Exploring Life & Business with Chazs Jackson of Amp Squad Productions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chazs Jackson.

Hi Chazs, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started out in the late 90’s in my youth as an aspiring hip hop artist. Made several albums and traveled from the Westcoast to down South. I fell in love with djing when I filled in at a house party after one of my sets in Kansas City. I trained under several prestigious dj’s in the Manhattan area like DJ Ragman and Dj Krazy A. Managed to work a few bars and night clubs for a few years. With a small team, I managed and coordinated specialty events like Fake Patty’s Day, Halloween, and New Years Parties. Until one day I was asked to dj a high school friends wedding. After that, I decided to leave the bar dj scene and became a mobile dj. I started out with two mp3 players and lugging around some heavy out dated gear. Slowly, I learned by watching other dj’s in the wedding circuit and soaked in knowledge of wedding etiquette and presentation. My years of experience of working a crowd along with my high energy personality put me in a great position to excel. And I did excel. Leading to today, as I have acquired professional PA gear and have expanded my services to lighting and photo booth services.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have definitely been trials during this journey. In the early stages, there were small things at first. Collateral for reliable gear was the main thing. Equipment for any business is a large up front cost. And for a small company trying to get off the ground during a time when funds, grants, and loans were not as abundant as today. I made due with what I could get my hands on. Once things were in motion, it was easier to buy the appropriate equipment since all I would do is use the money made to invest back into the business. Another issue at this level was the area I was in. I grew up in Manhattan, Ks. That was the bulk of my clientele. Word of mouth was great. I appreciate all of the family and friends that helped get my name out there. After a few very busy years, I hit a plateau in that area. I knew that I needed to make a decision or I would not be able to sustain the business. The decision was made to branch farther out. I now offered DJ services to Kansas City and Wichita. And things started to pick up. Then Covid hit. And everything stopped. I went from 40 weddings to 5 that year. My company suffered as clients demanded refunds since they would have to have smaller weddings with no dj so there wouldn’t be dancing or gathering of crowds. It was devastating to the industry as a whole. Once things began to open back up, people were still leery. Money was tight for a lot of households. The wedding market shot up almost 200% for most Independent Mobile Dj’s. Since I was the underdog coming to these two large wedding communities, I had to do something to stand out. That is when I told myself that I would hold my prices until the wedding market improved. And it worked. I was able to book more gigs and build my brand by scaling back on frills and just giving great service.

We’ve been impressed with Amp Squad Productions, 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 are a wedding and event vendor specializing in Mobile DJ, Lighting, and Social Photo Booth Services. Our focus is primarily weddings and special events, but are able to provide for any event needs. What sets us apart from others is our passion and professionalism in making sure an event is fun and memorable. We are most proud of continued high level of service and our commitment to our community. We work beyond typical events and work with local educational and military entities for events and fundraisers. That is because we believe that we would not be where we are without the love and support of our community.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I have a huge list of people. But I will be brief. First, my associate team deserves the biggest praise as they are able to assist when things are very busy.

RDX Media DJ – Associate DJ willing to pick up the slack if there is double booked dates.
Koger Art & Graphic Design – Graphic Designer that helps with wedding/event initiatives.
Dj Party Starter – MC and sound tech for non-traditional events.
Pink Pixie Marketing – Marketing Consultants and overall great peoples.
Audio Affairs Productions – Our DJ Partner team.
DJ Tone Setta – Associate DJ and Logistics Rep.

Pricing:

• $150 hourly rate
• $500 Private Event Package (4hrs)
• $700 Wedding Reception Package (6hrs)
• $1000 Full Wedding (10hrs)
• Ask about additional rates/packages.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ampsquadpro.com
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/ampsquadpro