Exploring Life & Business with Matt Gudis of Who’s That DJ

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Gudis.

Hi Matt, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m an LA native, born and raised in The Valley, and have been a professional DJ for 24 years. Music is my life. It always has been, even before I was born. My mom has often told me that when she was pregnant with me, she would put headphones up to her belly, and I would move around out of delight as the music played.

As far back as I can remember, music has been on the forefront of my mind. As a kid, I would always focus on the tunes playing wherever I was—background music in a store, radio stations in the car on the way to school, boomboxes on the neighborhood streets, music videos on MTV, or from my two older sister’s bedrooms, blasting their latest adolescent infatuations. I was slowly gaining knowledge of popular music (no matter how good or bad it was), way before the internet was in every home. I just soaked in everything I heard, like a little musical sponge.

In my adolescence, my obsession with music only grew, and my musical palette really formed—listening to all of the hottest music on the charts and growing more and more curious about the music that came before it. In the 90’s, hip hop, alt rock, and pop ruled the airwaves (and I appreciated and listened to all of these genres), but I became fascinated with the music from all of the decades prior. I would record all of my favorite radio DJs’ sets on cassette tapes, and if I didn’t know a song title or artist, I would write down the lyrics and look them up. By this time, dial-up internet was a thing, and I would search the lyrics to my favorite songs and print them out to memorize them.

In middle school, every Tuesday, my best friend’s mom would take us to Tower Records (R.I.P.) or Best Buy to buy the latest releases on CD (usually buying a whole album just to get that one song that we wanted). On occasion, for big releases, we would go at midnight the night before to be the first in line to get the album. Before I knew it, I accumulated hundreds of CDs, both new and used, and my collection was growing faster by the day. I would insist on DJing at every party I attended—even if it was just loading a 5-disc CD changer. That would carry over into high school as well. Once I was able to drive and discovered the freedom of having my own car and my own stereo system, it was like musical liberation, being able to control the soundtrack to my own life on the open road, even if it was just short trips to and from school and my part-time job. The most exciting time in my new sanctuary of a car was blasting my music in the school parking lot so everyone could hear, whether it was 80’s throwbacks or the newest hip hop bangers. Little did I know, at the time, sharing musical pleasures with other people would be my calling.

Right after graduating high school in 2001, one of my best friends went away for college, leaving a vacancy at his job where he worked for a reputable, local mobile DJ company. He knew how much I loved music and thought I might be a good fit to be his replacement. He was right. I fell in love. My parents generously helped me purchase my first, real DJ setup, and I started DJing part-time, which allowed me to support myself throughout college.

It’s a weird time when you graduate college. There are those who know exactly what they want to do for a living, and those who haven’t a clue. I was certainly of the latter. Fresh off earning my degree in Business Management and Marketing, I knew I wanted to do something in the world of business, but I also knew my true passion was music. I figured I’d do something on the business side of the music industry, perhaps working for a major record label, but no one was hiring, as the mid-2000s found the industry at a major crossroads—the shift from physical music formats to the digital age.

While I loved DJing, it never dawned on me that I could actually make a living doing this. So, I searched for jobs that might have relevance with my newly acquired business degree. I stumbled upon an opportunity to work in finance. While it offered some security and was a steady paycheck, I hated it. I continued DJing on weekends while at this 9-to-5, and those weekends couldn’t come soon enough. It was obvious that the corporate desk job was just not for me.

Following my heart and taking a major leap of faith, I ended up quitting my “day job” and shifted 100% of my focus to my new DJ company, Who’s That DJ, which I officially started in 2005. It was a risky move, a bold move, and a move that I thought would simply buy me some time to find a more credible job that I was passionate about. It was still never in the forefront of my mind that I could do this, and only this, as a career. Fast-forward 20 years, and that’s exactly what I did.

Being a DJ has taken me places I never imagined—from holding numerous DJ residencies at venues throughout Hollywood to playing countless private events all over the globe. Living in LA, I’ve also been fortunate enough to play the most exclusive events and parties for so many A-list stars, including intimate gatherings to the most lavish weddings.

I take the most pride in being a successful business owner. I took what started out as just an idea meant to buy me more time to find a real “job” and turned Who’s That DJ into one of the most sought after, premier DJ companies in Southern California for 20 years and counting.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While I love being a DJ and business owner, the journey has been anything but smooth. Anyone who is self-employed will tell you how hard it is—countless days filled with uncertainty and self-doubt while pouring in blood, sweat, and tears to find success.

I once had a client say, when searching for a DJ for their wedding, “Living in Los Angeles, one could throw a coin, and it would probably hit an actor/model, followed by a DJ.” They weren’t wrong. We live in the entertainment capital of the world, and everyone from all over the country (and the globe) come here for an opportunity to follow their dream to make it big.

