Daily Inspiration: Meet Nick Thompson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Thompson.

Nick, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I always had somewhat of a passion for video editing as a kid, and going into high school this involvement somewhat fizzled out but was reignited through the introduction of travel-style content creators such as Sam Kolder and Matt Komo my sophomore year.

My brother showed me videos made by the two creators and that’s what started a drive within me to start creating video content As time went on this evolved into music videos, car edits, advertisements, and more. It’s been around 5 years since I started and I’m still learning new things and meeting new people that are helping me achieve my goals every day,

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think with all things the path to personal success is riddled with some rather unpleasant setbacks. Being so young with an interest in the video and film genre limits you in terms of having money to start, but there are ways around that.

The biggest setback was no real learning about this career until I started taking classes in college, and even then those classes can only be helpful to a certain degree. I am technically self-taught in almost everything film related, this includes editing, camera work, and directing.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Since 2017 I have been a content creator, editor, and videographer, with a specialization in music video content. I mainly serve as director, cinematographer, and editor for all my content. A lot of people know me as “Director NIKO”, my online alias. Just this year I delved into the live entertainment industry, becoming the co-founder and owner of the music collective Midnight Music Entertainment, bringing aspiring artists from around the tri-state area to Athens, Ohio to perform their music in front of huge crowds at our very own venue.

Currently, I serve as the CEO, content creator, and social media manager for the brand, but we are focused on developing our team so we can work more efficiently. I’d say I’m most proud of the shows we put on in August through October, we had no idea if our ideas would pay off and to our surprise, we’ve had so much success with this new brand all of us on the team have unique strengths, and I think I’ve found in myself the ability to lead and figure out ways to bring those different strengths together and produce an incredible product.

I think my drive to pursue the goals I set out for myself is truly what sets me apart from others, I will find a way to make something work or compromise where I can if it’s essential to a project. For as long as I am in this career I will never try to let people down as much as possible.

What matters most to you?
The ability to keep learning and getting better at anything I want to do. In my life, I want to do everything I want to do, and something very important is the discipline that comes with getting better at a craft or starting something new. Knowledge is power, I keep that at the forefront of my mind.

Contact Info:

• Website: directorniko.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directorniko/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@directorniko