How To Be a DJ, Not a Playlist with Tom Nash

How To Be a DJ, Not a Playlist with Tom Nash

From How To! with Charles Duhigg by How To!

February 17, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

Mike Pesca interviews DJ Tom Nash to help a lawyer transition into a club DJ.

Stewart has built a respectable career as a lawyer in Montreal, but he's yearning to chase a very different dream: becoming a club DJ. He knows how to curate a killer playlist, but the leap to commanding a live room feels intimidating and technically out of reach. On this episode: How To!'s Mike Pesca brings on Tom Nash, a former top Sydney club DJ (known as DJ Hookie) who spins using prosthetic hooks. Tom offers Stewart guidance on bypassing the technical hurdles to truly read a crowd, building a music brand from "scratch"—and why the DJ's one true job is to delight the audience. Executive Producer Corey Wara Edited by Geoff Craig Booking by Lya Yanne Do you have a burning question or a problem you need help with? Email us at [email protected] and we will consider your topic for the show. For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To receive ad-free content, become a Pesca Plus subscriber at ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Pesca

Guest: Tom Nash

Topics covered

  • DJing
  • music brand
  • live performance
  • audience engagement
  • technical skills

Keywords

  • DJ
  • playlist
  • live crowd
  • music brand
  • audience delight

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Peach Fish Projects, DJ Hookie

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