Name:
Nick
Age:
44
Current Job:
Transformational Business Leader
“When companies go sideways (meaning they’re not scaling or just generally not doing so well), I get brought in by board of directors, private equity, and venture capital to help turn things around—and, ultimately, sell them.”
His Journey to Where He Is Today:
Nick studied liberal arts, philosophy, and economics in college. After graduation, he was recruited for a consulting position—and landed an amazing first boss. After two years, that same boss realized Nick’s potential for growth and introduced him to a few other people who were trying to start their own consulting practice.
Fast forward a few years, Nick earned an MBA in finance and grew his company, ultimately selling it to a public financial services company.
What Keeps Him Motivated:
“Seeing the results. You go into a situation with grand ideas of doing ‘this’ or ‘that’ for a company. Then reality kicks in and you see there are certain things you simply can’t do, whether it’s because you don’t have the capital or the resources to get them done. But moving things forward is really great. It keeps me going.”
What He’s Learned Along the Way:
“I’m not your traditional entrepreneur. I don’t have these great ideas that I’m going to take to market; instead, I go in when things aren’t going well and try to make them better.”
Advice for Aspiring Business Leaders:
“You need to have a strong stomach and thick skin. Know that you’re going to have to make a lot of hard decisions and make sure the team you’re working with impacts you, too. Otherwise, they see you as an outsider, and it never works well that way.”
What He’d Tell His Younger Self
“The mistakes you make every day are the most valuable learning experiences you’ll ever have. The wins—most of them are luck. It’s the mistakes that really help you grow.”