Meet O.J. (DJ O.J.) Driessen | DJ and owner of G.A.B.E. (Gifted Articulate Brilliant Enterprises)

We had the good fortune of connecting with O.J. (DJ O.J.) Driessen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi O.J. (DJ O.J.), what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking is something that I was afraid to do before because of me being comfortable as an employee knowing that on Fridays I will be getting a paycheck. I’ve seen friends and peers excel past me because they took risks. What made me decide to take a risk, was the job I was working at the time. I realized how much time and energy I excerpted into that job. If I can do that for myself, then I too can be successful. Needless to say, the risk I took was quitting that job and never looking back.

As far as what I think about risk taking; one of my mottos is, “You never know unless you try. RISK IT!”

What should our readers know about your business?
G.A.B.E. is the parent company of quite a few businesses. G.A.B.E. mainly focuses on the entertainment industry. We have a recording studio in which we not only record, but we mix and master also.

Under it is an all in one event company where you can get whatever you need for your event (Planning, DJ, Designing, Photography, etc.) There’s also a publishing company, and a soon to be nonprofit.

What sets us apart is that in a cut throat industry, we keep our integrity and honesty intact. We focus in going all out for our clients by providing top notch services.

Getting to where I am today was not easy at all. The thing was that I never gave up, I stayed encouraged, consistent, focused, worked hard, and I was creative.

I overcame challenges by meeting them head on and refusing to give up.

Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that God will bring me through anything. Also, there is nothing that I can not do, so I will not allow another to tell me otherwise.

Someday, I would like the world to know the personal reason behind the name of my brand, but for now, know that my brand is not only about my advancement, but the advancement of others as well. There’s so much I wish to accomplish with this brand, and it’s mainly so that I can help others.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, since my best friend is from the area (College Park), I would actually take her four hours away to where I am from, The Lowcountry of S.C., Hilton Head Island. Some places to check out will be a restaurant called The Shack, owned by Tracey Young, where we will feast on soul food. On Friday nights, Kenny Lambe has a podcast called Guy Code Fridays, so I’d take her to be a guest on there. There’s a Gullah Museum owned by Miss Louise Cohen, where she can learn the history of the Gullah culture and how all people of African descent in America has a direct connection to the area. We would visit other neighboring towns like Bluffton, Hardeeville, Levy, Beaufort, and Savannah. Q. Smalls is a local artist the world needs to hear about. Every summer he has a big event called, “Gullah Life Summer Bash”, in which we would attend. I’d take her to a few of the night clubs in the area, beaches, and locally owned businesses.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are quite a few people that have encouraged me and motivated me along the way, but one person really stands out because he doesn’t know that he has motivated me nor have I ever told him. This person is, Javier Zayas. Javier was my manager at a place I’ve worked at. I heard how he started off in the laundry room, but at the time when he managed myself as well as a whole crew of others, he was in high demand by other companies because of his work ethic. At the same time, that was not what motivated me. There were things he would say to me in conversation and the things that he did. That’s where the saying of you never know who’s watching you or paying attention to you comes into play. I paid close attention to Javier, and not only did I apply what I learned from him to my business, but I applied it in my personal life as well.

But like I said, there are others, but he’s the one person who doesn’t know that he has inspired and motivated. I am forever grateful to him.

I do not want to leave out other who are instrumental to me so I will just mention a few here. Nora Emmanuel (Red Bottoms Ent.), Tissa Williams (Alicia Curtis), Tracey Young (The Shack), Terrell Medley (G.A.B.E.), Corliss Arnold, M.P.C. (Andrew Armstrong, Erin Porter, Eshawn Hall, Rochman Spears, Tone Russell), Milo Maestro, DJ Shakim, Katrina Driessen Carr (K. Carr Body Kouture), Q. Smalls, Chandra Marie, Nagan Anderson, and of course the Gullah Geechee Nation.

Instagram: @DJOJGABE & @OTheWriter1

Twitter: @DJOJGABE & @othewriter

Facebook: @DJOJGABE & @GABEent

Other: DJ O.J. – bookdjoj@gmail.com G.A.B.E. Events – gabeevents79@gmail.com G.A.B.E. (recording, mixing, mastering) – gabeinc79@gmail.com All of the above – Text 678-683-3666