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

Bruce, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

First, being successful is something that starts from within. I grew up watching and playing sports and have always been competitive. I always hated losing, and my drive was to do whatever it took to win. I was never the biggest and may not have been the most athletic, but what I had was the heart and to, if not be the best, to at least be the best that I could be. I learned early on that in order to become the best version of myself and to be able to compete, and I had to outwork who and whatever was in front of me. Two of my favorite athletes were Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. These two athletes’ drive and determination to be the best at their sport led to countless hours of study and practice, but in return, they won multiple championships. Of course, they had their individual accolades, but winning those championships ultimately came down to having a great team and others being with them in the trenches and for support. My success has come from the work and time I put into it and the team I have supporting me. Success for me has also included studying and being around others who have been successful in my field. Getting advice from those who have traveled down the paths that you want to go is invaluable. This is something that I’ve done and that I continue to do. I’ve been blessed to be around many talented and successful individuals who push me and make me want to be better. We all root for each other and cheer on each other’s success. All of these factors are the elements it takes to succeed, along with my drive to continue to grow, get better, and reach my goals.

Bruce, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My journey began in a small town in southern Alabama called Andalusia, where I was born and raised. It was one of those communities where everyone knew each other, but it was very family-oriented. My grandparents stayed next to us; my uncle was across the street. Most of my time was spent in Andalusia and my Mom’s hometown Florala, Alabama, where my other grandparents lived. Those were some great times and memories. I was into sports and was always creative, in some sense. I began drawing at an early age. I loved watching cartoons and reading comic books and always tried to draw them. I also had a great love for music and writing, so there was always something artistic that I was doing or wanted to do. My parents were always very supportive of whatever I was doing. I loved taking art in high school and felt that it would be my calling. I had dreams of being either a comic book artist or someone who would draw animated cartoons for a living.

After graduating from high school, I attended Alabama A&M University in Normal, Alabama, where I began as an art major. One day, after overhearing a friend in my dorm room talking about a commercial they were making for a class, I wanted to know more about his major. To quote Leanardo DiCaprio, I was like, “You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.” Once I found out that his major was in communications, I did some research and then changed my major to communications with a concentration in video production. Knowing nothing about film or video production, I absolutely fell in love with it. I found out that I could apply many of the elements of my art background, in terms of composition and creativity, to film. It was just something that came naturally to me, and I haven’t looked back since.

My first job after graduation, I was given an opportunity by Mr. TN Mohan, a filmmaker himself, to work in the communications department at Oakwood College. I learned so much about filmmaking from working with him. There I was responsible for taking care of the department, checking equipment in and out, and overseeing activities that students would have. I was young and still learning, but he saw something in me and took a chance by hiring me. It was a great experience, and I enjoyed my time there. From there, I moved to North Carolina, where I stayed for almost two years and met the woman who would eventually become my wife. I soon moved back to my home state, living in Montgomery, Alabama, working in television at the local CBS affiliate. After very little time there, I accepted a job in Birmingham, Alabama, working in local television, leading me to work for the local ABC affiliate, where I stayed just shy of 10 years. While I was there, I learned so much about meeting deadlines, how to deal with different personality types, and above all else, storytelling. I had a chance to work with and learn from some of the best in the business and develop relationships I still hold today. We consistently won “Best Photography” staff awards, and I also won awards for both “series and hard news story” categories. With the relationships I established, I began thinking about starting my own videography business and, even more importantly, pursuing it as my full-time job. In 2015, I answered my calling, took a huge leap of faith, and decided to take my career to the next level through entrepreneurship with Undercover Entertainment, LLC.

With Undercover Entertainment, I wear many hats. I serve as a director, producer, writer, cinematographer, and editor on various projects. We’ve grown exponentially over the years, and every year since 2015, we have experienced significant growth. We’ve been able to produce and film numerous projects and events. I’ve had work to be featured on BET, PBS, and ESPN, among many other media outlets. We’ve worked with clients such as The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), teaming to produce a series of CDC-funded training videos and curricula for the Federated States of Micronesia. Just last year, we were responsible for creating an opening video for the 2022 World Games held in Birmingham, Alabama. It was such a fantastic opportunity and a great experience. I’ve worked on the Bronze Telly Award-winning documentary STAND!: Untold Stories From the Civil Rights Movement, where I served as a Producer, Director of Photography, and editor.

