Vegas Circle

From DJ to CEO: How Maria Romano Built a Marketing Empire

• The Vegas Circle

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Vegas can make you famous overnight or invisible forever, and the difference is rarely “talent” alone. We’re joined by Maria Romano, one of Las Vegas’s top working DJs and the founder of Mr. Marketing Group, to get brutally practical about what it takes to build a name in the most competitive nightlife city in America. She shares how she started DJing at 11, why her early obsession with music and marketing gave her an edge, and what she did when she landed in Vegas and had to earn every room one relationship at a time. 

We dig into the real craft behind open format DJing, where the crowd isn’t there “for you” and you have to win attention minute by minute. Maria explains how to read the room, take people on an up-and-down journey, and why the ability to create a full vibe matters more than having the newest edits. She also tells wild behind-the-scenes stories, including a post-COVID gear nightmare that had her repeating “Dreams and Nightmares” and the adrenaline of playing high-stakes nights around major artists like Migos, 50 Cent, and Kehlani. 

On the business side, we unpack social media marketing that feels organic, what her agency actually delivers (rebrands, content strategy, scripts, paid ads, lead generation), and how the algorithm forces you to stay honest. Maria also gets real about mental health in nightlife, drinking culture, discipline, and the pressure to chase validation, plus what it’s like navigating the industry as a woman and how “brand” can shape who gets booked. If you’re trying to grow in Las Vegas nightlife, music, or entrepreneurship, this conversation is a masterclass in networking, credibility, and staying in the game. Subscribe, share with a friend building a brand, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway.

Welcome To Vegas Circle

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to Vegas Circle Podcast with your hosts, Pocky and Chris. We are people who are passionate about business, success, and culture. And this is our platform to showcase the people in our city who are making it happen. And today we have just that. I've always said DJs are my favorite people in the world. So we're welcoming one of the top DJs specifically in Vegas, but she's around the whole country right now. So it's welcome to the circle. Artists, owner of Mr. Marketing Group. We got Maria Romano. Welcome to the circle, man. It's great to great to finally meet you in person, man. We connected online. I've been looking up your resumes. You know a lot of the same people that I know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I know. I saw. I was like, oh, we we know a lot of a lot of the same same cats.

SPEAKER_00

The city's too small.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it is.

SPEAKER_00

It's way too small.

SPEAKER_01

But in a way, it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. You know? For sure. Yeah. Especially to get in the right rooms, man. At the end of the day, it's it's nice because, like, between three people, you can know the person you probably want to connect with, which is also awesome. Oh, yeah. So that's what I love about Vegas. For sure. So but let's jump right in, man. So your background as being an artist, let's talk about maybe what people might not know about Maria, man. How did you get your

Starting DJing At Age 11

SPEAKER_00

start being a DJ and being an artist?

SPEAKER_01

I started when I was 11. My brother. Oh wow. Yeah. My brother, he uh was doing like this competition where he had to raise money, and so they started throwing parties and DJing, but it wasn't like technical stuff, but they were DJing and I would go to these like events where they were going to raise money, and I would sit in the back with him while he was DJing, him and all his friends, and I just fell in love with it. So then after that, I started DJing all my friends' birthday parties at like 12 and 13.

SPEAKER_00

What?

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

So I've all I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm and I'm not just saying this. I'm very jealous of DJ. I've always wanted to be a DJ. I wish I would have did that and learned, but 11 years old has got to be awesome. So your ear has got to be impeccable.

SPEAKER_01

It's pretty it's pretty good. It's pretty good, yeah. Yeah, I've I've been through a lot of different different things. I used to play the piano, I have taken singing lessons, I played the clarinet.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so I did a lot of music, yeah, especially when I was younger.

SPEAKER_00

No, where'd where'd you grow up? You were East Coast, right? Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01

So when you specifically Newcastle, Pennsylvania.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. I'm not familiar with Newcastle. I've been to Pittsburgh and I've been to Philly. Yeah. Where's where's Newcastle at?

SPEAKER_01

So I Newcastle's actually more in the border between PA and Ohio.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

But for whatever reason, we we claim Pittsburgh. Okay. We don't we don't claim Ohio, but we're kind of in between Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, okay. Okay. Another area of it.

SPEAKER_01

And then like 10 minutes, 15 minutes from Youngstown, Ohio.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Yeah. So what brought what brought you to Vegas then?

SPEAKER_01

My brother Saint? Yeah, he lived here already for like 15 years. He he didn't pursue the DJ thing, but he moved out here when he was like twenty-two, and he lived out here for a long time. He ran in all the the nightlife circles and was working at Caesars

Moving From Pennsylvania To Vegas

SPEAKER_01

on the hotel side with you know high-level guests and things like that. So when I graduated college, I was in between moving there and New York, and I was like, Oh, I'm gonna go go to Vegas.

SPEAKER_00

So how long how long have you lived here now?

SPEAKER_01

Eleven years.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, okay. Do you like it compared to the East Coast and the in the I like it, I do like it.

SPEAKER_01

But I always be like an East Coast kid. I don't think I could uh really let that go. I get it. You know, even when I go home or when I go to the just East Coast in general. Yeah, I love it there.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. It definitely has more flavor. Yeah, I spent a I spent a lot of time. So I like I was saying, I'm originally from Chicago.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Chris is actually from Detroit, so that's how we get our Midwest vibe. Yeah, but I lived in New England, so like outside of Boston, I lived in that area for a long time. And there's no gray area in the East Coast. No, you get you get what you what you get. Yeah, I've learned that like not that I'm hating on Vegas, but you know what I mean. You learn how to do it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's it's much different here. It's much different here. The there's there's gray areas here. 100%.

