“Always stand on your work. Be your biggest cheerleader.” That was the advice Paul gave Nick Perronteau, and it stuck.

Today, Nick works in the high-stakes world of UFC media production, with Emmy nominations and streaming credits under his belt. But before the camera work, the fast-paced fight nights, and the award-winning content, there was a small college on the Iron Range, and a faculty mentor who helped set the trajectory.

Growing up in Hibbing, Minnesota, Nick P. always had an artistic spark. He knew he wanted to pursue something creative but didn’t yet have the language, or confidence, to define it.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school,” Nick says. “But I knew I wanted to create something. I just didn’t know how to make that a real path.”

He enrolled at Minnesota North College – Mesabi Range Eveleth campus, not yet knowing that it would be the pivotal setting for the early chapters of his creative journey.

At Minnesota North, Nick found what many young creatives search for: mentorship. His first-year professor, Paul McLaughlin, recognized something in him and offered the push and the patience Nick needed.

“Paul never let me settle,” Nick recalls. “He didn’t just teach production or editing, he encouraged me to finish what I started. He believed in the work just as much as I did”

Under Paul’s mentorship, Nick began working on small video projects. He learned how to shoot, edit, and follow through. More importantly, he learned how to trust himself as a creative.

Paul’s core message became a mantra: Be your biggest cheerleader. Stand on your work.

Inspired by sci-fi films like Blade Runner franchise, Nick started to think differently about storytelling; about writing with visuals, about atmosphere and emotion. This shift, paired with the practical skills he honed at Mesabi, gave him the foundation he needed.

After college, he quit his day job and launched freelance videography, filming weddings, producing local content, and saying yes to every creative challenge. It wasn’t always glamorous, but it was a beginning.

During those strange, solitary months of 2020, when the pandemic reshaped daily life, Nick was essentially a one-man production crew- filming, editing, and learning new tools to keep creating through the uncertainty. Isolated and often working alone, he had to teach himself new tools, produce without collaborators, and keep pushing through self-doubt.

“There were moments I questioned everything. I was learning as I went.. no safety net, no real stability. But the lessons from school stuck with me. Keep going. Finish the work.”

It was during this period that he directed his first documentary- a week-long trek along the North Country Trail. The project earned recognition, but more importantly, it showed Nick he could take a story from idea to execution.

Then came the call from UFC.

A virtual interview turned into a plane ticket. Ten days later, Nick had relocated and started working with one of the fastest-moving sports production teams in the world. The pace was relentless, the expectations high, but Nick was ready.

At UFC, he worked on Fight Inc., a three-part docuseries for ESPN and Roku. He contributed to Noche at the Sphere, a production that earned five Emmy nominations and took home wins in Art Direction and Specialty Graphics.

But even in those high-profile moments, he kept his perspective.

“Personally, it didn’t change much. But professionally, sure, it’s cool to say you’ve been nominated. Still, I just want to do the work.”

Nearly a decade into his career, Nick continues to evolve creatively while staying grounded in what got him here.

His advice to young creatives?

“Love where you are. Be proud of the work you’re doing, even if it’s small. Build a portfolio. Wear many hats but figure out what you’re really great at. Take breaks. Avoid burning out. And always-always-stand on your work.”

For Nick, it all comes back to Minnesota North College – Mesabi Range Eveleth.

“If I hadn’t gone there, I don’t know where I’d be. That place, those people, especially Paul- shaped who I am. They didn’t just teach me how to create. They taught me why it matters.”

Nick P.’s journey isn’t just about a career in video production. It’s about the importance of mentorship, local opportunity, and believing in yourself when no one else does. Sometimes, all you need is a camera, a mentor, and the courage to finish what you started.