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

Nardo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, folks often look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight – but that often obscures all the nitty, gritty details of everything that went into the growth phase of your business. We’d love to hear about your scaling story and how you scaled up?

I feel as though I’m still in the ‘scale-up’ phase, although I’m a lot further along than I was at the genesis. One of the most important things I’ve learned is to use what you have around you to begin. We often feel as though we need to come into our respective business areas with the latest and greatest with regards to tools and technology, but I often feel this is a symptom of overcompensation. I used to spend a lot of time watching Youtube videos of people who are excelling in my field – one message that was consistent across different creators was that WHAT you use isn’t as important as HOW you use it. I took this into consideration and focused on learning general skills that would apply to my craft regardless of the level of business at which I’m operating. This allowed me to scale up in the area of Knowledge while still working towards scaling Revenue and Infrastructure – all of which are important to long term success. For example, instead of holding off on kick starting photography service until I can afford the latest camera from the major brands – I purchase a second-hand model at a reasonable price to begin working on the fundamentals and booking clients at a reduced rate. This allows me to scale up in-flight and maximize my time by getting hand on experience while still being able to work towards the model I have in mind – while building clientele and making a few dollars along the way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

My goal in life is to inspire and build. I’ve been blessed to be able to find ways to work towards these goals in different sectors in my time here in Dallas. I’m originally from Vicksburg MS, I moved to the DFW area after college to begin a career in the technology space. Having a salaried career is a great security blanket, but I always knew I was built to give more to this world. In 2018, I actioned on my long standing passion for music by buying used studio equipment and putting together a home set up. During this time, I was able to explore music, myself, friendships and the world through my art. Over time, I became more confident in my craft and ended up putting out my first body of work – ‘It’s Never Too Late’ (available on streaming services now)

One thing leads to the next and I build a small buzz within my social circle, the next logical step is to get some visuals alongside the music. I ended up booking a music video shoot with a local videographer and we were able to shoot my first two official videos. During this shoot, I was able to learn more about the work done behind the camera and what goes into turning a video idea into a reality. This sparked my curiosity and before long – I has my own video camera and was able to begin experimenting with the visual arts alongside musical ones.

Engraining myself further into the music scene in Dallas led me to notice that there was a need for consistent photographers, videographers, or general content creators amongst Dallas creatives. Seeing this gap and wanting to address it led to the creation of 3 In, 3 Out Media – a content production organization servicing the Dallas, Houston areas.

Under the 3 In, 3 Out brand – I offer Photography, Videography, Aerial Footage capture, Graphic Design & Website Design, amongst a few other things.

Great service and customer experience are our focus at 3 In, 3 Out Media. The 3 In, 3 Out difference is apparent in how much attention we devote to our clients and projects. We truly want to help bring as much value to your projects as possible and treat your project like it’s our project – you’re not just another paycheck with us.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

There’s a phrase often thrown around in entrepreneurial circles – ‘let your 9 to 5, fund your 5 to 9’

This phrase defines my approach completely (although I didn’t realize that the 5 to 9 was 9AM and not 9PM..my business owners will understand me)

I would put aside a portion of my work paycheck to make purchases for my side hustles. I would also get second-hand items from places like FB Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist to keep my overhead low while still pulling in a profit. Often times, these items work just as good as their new counterparts.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is having that vision in your head of what something can be – whether it be a musical track, sculpture, event, whatever it is that you do – and turning it into a reality. I believe without these kind of visionaries, nothing around us exists..so we have to reward and uplift those who contribute to that spirit – regardless of the level at which it’s done.

Contact Info:

• Website: 3in3outmedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsbignardo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwlWqpglSHm7ueDXeuK9AA
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/3in3outmedia/

Image Credits
@3in3outMedia