Conversations with Ryan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan.

Hi Ryan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The origin of By Request dates back to around 2002 when the owner, Ryan ran the show in place of a no-show Dj from another company who dropped off equipment but failed to provide an entertainer at a school event. Ryan, having just as much fun working as the students in attendance at the event went on to perform at youth groups and eventually weddings at a small banquet hall armed with nothing more than a couple books of cds, a microphone and modest sound system. Over the next decade, the events, music library and equipment inventory would all increase in size. Ryan also spent time working for other companies where he was trained on a variety of processes and techniques used by some of the areas’ industry veterans. Outside of working as a wedding and event Dj, Ryan has spent time as a nightclub Dj, wedding videographer, wedding bartender and with a catering company – so he has seen a lot in the industry.

Over the years the team would grow, CDs were replaced with computers, paper forms became electronic, photobooths became a wedding staple, the popularity of songs would ebb and flow and certain fads would come and go – but one thing stayed the same – our clients’ desire for a fun, yet elegant event.

Currently, Ryan manages a team of eight Djs seasonally at By Request and is a national trainer at the Dj Expo, training up and coming Djs on how to conduct a professional performance and instilling best practices in the industry.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not always been smooth and challenges have certainly increased since the pandemic. Most of the issues revolve around the current labor market.

First, navigating the pandemic came with it’s own challenges including postponements, cancellations then eventually working through a backlog of reschedules requiring extra staff and equipment.

Shortly after, the labor landscape changed and many people desired to work less and have their weekends back (on top of some of our Djs retiring or raising young families which severely limited their availability).

While the job looks glamorous to many outsiders (you get paid to party, right?), once new trainees realize that playing music is only a fraction of what the job entails, many realize it’s not for everyone and go in a different direction. For example, as a wedding and event Dj, you are part mover, part setup crew, part planner, part logistics manager, announcer/mc, tech specialist and music formatter. That’s a lot of hats!

There’s also an aspect of having to keep a pulse on the industry as a whole, which has drastically changed since the pandemic – and largely because of reels featured on social media. The hottest song, dance and trend can change by the week. If you don’t keep up, you’re not relevant. If you’re not relevant, you won’t get bookings.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Professionally, while I still manage By Request on a “full time” basis, it is largely seasonal work with a sometimes inconsistent schedule. That said, I still hold another job in the IT/Healthcare space.

Surprisingly, a lot of the tech skills, are transferrable between the two industries and give us a competitive advantage to be able to innovate.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I would consider myself a “calculated” risk taker. Generally, I will only take on moderate risk and walk into it with a contingency plan.

While everyone takes on “small risks” everyday, I can’t recall the largest risk I have taken on. Over the years we have added new team members, services and even participated in new ventures. Like all innovators and companies, some ideas and investments have proven to be more successful than others. That said, we’re on track to unveil some new things to our market in Ohio in 2026 so stay tuned!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://byrequestmobiledjs.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byrequestmobiledjs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byrequestmobiledjs
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-von-ahn/