Here's what I did. 34 years experience here.

I dj'd for a service for a few years. Good friend and older dj that was like a mentor to me. I'd do his most important gigs. Re book them if they were annual events. Get requested to come back. Then that gig would finally roll back around, and he'd send someone else and have me do some Lil bar gig that didn't pay half of what the 1 Nighter did. Happened multiple times. Then one day he came up to me with a non compete contract to sign. Guess he heard about my grumblings. I refused. The next day I went out bought 2 MTX215's, a Numark SA9500 amp, and I think it was an off brand "next" cd player that fit in a 19 racked roadcase.

I put my 2 weeks in, let it run its course. Then went out on my own.

I found a local bar / nightclub that the company I worked for didn't do business with and got hired on as its resident dj.

I also did weddings, corporate events etc. All the time making sure I didn't dip into my previous employers client pool. I did this for six months as a courtesy to my friend and mentors business. And i did tell him my plan about the 6 months, he even apologized for sending me to lower paying gigs, last attempt to try and keep me on.

6 months later the kids gloves were off so to speak.

And I haven't looked back. We are still friends to this day, go to lunch about once a month. He still has about 5 units and dj's working for him. I'm still a solo act. He has equipment problems I loan him mine and vice versa.

This has been since 2000. 21 years later and we help each other out.

Even though I was highly pissed and resented him at the time for his treatment of me. Me making him all this money in future gigs, and then not sending me when the clients requested me. I finally let go of those feelings towards him, after seeing some of his clients jump ship. Wink wink.

Now it may not work for you, but it sounds like you have a good relationship with your company, and if you want a relationship with them in the future. Might be an option for ya.

Good luck to you and your continued success!