Punong Guro AJ Smith shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
AJ , really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
When I started this company, 1Wave DJs which will be a registered trademark, I came from a background of being classically trained in percussion and vocal performance. I started when I was 10 years old, but music has always been in my ears since I was a little baby, when my grandfather Brian Smith played Beethoven and Mozart in my ears. My grandmother Ina Mae was the church pianist and I was always around the piano and listening to her practice for services. This is also where I learned the ability to perform in plays and even required to speak in front of the church from time to time as my grandfather would give sermons and spend all of his time writing early in the morning. My mother Kathy had perfect pitch and could name the notes just by hearing them played. She got married to my stepdad, but we didn’t get along much. I was amazed, and as I grew older I was introduced to my first band teacher Mr. Freeborn, and he was very strict with me and wouldn’t let me play drums without private lessons, so I was stuck in a practice room with music, a practice pad, and a metronome for hours. I never really got good at reading music, I just knew how to play it by ear. Once I made it to college at Mesa Community College, that is when I had to learn music theory and aural perception based on the piano and that was hard! I realized that I wanted to get my music out there to people so I learned how to record and engineer music with Andy Seagle and worked on my craft with the music I loved, heavy metal. I even had a rock band on the USS Tortuga LSD 46 when I served in the navy, that is how I paid for college, and performed on the back of the helicopter deck where we had a talent show. Eventually we got to jam with my band Secret of the Ooze in Sasebo, Japan where I was stationed, and funny enough, my grandfather served in the navy and was stationed in Japan too! I will never forget when the new captain saw me and a few officers bringing large boxes filled with drums and guitars, that I had ordered directly to the ship! When I got out I knew the only thing I could do was focus on music, and so I worked as a stage hand and learned everything I could about audio set ups, lighting, and even loading couches that looked like meat slabs onto semi trucks for Lady Gaga, and once moving Elton Johns piano with my bare hands. I kept producing and performing music until I became broke and couldn’t afford to pay for it anymore. I realized that I wasn’t earning that rockstar paycheck yet, and getting into my mid 30s I needed to do something so I started working for a local DJ company because even though I wasn’t technically playing an instrument like before, at least it was music and I would make enough money to survive. What I found out was the being a DJ is being a musician, and I learned all sorts of new music and what people really love to hear and dance to. Eventually the company got nervous because I was taking all their gigs and had no choice but to start my own company, and when they fired me, I created my Wedding Business 1Wave DJs out of spite. I knew nothing about business, nothing about making money other than working for other people. Now everything I have learned has been as an entrepreneur, one day at a time. I worked over 40 jobs and many of them were small businesses from being an gunsmith and armorer for custom AR15s, to auto shops, directional drilling, bouncer, stage hand, Social Security Administration, process server, grocery store, wallpaper factory, concrete, carpentry, plumbing, printer repair company, and even a few things we don’t talk about. If I didn’t know how to do it, I went and worked for that company to learn how. I read many books, I did everything I could to better myself and I learned one thing, people really loved the way I treated them as customers, and others respected me for the way I handled the not so nice customers, and I knew if one day I could just start my own business, they would see I wasn’t a quitter, I wasn’t a failure, I was just learning my own identity and now I am proud to represent myself and 1Wave DJs as the top rated entertainment company in Northern Michigan.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Andrew James William Smith. I am 39 years old and love music. I am an entertainer and an entrepreneur. I am a high level ranking martial artist in the Filipino fighting system called KAFS Combat. My instructor fought in risky operations in the Mindanao by the name of Master Marlon Agol He is not the first person I have trained with who has actually had to take someones life. This training he founded is a close quarter weapons fighting system that is used by the Filipino and US Marine Corps. There are many FMA systems out there, but his is the only one founded by fighting and killing real terrorists. The south Philippines was the only combat zone I ever served in during my time in the US Navy, I did not see any combat during my time served. I have always prepared myself for the worst, by training with the best and most qualified. I have used my moves in self defense from time to time, and they quickly neutralize threats. My parent company 1Wave DJs is not just another DJ company trying to take peoples money and buy fancy stuff. We are dedicated to off the hook parties. I also make my own beats and have put them out there like Treetops, which I made with AI, remixed it, and added my own vocals. www.1wavedjs.com is also a Photography Company now. My lady Cathy helped my build this company for the last 2.5 years and going strong. We are dedicated to taking a boring party, and giving you something to live for. On top of that, we take pictures and videos so you never forget! When people get out of hand, it is not uncommon for me having to choke them out and remove them from bar and club venues, because often times the bouncers are too scared, and I have been a bouncer in many clubs before I worked my way up to be the main guy. Plus we have insurance. Overcoming haters, my own confidence issues, an learning how to be a man is what sets me apart, and why all the ladies flock to my shows, because they want a strong man, who can also take care of their heart on the dance floor. That is what I do best, and you don’t just get a DJ, you get a real guitar player, singer, and beat mahsup artist as your guardian for the night. Now we are training new people, in DJing Photography, and black belts in Martial Arts because we have garnered so much love over the years to help people fall in love, and also stand up for themselves against bullies, there is a demand for the two most powerful weapons on the planet. Fighting, and Love. We teach balance.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
