Meet Nick Norton

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nick Norton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nick, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I lean into it. This took me years to get comfortable with though. I always let feeling like an outsider bother me—probably because I grew up as a very lonely kid so have some deep seated stuff there—but I’ve found over time that the more I lean into the stuff that makes me me, instead of trying to bend to what I think people expect or want, the more folks want to work and/or hang out with me. And the ones who don’t, well, that’s cool, I’d rather not work with them either.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a composer and sound artist from LA, most often working as a music and sound editor for film and TV or a live sound engineer/playback op. I also teach. The company that I run this all through is called Submarine Sound, though I sometimes produce projects through the nonprofit Equal Sound.

With this lifestyle, it’s more possible for me to be free of the nonsensical and harmful demands our society makes on us—and easier to contribute directly to the greater good—than it would be with a traditional job. It’s also pretty fun.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

One skill I’ve found useful is being a straight shooter. People I want to work with appreciate honest answers over being placated by yes-people, and clients appreciate not being misled.

Another is sticking to my ethics. I recently dropped a client after he made some really backwards comments about the role of women in society. He begged me to stay on, and offered a way higher rate than I’d previously been paid by that band, *and* I was pretty broke at the time, but accepting money to help literally amplify the voice of someone who favors traditional values (aka oppression) would’ve made me feel part of the problem. I’m not saying I’m perfect on this stuff by any means, just that I try very hard not to make things worse.

Finally, I’ve always been very averse to needless bureaucratic bullshit, and will do whatever I can to bypass it. That’s been very helpful in many ways. The one place where it seems impossible to get around is when you have to deal corporate middle management. Those gigs are tough.

As for advice for people early in their careers? Don’t work with jerks. It’s okay to bail on them.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Yeah, I keep pointing out that we’re committing a genocide in Palestine and people seem to disagree despite having eyes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://notnicknorton.com
• Instagram: notnicknorton

Image Credits

Annie Leibovitz