Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Parker.
Hi Eric, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am Eric Parker (Dj Red E) a founding member of The Collective Group Music LLC. The Collective Group Music provides entertainment services for almost every type of event imaginable along with audio video support. Our start wasn’t so broad.
In 2014 a mutual friend introduced me to my partner Emanuel Thompson. Our friendship quickly grew with an admiration of one another. He approached me early on about starting a dj service after I played his wedding. I only deejayed back then as a hobby or a hustle never took it serious. His idea was to gather a few djs and book them around town. My rebuttal was he would have to deejay also. Having had a business before I understood that to be successful from ground up everyone on the foundation should be able to preform the task and encounter first hand the challenges that arise and be able to resolve those issues while providing the same product each and every time. We would have to set a standard. Our journey had a slow start. we learned that most entertainers move as individuals, some times an egotistical attitude with the one goal of getting paid immediately after the gig. This hyper sense of self did not work for what Emanuel and I was trying to build. Our vision was to make deejaying structured by providing the client with the right dj for the event and provide the highest level of customer service just like any other corporation that offered service. We delt with deejays being ill prepared, late for setup times, forfeiting an event to take a booking that paid more, and not having the look and sound we tried to curate. They did not fit the mold we imagined. Emanuel and I scrambled to correct these incidents by handling the bookings ourselves. We realized that the product we wanted had to be home grown and nurtured not molded. Every person would have to be willing to take leadership and direction then we could pour and invest into them. They would become the product. We recruited a few people that had never deejayed before and taught them our way, curated the music, and worked along side them until they had the uniformity, the confidence, and the demeanor that is our brand. Our best attribute is consistency and customer service. Out of the fold we recognized that one of the deejays stood out he was ambitious, selfless, charismatic, and full of ideas that paralleled our own. Chelsey Johnson (Dj Stuck on Fly) used his personal resources to further our business earning himself a place in the ownership of The Collective Group Music. Today 10 years later we employ 7 djs; partner with several bands, musicians, performers , bartenders, and hookah companies. We have 4 residences at premier Hotels in Atlanta, djs weekly booked at lounges and bars, affiliated with numerous event centers and coordinators. Emanuel is currently the voice and host of Jazz Matters Organization. Chelsey can be seen every week djing for the ATL Lounge and I am currently working with Deron Jordan as the dj for the Atlanta chapter of the Beahive. In October we was awarded
small business of the year by the ATL Airport Chamber of Commerce.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road hasn’t been rough but a steady uphill climb. We pace ourselves and try to manage growth, by setting realistic attainable goals.
Challenges we faced was finding people to work with that had the same mind set and work ethic as us. We pride ourselves or being prompt neat and professional. Training our own staff gives us control over product but when pairing with partners we had to vet partners that had like goals and pratices. our brand and image is on the line with every event and we rely on repeat business.
We’ve been impressed with The collective Group Music LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We provide entertainment services for most event types along with Audio Video support. We Have deejays, bands, and performers that can accommodate different demographics and settings. we also set up audio and video for speaking engagements and conferences. We are very proud of our customer service. we allow our clients to book packages or pick services a la cart for their specfic needs and we pair their experience with the best possible staff.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
The way that we are organized we find mentorship within each other. We all have different professional backgrounds and constant communication rewards us with well rounded experiences that we share. We have found that networking is a daily practice. we do not wait for networking events we find every opportunity to talk to someone and find out what they do where they are from and make a connection if there is one right then. By listening to them and finding out their field before you express your business gives you time to strategize, you can double back and make contact at a later date but that initial brief meet gives the person an idea of your personality.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: thecollectivegroupmusic
- Facebook: thecollectivegroupmusic
- Twitter: thecollectivegroupmusic