I consider myself to be a storyteller. I love coming up with original concepts and ideas and bringing them to life. I feel that I’m known as someone who tells stories, creates memories, and brings visions to life through video or film. What sets me apart from everyone else is my drive and perseverance. I’m very passionate about what I do, and I’ve had many sleepless nights, sometimes consecutive nights, working on completing projects. If I know there’s a job to be done, I do what it takes to make sure that the job is complete and that the job is correctly done. That’s not to say that there isn’t anyone else who isn’t just as passionate as I am, but I have goals that I’ve set for myself that I’m willing to put the work in to achieve and that I plan on making happen if that’s what God has for me. I’m genuinely proud of all of the things that I’ve accomplished over the years. I’m proud of all of the accolades and awards I’ve received. However, my most significant accomplishment was teaming with my production partner Johnny Thornton when we produced our first short film, “I am not Your Enemy,” which was also co-directed by Cruz Johnson. With this film, we won several awards. These awards hold a special place because we all have goals of creating original content for film and television, and this was our first step toward making that happen. Not just that, but it was a topic that was very relevant to the times we live in today. We were able to walk away with an “Audience Choice” award for Best Short Film and a “Best Director” award for that same film.

We also were producers on a couple of short film projects by two very talented young ladies. We worked with Payton Williams on the film “Doll on a Shelf,” about a young African-American woman dealing with familial pressures, racial micro-aggressions, and invalidations of her black identity. It is also a statement on mental health. It’s been doing well on the film festival circuit. We also worked with Ashley Causey on the film “Discovery,” which deals with a young woman coming to terms with her sexuality. After finally accepting and celebrating her truth, a tragic event puts a damper on her newfound freedom. This film was her personal story and is based on actual events, and it has been accepted and screened in numerous film festivals and has walked away with some awards. I’m currently working on a particular project with Victor and Tahiera Monique Brown of Darkness to Light Films. She has such a fantastic story of hope and inspiration, and through this project, I look forward to sharing her story. Our coming together on this project has been over ten years in the making, but there’s a purpose and a reason for everything. So much has happened during this time, and life has only added more chapters to the story, but I can’t wait to share more about this project and share it with the world.

This journey hasn’t been easy. Many people want to get to their destination by skipping the journey. Kobe Bryant once said, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey, and if you can understand that, then what you’ll see happen is you won’t accomplish your dreams, your dreams won’t come true; something greater will.” This particular quote has always resonated with me. I had many dreams and goals I wanted to accomplish when I was younger and earlier in my career, but my path was different. Life took me in another direction that may have taken longer, but it did just as he quoted and gave me something greater. I had a lot of growing to do, and I don’t know how or if I would have been able to handle early success. I lost my Mom when I was young. She never had an opportunity to be at my high school or college graduation. My Dad unexpectedly passed away 11 years and a day after my Mom, and losing them was a very traumatic experience. For many years I dealt with depression, although at the time, I didn’t realize that’s what it was. I’m thankful to have a supportive wife and family, Pertonya, Maurice, Olympia, and my sister and brother-in-law, Erica and Lazaro Street. I’m also thankful to all my aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, nieces, and nephews for believing in me and pushing me to continue. By God’s grace, family, and His placing of certain people in my life, I was able to make it to the other side of those dark times.

A significant part of my journey has been taking risks. Throughout this journey, not just with my career but with life in general, I’ve learned that success often includes taking risks. There were many instances where I would pass on opportunities out of fear of failing. One of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned is that growth often comes with being in a place where you’re uncomfortable. The key is not to focus on that fear but to have faith that it will all work out and be ok. I’ve heard it said, “you have to push through it to get to it.” This statement can apply to many things, but I now live my life this way. I don’t stress over minor things; even if issues arise, I face them head-on and know that regardless of the situation, it will work out. I also have a support system that helps to keep me grounded, and I understand that any risk that I take that they are right there with me on the front line taking those risks with me, with our goal being the achievement of success.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

In 2010, while I was still working in television, I began getting requests for services outside of working in broadcasting. Because of this and the work I was getting, I had to have a business. This is what lead to the birth of Undercover Entertainment. I was taking on smaller projects but making connections and a name for myself and the company. After some time, I started getting more and more requests for work and was burning the candle at both ends. I also felt as if I had reached my plateau in local television. I began searching for other options, but God redirected my path, closed some doors, and opened up the door of opportunity for me to be an entrepreneur. After much prayer and talking to my family and close friends in 2015, I pursued my passion full-time. Although it was terrifying, with the uncertainty of not knowing if work would come or if I would be able to pay my bills, I believed in myself and my talents and left behind the comfort of a steady job and paycheck. Driven for success, Undercover Entertainment, LLC. was in full operation. I hit the ground running and haven’t looked back.

