Is it time to retire

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!

tunes4046

DJ Extraordinaire
ODJT Supporter
Jul 24, 2008
5,217
9,032
53
Fennimore Wi
I met with my financial planner last night, I had planned on retiring in 5 years when I turn 50, It appears as if I can do this now and live comfortably for rest of my life, I have grown tired of the demanding brides, and long days, but I love the actual DJing and gear acquisition, with the recent roller rink purchase I may actually pull the plug on the headphones, still do the bar gigs as want and the occasional wedding for very specific clients, I really don't know it certainly is a crossroads
 
So, does this mean you're anticipating the roller rink to produce a decent income?
No not necessarily, it doesn't need to do anything but pay for itself, but it will keep me busy, I have seen a lot people who retire from long careers just sit on the couch bored, then in just a couple years they are dead,
 
Good luck Tunes! Sounds like a plan.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
Retiring at 50!!! Congrats to you. That's quite a remarkable accomplishment. I'm retired, and while I'd like so say I recommend it, my wife has made me her personal domestic slave, and I'm working harder than ever. [emoji2]
Unlike you, I STARTED my DJ business to have something to do in retirement to keep me active and engaged. Who knew cleaning bathrooms would keep me active enough??[emoji3] As it turns out, my domestic responsibilities have taken more time than I expected, so my DJ business is floundering a bit.[emoji4] No big deal, but I think I need a little more balance in my life. Make sure you have fun things to do, not just things to do.[emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I met with my financial planner last night, I had planned on retiring in 5 years when I turn 50, It appears as if I can do this now and live comfortably for rest of my life, I have grown tired of the demanding brides, and long days, but I love the actual DJing and gear acquisition, with the recent roller rink purchase I may actually pull the plug on the headphones, still do the bar gigs as want and the occasional wedding for very specific clients, I really don't know it certainly is a crossroads

If you're able to retire get out and enjoy life. I'm the same age as you and I picture working until at least 60 possibly 65. It's good to have the roller rink for something to do and being able to DJ when you want is a bonus also. Maybe you could DJ at the roller rink

Either way best of luck
 
It's good to have the roller rink for something to do and being able to DJ when you want is a bonus also. Maybe you could DJ at the roller rink

Better still, use the roller rink to train and try out a stable of young DJs who you can hire cheap and book out at more expensive events.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fred Wright
Better still, use the roller rink to train and try out a stable of young DJs who you can hire cheap and book out at more expensive events.
I tried to multi-op it's not my thing people hire me for what I can do and my personality, I stressed out way too much when I had others doing gigs I lasted less than 6 months in the multi-op game
 
Yea .. corner the market on roller-rink DJs ..
 
Maybe we can bring Disco back .. whoop whoop.
 
If I read it correctly, you're actually 45 years old. Definitely cool if you can retire now!

I got out at 57, obviously not as young as you, but still young enough that lots of people over the years have asked me the same question - "should I retire". My answer is always the same - if you love your job, keep working. If you don't, get out. Only you can answer that.

At 57 I was doing rotating shift work 24/7, 365 days a year, so my decision was probably easier.

If you go out young, you need activities to keep you busy, and you need to take care of yourself. If you don't, you will join the legion of people who's legs have given out and now ride electric carts at Walmart.

I would say your acquisition of the roller rink is fortuitous and you could do far worse than this -
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK3Yvlv0Mvg


If any of you have ever been to Central Park in NYC, this is the CPDSA - Central Park Dance Skaters Association. First time I saw this there was a lady, maybe 90 years old, just jamming to the music, and she looked like she could kick my butt! I bought skates the next day.

It's a little hard to tell from the video, but they are skating an oval, same as a roller rink. I would assume something similar goes on at the one you bought. Nothing wrong with DJ'ing AND wearing skates!!

A slight edit - if any of you want to try jamming on skates, always, always wear your wrist guards.
 