SPEAKER_00

I think everything stays at the gray.

SPEAKER_01

Everything stays in the gray, yeah. And so not not for me though. I get it. I get it. It's just part of the personality, I guess.

SPEAKER_00

I get it for sure. So let's talk about just Vegas being one of the hardest cities in the world to stand out creatively, right? Like how did you build a name for yourself here, just being so I mean, there's so many

Building A Name Through Events

SPEAKER_00

DJs, there's so much going on, you got so many spots to go to, clubs, lounges. Like, how were you able to make a name for yourself and build your own brand?

SPEAKER_01

I think I was, I mean, I I know I was already building a brand before I moved here. So I always loved the the aspect of the band brand building and like the marketing side of it. And so I already had a brand before I moved here, and I kind of already facilitated through all of Pittsburgh and and did all that stuff. But when I decided to move here, my brother was like, you know, hey, I'll introduce you everybody, but it's kind of up to you to, you know, get in the door. So I just really I went out all the time. And I just met people and I m had friends, and you know, I would throw events because that's what I how I stood out back home by throwing events. So then when I came here, I was throwing a couple different events and things like that. So kind of got the wheels going and stuff like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Was that the I love this brunch club university?

SPEAKER_01

Uh that that was later on, but yeah. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00

I was thinking that's what you probably started with.

SPEAKER_01

No, yeah, no, that that came I still wanted to do that.

SPEAKER_00

So I gotta I gotta check it out.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, well, I gotta find a you know, it's always about the venue when it comes to that.

SPEAKER_00

Yep.

SPEAKER_01

The that you have to have people think like, oh, you should throw a brunch party, but there's not gonna be like this food element, but there has to be a wow food element to it too. So, you know, but that came on later. Later in life, okay. Yeah, that was uh after quarantine and things like that. I I was throwing more like private parties and stuff like that, sweet parties and things and things of that nature that I had fun doing. Yeah. And and then w during COVID, I started throwing a lot of parties at just this one in particular venue, and it kind of it just took off. Yeah. So me and the owner at that time, he we kind of went a hundred miles per hour. So that facilit facilitated into you know the brunch club and things like that.

SPEAKER_00

That's awesome. Yeah. Yeah, that was cool. I got you gotta bring that back. I like that. Yeah, I think that's a good idea.

Open Format vs Headliner DJs

SPEAKER_00

I like that, yeah. I like that a lot. What would you say is the misunderstanding of you guys?

SPEAKER_01

I think there's definitely a difference between like the house DJ, the big name DJ, compared to like an open format DJ. You know, compared to it.

SPEAKER_00

What's the difference? Like if you would say the house versus open format.

SPEAKER_01

I I think it I mean well, I know it's much harder to be on this side than that side because at least from a musical standpoint, because you have to really work the crowd and you know, because yeah, they're not just there for the DJ, they're there for the the entire vibe, yep, and the entire, you know, night. Whereas in when you're one of those bigger DJs, they are there for you. So it's kind of hard to like mess up, you know what I mean? True. So they're you have to you are automatically already. Yeah, you're automatically gonna have their undivided attention. So it is harder to grab everyone's attention, you know, if you're not seasoned in that, you know. Good point. That's where there's a a buildup to get to the main clubs, you know. It's uh many times if you see a DJ who's never played in a main club, they struggle because it's just a different scenario, you know, as far as being like an open format DJ or you know, that that kind of DJ.

SPEAKER_00

What what do you like playing in the most? Do you because I know you do a lot of the big venues and bigger, bigger clubs, you do some of the smaller venues, more intimate. What do you like better?

SPEAKER_01

I'm starting to go back to more like creating my own events and and things like that. That's what I like the most now, I guess, because uh more freedom.

SPEAKER_00

I love that word freedom.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you know, and I like to have more control of the situation. Not because I need the control, but because I I actually like be diving into each aspect of a night, you know what I mean? As opposed to just being a DJ. I like all the the as the aspects of it, you know, the business side, the marketing side, then the DJ, like that part is the fun part, you know. So but I I mean I everyone always asks me, like, oh, what's your favorite venue?

SPEAKER_00

You know, I was gonna ask that. What is your favorite venue?

SPEAKER_01

Everyone always asks, but yeah, honestly, it's it's wherever I'm at in that in that moment, you know, especially when the crowd is really like coming like feeding off of you. I mean, there's no it doesn't matter where where you are, that that feeling is you know, the adrenaline that you get. And I used to play sports all the time. So it's funny because I Shaq did an interview and he said the same thing. It was as close as he could get to playing sports, yeah. You know, and I used to play basketball too, so I knew what he meant by that. Obviously, I didn't play on that level, but you're saying it about that. But a general rush, you know, that it is what it is, no bigger, smaller, you still get it. And so that is kind of where it's at. So it's never like a oh, I love this venue more than I love that venue. You know, I I have Dre's was like a home, so I would say that would probably be the one that I had the most like connection to.

SPEAKER_00

But happened to Dre's is Dre Dre's issue.

SPEAKER_01

So they just have Dre's after hours.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, they had their run, but not on top not on home. Yeah, no. Okay, on the top of our code.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, they had their run. Okay. Just it is what it is, but yeah, it was it was a good time.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I get it. What's what kind of music do you like playing? So if it's if it's a m Maria playlist and you're gonna vibe out, is it what you want to play or is it what you paying attention to the room?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I'll always pay attention to the room. Okay, yeah, and I like everything, so that's not an issue. I started out being a hip hop DJ, so that was kind of how I really was known, and then I somehow dabbled into the Latin market. And I don't really don't even speak.

