Meet Michelle DJ Chelley Chelle” Warren | Electrical Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle “DJ Chelley Chelle” Warren and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle “DJ Chelley Chelle”, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to do everything I want to try. I want to make sure my perspective is not rooted in a possibility of things not being able to happen. I seek to fully immerse myself in anything I want to do, so instead of saying “I’ll try”, I just do. Having the courage to go for something builds those muscles of resilience and trust in oneself. And that inner trust and intrinsic motivation is the most important thing when pursing a professional engineering career and an entrepreneurial career at the same time.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I don’t have a typical background. I’m an Electrical Engineer by trade, with a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Howard University (Class of 2016). I then took my degree and talents to Seattle where I worked at the Boeing Company for 5 years on Autonomy Product Development. The job gave me a wealth of knowledge and experience that influenced me to pursue my PhD full time at Georgia Tech in 2021. During the 2020 COVID quarantine, I had an opportunity to work remote which granted me more time and access to pursue other interests. A visit to my uncle’s house was where my DJ career began. For my last year in Seattle before moving to Atlanta, I threw parties for friends and practiced my skills. When I moved to Atlanta in July 2021, I was introduced to DJ Aha the Amazing, the best friend of one of my Seattle friends. He showed me more tips and tricks, helped me get set up with equipment for doing gigs, and got me started occasionally DJing at Krab Queenz for weekend brunch and dinner. It was not easy starting a PhD and starting to actualize my DJ potential. Finding free time has definitely been my greatest struggle, along with using time that is set aside for rest to actually rest and not plan. I’m realizing that despite my motivation levels, consistency is the most important thing. I used to think that I could not be an entrepreneur because I’m not a great salesman, until I found a service I’m passionate enough to provide. Now stitching that passion with planning, keeping financial records, making content, and networking has shown me that I can be a successful business woman. Quitting my job and deciding to pursue my PhD in Electrical Engineering has shown me the power of pivoting and making a choice for myself, and that lesson trickled down into me having the courage to pursue being a DJ in Atlanta. I can’t say that I always had the vision for this, but now after DJing for music summits, Howard Homecoming, private parties, and more, I see the potential and I’m rocking with the results.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I like to give my friends the opportunity to find balance. We may go out to drink, dance, and party at RnB night at Traffik or a random night at Republic. But we also would make time for self care and visit Jeju Spa or Chateu Elan Winery Resort. Since we have to eat, we’ll get a taste of some soul food for brunch or dinner and also make sure we visit a Farmer’s Market for fresh fruits. Depending on the weekend, we might visit the High Museum of Art to get some culture and learn. If my friend can skate, I gotta take them to Cascade on Sunday night. We might go to a candlelight orchestra night advertised by Secret Atlanta, Northside Tavern for some live blues, or another venue with live music. Other than that, I’d introduce them to people in my wonderful tribe I’ve made here in Atlanta that keep me going on a regular basis. There are few things more important that connecting with people.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the tribe that has blessed me throughout the years. I of course want to shout out my mom for raising me to pursue any interest without fear; my dad for teaching me not to take any wooden nickels; my sisters for showing me how important it is to be a good friend; my uncle Shelley and cousin Shelquan for teaching me how to DJ; my aunt Cherri for mentoring me through young adulthood; countless friends that motivate me daily and bless me with their existence; co-workers and managers for enabling my development through experiences with them; my grandma for establishing the foundation of having fun with everything I do; and Bell Hooks for eloquently describing how to love in a very digestible way in her book All About Love.

Website: https://linktr.ee/michelledominica

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelledominica/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-d-warren/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/casualmagical

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.warren.353

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGzSTWc8vphdCi9vheoj8A