MAC Maker Profiles: Shawna Nicols

The MAC Makers program is a group of creative and connected thought leaders who our Club annually to elevate our Members’ experience by curating programming and further connecting with our community. These forward-thinkers deserve an introduction:

Name: Shawna Nicols, A.K.A. DJ Shawna

Member since: 2023

Occupation: DJ, producer, entrepreneur

Resides in: Downtown Milwaukee. Grew up in Milwaukee’s Story Hill neighborhood

Family: Mom Beth Weirick (another local celebrity as President of Downtown BID #21), Dad Vince Nicols and brother Justin. Erica Phillipson, significant other

Hobbies: Spending quality time with “her people,” and trying new restaurants. She especially loves 3rd Street Market Hall and the Milwaukee Public Market

Claim to Fame: Being the Bucks World Championship DJ 
(“But I didn’t start that, I just showed up to work that day!” she admits. Four years later, and she’s definitely earned the title).

How she defines wellness: Being authentic to yourself and in everything you do

After a stint in Europe playing professional basketball, Shawna Nicols returned to the U.S. unsure of what to do next. So, she cold-called the NCAA and left a rambling voicemail. By a stroke of luck, and through a bit of serendipity, she would go on to become the Women’s Final Four DJ. The woman on the receiving end of that voicemail had an affiliation with Wisconsin when she was playing basketball for the Badgers.

In 2017, Shawna became Marquette Women’s DJ and host under the leadership of Coach Carolyn Kieger (who she played against in college). Shortly after, she became one of the only female DJs in the NBA.  Now in her fourth season as the official DJ for the Milwaukee Bucks, she has become a household name. Shawna infuses all of her work with her infectious positive energy and with her commitment to the Milwaukee community.

“I just kept showing up and saying yes,” she says. “And to this day, I am still so grateful when opportunities come my way.”

Shawna is every bit as kind and authentic as her public persona suggests. She inspires others to live life to the fullest through her brand, Dare to Be. This brand encompasses a children’s book, clothing line, video content, and more. “I never want to regret not trying something,” she says. This motto and approach to life informs everything that she does and it allows her to be a part of something bigger than herself– a lesson she also learned from her days on the court.

Shawna calls herself an “introverted extrvert,” so she relishes her quiet time and her days off to recharge. She admits that she only got into DJing as something to do with her hands so that she would feel less awkward in social situations.

Basketball has always been her first love. She played at UW-Madison for three years, until she was forced to take a break due to too many concussions. She started DJing full-time after college but soon realized that she had to find a way back to basketball. As soon as she got a doctor to release her from mandatory rest and recovery, she left to fulfill her dream and played basketball for two years in Holland, Germany and England. 

Upon returning to the U.S., she began to train elite players during the day and DJ at clubs in the evening. As her DJ career began to take off, she realized quickly that music and production could very well be a viable path. “There hasn’t been a blueprint for my career. I just keep an open mind, keep moving forward and doing things that are authentic to me,” she says.

Now, music is embedded in her life so much that she even has soundtracks for everyday tasks. Personally, I am a big fan of her Dare to Be playlist when I need a pick-me-up. Shawna’s go-to song is a tie between "Head & Heart" by Joel, and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston. But of course, she gets pretty excited when she listens to her first single “Never Give Up," too.

As for a job even cooler than being the DJ for the Milwaukee Bucks, Shawna has an idea in mind. She reveals, “I really love hot chocolate and just want to travel around and be a connoisseur of hot chocolate.”

Learn more about Shawna and see her inspirational Dare to Be video content here.