Employee of the Month-August 2021: Nick Johnson
Nick Johnson, a talented content writer, SEO specialist, and account manager at SharpNet, has earned the honor of being named SharpNet’s Employee of the Month for August 2021. Nick brings an immense amount of wisdom and off-the-cuff wit to our office. A highly skilled content writer with innate knowledge and expertise for SEO, Nick’s diverse skill set is an immeasurable asset to our team and our clientele. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University, a master’s degree in U.S. history from Colorado State University, and having served as editor of the Colorado Encyclopedia since 2014, Nick has the extensive qualifications and knowledge to bring an incredible amount of insight into his content writing and SEO projects. While Nick is a dedicated member of the SharpNet team, he is also a devoted father to his adorable 4-year-old daughter, Natalie. Nick resides in Fort Collins with his daughter and two lovable cats, Jango and Boba.
Here are some other fun facts about Nick!
Before working at SharpNet, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’d ever had?
N: I’ve had a range of uncomfortable and exploitative jobs, mostly in retail and sales. There was one where I sold cheap power door-to-door to businesses in the greater Chicago area. It was entirely commission-based, had me wearing a suit in my car every day, and required constant driving around blighted, ex-industrial rust-scapes filled with hostile people who looked like they drank their weight in booze every night since 1981. I spent about half my weekly paycheck on dry cleaning and mandatory “team nights.” Got rear-ended in the field one day. Solid stuff.
How did you first learn about SharpNet?
N: I honestly can’t remember which of the job searching robots I used to find this place (Indeed? LinkedIn? Alibaba?) but that’s probably because that time was incredibly stressful and depressing and I’ve blocked it out.
How do you balance your career at SharpNet and your free time?
N: I try to leave work at work, and I am fortunate that this company approves of that.
How has SharpNet helped you in your career development?
N: The technical knowledge, tools, and marketing strategies I’ve picked up in just a few months here have been a great complement to the other skills in my toolkit, and they’ve helped me improve my other pursuits, such as the nonprofit I’m involved in and an online encyclopedia project. It’s also been cool to learn and practice different forms of writing and thinking than I’ve been used to. I’m looking forward to more learning and development here!
If you could pick one theme for SharpNet to turn into a book about the company, what would it be?
N: How about a series of children’s books:
Timmy Waits for Logins
Timmy and the Haunted Phone System
Timmy Drinks Too Much Caffeine And Requires Hospitalization
Timmy Does the 2-Step Tango
Any random facts you could share?
N: I do everything lefty except kicking a soccer ball and bowling.
Are you messy or organized?
N: I won’t say that I’m never messy, but in general I like things neat and organized. It’s some kind of genetic neurotic thing, maybe. Nothing better than settling into your couch and looking around at a clean, tidy space.
Best vacation you’ve been on?
N: France ‘06. Allez les bleus!
If you could be any force of nature, what would it be?
N: This is really on-brand but I’m gonna go with any kind of big cat. The cool thing about big cats is that you always see them on nature documentaries at the absolute ragged end of life—their fur’s all patchy, ribs bulging out behind paper-thin skin, they haven’t eaten in 2 months—and yet they still have the ability to tear another, fully strong creature to pieces. THAT is pretty awesome.