Doing What Makes You Happy
Name: Nicholas
Title: Associate Scheduling Analyst
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Pronouns: he/him
My personal brand
Leadership. Throughout my 15-year career I have been in a leadership role for about 12. In my opinion, leadership is more than just the role you are in. It means being a leader both inside and outside of the workplace. It means helping others and being a symbol of guidance to friends, family, and strangers alike.
Caring for myself and others
One aspect of myself that I am always working on evolving is being a father to my kids. Being a father is the most important role I have in life. It is an ever-evolving, meaningful role that is both challenging and fulfilling at the same time. When I was a kid, I didn’t have a father figure to look up to, so as an adult I always told myself that I would be the best parent I could be. Today I have a 5-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old-son, and I am so grateful to be their dad.
I’m passionate about “doing what makes you happy.” That can look different for many people, but it’s important to make time for yourself. Happiness is a contagious emotion that you can pass on to those around you. From movie nights to bike rides, to hiking or playing at the park, spending quality time with my family makes me happy.
Investing in my future
The best decision I ever made was to invest in my education. I had the wonderful opportunity to get my education with Discover's support about four years ago, which allowed me to obtain my bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary studies, Strategic Leadership from Northern Arizona University just this year. Looking back on when I first made the decision to go back to school, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to have the necessary time it would require. I made the decision to prioritize my education during this time in my life and invest the necessary time and commitment that was needed to complete my undergraduate degree.
Early on in my career and even sometimes still to this day, I have hesitated to take “risks.” I put risks in quotation marks because I don’t mean risks as in a decision that can result in a negative outcome, but rather not being afraid of taking the next step in my career or doing something outside my comfort zone. I realize now that being afraid of failure is something many people can relate to but stepping outside your comfort zone and being willing to take a risk can potentially lead to growth, and that’s what matters most.
Making an impact
One of the most meaningful parts of my job is being a part of the leadership team of our Native American Employee Resource Group (N8V) at Discover. As a Native American myself and a member of the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico, I am thankful to have the opportunity to help educate and spread awareness about Native American history and culture.