Some people love music but Lissa Monet lives it.

It seems the Lissa has always been surrounded by music, even as a child. She recalls growing up with her parents from Trinidad & Tobago and Granada and there always being a huge Soca and Reggae presence in her home. Then, in elementary school her parents would set an alarm for her that turned on an 80’s radio station to wake her up. In high school she went to the Cardinal Academy for the Arts and studied Music. There she was introduced to classical and choral music as well as music theory and musical composition.

But her musical education didn’t stop in the classroom, she would listen to music in the shower, while studying for exams, before going to bed and on long subway rides. And so she began comparing music styles from the classical era to current music, noting the similarities and differences.

And while she wasn’t always certain exactly what she wanted to do when she grew up, Lissa knew she wanted to work in the music business. Not as a singer or someone front and center stage, but someone behind the scenes or at a music label.

These day’s she’s living her dreams as a DJ and Lifestyle Marketing Consultant for Sony. While the consulting gig differs from her job as a DJ, Lissa enjoys that it allows her to discover new artists and music bloggers as she connects Sony with lifestyle brands that can help promote an artist. Then she sets up contests and website takeovers to target the right demographic for the artist who is being promoted or releasing an album.

It’s safe to say that this ability to read different demographics’ likes and dislikes is also something she applies to her work as a DJ. Self described as a bit off the cuff and quick with mixes, she carefully reads her crowd, gauging the direction that the night will go musically based on her audience.

The result? Lissa is the four time winner of the Female DJ Stylus Award. Given to DJs in Canada to award them for their accomplishments for the year, Lissa describes them as being like the Grammys of the Canadian DJ scene. While they’re no longer around, the awards still mean a lot to the DJs who have won or been nominated.

But success for Lissa has meant more than just awards, it has meant the invitation to play gigs not just across Canada, but around the world. The most interesting place she’s had a gig was in Africa where she DJayed for a nightclub opening. Other favorite gigs include spinning for U2 at the TIFF Opening Gala and for Usher at his official concert afterparty.

This year is bringing some changes for Lissa, however, as she plans to take a small step back from DJing full time to focus on her next challenge. She’ll be creating Social Lifestyle Experiences in the form of events, especially for people who want a change from the club scene. While it has been a fun transition for Lissa, she stresses that it doesn’t mean she’s done DJing. She’s still looking forward to flying out to Miami to spin the SweetHeat festival for Miami pride in May as well as DJ a slew of weddings in May, June, and July!

How did you hear of about.me and what made you sign up for it?

I actually heard of about.me through someone I followed on Twitter and just signed up for it!

What’s your favorite feature on the platform?

I love the fact that I can find people/brands/interests through other people’s Collections. It helps me pinpoint a search and find people with similar interests. (Be sure to check out Lissa’s collection’s here)

How are you using the platform on other digital mediums?

Yes! It’s been in my signature from the time I signed up! It’s been very helpful 🙂

Have you used about.me to connect with others on the platform?

Not really, but I have gotten some pretty dope DJ gigs from people who have reached out to me via about.me.

Don’t forget to check out Lissa’s page to leave her some compliments and learn more about what she’s up to this year.

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Eliana Arredondo is the Community Manager for about.me. She is a graduate of Stanford University.