Today we’d like to introduce you to Nic Bagherpour.
Hi Nic, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
A few of us (Board of Directors members) originally worked together during the 35 Denton music festival and really enjoyed working together. We’d kind of become like a family and wanted to keep working together on something. There were multiple conversations back in those days about the idea of starting a nonprofit. After 35 Denton lost its investors and was essentially shuttered, a few of my colleagues and I decided to start DMAC. Andy Knapik and I were the ones who really initiated the process and bounced ideas off of each other. We both found out about an organization in Austin called Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (aka HAAM) that subsidizes health insurance premiums for Austin area musicians. We decided that would be a perfect mission here in Denton and that’s what we focused on. Andy came up with the name: Denton Music and Arts Collaborative. We decided that we didn’t want to limit our scope to just musicians, but also visual and performing artists of all types. Our first meetings for the first year or more were held at my house or other board members’ houses. We would have a meeting and a potluck and then we’d usually go to Dan’s Silverleaf afterwards for a little community fellowship.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road.
The worst thing that has happened since we started is that Andy Knapik, unfortunately, passed away after a prolonged battle with a heart condition. That dealt a huge blow to us all, obviously, on both a personal and organizational level. Andy was my “partner in crime” and, in a lot of ways, my spiritual guidepost when it came to DMAC. It took us a while to recover from that one, but I think that we would make Andy proud with what we’ve achieved since we lost him. That doesn’t make it any easier and I still think “What would Andy do (or say)?” pretty often when trying to make decisions about the course of the organization.
The COVID-19 Pandemic was also an obvious struggle for us as it was for everyone. But we managed to maintain our funding in spite of the fact that we couldn’t have events which have historically been our greatest source of fundraising.
I think what has been our biggest saving grace and what has kept us afloat is the fact that the people in the community of Denton are not only huge supporters of the arts but also have big hearts and giving spirits. If they believe in what an organization is doing, they won’t let that organization go away. It’s one of the biggest reasons that DMAC even exists in the first place.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m currently working as a hiring consultant for a startup called The UpTeam based in Austin. I’m very new to this line of work, but I’m really enjoying it so far.
Prior to this job, I worked in the bicycle industry for over a dozen years. I’ve done just about everything you could think of from wrenching (repair) and sales in bike shops, to managing a shop, to working in B2B sales and business development on the supply side. Most recently, I was the VP of Sales for a small startup manufacturer based in DFW.
If there’s anything that I’m most proud of in my professional life, it would be my ethics and the network of relationships that I’ve built in the industry. I feel like I have a pretty positive reputation with colleagues and customers alike. At least I hope I do.
I think what sets me apart the most is that I have an ability to learn and retain information pretty rapidly. I’m also a pretty resourceful problem solver and have learned to adapt well to change.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
If you treat people right and are honest with them, then you’ll be successful and there will always be people looking out for you. Success isn’t just measured by how much wealth or status you’re able to acquire. True success, by my estimation anyway, is having people respect and admire you for doing the right thing and using your status or whatever other leverage you might have to help people who are less fortunate than yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: dmacdenton.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmacdenton/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmacdenton
Image Credits
Simone Zimmerman
