I'd give up everything to be pop star

Even though he works with some of the world's top brands like Kellogg's, Coca-Cola and Benetton, his proudest moment is appearing with Status Quo at the Wembley Arena playing in front of thousands.

"There's no feeling like it," said 31-year-old Bruce. "Regardless of how well I do in business, it still hurts that I have not been successful in music. I'd honestly drop everything to to be a pop star."

Giving up 'everything' would be a huge sacrifice. He is a director of Magnetic North, a leading North West brand consultancies. He is also the co-founder of a model agency, Industry People, which is expanding into the music scene. He also runs the Punchbowl restaurant and pub, Earby.

As hyperactive entrepreneurs go, Bruce is way up in the charts. But his route to success has been a real rollercoaster ride.

He left Walton High School in Nelson at 16 without a single 0-level. His career as an apprentice engineer lasted just six months before he wrecked a £50,000 press. Life as a mechanic at North Valley Motors was no better and Bruce happily recounts the day he was branded the worst apprentice the company had ever had. He then headed for the bright lights of London and spent a year labouring on a building site. At 18, his 'gift of the gab' helped him become a sales rep, working for a building supplies company in Blackburn.

Bruce had not given up on his dream of pop stardom. He spent four years on the dole trying to make a success out of his band, The Mirrors.

"Eventually, we just got fed up," said Bruce. "We tried everything, but nothing seemed to work."

He went on to front The Rubbish, who attracted a lot of record company interest but never quite secured that final deal.

While making a CD, Bruce had spotted graphic design technology at work and saw the internet in action for the first time. A loan from the Prince's Youth Business Trust and support from the Pendle Enterprise Agency led to the creation of a graphic design business, Subversion.

Based at Glenfield Park, Nelson, the company quickly realised the potential of the internet. Within weeks, it had won the contract to design a website for Club 18-30 Holidays and won top awards working for blue-chip clients such as Abbey National, Disney and Golden Wonder. There was a split in the Subversion team and Bruce started all over again. Early in 2000, he teamed up with a group who had left the international design agency J Walter Thomson to establish Magnetic North.

Based in Manchester, the company is taking on London's big agencies and winning. It offers a full service agency approach to help companies to build their brands over the internet.

Among its blue chip customers are household names such as Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, JMC Holidays, Nielsen Ski, Benetton and the Tussauds Group which runs attractions such as Alton Towers.

His venture into the glamorous world of models came when he backed a friend to set up Industry People. As a director and shareholder, Bruce keeps a close eye on the developing business which is run by Martha Poole. "With every business I am involved, a want to do things differently," he explained. "The model industry has had a bad name with up-front charges for girls who are never going to work. We invest money in girls we think will make it and we have two on our books at the moment who have the potential to go on to become supermodels.

"We have also set up Identity Music which will soon be promoting Revolver, a duo featuring two of our models."

Bruce also the tenancy at the Punchbowl.

Like every business, it has its problems and when the chef left suddenly, Bruce spent four weeks in the kitchens, working at nights and at weekends to keep the customers happy.

But music remains his first love. He is thinking of bringing his band, now called The Tidy, out of retirement for one more go for fame and fortune. "Once you have the music bug it never goes away," said Bruce. "To be honest, I don't think I will ever get it out of my system."