Breaking down barriers and finding success. With Lianne Cole

Show notes: In this episode, I’m chatting to Lianne Cole, a female wedding DJ, live vocalist and entertainer who is right at the beginning of her journey in the wedding industry. Lianne’s route into weddings hasn’t exactly been a straightforward one. With a Master’s in opera performance behind her, she’s worked across a whole mix of different industries and businesses before finding her way into DJing and entertainment. She now brings together her love of performing and her passion for music through LMC, combining live vocals with high-energy DJ sets. We talk about what it’s actually like trying to establish yourself when you’re new to the wedding industry, particularly as a female DJ in what has traditionally been a very male-dominated space. Lianne shares some of the challenges she’s come up against, from seeing the same male DJs repeatedly recommended in local wedding groups to feeling like female DJs can sometimes be brought in simply to tick a box. We also talk about why visibility matters, the importance of having more women represented in the industry and how venues and suppliers could help create more opportunities for people who are newer to the wedding world. Lianne's TikTok Time stamps: 01:37 - Leanne's Background & Opera Journey 13:57 - Gender and the DJ Industry: Women in Opera, Weddings, and Beyond 19:41 - Confronting Sexual Harassment in the Industry 27:34 - Unearthing the Gender Gap: Getting On Venue Supplier Lists 35:16 - Marketing on a Shoestring: Visibility Strategies for New DJs