takes the crowd somewhere, and it leaves them with a feeling. Whether I’m shaping a campaign or reading a dance floor, I’m always thinking about how to bring people along for the ride.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. The biggest challenge has been balancing a full-time career while pursuing one of my lifelong dreams. There have been plenty of weeks where I’m working all day, then packing up my gear for a gig at night or spending my evenings prepping for a gig on the weekend. Protecting my energy and creativity through all of that takes real discipline, and it’s something I’m always improving on.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a Los Angeles-based DJ, and at the heart of it, what I do is create experiences that bring people together. I specialize in hip-hop, r&b, and house music, and I’ve been fortunate to play a wide range of spaces, from sporting events with the Los Angeles Dodgers to radio with Sway’s Universe on Shade 45 to more intimate cultural gatherings like Noname’s Book Club. Being able to move between those worlds and read what each room needs is something I take a lot of pride in.

What I’m most proud of is the full-circle nature of my journey. I grew up in Inglewood listening to the radio and watching DJs all over the city, dreaming about doing this one day. Now I get to be that person for someone else in the crowd, and that never gets old.

What sets me apart is the way I approach a set. My background in storytelling shapes everything I do behind the decks, so I’m never just playing songs back to back. I’m thinking about the journey: where we start, how we build, and how I want people to feel when the night is over. Combine that with the traditional foundation I built at the Beat Junkie Institute, and I’d like to think I bring the craft, the culture, and the heart.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think of risk less as making one big leap and more as being willing to bet on yourself again and again. For me, one of the biggest risks was committing to DJing seriously while already having a full-time career. It would have been easy for me to remain a bedroom DJ (and there’s totally nothing wrong with this) or just keep it a hobby, but choosing to invest my time, energy, and money into it, including pursuing an education for it, meant saying out loud that this dream mattered to me.

I’m a big believer in trying and giving your best no matter what. Not every opportunity is going to feel comfortable initially, and there were definitely moments where I questioned if I was “ready” for it. But it still amazes me how just jumping in and committing to showing up can lead to even more opportunities. Each time I bet on myself, a new door opened that I couldn’t have imagined before.

The way I see it, the bigger risk is never trying at all. I’d rather say yes, show up, and do my best than look back and wonder what could have been.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://djsierrabonita.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierralabonita/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sierra-williams-46