Nic Bradley ('04) poses with a promotional poster for Veils & Vows. Cover model: Brittany (Ladig '07) Smith. Cover photo: Brittani Cole ('08) of Brittani Renee Photography.

Nic Bradley (’04) is living his fifth-grade dream: running his own business and working with family. As owner and sales executive for North Star Media Group, a company he started with his brother, Ryan Bradley, and sister, Brooke Shaw, Nic also publishes Veils & Vows, Michiana’s wedding magazine.

Though working in the wedding industry might seem like a strange fit for a business major who came to Bethel to play basketball, Nic saw the magazine as a chance to fill an unmet need in the area. When both he and his sister were planning their weddings, they felt overwhelmed by all the details involved in the planning process. They wanted to create a wedding resource that would put vendors at brides’ fingertips, all in one place. Veils & Vows does just that.

In addition to being the publisher, Nic’s role with Veils & Vows involves meeting with advertisers and handling marketing. He thrives on building relationships and helping clients grow their businesses through advertising and feature articles.

“We are here to serve — clients, brides, each other,” Nic says. His favorite scripture passage is Philippians 2:3-4: “Look to the interest of others.” And he tries to implement this in his daily interactions.

Integrating faith into business is something Nic takes to heart. It’s also something that was instilled in him as a Bethel student. “When I think of the Bethel business program, I think the way Bethel trains you is how to do business,” Nic says. He credits professors like Dawn Goellner, MBA program director and associate faculty in business, who brought real-world experience from her own life and shared it in the classroom in an effort to prepare students for a career.

In Goellner’s sales and marketing courses, Nic gained confidence and learned skills that he uses today. “She has such a love for what she does — she’s inspirational. She sparks in her students belief that they can do great things.”

The lessons he learned at Bethel have served him well in business and helped him grow as a professional. And it hasn’t always been easy. Along the way, he’s faced rejection in dealing with advertisers, made mistakes he’s had to own up to and been chewed out by clients. But these obstacles have built character and perseverance.

Nic, left, pictured with his sister, Brooke, and brother, Ryan.

As executive director and publisher, Nic has helped Veils & Vows grow to include more than 80 pages — a huge step up from its original 32. Ryan does all of the design in-house, including the majority of the ads, and Brooke serves as the administrative coordinator and editor. Though there are challenges working with family day in and day out, Nic says they have a lot of fun.

In addition to Veils & Vows, North Star Media Group has acquired another regional wedding magazine, Wedding Essentials, and has expanded its scope of services to include web development and design. “We have this great ability to influence others [through our publications],” says Nic. “At the end of the day, it’s about pointing them to Christ.”