Last edited:
Retiring at 50!!! Congrats to you. That's quite a remarkable accomplishment. I'm retired, and while I'd like so say I recommend it, my wife has made me her personal domestic slave, and I'm working harder than ever. [emoji2]
Unlike you, I STARTED my DJ business to have something to do in retirement to keep me active and engaged. Who knew cleaning bathrooms would keep me active enough??[emoji3] As it turns out, my domestic responsibilities have taken more time than I expected, so my DJ business is floundering a bit.[emoji4] No big deal, but I think I need a little more balance in my life. Make sure you have fun things to do, not just things to do.[emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm thinkin you need to hit the trail with that jeep. Use it for what it was made for. :)

If you're able to retire get out and enjoy life. I'm the same age as you and I picture working until at least 60 possibly 65. It's good to have the roller rink for something to do and being able to DJ when you want is a bonus also. Maybe you could DJ at the roller rink

Either way best of luck

65 is my plan too.

If you go out young, you need activities to keep you busy, and you need to take care of yourself. If you don't, you will join the legion of people who's legs have given out and now ride electric carts at Walmart.

If any of you have ever been to Central Park in NYC, this is the CPDSA - Central Park Dance Skaters Association. First time I saw this there was a lady, maybe 90 years old, just jamming to the music, and she looked like she could kick my butt! I bought skates the next day.

It's a little hard to tell from the video, but they are skating an oval, same as a roller rink. I would assume something similar goes on at the one you bought. Nothing wrong with DJ'ing AND wearing skates!!

I agree - and regardless of age, you need to get out and keep busy.

Jam Skating is SO cool. You can usually spot a few that can do this at quite a few rinks. I've been skating since I was in elementary school but I can't Jam Skate. IMO, you have to have the dancing gene to be able to do it. On the music side, I have also helped out with DJ work in a few of these places - and I totally agree, nothing wrong with DJ'ing and wearing skates.

For those in the know, my favorite pair of skates - Hard Candy plates with Labeda boots. Those were the BEST! My current pair is Riedell boots, SG Nova plates, China Bones Reds bearings and Atom LowBoy wheels. I like the new Powerdyne Arius plate - different way to attack the lateral movement of the trucks.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Bobcat
I hope you're going to tell me that you went through the woods and the creeks and used the Jeep for its enhanced capabilities. ;)
Yep... not as much as I wanted to, but I did do some exploring on the back roads around Marble Falls. The Jeep (and the big mud tires) was perfect for the hill country terrain... lots of fun![emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SEDJ and ittigger
It sounds like you are ready to slow down your DJ Business, BUT you are not ready to hang up the head phones. I believe you will still be a working DJ, but just end up booking considerably less number of events every year. ...Mostly by choice, but somewhat by the fact that there will be less work coming your way in the future, and you will be fine with that moving forward since you will have this skating rink.


As for Multi Ops. I honestly believe the big days of Multi Ops are over. I have noticed the big multi ops decline over the last 10 years slowly. Today, the big multi op is falling into extinction. ...Good for solo ops, or small operations. ...The Recession killed many of the big multi ops off. Now it's Lead generation services, and the fact that there just isn't enough work out there on Fridays and Sundays to keep a multi op busy enough to survive.

In my area, the biggest multi op closed down in 2015. The other multi ops are all smaller...maybe just a hand full of employed DJs with each operation. ...Outside of that you have agencies, or honestly just 1 man shows and they have a few DJs they collaborate with that that sub contract work to here and there. The Pros...They barely exist in this area today. They aren't even 1/10th as big as they were a decade ago.
 
If you can do it and live comfortably, I say go for it. I can retire in five years, which will put me at 41. I definitely don't see myself just sitting around at the house. I plan on continuing to DJ and I will probably try to find something else as well. I will probably have to just in order to pay for the tuition to send my 3 kids through high school for the next 13 years.
My plan is to do just that. I also would like for my wife to be able to quit her job so she can be the stay at home Mom she has always wanted to be.
 
I do have a full schedule for 2016 and 12 booking for 2017 as of right now, I gues my first decision will be to decide whether or not to keep accepting bookings
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger