Meet Nick Bradley

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nick Bradley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nick below.

Hi Nick, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I don’t like think I found my purpose, I like to believe my purpose found me. I say that because when I taught myself how to play the piano, I did so for therapeutic reasons. It was merely a hobby I could enjoy to take my mind off whatever was weighing heavy on me at the time. As I got better in my craft, I thought about taking the music route, but I didn’t know how that would work out for me, nor what that would look like for me. It felt too risky at the time, so furthering my education felt like both the safe and right thing to do. Although music was taking a backseat to my degree work, I continued to improve and impress people with my playing. So I started sharing videos of me playing on all my social media platforms. Once I finished school, my first video went Viral on TikTok. Then my second one. Then my third. It felt like I blinked and had a quarter-million new followers with millions of views, and a handful of opportunities to work with different artist, directors and companies on their projects and campaigns. I didn’t know the first thing about being a content creator or what all it entailed. I learn everything about it on the spot based on what people wanted and went from there.
Hearing about how I’ve inspired so many people to want to learn how to play, touching stories about how certain songs resonate with their life experiences, and how it influences their lives in an uplifting manner is why I say my purpose found me: I feel like I was summoned, so I answered the call.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a Musician who makes content for different companies on their marketing campaigns; and I also work on projects with artists and directors regarding producing and scoring films. What I do specifically with companies is write music for products that they are marketing. As a content creator, I essentially act as the creative director, the talent, the producer, the videographer, the songwriter, the editor, etc. I wear all the hats. Doing everything yourself means it can be real demanding, but when it comes to creating something, I like having my hands in everything. The most exciting thing about what I do is experiencing the journey of an idea leaving my imagination, and turning into something I can see and hear. The finished product is rewarding, but the storytelling behind why you did certain things throughout the creative process is real enjoyable to me.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Discipline, Faith and Courage. You have to be brave and bold enough to take a chance on yourself. It’s important to have faith that you’ll achieve what you’re out to accomplish, even when what’s around you may suggest the odds aren’t favoring you, or people may doubt you. Don’t doubt yourself because of what’s on the outside, believe in yourself because of what’s on the inside. And you must have discipline in order to act on your vision, plans, and goals; even when you’re feeling unmotivated. Consistency is important too, but consistency is a byproduct of discipline. You can’t be consistent without discipline.

My advice to those who are starting off, learn how to be disciplined in your craft and in your daily routine. If you can do it when no one sees you or without any incentives, you know you’re doing something for the love of it and not for the benefits of it.
Be your own biggest fan, don’t let other people determine how far you believe you can go. Remember, most people won’t support you until you’ve made it.
Don’t forget to appreciate how far you’ve come. The space you’re in now is a space you previously prayed for.
Lastly, visualize and embrace your journey, not the destination. We already have an idea of what we want our goals to look and feel like. But a lot of us are clueless as to what it’s gonna take, what we’ll go through, and how difficult it’ll really get for us at times. If you can visualize yourself in the midst of battle, you’ll be better equipped to navigate through any obstacles that you encounter.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest area of growth over the past year has definitely been patience. I think anyone would tell you how hard you have to try not to compare yourself to others; especially being involved in the social media world. When you know what you want, you wanna get there as fast as possible. I feel so close yet so far simultaneously. Sometimes it feels like traffic in Atlanta: you’re only a mile away, but that mile is going to take you 15 minutes thanks to an accident or something you can’t control. But what I’ve learned in my short time as a content creator is what’s for you is for you. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious, driven and determined; but working yourself into a frenzy out of frustration because what you want isn’t happening fast enough isn’t the answer. I realize now that I have to show I can handle and manage what I’ve been given before I’m trusted with more. So I only focus on what I can control, and just like how I answered the call when my purpose summoned me, I’ll be ready to answer again when the time comes for more responsibility, rigor, and opportunity.

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