Hello and Happy Friday everyone! We hope you’ve all had a great week! With Summer in full swing and the Fourth of July right around the corner, we figured it was time for another edition of the Employee Spotlight Series. This time around, we wanted to feature Nash Shook AKA “Grandpa Nash” for the spotlight series! If you don’t already know Nash, be sure to introduce yourself during the company outing as he is a great guy! Nash has been apart of the SpendMend team for 2 and a half years now and works as VP, Strategic Accounts & Client Value. Nash has definitely lived an interesting life and is full of stories, so it was a great time getting to hear more about Nash and his past. When Nash isn’t working with current SpendMend clients, he enjoys running, boating, hiking and playing cards. Nash is actually a very avid runner and has even completed 10 marathons! Be sure to read Nash’s interview to hear how his wife was a big reason why he started running marathons. Some of Nash’s favorite hiking spots include western NC along the Appalachian Trail, any of the Utah parks and Park City, UT. When Nash isn’t hiking or running marathons, you can probably catch him enjoying a nice evening on his boat or playing some cards with friends and family. He also is the self-proclaimed “ping pong king” at SpendMend, but many would disagree. Grandpa Nash certainly has a lot of hobbies and is good at a number of things, so it comes as no surprise that he is also great in his role. We asked Rob Heminger about Nash and he said “As a key driver of value to our clients, Nash brings a variety of power-packed insight. Harnessing decades of experience within a variety of Supply Chain leadership roles, Nash has a unique skillset that illuminates and articulates the dark data imbedded in our client’s cost cycle. In doing so, our clients are able to shrink financial leakage and gain visibility towards sustainable saving opportunities within their spend. His constant focus on bridging client priorities with the internal action plan is the backbone to the SpendMend process.” Nash, we hope you know that your hard work and commitment does not go unnoticed! Thanks for everything that you do, Nash!
Interview With Nash:
What is your role at SpendMend?
Managing Strategic Accounts
How long have you been with SpendMend?
2.5 years
How did you first learn about SpendMend?
Working at Premier, we had an agreement with BSI that we promoted.
What 3 words would you use to describe SpendMend?
Thorough, Advisory, Diligent
Why do you look forward to coming to work?
It’s like solving a puzzle and finding the next piece!
Before working at SpendMend, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
In high school, I worked at a rolling skating rink and through college, was a ski instructor in the winter, and worked at a golf club in the off-season.
How did you get the job as a ski instructor?
Skiing was a popular winter sport where I grew up and we had several resorts in the area. I grew up skiing as a child and many of my close friends competed in ski races which I was all about in high school and college. My senior year in high school, it snowed so much over the Christmas break we were out of school the whole month of January and didn’t go back to school until early February, and I actually skied every day too! In college, I took skiing as an elective and the instructor was a poor communicator, he was a bit self-centered and not committed to his job. I was so steamed he didn’t teach me anything, I attended the instructor try-outs the following season and got hired by Beech Mountain. I worked there seven seasons and loved it. During that time, I also became a Certified Instructor through PSIA which takes two years to complete so for a while, I thought that would be my career path.
What is one fun fact about you?
I’ve completed 10 marathons.
How long have you been doing marathons and what got you started?
In high school, I was on the track team but only ran sprint distances (800, 1 and 2 mile relay teams). When I got married, my wife had already ran 3 marathons so naturally, I got conned into training for higher distance races. Frankly, I was all about running 5K races. Those are races that allow you to sit down within 30 minutes of finishing to a deserving breakfast at Bob Evans or Cracker Barrell! As the distance envelope kept getting pushed, training commanded earlier hours and different nutrition so that much desired breakfast reward was left to be desired. My wife had a goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon (considered the preeminent marathon), so for about 10 years we focused exclusively on running and training for marathons. I don’t run as much now but have completed 10 different marathons, my last one being the St. George Marathon (UT) in 2018.
What type of music or podcasts do you listen to during the workday?
Mostly Country (Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw)
Do you have any hobbies or participate in any activities outside of work?
Running, playing cards, boating and hiking.
Do you own a boat? If so, what kind?
Yes, we live on Lake Conway in Belle Isle, FL. It’s a chain of four fresh-water lakes near the Orlando Int’l Airport. I have a 26 ft Bennington pontoon boat that I rescued from a friend who let it deteriorate out in the elements, uncovered for four years. I ended up stripping it completely down to the C-Channel frames atop the pontoons and rebuilding every part that goes back on (deck boards, vinyl surface, painting, railings, wiring, lights, cables, seating, console, etc), plus I even gave it a new engine. It took me over a year to complete but I love that old boat. It’s properly called the WestWing.
Can you describe an interaction when you helped a client or a supplier that stands out in your mind?
I worked with a client to show them how beneficial it would be for them to examine more current transactions, prior to launching their new ERP system. They had historically worked with us keeping us two years back. What we are showing them now is more than what we projected (in recovery $) but giving them better insights to where problem areas occur.
What was the best compliment you’ve ever been paid by a client or supplier?
It’s happened a couple of times and along the same theme but it was when we moved the QBRs to the ‘canvas’ approach and enabling the QBR to be more of story/journey of their engagement with us. Several clients have thanked us for gravitating toward a more strategic deliverable in the QBRs.
Would you like to give a shout out to a client or supplier?
To a Client > a large health system in North Carolina (you know who you are) did a fair amount of questioning to us when considering their next recovery audit; the kind of questioning that indicates they want to see the full measure of benefits that a mending 90-day audit provides. This questioning is for their forthcoming RFP so we still need to win that bid. It’s the fact that they have a comfort level with us and that they extend a level of trust in our advisement back to them, that I consider this a real compliment to what our company means and represents to this large health system.
What is the best part of serving the healthcare market?
Working alongside people that willfully want to help someone else, makes working in healthcare so rewarding.
What is your favorite Recovery Room Activity?
Ping Pong!
Do you want to shout out a co-worker who has helped or inspired you at SpendMend?
(there are several I would love to recognize but I’ll go with one right now) Nereida Menizi – she thinks like the customer and does exceptional work!
What advice do you have for perspective candidates who want to join the SpendMend team?
Our world is about exploring and conducting detective work; don’t be shy about asking questions!
What has been your proudest accomplishment at SpendMend?
Getting a client to sign a three-year agreement and within 6 months, having them sign a 90-day mending.