Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Razo.
Hi Stephanie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I’m Stephanie Razo, co-owner of D.Razo Entertainment, a professional DJ company I proudly run alongside my dad, Dennis Razo. We specialize in Quinceañeras, and our business is deeply rooted in family, culture, and passion.
My dad started DJing in 2005, the same year I was born…so music has always been part of my life. I grew up watching him DJ my school events, parties, and our own house parties. I thought he was the coolest person ever. It wasn’t just him being a DJ that inspired me, it was his work ethic, creativity, and the courage it took to follow an unconventional path. He left his full time job when I was in elementary school to give D.Razo Entertainment everything he had, building it from the ground up without any guarantees.
Like many businesses, the pandemic hit us hard. Events stopped, and with them, so did our bookings. But in late 2021, when things began reopening, I asked my dad to let me take over our social media. I had always been into content creation from making youtube videos as a kid (that never actually got published lol) and editing from my fan page days, and I knew I could help us stand out.
That’s when everything changed.
I threw myself into learning trends, filming tiktoks, editing videos and I started seeing results. Our engagement grew, inquiries increased, and our brand began to evolve. We narrowed our focus solely to Quinceañeras because that’s where we saw the most joy, energy, and connection. I refreshed our branding making it more feminine and changing our company color to pink to better reflect our audience, and my dad fully trusted me to lead the creative side.
In 2022, he surprised me with a DSLR camera and stabilizer, and I taught myself how to film high quality content at our events. I had no experience in professional videography, but I figured it out through trial, error, and a lot of late nights. That’s when I realized: I didn’t just love editing, I loved capturing the experiences and emotions we created.
But the content was just one piece. I wanted to understand every part of our business. So at 16, I decided to learn how to DJ. It was rough at first (a lot of trial and error!), but eventually it clicked and the rest is history. I go by DJ Monochrome and I’ve now DJ’d multiple events, including a competition-winning performance for Mobile Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas and even a prom alongside Benny Blanco, which was surreal !!!
Balancing school and the business back then wasn’t easy. While most teens slept in on weekends, I was out working events but that sacrifice shaped me. It made me realize this is what I want to do long term. In September 2024, I officially became co-owner of D.Razo Entertainment. Success is something that drives me and I’m committed to continuing our legacy for years to come.
Today (at 20 years old), I’m still the one behind our social media filming, editing, connecting with our community and loving every second of it. Getting messages from clients saying they chose us because of our videos or how they felt connected before even meeting us means the world. I truly believe social media has such a positive impact for any modern business.
Our story isn’t over yet though, we’re just getting started.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Running a business is never a smooth road but that’s what makes the journey so rewarding when you’re working towards something that is not an easy feat.
One of the biggest struggles for us was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did we lose all income from D.Razo Entertainment, but we also lost my grandpa to COVID in 2020. It was the first close loss in our family, and it hurt deeply especially because we never got the chance to say goodbye. We even had to delay my own Quinceañera due to the pandemic. Which added to the emotional toll knowing that my grandpa wouldn’t be there to share this celebration that’s such a huge thing in our culture.
But in the midst of it all my grandpa blessed us. Thanks to the funds my grandpa left behind, we were able to put together my Sweet 16 in August 2021 and a few months later, we opened our very first D.Razo office location. It felt like he was still taking care of us, even from beyond. I know he’s watching over us, proud that we’re living life fully and pouring our hearts into the family business he began to support so much.
Losing him taught me something I carry with me every day…you never know how much time you have, so make the most of every moment, even the stressful ones. That perspective changed how I approach work and life. Owning a business isn’t a 9-5 it’s a 24/7 responsibility. There’s no “off” switch, and when you’re your own boss, the pressure never really goes away.
That’s been one of the hardest parts…learning how to set boundaries. I used to feel guilty stepping away from the business, even just for a few hours. But I’ve realized that rest is productive too. If I want to give my best to our clients, my creativity, and our growth, I have to pour back into myself too. We’re still learning to not take work home, to not reply to messages at midnight, and give ourselves permission to pause.
These challenges were and still sometimes are discouraging. But at the end of the day I’m grateful for even having the opportunity to pursue this path. And every challenge reminds me why I’m doing this…for the younger version of me who dreamed of being successful for my family.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
D.RazoEntertainment is a professional family-run DJ company based in Anaheim, CA. We specialize in creating unforgettable Quinceañera experiences. While we’re based in Southern California we’ll travel anywhere we’re wanted! One of our most exciting out of state events was all the way in Guam.
At D.Razo, we don’t just play music we create an experience. From the moment guests walk in, our goal is to make them leave saying “This is the best Quinceañera I’ve ever been to.” We provide high energy DJ performances, bilingual MCs, custom lighting design, and entertainment elements like our stilt walking LED Butterflies, a drummer who plays to the beat of the music alongside the DJ, and our crowd favorite PartyBOT which is an LED dancing robot on stilts who never fails to hype up the crowd. By the end of the night our Quinceañeras are sitting down because they’re tired from dancing not because they’re bored.
What truly sets up apart is our focus on Quinceañera’s. It’s not just a niche, it’s our passion. We understand the importance of this day and know it’s only going to happen once in these young girls lives so we give it our all. We tailor every detail from the music, lighting, and vibes of the night to our Quinceañera’s while ensuring everyone is having a great time from the teens to the adults.
We’re also proud to be a family business, co-owned by myself and my dad Dennis Razo. Our clients often say they can feel the heart and soul we put into every event and that means the world to us. Our events aren’t just high quality, they’re personal.
So if you want your Quinceañera to wow your guests and be remembered for years to come…you just found your Quince DJ!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The quality I believe has been most important to my success so far is initiative.
From a young age, I’ve always had this drive to accomplish something meaningful in this lifetime. I kind of treat my life like a game…not that I don’t take it seriously, but because I see every day as a level to beat, a skill I have to unlock, or a way to level up. I don’t wait for someone to tell me what to do, I just figure it out. When I asked my dad to let me take over our social media, I had no prior experience, just a passion for content creation and a belief that I could help. That single decision opened the door to so many more opportunities like rebranding our company, growing our online presence, and connecting with more clients.
Later, when I wanted to learn how to DJ, I didn’t expect to be great at it right away. But I took the first step, messed up a lot, kept going, and eventually found my rhythm quite literally.
To me, initiative means being proactive, not waiting for the right time, and trusting yourself to grow into the role. You’re never going to learn or grow if you don’t take the first step. That mindset has helped me overcome challenges, learn new skills, and help our family business grow. I believe that when you take initiative with heart, work ethic, and purpose the results follow even if you don’t see them right away. You just have to be patient, keep going, and trust the process. One of my favorite sayings is “Play the game, don’t let the game play you.” And that’s how I’ll keep growing by showing up and playing this game with everything I got.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drazoentertainment.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drazoentertainment?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DRazoEntertainment