SPEAKER_00

That's what Sunday.

SPEAKER_01

I don't even know what they're saying, but that when I moved to Vegas, I really was in that market more than anything, which was kind of funny. My friends like, oh, are like what like I can how did you even get into that? I'm like, I have no idea, but it fell into my lap and I loved it, I loved it. So I can kind of like I like being a chameleon to whatever people like, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Doing that lane, like specifically, like I remember when I lived in the East Coast, you got so much of the the salsa morengue and you know what I mean? A lot of the regulatone music.

SPEAKER_01

In Pittsburgh, it wasn't so much, but I when I was in college, I was traveling a lot to New York and New Jersey. Of course, yeah. And then I really got into that flavor, and that changed everything for me, you know. And I loved it. Yeah, I was like, I don't know what the hell they're saying, but I know that this song is fire and everyone

Nightlife Chaos And Celebrity Sets

SPEAKER_01

loves it.

SPEAKER_00

No, I get it for sure, man. What's the craziest Vegas nightlife moment for you that you've experienced?

SPEAKER_01

Good or bad? Both.

SPEAKER_00

All right, since you said that, both, both.

SPEAKER_01

Well, after COVID, I I I'll never forget because me and my boy we still laugh to this day. There was a situation that was happening with the new turntable, like the new CDJ's and the new mixer with the new computers. They weren't syncing correctly, and nobody was really up to par with how to download and sync all of the stuff. So I pull up to Dre's first night like COVID's opened, whatever. I pull up to Dre's, and my computer and the software are not talking to each other. So I just I I mean, I had like it was repeating the song, and I must have played Dreams and Nightmares like five times. I was like, this is the worst thing.

SPEAKER_00

You're talking about me.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, I was like, this is the worst thing that's ever happened to me, ever. And now we laugh about it.

SPEAKER_00

Did you feel the vibe where everybody's like, what the hell is this lady doing? Or was it more? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

I think maybe people were just happy to be out, so I was able to kind of. Oh, yeah, COVID. That's true. Yeah, that's true. You know, if you knew what you were doing, like like my boy who's the sound guy, Ron, I mean, we still make fun of it because I was like, that is a freaking nightmare.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And so that was like that stands out one of the most. And then I would say, you know, one one of the times I played for the Migos when they were really, really Migos is fire too. Up to Paul, like when they were the the guys. Yeah, I I Dre's was completely like sold out, and I was playing for them when they were late, and it was like three in the morning, and I was just stamina, stamina, stamina. And it was just when they would get on, it was just the that those nights the crowds were just ready to lose their year.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, they were ready to go.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so that those nights where I had the most like adrenaline and things like that.

SPEAKER_00

So those were did you play with for with 50 too recently?

SPEAKER_01

I just played with 50, yeah. Yeah, I saw that.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, shout out to Fit. Yeah, yeah. Fifty's one of my favorite people to see.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I played I uh him, I played with Kaylani. Okay recently, you know, Kaylani's crowd is uh unreal. They're super receptive if you're if you can read it. Oh, she's on unreal.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I don't think she gets enough respect.

SPEAKER_01

No.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Now I think I think now she's starting to get a lot more yeah, you know, when she popped off and folded, it was kind of like, you know, there hasn't been an RB song like that for a while. But her crowd, uh, I remember being like, this is like electric, you know. And then she came out for like an hour and she was vibing with me, like next to me the entire time, and it was just it was just electric, you know. So that would probably be the most recent okay that was,

Are Vegas Clubs Getting Too Big

SPEAKER_01

you know, a memorable moment for me for the case.

SPEAKER_00

For sure, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So when you see like Dre's and things like that, do you like do you see the this transition to more of like the lounges and it feels like the restaurants and things like that are where we're going? People always say that.

SPEAKER_01

People always say it's gonna go smaller, it's gonna go smaller. More intimate. But they keep building bigger. So that's what I'm saying. It's hard to say. I I think it's hard to say because there hasn't been a small nightclub built since Hyde. And Hyde was like one of the first I ever DJ'd at Bellages. As far as the nightclub, yeah. I remember that. And it was awesome there. Yeah, I mean, it was always busy, but it was always fun and because it was small.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

But they keep building bigger. So I'm not sure. Like Pinky Ring pops off, but it's more of that you know, live bands with a DJ.

SPEAKER_00

I don't know if they'll build Pinky Ring. The what is what's uh Bruno Mars's band called? The Hooligans.

SPEAKER_01

They're on real.

SPEAKER_00

They I'm gonna be honest with you. Shout out to the Hooligans. I met them that might be the best band, period. Oh yeah, period. Yeah, they're they're fantastic. Period. Yeah, they play everything. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

They definitely are the best, I would say. Yeah, they're they're fantastic. So I don't know. I mean, I would like to see some smaller clubs because it is it is overwhelming, you know, and it's it's just everything is so big.

SPEAKER_02

I know, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It's kind of taken away from people having like a really good time where they're just going, it they're every venue's kind of turned into a concert, you know. And so how many uh times do you want to see the same artists and and things like that? So I think it doesn't need to I if if it doesn't go there, it needs to go there at least a little bit. Yeah, because it needs to be a in-between.

