Name: Nate Scott
Title: COO/CFO
Nate Scott has seen the military from many different angles. As the son of an Air Force Officer, he’s seen it from a family member’s perspective. As a former Marine, he’s seen it from Iraq’s war zone. Now, as Sandboxx’s CFO, he sees the military from the civilian side.
As an Air Force brat, Nate lived all over the world, including Texas, California and the UK. After high school, he attended Miami University in Ohio and then went to work as a business consultant in Chicago.
Then 9/11 happened, and the life he thought he wanted changed completely.
In 2002, Nate was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. In 2004, he deployed to Iraq as a platoon commander for a sniper unit with Second Battalion Fourth Marines.
He counts his service time as one of the most rewarding experiences of his life. Working for Sandboxx now allows him to support the community that so dramatically shaped his life.
Below, he shares insight into his favorite Sandboxx moments, lessons the Marine Corps taught him, and why service above self matters.
What’s one of the best lessons the Marine Corps taught you?
The Marine Corps taught me to lead from the front. Always put the people working for you first. Set them up for success and put them in a position to be able to get the job done.
I also think good leadership takes planning, and it takes resiliency. It also requires perspective. In the business world, the reality is no one is getting shot at. No one is going to die over a bad business decision. You have to remember that. It tempers your stress. It makes you value what’s really important.
Do you have any favorite memories from your time in the Marine Corps?
My time as a platoon commander was the highlight of my service. I still keep in touch with Marines from that time. We were in Iraq during a really tough time. My battalion at the time suffered the heaviest losses since Vietnam. Going through something like that bonds you forever.
Another thing this taught me was that there will always be challenges. Things won’t go as planned. You have to expect this and prepare for it if you can. But being a Marine gave me the confidence to know that I can get the job done regardless of the obstacles. When things don’t go as planned, you have the fortitude to deal with it.
What do you do at Sandboxx?
As the CFO/COO, the operations, travel, and customer happiness teams report to me. I also handle all of the finance and accounting for Sandboxx. I like to be in the office as much as possible. I like to be able to lead my teams in person, to know what’s going on in their lives and to make sure they feel valued as members of the company.
What do you love most about the Sandboxx mission?
There are very few times in the business world when you feel like you have the opportunity to do good by doing good. I think this is one of those phenomenal opportunities. We get to run and grow a business that does good for people. I believe we can have an impact on the DoD and the military. I’m very confident that we can develop technology that’s going to improve the lives and the journey that our service members are on.
What makes Sandboxx different from other companies you’ve worked for in the past?
I love that literally every day we have Hallmark moments in the office where a mom writes to us and has a picture of her reuniting with her son. I’ve run a number of businesses, and you don’t always have that kind of connection with your customers or clients. That’s what I really love about Sandboxx.
All the employees and folks we work with have that similar mindset and dedication which makes this an amazing place to work. I’ve worked at a number of great places, but there’s a certain level of commitment to the military members at Sandboxx.
What’s your favorite Sandboxx memory so far?
One of the most memorable moments for me was when we ran a photo contest for the spouses and family members of service members. We received dozens of photos from family members. In those photos, you could really see the impact our work was having on the families by keeping them connected with their recruits.
What’s your favorite part of working for Sandboxx?
I love the people, and I love our mission. That’s what makes me excited to get up and go to work every day.
What advice do you have to military families?
Life dedicated to service is not wasted time. It’s one of the most meaningful things you can do. It stays with you throughout your life. When you give something of yourself, you get back so much more.
What did you take away from your Marine Corps experience?
I really value that feeling of community of being a Marine. And I feel like I made a difference. So many people go through life and can’t necessarily say that, and I think looking back on my military service I can say yes, without a doubt, I made a difference.
Anything else?
I’m very proud to work for this company. I think my family is proud that I work for this company. My kids love coming to the office. They love hearing about what we do. It’s really nice to work with an organization that has a mission to do good in other people’s lives.
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