ABOUT NOT A PANDA
Professional when it matters. Ridiculous when acceptable.
I’m Anthony “Tony” Garcia, the owner and DJ behind Not A Panda, an event entertainment company serving West Florida and beyond.
I don’t think you should have to hire someone based on polished presentation and a bunch of sales-y-ness, then just hope you like the person who actually shows up.
You’re hiring a real person to spend hours around your family, friends, guests, and vendors. So I’d rather show you exactly who that person is.
My favorite English teacher may have figured me out before I did:
“Tony, you have the most peculiar oscillation between being Sophisticated in one moment and surprisingly Silly in the next.”
— Mrs. Wilson, English teacher
Apparently, some things don’t change.
ORIGIN STORY
I always knew I wanted to work with people. Before DJing, I kept gravitating toward jobs where communication, relationships, and earning people’s trust was the job.
I also liked odd work—stuff that's a little off the beaten path.
Which meant that, naturally, I occasionally browsed Craigslist to see what unusual (and hopefully legal) opportunities people were posting.
Then one day I saw one that stuck out like a sore thumb:
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A DJ FOR WEDDINGS?
Me: Not until today!
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
EXHIBIT A
Of course I answered his questionaire, but not before hitting him with THIS bad boy:
YEARS LATER, he goes
“When I saw that gif I knew I had found the right man for the job: Someone who was professional, but still knew how to have fun.”
THE
PROFESSIONAL
PART
Planning. Timelines. Communication. Details. Contingencies.
I'm unusually proactively involved in your timeline, reviewing my notes, giving you and your other vendors reminders about "the next thing", and so on.
You should be allowed to be a passenger at your event, not the driver.
THE
FUN
PART
I have a great time when the room is having a great time.
One of my favorite things is playing the song that makes people look at each other and go:
“NO WAY!”
It doesn’t need to be my personal taste in music. It needs to be right for your people.
I’m there to read the room, embrace the unique requests, keep people engaged, and help create the kind of moments everybody talks about afterward.
THE
IMPORTANT
PART
Knowing which one the moment requires.
Sometimes you need the guy keeping an eye on the timeline and quietly coordinating with the photographer.
Sometimes you need the guy willing to make a witty comeback or put on Amish Paradise.
A good event needs both.