SPEAKER_00

I agree. Yeah, yeah,

Inside Mr. Marketing Group

SPEAKER_00

I agree. I wanted to transition just a little bit about and we'll go back to the DJing, but just your marketing company, because you do a great job with marketing other people's stuff, making it organic. Can you talk about Mr. Marketing Group and what you do and kind of the layers to to your company?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I went to school for for business.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So I always had that love for it, which is I always tied it to my DJing.

SPEAKER_02

Sure.

SPEAKER_01

And so you I I laugh all the time. I was like, when I was a kid, I was making business cards at like 11 years old. That's awesome. So I I just knew always knew that it business and well marketing is is important, and that was back then. Sure. So now I used to have a marketing company, I had a partner, got rid of it, and then I started Mr. Marketing Group, and funny enough, my friends we would hang out at his house, and he was like, you know, you should change your name to Mr. And I was like to for DJing, and I was like, ah, I don't really want to do that because I'm so deep into just being my name. But when I wanted to redo my marketing company, I was like, this is the perfect, and it kind of mimics my logo for DJing.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So we we do everything. We do, you know, rebrand. I can create your brand, social media, write your scripts, run your social media, paid advertisement, getting into like lead generation stuff now, too, to offer to businesses and things like that because I love helping other businesses and and watching them grow into something and being part of that, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Shout out to Ricky Lopez, too. I love what you do. Yeah, yeah. Ricky's a good dude, man. He he's been on the pod, been a guest of ours. Uh I really like what you did. Is that does is that the goal is to do more of the intimate kind of behind the scenes? Both. Both.

SPEAKER_01

You know, the algorithm will tell you what what what they want. Yes. So each person will be will always be different. I do Jared Clark from Clark Law Group, and we, you know, we started getting the motion of what people like now. Sure, yeah. So it's just you have to follow that. But it takes a long time to to get there. So when I went went met with Ricky, I just kind of showed up and I was like, I didn't tell him what we were gonna do. I was just like, here's what we're gonna do. Like I'm gonna you're gonna take me through the store, you know. And then my videographers are great and they're able to check like chop it up and they know kind of what I'm going for, and they read off that and made it organic.

SPEAKER_00

It felt right, yeah. Yeah, you know, it felt right, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I mean that that took a lot, you know, we we put that into like two minutes. Okay we were there for I'm already knowing. Yeah, it was flowing, but you know, it that's the difference is like how do you pick the best parts of to a video to make it stand out. And so we did I I really like the video with Ricky. It was funny.

SPEAKER_00

I love that you just said that you guys were there for an hour. Yeah. And it shows that what came out the finished product tells you. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

So you can chop it up, break it down, shout out to the videographers because they have to watch all that.

SPEAKER_00

For sure.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I I will work with them and tell them what I want. I create it with a lot of the ideas and then I kind of have the team put it together. Put it together. But I love it. Yeah, I love working with brands and helping people. I've always liked to help people, whether it was that or when people come to Vegas and they hit me up, I always take care of people, even but when I was a kid back home, you know. I learned that probably from my brother too. I've always he's kind of like the role model for me, so he was always good at that, and that's kind of how he taught told me like when I got here. He's like, you need to take care of people and you need to have a lot of pretty girls around you. And that will that will get you in the door. You already know what you're doing when it comes to DJing, so don't worry about that part, you know.

SPEAKER_00

But bringing that whole brand together

Vegas People Clout And Realness

SPEAKER_00

makes sense, yeah, for sure. So what's Vegas just taught you about people in general? Because this is such a unique I feel like it's its own country in a way, because it's everybody's from so many different countries and so it's taught you about people, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It's a melting pot. So uh you meet some really good people that are there to help you, and then you meet some people who just want to take and you know, you meet a lot of people who who say they're doing things but they're not really doing them. So you meet a lot a lot of f facade, you know, they're fraud, fraudulent, you know. You really do. But you but you get to meet some really good people on top of that, you know, but there's a lot of people here with everyone jokes around and says, you know, if you want to reinvent yourself, you can just come to Vegas and be anything you want to be instead tell everybody who you are.

SPEAKER_02

Very true and then go from that, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, which there are positives and negatives to it. If you want to restart your life, it is a place that people I feel like you're able to be welcomed, but you have to do it right and have the right like leadership, or you can go down the wrong path, you know. And I just had the ability to have that with my brother, so it was a little bit easier for me to make sure I was going down the right path.

SPEAKER_00

You're caught up in some BS, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you know, you just meet a lot of people, I want to do this for you, I'm gonna do that for you, and they never do anything for you. You know, that's what we've noticed. Which is disappointing.

SPEAKER_00

No, you know, you notice a lot. Like we when we've been building, like I mentioned, we were talking offline, is like we've been building this for eight years now, right? So my so my wife, my wife was here, and then Chris, my business partner too. And you notice a lot. But also what's been really cool is we've been building this network, and then you also know behind the scenes who's cool or not, they're like, don't yeah, don't talk to this person, you know. So it's really cool.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, even even DJs, I mean, it's it's it's all about the like clout. Yeah, oh I'm playing with this person, but they're really not playing with that person. Like they they just do whatever they can to get to the next try to get to the next step, but when you're not doing it organically, people can tell, you know. So I think especially more now than than ever, like people know the difference between the the real and the big, you know.

SPEAKER_00

You must have read my mind because

Booking Gigs Through Relationships

SPEAKER_00

that's what I was gonna ask you next. Is like how how do you get booked? Do you have like a booking agent or do you have like a I used to have an agent, but it I just do it myself. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

It's really off relationships.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Yeah. So is it literally like calling Dre's saying, hey, are you a bit? Because I figure like there's like you got always busy, right?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you gotta go out and network. It's really about the network. Okay. That's how you that's how you stand out.

