Herbie De Guzman: Dance, DJing, Audio Engineering, and Filling Your Cup

J.R. Yonocruz sits down with Herbie De Guzman—dancer-turned-DJ and audio professional—to talk about growing up Filipino in San Diego, learning Tagalog through family and karaoke, and pivoting from kinesiology to an audio career that led to SeaWorld and Universal Studios. Herbie shares how DJing started as a way to keep dancers moving, why sound quality and engineering matter, and what makes a good DJ—reading the room and serving the crowd. They also discuss grief, aging parents, a recent breakup, and Herbie’s guiding takeaway: fill your own cup first so you can pour into others.

01:24 First Podcast Vibes
04:24 Moving to LA from SD
10:58 Filipino Culture and Tagalog
15:15 From Kinesiology to Audio
19:49 SeaWorld to Universal Audio
25:55 Audio Career Advice
28:51 DJ vs Audio Engineering
31:02 What Makes a Great DJ
33:18 Reading the Room
36:00 Talking About Mortality
38:56 Cherish Your Parents
41:57 Breakups and True Love
46:56 Rapid Fire Questions
50:02 Best Advice: Fill Your Cup
52:18 Definition of Success
57:58 Media Recs
01:01:07 Gratitude and Wrap Up

Guest bio:
Former Dance Director for 220, Veteran DJ in the San Diego Club Scene, Former Audio & Media Studio Engineer for SeaWorld San Diego, Audio Mixer for Universal Studios Theme Park. Now also part of the production team for Seafood City's "Late Night Madness".

• Instagram: @isolatorbeats / https://www.instagram.com/isolatorbeats/

Links/resources:

• OTG #68: Rani Bungay
• OTG #38: Yerson Ochoa
• “Your mom shows you an unfunny video” (IG reel by @lifewfarzy)
• Liquid Vitamin B-Complex (Amazon - affiliate link)
• Unoffendable by Brant Hansen (audiobook - affiliate link)
• The Men We Need by Brant Hansen (audiobook - affiliate link)

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One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.

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