Behind The Scenes With Nick Conforti

First Day on the job (Part 2)

My name is Nick Conforti and I am a DJ for Sound in Motion. Some readers may have read an earlier entry I made a few years ago when I started as a part time assistant for SIM. In that blog post I explained my first impressions and excitement I felt during my first day on the job. It has been a while since then, and I feel it is past due time for an update on my thoughts regarding Sound in Motion.

After being with the company for three years and three full wedding seasons, SIM decided to bring me on as a full time member of the team. What an opportunity! I was more than happy to oblige and get myself deeper into the industry that I am passionate about. Full time was going to be great! I would get to be a music nerd during the week and entertain at events on the weekends, as usual. Needless to say, I would discover that there was a lot more to the “behind the scenes” work that the full time staff deal with on a weekly basis than discussing music all day.

My first full time day, just like my first part time day, opened a whole new world to me. I instantly got integrated into the cogs that make Sound in Motion tick. As an assistant operations manager, I immediately got involved with preparing our staff DJ's for their upcoming events. This meant pre-loading all their music and making sure it fit the exact specs as specified by the clients. This also involved making sure all the DJ's were up to speed on their events and triple checking that our computer systems were loaded with the right songs. It was a lot of work! However, after completing the prep for each event, I noticed a strong sense of satisfaction. Not only was I part of a team that was making a couple's special day the way they envisioned it, I was fulfilling a job that NEEDED to be done. This sense of importance and accomplishment was very rewarding to say the least.

The next thing I was involved in was the weekly manager meeting (something I previously didn't realize took place). In this meeting, a wide variety of topics were covered. These included project assignments, equipment status reports, DJ performance reports from the previous weekend, and client satisfaction reports. The last two really stuck out to me. I found it very professional and genuine that the management takes the time each week to discuss every single event that took place the previous weekend. All DJ's are required to fill out post-event reports, and these are reviewed in detail along with client feedback. Because of this, problems actually get corrected. It is a solid and consistent effort to keep the quality of service as high as possible. At this point I really understood the level of scrutiny our staff receives (including management) and how the level of professionalism Sound in Motion is known for is maintained.

After a slightly overwhelming and fully packed day, I found myself in bed, excited to continue my projects the next morning. I looked forward to the fulfillment I would receive by completing my tasks and from knowing that they would make a difference in the company. And here I thought people weren't supposed to like their jobs. I now have a better understanding of how the company works, and I have come to appreciate the efforts of everyone that makes Sound in Motion what it is – from the assistants to company owners. It is no easy job doing what we do, but I am excited and honored to be a part of this awesome team.

Thanks for reading!

-Nick Conforti