When I was a child, I was kept from talking to my real father David Collins by my immediate family who didn’t want him involved in my life, but he is an actually an incredible person, but I didn’t know that because I wasn’t allowed to speak to him. My father taught me instinct and a very important lesson when I was four years old, and it was how to pluck the guitar and make it sing. He showed me for the few moments we had, what I needed to do for the rest of my life. One day I got back in touch with him when I got out of the military. I found out because my grandmother Ina Mae stilled talked to my Grandma Collins my dads mother, who passed away this year Jan 1st 2026, god rest her soul! She was first generation English and was there in WW2 when bombs were still dropping. I was around 28 years old, and I found out that he loved me so much, and that he held on to a few things for me to prove it to be so. This bad ass guitar he gave me was a Signature Jim Root (Slipknot, Stone Sour) Fender American Stratocaster with EMGs, 24 frets, maple neck and locking tuners. He told me the truth of what had happened, and that he really wanted to be able to talk to me, and I realized I wasn’t an out of control kid, I had a destiny to rock peoples faces, to be a leader for the people, and there was no holding me back. Just because you have people in your life that say they want what is best for you, is sometimes what is best for them. A true parent, who cares about their child teaches them the truth, no matter how bad it hurts. Some parents never grow up, others do.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I have been in trouble many times, but most of them were for tyrannical laws that overstep your rights as an American. Like when I pointed a sling shot at some stupid bully when I was 14, they were talking crap and came at me with a bike chain but I am the one who got in trouble for pushing back. When I was a candidate for the Navy Seals, and went to BUD/S, nobody really believed I actually went when I came out, because I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures, and we were told not to post anything on social media, because we were silent professionals. Now that it has been over 20 years since I have been out of the Navy, I can openly talk about my training. What I learned is that your free will is more important than being told what to do. I dropped out of Hell Week not because it was too hard, even though I almost broke my back, but because the military doesn’t care whether you live or die, or who’s life you take. That being said, the SEALS are still the best, the hardest, the smartest, and I have the upmost respect for those men. After they sent me to a ship, they asked if I wanted to go to rescue swimmer school. I became a rescue swimmer and class leader, and was the primary rescue swimmer on the ship for over 2 years, and would frequently train with the US Marine Corps for assaulting beaches, and go with the VBSS teams to train boarding ships. I was also an operations specialist and watch supervisor in the combat information center, and realized that making decisions for yourself, is way better than being institutionalized. I respect the military, I respect college and university education, and following church cults, and paying 1000s of dollars for secret martial arts training and being in secret societies, and working for other people to do your “job” but those sufferings were the fuel I needed to say, I am my own person, and you don’t need to listen to anyone to be happy. You can find happiness in yourself without anybody’s help.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
People have a perception of me from all the marital arts videos and rockstar stuff, that I am this crazy violent unhinged guy, who is a loose cannon sometimes, and can’t predict what I am going to do next. I think that’s great! I have had many self defense encounters as a martial arts and as a self defense expert, firearms trainer, and DJ I constantly deal with stalkers, learn from law enforcement, listen to unpopular opinions. What I have learned is, when I apologize or go back on what I said, it was really me becoming a victim of manipulation and gaslighting, and the real truth is, people love me. I stand up for the people, I don’t have some vision to control everyone, I am a chill person, who likes to see everyone having fun, and somehow I am the life of the party, the center of attention, and this is called jealousy, envy of my success. The real public vision of the real me is the confident leader, the one who will take that responsibility no one else will, the last guy you ever need to call if you want the job done right, the first time. Whether you like my ideas or not, I keep ending up as #1 for a reason. Couples hire me for their wedding because I am reliable, I solve problems quickly, and create that once in a lifetime experience.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
When I was pursuing being a rockstar, what I learned is that at after that big show, I am broke, tired, and even though fans may appreciate the hard work you put into your craft, the rest of the band or whoever is involved will never be as invested as you. When I reached the top levels of being a martial artist, the same was true, now you just have people trying to test you all the time, trying to hurt you to say, “hey, I beat that guy!” Or you give your money to people who make money off of your videos and pictures, but don’t have any intention of really being your friend and just working on stuff, it’s all about looking cool and the money. Taking advantage of people and becoming bullies. Real life combat cannot be simulated, much like a particle and wave being observed, the circumstances change. The true path is one that says, I know enlightenment is really back to, sweeping the floor, washing the dishes, and being great at boring stuff, because how would you know the difference between what is great and what sucks, without doing what you need to do? Get up, take care of yourself, and don’t worry about yesterday, or tomorrow, because you miss what is important in the present moment. So I continue to pursue being a rockstar, a high level martial artist, a love making DJ, because that is what I was born to do. This time I just do it with the main focus of being on money. Money is actually not evil, it is a symbol of responsibility and brains. Try to do the things you want without it! Just as an eagle is born to hunt, as a plant grows to provide oxygen, a man is born to be the protector of this world and leave a legacy for those to remember, and make money. Money doesn’t always satisfy, but I will say the one thing that I got that does is my special Filipina Lady Cathy Baliuag, and she is the meaning of “so I can get my, satisfaction” Mahal Kita Babe! I am proficient in many types of armed and unarmed combat, I am a fun entertainer, lover, philosopher, John Wayne fan, Guro and motivator for people, carer for the plants and animals, and at one with God and the universe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.1wavedjs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1wavedjs/
- Twitter: https://x.com/1waveDjs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1wavedjs/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/1wave-djs-traverse-city
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@guroajsmith
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/1wavedjs
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@guroajsmith?lang=en
Image Credits
Image credits go to 1Wave DJs TM and Photography Cathy Baliuag and Josh Hartman
