Written by Ben Cox – The “Leading Ladies of Brownwood” series will feature a selection of women in Brownwood that have make a positive impact on the lives of those around them. Whether by profession, or pastime, these women offer a rich contribution to the fabric of our community.

Our first leading lady is known by many, and friendly to all: Heather Nix.

 

 

I sat down with Mrs. Nix and asked her our list of questions that each Leading Lady will be asked, with a few off the cuff questions specifically for her, and here are her responses.

What is your current profession/What do you do?

(Laugh) Well, when people ask me what I do, I say I am a photographer, librarian, and photography teacher. All at the same time! Or, I say I basically have three full time jobs, and then list them all.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was actually born in Newport News, Virginia. I grew up all over. I lived in Virginia, Missouri, Arizona, California, Kansas, Nebraska and then Texas.

Are your parents still around?

My dad actually lives in Winnsboro TX, which is about 6 hours from here. He retired after 31 years in the military. And my mother lives in Montezuma, Iowa, and she lives up there with my two other sisters.

What are some of your fondest memories of childhood?

Oh wow…. Probably one of my favorite memories, and its not one specifically, but its just something we did in high school… My best friend and I, she had a little convertible which is where my affinity for convertibles comes from… She had a little convertible and we used to drive around… I guess they called it “The Loop” here… but we used to just go cruising’. And so we’d make this cruise in a town of about 3,000 people…and we’d just cruise all night. We’d be singing’ at the top of our lungs, and laughing and ya know, just being general teenagers… And those are probably some of my favorite memories growing up.

When did you make it to Texas?

I moved to Texas in April of ’94. My dad, like I said retired from the military down here.

And I was 22, I think…and just kinda floating around, I wasn’t in college, and was just working and my dad said “How about a fresh start? Why don’t you move down here?” He lived in Marble Falls at the time so I moved to Marble Falls. Started working for Wal-Mart, that took me to Stephenville where I met my husband, and the rest is history!

Who left a lasting impression upon you that still is with you today?

This is something I was kind of thinking of today, because my photography students and I were talking about ethics in photography. And some of the things that came up about ethics were good customer service. And when I think of good customer service, I actually think of Brittany Cox from Dazzlin’ Divas. When I am trying to be my very best at customer service, I am channeling her. I really am. Every time you go into that store, you feel like you are the one and only, and very precious. And I hope that when people come to me they have that same feeling.

What do you hope your legacy will be?

I know what its gonna be.

It’s gonna be my pictures.

It’s gonna be the pictures that I have photographed for countless families in Brownwood. That’ll be the thing I think people will remember me the most for.

Hopefully, people realize how special they have been to me, and how much I treasure each and every one of those pictures. It’s amazing, I can go sit in my studio and look at the pictures that I’ve chosen to hang up there, and I remember everything about their session, and I love that I get to see their kids growing up.

Being a part of that is amazing for me.

What is one lesson that you would like your to students to take with them into adulthood?

Two things: To always be honest. With themselves, and with the people that they’re working with/working for. And to always work their hardest. To not phone it in. To always put every effort into making whatever they’re doing. Be it photography, be it working at Chik-fil-a, their school work, whatever they choose to do, that they choose to do the hardest best work they can.

Why?

Because it will get them somewhere. And I don’t necessarily mean financially. To me there’s a lot of personal satisfaction in knowing that I did a good job and I always want them to be able to feel that.

How has living in Brownwood shaped your life?

Oh good gracious…(smile) Honestly,…we moved around so much when I was a kid, and then Jeff and I moved around quite a bit before we settled here in Brownwood. We lived in Stephenville, Cleburne, Denton, Arlington, we spent about 10 years… whoever’s job was more hectic, that was where we chose to live.

So we moved around, we didn’t really have a strong community. We were just kind of “us” wherever we were.

Jeff grew up here, so this was already his home. But for me, it BECAME my home. Which I never really had before. And I can’t imagine at this point living anywhere else at this point.

I CAN imagine it, but I don’t like it!

If you could speak to yourself as a High School freshman, what would you say to yourself?

Don’t be a smart…. OK, don’t write that one down! (Laughs)

Here’s the thing about me in high school. I switched schools with nine weeks left in the freshman year. I went from a California school to a school in Kansas. I went from a HUGE high school to one about the size of Bangs.

In 8th grade, I had to read To Kill A Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, all those great wonderful books, and then had to read them again and do all the same coursework my sophomore year. So if I could go back, I would tell myself “Don’t be angry about that” because now those are books that I love. I would say to “learn from what you get when you see something a second time.”

What is one goal for yourself/family that you haven’t achieved yet?

Well, let’s see, personally I would like to have another dog and my husband won’t let me have another dog, he says two is enough!

Professionally….with PPA, (Professional Photographers of America) they offer three options to further your education in photography. So I would love to get my Master of Photography!

How do you feel you have impacted Brownwood?

Thats a hard one! (Smiles)

I hope that by being open with photography that I’ve helped influence some people who wouldn’t have had someone they could ask questions of.

I have to tell you, this is my 1st year teaching. Teaching those classes is the highlight of my day. I have one student who posted on Facebook that I was her favorite teacher. She’s a junior, and I’M her favorite teacher?!? That was flabbergasting to me.

I hope that is impactful.

What is one thing you’d like to see for the future of Brownwood?

A new business that’s not a restaurant!

What makes you proud to live in Brownwood?

The community itself, how it comes together when something happens. The hurricane this year? Seeing multiple businesses getting stuff together to send down south. I’ve seen when somebody passes away, friends come out of the woodwork…to help and be helpful.

That is the amazing thing about Brownwood. When there’s a need somebody’s gonna help. And I’m very proud of that for us.

What does it mean to you to be considered one of the “Leading Ladies of Brownwood?”

I am shocked as all get out!! (Laughs)

I was really shocked!

I’m just Heather. I’m goofy, and I’m silly, I don’t see myself as a leader. That’s just not how I think of myself. I have my happy little photography business, and teaching my little classes and being in my little library, and just kind of plugging along at life.

To be selected as someone to be interviewed kind of makes me feel a lot more important than I do most of the time.

Thank you, Heather, for your time and for everything you do as a Leading Lady of Brownwood. To suggest a candidate for future articles, email Ben Cox at ben@mitdil1.dream.press