SPEAKER_02

Sure.

SPEAKER_01

It's your the now they make DJing so easy, you know, that anybody can kind of put two songs together. Sure. Now whether they can rock the room to the abilities that it needs to be, is not really the that you have to know. But you can get a chance and get a shot if you have uh the ability to network and you know how to network. And that's really with anything. If you know how to maneuver and talk to people and create relationships and be yourself, you're gonna get chances. And that's not just with DJing, that's with anything, you know. And you have to go out and meet people. You know what I mean? You're not gonna get anywhere if you don't.

SPEAKER_00

But do people have to like vouch for you? Like, so for say for example, I want to be a DJ and I wanted to go do, you know, a venue. If I'm a good network and things like that, would they give me the opportunity?

SPEAKER_01

It's gonna take some couple of different people. It's gonna take a couple different people for that. To vouch. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. And it takes a it takes a while.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And it's a very comp it's very competitive. I think after COVID it became extreme more competitive than it was before.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Uh everybody wants to be a DJ. Everybody. I agree. And then next thing you know, everybody is is trying to be a DJ. So

SPEAKER_00

What separates a good DJ from someone who can actually control the room?

SPEAKER_01

Reading the room.

SPEAKER_00

And knowing what vibe and what they vibing off of, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, reading the room.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Some and and being able to take them through an up and down journey because it's it's that's the talent behind it, you know. Anybody can make songs together. I can give the same person hundreds of the same songs, but how you put it together is really what's gonna separate the difference.

SPEAKER_00

Mm-hmm. Now, d do you make your own music?

SPEAKER_01

I used to try I used to dabble into that, but I got away from it.

SPEAKER_00

Okay. Now when you say dabble in like producing and making it producing, like executive producing, putting putting like the good producers with the artists and things like that.

SPEAKER_01

But it was Vegas is was especially when I was trying, it's harder. There's not that many artists here. You know, you if you live in LA or you live in Miami, you're you know, these people live there. Yeah, there's not that many artists that live here. So, you know, when you're in LA, you you Joe, you know everybody named mom. Yeah, Wally's walking down the street. You know what I mean? That's not happening here. You know, and when you meet them, they're usually at the club.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, they go to the studio. They, you know, they're people, yeah, people live here, but it's not as much as like when people are throwing parties and then you're going to those parties and you're meeting, you know, six, seven artists, and then you're meeting producers, and then it's not like that. And it everyone's kind of more separate here. Where in other places is they're more circle-based, you know, like you like if you know this person, you everyone's kind of at the same party. You know what I mean? If that makes sense. So, and when I say party, I just mean like that's how you meet people by by going out and being in the same circles. So, what are the restaurants and things like that? But here, you know, if you see a artist at a restaurant, they got aid security with them, they don't want to talk to anybody, they're a little bit more uptight here because of the city being like a melting pot and people traveling here so much, where LA, Miami, yes, people travel, but it it's a little bit different in in those.

SPEAKER_00

I wish we did a better job, man.

SPEAKER_01

Like I've we've had like people like creative people here don't really hang out with each other, kind of creatively do their own thing separate. I don't know why that is either. Like we had a lot like in LA, I have a lot of friends that are influencers and things, and they are constantly doing videos together, constantly collaborating, constantly because that's how you build, you know. Like if I know somebody and you don't like you don't know them, now you know that's how you get your name out there. Use my network, I use your network, and it happens all the time out there, but it just doesn't happen here as much. I don't know, everyone's a little bit to themselves more like protective, I would say, because maybe it there's so much going on here, and there's a lot going on, but there's only a few amount of people that are really doing it. Yeah, so when somebody has it, they're gonna hold on to that because they don't want anybody else to come in. Yeah, you know, whereas

Mental Health Drinking And Discipline

SPEAKER_01

other places they're very collaborative.

SPEAKER_00

You know, that's a good point. Yeah. Do you feel like behind the scenes that and I was just reading about this, that it's it's kind of lonely being part of being DJ and then and having to like control everybody's emotions and just run it through this whole thing setup of it? I've heard of this moment, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I can't it can definitely be overwhelming, and I and I do it.

SPEAKER_00

Overwhelm is a better word.

SPEAKER_01

I think loneliness does come with it sometimes. I think if you don't know how to balance the lifestyle, that will that will get it. A lot of artists, any type of artists, they become depressed, they become alcoholics, especially the DJing because it's so easy to drink.

SPEAKER_00

Of course, yeah. So easy to buy.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, everybody wants to be a good one. It's part of like it's almost part of it, right? So it's easy to drink every day, especially here, there's always something. So that will leads to depression, and that leads to anxiety and loneliness and and all of those things and and feeling overwhelmed, you know, because you're trying so hard to get into the door, talking to people, you know, networking, then you're in the door, and then you have to try to maintain that, and then you're making sure the crowd, you know, is responsive, because if they're not, then then management's gonna get upset because they're trying to make money, you know. So it's a lot, it can be a very overwhelming. Yeah. And it can be detrimental to your mental health because if you don't confident in yourself, you're gonna struggle.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Because you're gonna constantly be on edge. And I used to have that a little bit when I was younger. I was always worried about the next step. Yeah, the next move, the next this. Oh, did they like my scent? I hope they liked my scent. Now I gotta get the follow up, you know, and that can cause a lot of anxiety because you're really asking for other people to validate you.