When I started DJing in the early 2000’s, there were what seemed like millions of DJs on the scene, and the competition was quite overwhelming. It was a daunting task to think I was the newest kid on the block, and I wouldn’t have enough experience to book a gig over the next guy. Fast-forward 20+ years, the amount of DJs has multiplied exponentially. There are hundreds of memes poking fun at the fact that “everyone is a DJ.” The over saturation of DJs in LA is certainly a hurdle when trying to find success in having a full calendar of events. However, when I was a young buck, and now that I’m an elder statesmen, I’ve always tried to focus on myself, my company, and what I can do to best differentiate myself and my team from the sea of other DJs.

In addition to the inevitable of a growing pool of DJs, there have of course, been the economic struggles—surviving everything from the Great Recession to the COVID-19 pandemic, all in an ever-changing private events industry. The longer you run a business, the more obstacles are thrown your way. There are times when people are simply not spending money and times when the world literally shuts down. You have to be able to pivot to survive if you love something enough. Despite the obstacles and inherent struggles, it’s all been worth it to continue to do what I love.

As you know, we’re big fans of Who’s That DJ. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Who’s That DJ, based out of LA, is a boutique DJ company specializing in weddings, corporate, and social events. I launched Who’s That DJ in 2005 and am very proud to be celebrating 20 years in business!

When coming up with my company’s name, I wanted something unique that symbolized the style of DJing I wanted to create for my clients. At first, the name comes off as a little egocentric; however, the idea behind it is the exact opposite. If you’ve ever been to an event with a great DJ who is killing it, the natural thought that comes to mind is, “Who is behind the decks? Who is creating this experience? Who is playing the music that way?” I want people to wonder.

While some DJs want the spotlight on them, I wanted to represent the other end of the spectrum—somebody that’s communicating with their crowd through the music and remaining a bit more anonymous. It’s speaking without speaking. A great DJ doesn’t need to have the focus on them. Maybe it’s different at a club or a festival where the DJ is the show, but at weddings and private events, the focus should always be on the guests and creating an unforgettable experience for them. It’s not about us, it’s about you. I want to leave people thinking to themselves, “Who’s that DJ?”

In the beginning, I had a vision to create a company that focused on the two most important and surprisingly overlooked aspects of a DJ’s job—the client and the music. With this simplistic approach in mind, I recruited and trained other local DJs and have built my company around the standard of quality, experience, and professionalism. Over the past 20 years, Who’s That DJ has grown to become one of the most sought after, premier DJ companies in Southern California, winning The Knot “Best of Weddings” 13 times and the Wedding Wire “Couple’s Choice Award” 14 times. Now an industry leader providing the best in DJ/MC, sound, lighting, and party enhancements, my team and I have performed for thousands of satisfied clients for all types of occasions spreading throughout the world.

What separates us from other DJ companies is our ability to adapt to a wide variety of different party atmospheres, while maintaining close attention to detail throughout the party process. We are sensitive to each of our client’s specific needs. We are well regarded from our industry peers and clients, recognized as extremely organized, communicative, and easy to work with. Most importantly, we are in the business of helping people throw the best parties of their lives, and we don’t take that lightly.

With the ever-growing amount of DJs trying to enter the market in LA, many DJ companies have decided to expand their rosters. Instead of trying to grow into a large, multi-operation DJ company with several DJs, I have continued to stay small, with just myself and a few exceptional DJs who have worked with me for many years. We offer quality over quantity and believe that every one of our clients deserve experience and excellence over all else. Our continued small company structure allows us to achieve this goal.

The bottom line is that we are in this business because we love people and we love music. Sure, most DJs essentially do the same thing—spin records and entertain a crowd—but it’s how we do it that makes the difference. We always let our level of experience, talent, and passion for music speak for itself. We are confident that our clients will see the value and difference when choosing Who’s That DJ for their events.

How do you think about happiness?
Not everyone can say they love what they do for a living, but I certainly can. DJing is my happy place. I became a DJ because I love music, but being a DJ is so much more than just appreciating great music. I’m always trying to create a mix that’s truly unique and personalized for all of my clients. Like a band putting together a setlist, I’m always thinking ahead, taking everyone on a musical journey as one. Many of the events I’m a part of are once-in-a-lifetime events, creating core memories for the rest of people’s lives. I know I have one shot, and I want to bring it every time.

In addition to the happiness that the act of DJing brings me, there’s nothing better than gratitude from my clients. I put a tremendous amount of work and care into every event, and knowing my clients see and appreciate the end product is worth everything to me. A simple “thank you” goes a long way, and any expression of gratitude at the end of the night or after an event truly fills my cup. Whether it’s a sweaty hug; someone saying, “You killed it;” a text or email a few days later, saying, “That was the best party of my life;” a 5-star review left online (We have 700+ and counting!); or a handwritten card sent to my home, it all means the world to me.

Of course, outside of my work, the thing that makes me most happy in life is spending time with my family and imparting upon them my passion for music. Concerts, playlists, car rides with the music blaring. In my world, family, love, happiness, and music all go hand in hand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.whosthatdj.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whosthatdj
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whosthatdj
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/whos-that-dj-los-angeles-2

Image Credits
Chris Schmitt
Betsy Newman
Caitlin Alohilani
Becca Murray
Lauren Cate
Tyler Chase
Aubree Lynn
Wild Whim