I’m often asked where the company’s name came from. Many years ago, I was quiet, somewhat shy, and reserved. I usually kept to myself, minded my business, and never got into anyone else’s business. People saw something in me for some reason and trusted sharing things with me that they usually wouldn’t share. This is because they knew what was shared between us stayed between us. I was often called the vault because they knew what was shared would not be repeated elsewhere by me. I’m also very private, which led to me adopting the nickname “Private I.” Again, this was in reference to keeping to myself, with the “I” being about me, being true to myself, and staying out of others’ business. This mentality has helped me in every aspect of my life and business. Not just family and friends, but clients know they have someone they can trust who will tell them the truth, even if it’s not the popular thing to do.

I’ve learned to share how I feel but to do it respectfully and professionally so that all parties can walk away, maintaining our relationship, even if we don’t necessarily agree. The key is that whatever issues are in front of us, we make sure that we deal with them in a manner that we can all be happy with the results. This has been my philosophy since the beginning. Pursuing to become a filmmaker and starting a business was a challenging decision to make. When going full-time with Undercover Entertainment, there was a learning curve. If I didn’t work, I didn’t eat. I learned a lot about saving and always having not just plans A and B but multiple choices for plans. Since going full-time with the company, we have grown tremendously, with each year being better than the last. I work with million and billion-dollar corporations, which I could only dream of growing up, coming from where I’m from. I’ve been able to work with celebrities, have my work featured on various platforms, and develop long-lasting relationships along the way.

I don’t believe in failure, typically the way that most people do. Failure doesn’t exist to me. It only exists if I allow it, meaning I take those mishaps, learn from those mistakes, and apply what I’ve learned to whatever comes next. That’s growth, and if we don’t grow or learn from our experiences, then yes, that could be considered a failure. I’ve learned that despite our obstacles, there is light on the other side. That may sound cliche, but it’s true. I’ve been through and dealt with things that could have taken my life in a completely different direction, but I’m blessed to survive and thrive, and many have been through much worse than me.

I say to them to never give up. I learned many years ago never to focus on the past. While I don’t want to forget it, I don’t want it to be the center of my focus. It’s comparable to driving a car and constantly looking in the rearview. If my attention and focus continually look in my rearview at what’s behind me, I can miss what’s ahead and crash and burn miserably. I wake up every day to do what I love to do every day that never feels like work. That, to me, is not only the definition of success, but I would call it being blessed.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

In today’s climate and this new age of technology and social media, we’re living in; surprisingly, I get new clients through the old-fashioned way by word of mouth. 99.9% of all the business that I get comes from referrals. I need to do a better job of using social media platforms to promote myself and my business. Still, through referrals alone, I’ve been able to get work all over the country and do business outside of just the southeast. If I treat people right and top that with doing great work, that alone speaks volumes. Attitude goes a long way, and I always try to maintain a positive attitude. Even if things aren’t going quite as planned, I don’t stress over it. I assess the problem and handle whatever issue I can control. That, which I can’t control, goes back to me learning from those things and applying them to the next project. I’m still somewhat reserved, and I’m not a salesman whatsoever. It’s hard for me to talk about myself. Even doing this article, it’s hard for me to talk about what I do and what I’ve done. I allow my work and my reputation to speak for me. So far, I’ve been successful with going this route, so I can only imagine the possibility of me stepping into this new age of technology and promoting myself. I’m joking, but I plan on becoming more engaged and having a more significant presence through social media and a website, but for now, word of mouth has been the best advertisement I could ever have.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vimeo.com/user7134154
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bnixjr23/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/undercoverentertainmentllc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-l-nix-jr-ab0a2259
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bnixjr23?t=NYt8fbhA-XW1N_VBj8cNNw&s=09
• Other: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm7117253?s=a0c034a5-7313-0531-b3e0-35466ce6a025&site_preference=normal