SPEAKER_00

How'd you overcome that though?

SPEAKER_01

Well, honestly, I I mean, I just had no choice. I feel like I was getting to a point where I was drinking a lot and I was not mentally like where I wanted to be. And then I just had to buckle up and say, this is not, you have to you have to get your shit together. You know, that's true. Yeah. You're getting older, you can't, you can't do that like that. It's not gonna work, or you're gonna end up in a you're gonna end up broke, you're gonna end up sad, you're gonna end up depressed, you're gonna end up, you know, with no friends, with no family, like, because that's how it just progressively goes down those paths.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I think I was able to just be like, we gotta get our shit together, Maria. Like, you know, we have to change the the direction because you do get caught up in like, oh, I have to network and I have to go drink with these people because if I don't, then how am I gonna create this relationship and things like that? But if you know how to balance it, you'll still be able to get where you are. And actually, I I hear it all the time, and it's true because I'm I'm a part of that too. You do better and you grow more when you're actually more disciplined in your life than when you're not, you know. So it, you know, when you go to the gym, when you make sure your mental health, like all of those things start to help you fall into place. You know, so because if when you're not, everything falls apart at one point or another, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Do you feel like like you you hear a lot about they always say in Vegas is people aren't drinking as much. And do do you see that is happening? So you notice it that people aren't that they're just vibing out and not drinking?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I and then and a lot of people are I can't remember the percentages because I was like really. Because they say it's low. Experiential interest has like risen to new health and all these different things. Yeah, like uh everyone's about experiences. It's risen to a new line of what people want. So everybody wants experiences. And net it's just has kind of since COVID, it's kind of gotten into the health net health health, you know what I mean? Yeah, very much so. Kids aren't drinking like like my age. My age, my my friends were still drinking, you know, but the younger kids don't do that. And I think one of it could possibly be one, it's too expensive and it's really hard on your body. And yeah, I mean, you come to Vegas, you spend fifty dollars a drink. Is it do I want to do that? Or you know, there I think people are doing more natural stuff too.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_01

You know, probably like taking mushrooms and things like that where they don't have to drink and spend money, and it's very good. It's supposed to be more healthier for you. Yeah, you know, so I think those things happen because alcohol is very hard on your body. It's super hard on your body.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. I agree. I've been trying to drink more wine and stuff like that. Wine, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I was a big tequila drinker, and I was like, you know what? Fuck the city.

SPEAKER_00

They said tequila, they say tequila's good though.

SPEAKER_01

They used to, but I think they've added so much additives that it's not good anymore. It's I feel like it's super heavy. Okay. And now I start drinking vodka.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay. So we went to the work.

SPEAKER_01

And I drink wine, but I feel like I don't shoot vodka. No one's trying to take a vodka shot. Yeah, yeah. That's kind of you know, it's not really a thing. So that's gonna help me now because you know, it's just easy to drink so much, and it's easy to drink a lot of tequila because you're just shooting it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know, and it's like there and gone. There and gone.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Especially probably people like I was saying earlier, buying shots and things like that can get a little dangerous. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I think people are more into like the experiences. They still want to go to the EVCs, they still want to go to the Coachellas and stuff like that, but you're spending you're getting more for what you spend than the nightclub. Yeah. Then the nightclub is not you're not getting what what is the like ROI for the person who's spending that money. You know, it's a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00

I don't like going because of what you just said. Yeah. Yeah. I like going with sports. So if there's a specific artist or something like that, I want to go to the Yeah, I'm definitely gonna go for that. But I don't like it.

SPEAKER_01

But even then, like the concert's probably more probably Um concert all day.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah, all day.

SPEAKER_01

So that's that's the thing. So I think it's it's a combination of of it. You know, the nightclubs have just gotten they've gotten greedy. It's so expensive. Like it doesn't make sense. Like the bottle at home is like $40.

SPEAKER_02

Go there and it's a big thing.

SPEAKER_01

You know, and then it's and then it's a thousand dollars and then it's plus plus, so then you're at fifteen hundred dollars for one bottle.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It's a lot of money. That is and people people don't understand it is a lot of money. So that is, I think, the the biggest it like uh indicator for people. I mean, that people don't want to spend money anymore.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I get it.

SPEAKER_01

And I think because of COVID, they they really started being more cautious. And then we're still in in a bunch of you know the economy is right now. Yeah, we're still so we're not we haven't gotten out of it. So that could change when that moves, but other than that, I'm not it's not hasn't moved yet, you know. But I do know people it every club is down.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I've seen it all the time. Yeah, I wanted to ask you about just woman in the industry just in general. Do

Women And Identity In DJ Culture

SPEAKER_00

you feel like you have to work twice as hard, or do you feel like you're overlooked a lot of times, or maybe was that when you first was starting it off?

SPEAKER_01

Some sometimes. Yeah, sometimes I I feel like more in DJing than I would say marketing.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, fair enough. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, the marketing I I've been.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that lane and people don't kind of stereotypes.

SPEAKER_01

Maybe because of like the DJing and and having the the backing of what I've done already helps me get further. But I mean my the marketing company is super successful already. Yeah and it hasn't even been like a year, and that I think people respect me in that soon quicker than than DJing. And being a woman is is harder. I mean, and then also being gay also plays a part in it too sometimes, you know. I used to not think that, but then I thought it definitely to some degree does have those. Do you feel like marriage though in 2026? Do you feel like that?

SPEAKER_00

Not because I'm gay. Okay, okay, good.

