NEW RESIDENT CITY > NEW YORK CITY
Well, some of you remembered that I said at the beginning that you have to play to win. So, I played again and again, and I won US Green (permanent resident) Card. I was finally able to try to live on totally different continent. Is it gonna work? I didn't know at the time, but I couldn't care less if I fail. All I want it is to get out, get out of this unhealthy environment called Serbia. After long administrative work, and a lot of hope that we both put into this "operation", we were "approved" by US administration, and ready for our new life in America. My wife Milly and I both wanted to live in New York City, culture center of the world, so we prepared for the toughest challenge. I was very sad to leave my family and friends, but on the other side very excited and happy for my new opportunity. It was unreal, just like you earned extra life in some video game. So we moved to New York City.
DJing in NYC? Forget about it...
As much as I wanted to continue my DJ career in the states, I knew that it will be impossible for me as a newcomer to enter those magical DJ circles in NYC. As a freshly imported European in NYC, first you have to find any kind of job to work, unless you're some kind of professional and job is already waiting for you. But, before you find a job, you have to find a place to live, which is even harder when you're new here and don't have any credit history. Even before I came to America, I knew that looking for a DJ job was not the best idea for me at all. Music that I'm playing is not commercial and it's considered underground even here where most of it comes from. There are places where soulful house sound is playing, but there is a line of DJs waiting for that spot, and they're locals. I knew that I have to play first on my other skill here in NYC, web design.
Hard to find place to live
As I mentioned, before you find a job, you need to find a place to stay in Manhattan. We weren't so lucky to find it right away, and we have to be in New Jersey for a few months. It was so hard to look for a job in Manhattan from NJ, even harder to travel every day to work if you found one. Without car in New Jersey, you're stuck where you are unless you have bus or train station really nearby. And, if I wanted to live in suburbs, I would probably stay in Serbia, we wanted to live in New York City. So, after few painful months spent mostly in commuting and working basic jobs, we finally found some room to rent in Washington Heights. If we only knew for cheap rooms agencies when we arrived here, we would probably never go to New Jersey at the first place, but what can you do. Some school is paid, some learned on your own.
Web Design in NYC
When I looked for a job in NYC web design market, I found out that it's not gonna be a problem to get one. Web designer was well paid and desirable profession in New York, I was good at it so I found nice job in fashion boutique in Soho called Runaway Connection. It was interesting to work there in first couple of months, you're meeting new people, getting to know fashion business, etc...But, after a while, I found myself bored, job became too repetitive for me, and Instead of making their website store and sell things online, I was more doing design, than redesign, than design again, redesign... It's a fashion world...
Few mistakes
After I left fashion boutique, I worked one year making and maintaining websites for one client. The job was not so exciting, but I learned stuff or two besides web design. However, this was just another dead end for me since there was no progress in salary, and job became lethargic. When you start to ask yourself "what am I doing here?", it's definitely time to move on. I didn't want to look for another job in the online industry, instead I decided to help my wife Milly with her freshly opened Pet Service business. I was a little bit bored of people, and I never had a dog, so why not have many?
Radio ? It was a fu#cking time
As you already figured out, I worked on many FM radio stations, but I never even considered to own one. However, when internet radio became more popular and affordable to have, I decided to start Deep Link internet radio station. I could do it years before, but it looks like I needed some good reason for a start and I got one.
At the time I already mixed and hosted my radio show on UK's Mix The Groove Radio, but we ended up our relationship after guy asked me to pay money for the "slot". Instead of paying him, I paid hosting for my personal radio and I started to play some good DJ mixes for me...and 25 other listeners...That's how DeepLink radio started.
As my internet connection gets worse at the time, I had to temporarily stop with the program, but after I moved to another location, I started it again. This time I used more professional radio software instead of winamp, I was able to play jingles, and I also installed remote connection so I can use my smartphone to control the radio while I'm outside with the dogs. It's a cheap, but functional solution and it works.