Monthly Coach Highlight – Nathaniel Cochran, Software Coach
- by Elsa Chase, Digital Marketing Specialist
This month, we’re highlighting Nathaniel Cochran, a Software Coach with Nexstar Network! Nathaniel has been with Nexstar for one year, helping members implement and understand new software within their businesses. We sat down with Nathaniel this month to ask him a little about himself, learn a bit about his journey in the trades, and chat about his career up to this point.
Q: Where and when did you get your start in the trades?
A: Growing up in Northern Virginia, I often joined my father, a service plumber, on emergency weekend calls from the age of two onwards – his boss allowed this to accommodate my mother’s weekend nursing shifts.
Q: Is there someone who inspired your journey into the trades?
A: Obviously, being the son of a master plumber/master HVAC technician/master gas fitter who taught at night for the Virginia Apprenticeship Program for 24 years had a bit to do with it! While my father eventually went on to own a company, he rarely gave anyone the business card that said “President;” he preferred the one that said “Master Plumber.”
Q: What are some career milestones that have been important in guiding you to your role as a coach?
A: A few months into some executive coaching after transitioning to being “under new management” in our former family business, my executive coach challenged me to acknowledge my dissatisfaction and consider consulting, a career that suited me well, despite my reservations at the time.
A recruiter for ServiceTitan steered me away from product management and towards ServiceTitan Certified Providers, where I could engage more directly with users. This recruiter recognized my potential for broader roles, and I was able to engage more directly with users in this new position. This recruiter was right; they led me to the most enjoyable job I’ve ever had!
Q: What brought you to Nexstar?
A: I had my first conversation with Jodi Peter while I was in the Azores on a much-needed vacation. Another member, Andy Wyatt of WyattWorks, had sent my resume to her, unsolicited. The shop I ran had become a Nexstar member about seven months prior to my departure, so I’d been through Service System and Operational Excellence as a member and thought highly of what Nexstar was doing to help raise the bar.
Q: What does your typical day look like as a coach?
A: Roughly half my mornings start with a brief conversation with our Inventory Management Coach, Daniel Todd. We run through a few scenarios that we’ve been assisting members with. After that, I sift through emails before officially starting my coaching calls at 9, ending around 5:15. Occasionally, I’ll have coaching calls nearly straight through to 10 PM so I can meet the needs of our Australian members. My emails are pretty much entirely written in the small gaps between coaching calls. Other than the constancy of reporting, there’s a lot of variety to the calls, but some weeks often seem to run in a theme.
Q: What’s the best part of your job, and why?
A: The best part of my job is helping shops find ways to not get bogged down in the generating of reports; rather, I help them improve the abilities of their technicians. Please: Don’t just run a report; use it to figure out how to make the daily lives of everyone around you more fulfilling!
Q: What’s one of your greatest superpowers?
A: I excel at delivering difficult news with a positive demeanor.
Q: What do you do to relax when you’re not at work?
A: I’ll admit that my regular hobbies look a lot like what most people consider work. I enjoy teaching myself programming languages, reading, and studying economics and philosophy. I also enjoy getting beaten by my son at chess and rowing on the river near my home when the weather is nice.
Q: What are some of your passions?
A: My passion is encouraging critical thinking and wondering about what I don’t know – I love to draw ideas about those things from other people around me.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: A better average ticket is the golden ticket.
If you’re interested in becoming a Nexstar member, click HERE and someone from our team will be in touch with you!
Related Posts
- By Brittany Spencer, Nexstar Business Coach
As a business coach at Nexstar, who was once a member, I often find myself fielding questions from members who…
I grew up with a father working in the trades. I watched him work tirelessly to build homes and provide…
- By Millie Black, Master Trainer and Artist
Hello there! My name is Millie Black, and I’m currently completing my third year as a trainer with Nexstar Network.…