SPEAKER_01

Because of like it just the brand sometimes, like you know, people can maybe hate on it a little bit more. Okay, okay, just hate on like the entire experience. Which not all the time, you don't see it as much, but you don't see many DJs playing in the women playing in the main main.

SPEAKER_00

Besides you, you're killing it, being able to do that.

SPEAKER_01

No, there's only a few. And you have to earn the respect of of these like o other people who make the decisions.

SPEAKER_00

Very much so.

SPEAKER_01

And so sometimes you're not you're not not getting booked because you're not good. Sometimes they just don't it's hate on you. They don't want the brand. Yeah, it's it I sometimes don't like to use the word hate. They just don't want the brand, you know? Yeah. Because I don't like, you know, you there's haters and things like that, but I try not to k make my mind go on that because then it's a constant like that's true. Then you start to get bitter, and I try not to have the bitterness of it, you know. But I would definitely say there are some things that some people love love it. You know, they love who you are, they embrace it, and some people

Staying In The Game And Pivoting

SPEAKER_01

not that they I would say don't love it, but I it doesn't stand out to them or you know, I get it.

SPEAKER_00

I get it for sure. Yep. What would you say just about just business and life advice? I would really like to hear your perspective. I mean, because you're a doer, right? You're always going, doing different things, marketing, teaching people how to build brands, building your own brand. Yeah. But just your perspective of what separates people who talk about success from people who actually create it. And I love it. They're doing it.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, there's I mean, there's so many times that I'm like, man, what am I gonna like it's it's not working, you know, and then you want to quit. But you see people want quit all the time what they're doing. And sometimes, you know, that they really do get to the point where they don't want to they can't physically, mentally do it anymore. Whether that's being an entrepreneur, sure. But you know, whatever they start in their entrepreneurial life, especially, and I you have to keep going. You know, if you really love it, you have to keep going because you have to get through all that shit. And I think even the yeah, I know even the top guys in in whatever field it is, whether it's DJing, marketing, running any type of business, they have had a lot of falling moments.

SPEAKER_02

Of course.

SPEAKER_01

You know, we only see the these top moments, but everybody is dealing with something, no matter how big your company is or how big of a DJ you are, you are always dealing with some type of shit.

SPEAKER_00

I agree.

SPEAKER_01

You know, so yeah, you have to be mentally tough.

SPEAKER_00

We always talk about being a fireman, you're always putting out some freaking fire for some reason.

SPEAKER_01

It never ends.

SPEAKER_00

And people always are asking us too, like I mean, everybody in their mom has been really since the pandemic have been starting podcasts and things, but yeah, a lot of them quit too. You know what I mean? Because you don't realize how hard it is.

SPEAKER_01

And that's what you at the end of the day, humans need some type of validation.

SPEAKER_02

For sure.

SPEAKER_01

And some it you know, it has to start with you, but it it really does take the motivation to keep going to really get to the finish line. Or what the goal is, or what what is the actual goal with you?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01

You know, you're gonna land somewhere if you never quit. But if you quit, you're never gonna get there at all. I mean it's a zero percent chance, you know. That's right. So I think and I think also like sometimes if you start out doing one thing and it doesn't work the way you thought it, you could still do that, but in a different way. You know, I think being able to pivot, do different stuff, yeah, agree. Yeah, it's just like in basketball, like you know, when you w you you gotta use the pivot, you know. You right so it it is about pivoting. And you know, sometimes you gotta make other moves, yeah, and make make adjustments, but you can still stay in doing what you love to do or what you saw out to be, but it might not be exactly how you wanted it to be, you know.

SPEAKER_02

Agree.

SPEAKER_01

So it's just really about the motivation of keep keeping it going that really stops people from either getting there or not getting there, you know. And even me, like I'm not where I want to be, but I don't stop. And I won't I just I if I stop, I I I don't even know what I would do.

SPEAKER_00

Are you like a goal-oriented person, like being and doing the DJ? Do you say, like, hey, I wanna I want to hit Dre's and I want to hit this club, I want to hit this place in Nashville, this place in New York? Like, do you have these different goals of of venues that you want to play at as like on your bucket list? Yeah. Okay, have you played pretty much at everywhere you wanted to go or yeah, I mean in the US I would say yeah. I mean, there's always like I love that you say something that you want to go international.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean that that like there's a lot of cool stuff out there. I just haven't had that moment yet.

SPEAKER_00

But gotta go to Tokyo.

SPEAKER_01

That I've you know, I know Tokyo. Man, I know Bali is cool. I know like people love Dubai. Yep. You know, I uh just for all of those different cultural standpoints. And I love playing all of it, so I want to play, you know, go here, play this type of music, you know, play afro, play, play every everything. And so I want to get to that points at some point to be able to do that, you know.

SPEAKER_02

Awesome.

SPEAKER_01

But I think in the US I've I've definitely played in a lot of the places that I that I wanted to play. But there's always another another club that you see on TikTok and you're like, let me let me see how like if I know anybody there, how I can get in, you know, because it really is about your connections. It's like when they say the saying, your network

Food Favorites And Final Plugs

SPEAKER_01

is your network, it really, it really is. And you need the people to believe in you and give you the opportunities to get there what no matter what it is.

SPEAKER_00

You know, and be like a man, a woman of your word. That's what I've noticed too, is like building what we've been able to build with our network is people will vouch and be like, no, they're solid. Like they're not gonna try to do you know, do you dirty or whatever.

