What drew you to emceeing weddings?<\/h2>\n
My introduction to weddings was through my dad who is a wedding photographer \u2014 he has been one for the last 35+ years, since before I was born. I\u2019ve always been kind of aware of the space and how everything works because he works out of home. A part of what I used to do is help my dad with video editing. So that\u2019s what gave me an idea of how the whole \u201cwedding flow\u201d runs.<\/p>\n
Do you recall your gateway gig?<\/h2>\n
I\u2019ve always been on stage in some way or another since I was a kid. Before emceeing, in my years as an instructor in a dance company, teaching students across ages and across cities helped me gain the confidence to speak in front of a room full of people. I would host the student recitals that were regularly held. When I moved back to Mumbai, my dad said to me, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you just try [emceeing]?\u201d He had a client who had hired him as a wedding photographer, and he pitched me as an emcee for the wedding \u2014 this was 2013. There was another key event I hosted in 2014 \u2014 the wedding of a family friend. That was an event that changed the way I host because I still meet people who remember me from that wedding.<\/p>\n
![\"Flowers\"](\"https:\/\/website-frontend-uat.1finance.co.in\/1f-dashboard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Bouquet-of-Flowers_Newman-DSilva_Spot-Illustrations-by-Studio-Paperheads-for-1-Finance-Magazine-300x300.png\")
<\/div>\nHow do you balance your passions \u2014 art, dance, and hosting events?<\/h2>\n
The dance thing is, at this point in my life, completely out of the picture. The only dancing I do now would be at events. A few years ago, it used to balance itself out. I would treat visual arts as a day job. Most events happen either post 6pm or on weekends. This year, I made the active choice of not taking on any new design work during wedding season \u2014 from November to February \u2014 because I know my calendar is decently occupied with events.<\/p>\n
What, in your experience, makes for a great event?<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s very hard to predict how an event is going to go. Alcohol does help, I\u2019m not going to lie; not for me, but for people attending the function. But beyond that, I would say, because I host weddings the most, the couple getting married really sets the tone for everything. If they are stressed out, that passes on to their family, which passes on to the other people around them. So, one of the first things I like to tell couples is \u201cFor only one day, you need to be present. Relax, and chill. Because if you\u2019re having a good time, everybody\u2019s having a good time.\u201d What also works is not overplanning. That\u2019s a big one because sometimes people are very particular about minor details, and it affects them so much. The DJ plays a very important role in all of this. A bad DJ can ruin a great crowd.<\/p>\n
![\"DJ](\"https:\/\/website-frontend-uat.1finance.co.in\/1f-dashboard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Speaker_Newman-DSilva_Spot-Illustrations-by-Studio-Paperheads-for-1-Finance-Magazine-300x300.png\")
<\/div>\nDo you remember when you first realised the importance of managing your own finances or when you first took the initiative to invest? Over the years, have you encountered any experiences or learnings around managing debt and liabilities?<\/h2>\n
I don\u2019t remember a specific moment, but saving money is part of my personality. I used to DJ part-time when I was in college \u2014 even then, I would save about 50% of what I got. FDs are a big part of how I save, I\u2019m pretty old-school like that. I want to get into investing in mutual funds, which is something I\u2019ve been talking about for the last five years. But, for some reason, I cannot wrap my head around how they work. I don\u2019t have any experiences dealing with EMIs or loans. The only time I buy myself stuff is when it\u2019s for work. In fact, the only investment I\u2019ve made in the last couple of years would be buying myself suits because I use them for events. I really want to buy myself a house, but at this point I am averse to the idea of taking on loans, which is probably why it will take me a bit longer to achieve.<\/p>\n
Financially, with work being concentrated at certain times of the year, how does that play out?<\/h2>\n
December is the peak. I would say I end up earning from the few months at the end of the year. Of course, more work is good, but if the start of the year has been a bit slow, and I\u2019ve had a lull period during the monsoons, once I know my calendar and bookings, I know the end of the year is going to cover up for any lost income.<\/p>\n
Did the decision to follow your passion affect your personal finances? If yes, how?<\/h2>\n
I would say it\u2019s definitely been a positive impact. Doing what I enjoy doing has taken a little bit of time to become fruitful, but as of right now it\u2019s great.<\/p>\n
As for how I handle my money, I feel like I\u2019ve become even more cautious. I have no issues spending for my family or people I love, but I think I have a weird aversion to spending money on myself. I also have this weird fear of dying broke. Maybe it\u2019s this subconscious need to save money for the future.<\/p>\n
![\"spending](\"https:\/\/website-frontend-uat.1finance.co.in\/1f-dashboard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Suit_Newman-DSilva_Spot-Illustrations-by-Studio-Paperheads-for-1-Finance-Magazine-300x300.png\")
<\/div>\nWhen you started emceeing, did you experience any anxiety with regard to embracing a new career path?<\/h2>\n
When I entered this new industry, I think the insecurities I had were about being able to sustain myself at least for the next ten years; I want to get the same amount of work that I get now, and that is an insecurity I still have. Ten years from now, I may not be able to do the type of work that I\u2019m doing, at the energy level that I have right now. I can probably do it for another five years. But then I kind of need to tweak my approach and continue doing what I\u2019m doing.<\/p>\n
How much can someone working in this space expect to earn?<\/h2>\n
I can give you a rough idea. The pricing range has changed quite a bit over the last few years. In the Catholic wedding market, a good emcee, someone who gets booked at least a year in advance, would cost you between \u20b925,000 to \u20b930,000. It could be more but this is the ballpark. That being said, you can also get an emcee who will host an event for \u20b93,000. Of course, the pricing comes with the quality that they offer. The rate is per event, and each event usually runs for about four hours. Internationally, I know that emcees charge per hour but here it\u2019s not that way.<\/p>\n
Do you have any specific financial goals that you\u2019re working towards right now?<\/h2>\n
I want to buy a house in Goa. That\u2019s what I\u2019m working towards but I\u2019m in no hurry. Another goal would be having enough money to sustain myself over the next 15\u201320 years. In terms of saving every month, I know I\u2019m saving enough. I don\u2019t have a specific amount that I want to set aside, because as I mentioned, I\u2019m very careful with the way I spend my money.<\/p>\n
Tell us a little bit about what you\u2019re looking forward to and\/or working on next.<\/h2>\n
In terms of hosting, 2022 has been my biggest year yet. As of mid-December, I have hosted 152 events in 2022. The goal for the year was to earn a certain amount of money that I\u2019ve now crossed off my list, so I\u2019m thankful for that. I would like to do the same amount, if not more events, next year \u2014 without killing myself. I also want to do more art. I want to get back to illustrating daily, just for myself.<\/p>\n
Newman D\u2019silva\u2019s MoneySign\u2122 is Vigilant Turtle. Discover yours here.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Newman D\u2019silva has hosted over 500 events since 2013 \u2014 but that\u2019s not all he\u2019s been up to. He is also an illustrator, especially when it\u2019s off-season for weddings. In a former life, he used to be a dance instructor. Back then, he\u2019s performed on stage at the IIFA awards and toured the USA with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3681,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_updated_date":""},"blog-category":[292],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n