By Stacy Zemon, Publisher & Chief Scribe
For the last two decades Brooklyn Dicent has been entertaining people in corporate and private events. She owns and operates Brooklyn Dicent Entertainment out of Seattle Washington. With her booking calendar filled with events, Brooklyn performs in front of close to 6,000 people a year as an MC and DJ Entertainer.
Brooklyn combines blends her passion for stage skills, stand-up comedy, and dynamic interaction techniques to engage audiences.
“Comedy takes courage. You have to be comfortable in your own skin and trust your intuition—better yet your guts! It forced me to develop thinking and performance skills that are essential in this business. One big lesson I learned in stand-up is that you have to open strong and get them to like you in the first few seconds. At weddings as in comedy, the audience does not know who you are. You have to establish credibility from the start. But not only that they have to like you right away. You have 6-10 seconds. The rest of the night will be based on the opening words. I use all of me to get them on my side. I use meticulously crafted words combined with physical gestures that signals, “I am leading this journey and you are in good hands. You can trust me”
Brooklyn started her DJ career at twenty-two when her friend, a local club owner, asked her to fill in a few nights a month. Brooklyn took the challenge seriously. She studied local DJs and practiced as much as she could.
The day came when she filled in for the resident DJ. She started playing tunes and did something that would become her signature style: She used the mic to engage the crowd. Partygoers quickly recognized her fun Latin house style of music and her mic skills. As a result, Brooklyn worked her way into radio as an announcer, voice over actor, DJ, and eventually production manager.
It wasn’t until 2008 though, that she performed at her first wedding. That’s where Brooklyn fell in love with the wedding industry and her business took off. In her quest for knowledge, she went to her first DJ convention – Mobile Beat – in Las Vegas. She also continually surrounds herself with mentors.
More than just a DJ, Brooklyn is also a Motivational Humorist & Stage Performance Coach Brooklyn Dicent has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX affiliates sharing her insights on how to Own Your Stage!
She travels the globe speaking and coaching solo artists, performers, speakers, and trainers on how to harness the power of humor. I asked Brooklyn how she got involved in this line of work.
“I’m a preacher’s kid. My dad asked me to perform my first sermon at 12 years old. The moment I hit the stage, I was hooked on phonics! I used humor, stories, and emotion to convey my message. The audience’s response was so positive it was overwhelming. I knew right then I had found my calling. Then at 16 I was watching TV and was spellbound by a man speaking in a familiar style, yet he never mentioned God. I wondered “Why am I feeling so good, yet this guy is not talking about God?” He was making think about and envision what was possible in my life. The next day I went to the library—for our young readers, that was our way to Google! I researched the heck out of this guy. He was Mr. Les Brown: one of the biggest motivational speakers of our time. Soon after I began studying him and all his friends, Tony Robins, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, and many others. They became my mentors and coaches. When most kids wanted to go to parties I wanted to go to seminars and listen to speakers. In fact I missed prom to attend a seminar in another state. It was that important to me!
Learning to use stage performance skills has benefited me beyond the stage. One day during a meeting with a couple I discovered I was doing something that was yielding amazing results. I started to test the strategy in every sales meeting. I kept closing sales, even when I increased my rates to match the best in my market. I realized that humor and story telling was a powerful way to get people to listen and eventually trust me. Over time I worked on the techniques everywhere and the outcome has been unbelievable.”
After reading Brooklyn’s story, if you feel motivated to follow a similar path, here are her words of wisdom for you:
“In order to captivate and connect with an audience they need to know YOU. Ironically, it’s when you show them your vulnerable side full of imperfections that they will see you as one of them. When they get to know YOU, then automatically begin to feel a sense of trust and confidence that you will do what you say you will do. The key is engaging your audience, be it a room full or a couple sitting across from you, using humor and stories. Stories get people to listen and pay attention. When they listen they buy YOU, again and again, and again. Close more sales, grow your business, and leave them wanting more!”
Brooklyn Dicent has an undergraduate degree in Organizational Behavior from Norwich University and a Master’s in Corporate Education. You can email her c/o [email protected].
Check out Brooklyn’s Promo Video! And here’s an interview with her about how to be good on stage!