SPEAKER_01

If I'm gonna do it, yeah, I'm gonna do it. Yep, you know, and I think a that people appreciate that. Yeah, you know, more than anything, you know.

SPEAKER_00

So well, I al I always ask folks about food. In Vegas, I feel like has the best food, honestly. So what what's your favorite restaurant in in Vegas that you like to eat at?

SPEAKER_01

You know, I go in like these different spurts where I like eat one thing and then I go to the to the next thing.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So it always changes.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

For a while I was like loving Nobu.

SPEAKER_00

Nobu's fire, yeah. As far as like on the strip. Yep, no boo's up.

SPEAKER_01

For a while that was it. And I like Mr. Chow when I was here. Chow, okay. Um I I love I right now I've I've been eating at like a zero bond because I'm a member there, so I go there.

SPEAKER_00

Uh went.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I I got the membership. I was like, I want to invest in myself because I want to do the next part of my life, which is the marketing company.

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, that's a great place to be able to market at, yeah. Yeah. Build that network.

SPEAKER_01

And I love uh Carbone Riviera.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. We're going to Carbon Riviera for the first time. I've been there. So on a little yeah, I literally just made a reservation for that. That's awesome. What are you guys going? Uh Father's Day. Father's Day will be there. Awesome. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I love it, I love it there. You know, Mayfair has amazing food.

SPEAKER_00

I have not been to Mayfair yet. We've all I think we only just went through there. We went to Mayfair, and I felt like not that I'm hating on Mayfair, but it was like Delilah vibe too, which I really like, Delilah. Yeah. But we've there's so many good restaurants. Have you been to Maroon yet?

SPEAKER_01

I haven't. So I've been, I that's where I would really want to try because I I love Caribbean food. I'm gonna be honest.

SPEAKER_00

Check out Maroon. Fire home. Shout out to Kwame. He was we just went recently and it was awesome. Yeah. We went this second day they opened and it was it was great. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I yeah, I really want to go there. Yeah. Good. I was like that. My friends went, I was like, oh, that's on my radar.

SPEAKER_00

But I was at a wedding, I was like, Yeah, there's too, there's too much going on, but then I also like the fact that we got so many of these cool people that have worked on the strip, been chefs on the strip, and now they're opening up their own book and I'm freaking loving that. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

Like I like I uh I oversee Chef Romo's Kitchen.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, do you? Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, which Romo he was at.

SPEAKER_00

I think I'm thinking somebody different. I think you I thought you meant Chef Roman, but you're saying Chef Romo? Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

And I know Roman, you're talking about Seth. Yeah, that's what I was thinking you're talking about. I'm like, that's my guy, but I don't know if I know Chef Romo. Because he's with um Click for a long time. Yes, yep. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And so I I don't think I know Chef Romo.

SPEAKER_01

He's cool.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so I but I oversaw I oversee that with my as far as my marketing company. And we uh and you know, he's done that in the food's great. It's Italian food. Sure. Yeah, it's where's yeah, what what uh there's one in Southern Highlands, one in Henderson. Oh, I've heard of okay.

SPEAKER_00

I think I know exactly what you're talking about. Okay, awesome.

SPEAKER_01

So I I love I love it there too. So yeah, I mean you can't there's so many good places like it's very competitive.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's very good. It's very competitive, yeah. Yeah, so awesome, man. So last thing I'll leave you out. Anything that we forgot to ask you that you want to leave us out on? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. I don't think so. Okay. I don't think so. Good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Well, pay attention to Maria, man. She's she's connected and doing some amazing things. And where are you at? Where are you at traditionally now in Vegas?

SPEAKER_01

If people want to look you up and where you're playing more, I'm playing more at Live than I'm playing anywhere anywhere else.

SPEAKER_00

Live is Fountain Blue? Yes. Okay. I have not been to Live yet, believe it or not.

SPEAKER_01

I've been to restaurants, but I've never been to Like it feels more intimate. So people like it. And I and you know, I have a lot of friends there, and so I it feels very homey and uh and I love it there. So it's a cool vibe. And th they're one of the only places that are really doing a really good job at touching on the EDM artists, touching on the the very cool house DJs that before they like really blow up, you know, but the guys that are playing at Coachella, the guys are playing EBC, that you know, and maybe not the big tent, but the smaller tent, like the those guys like the pauses and stuff. Grutman is very good at at those relationships. He's that that man knows you know, he knows how he's doing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. And I thought my wife and I met him at his restaurant. He's an amazing dude, man.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And he's really figured out the energy of restaurants, clubs, and just how to hold your attention.

SPEAKER_01

When he walks into the room, you know, he has that stigma about can't be a good thing.

SPEAKER_00

And his book, he got a new book out talking about it too. So shout out to him.

SPEAKER_01

So he he does he does a very good job at uh well they do as a team between balancing between hip-hop and and EDM and Latin stuff too. So they they do a good job of of hitting all the cultures. Yeah. Where I feel like other clubs, it's like one, they only do this or they only do that. So there I feel like it brings a good melting pot.

SPEAKER_00

Love it. Love it. Well, check her out. What's your what's your social handles people can check you out at?

SPEAKER_01

My Instagram is I am Maria Romano.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

My marketing one is we are Mr. Marketing Group.

SPEAKER_00

Love that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And my TikToks are the same.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, awesome. Well, pay attention to uh Maria Killin' it and uh check us out at VegasCircle.com, subscribe with us and appreciate your time. Yeah, thank you. Appreciate you. That was awesome. Good stuff. Good stuff.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you.

unknown

Um, and