Nate Kaeding

Nate KaedingAge: 32

Occupation: Entrepreneur, MBA Student – The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business

What is your greatest professional achievement: That’s yet to happen.

Who are your mentors: Brad Baldwin (vice president of operations, MediRevv), Andy Stoll (co-founder, Seed Here Studio) and Dan Ouverson (co-owner, Short’s Burger and Shine).

What is best advice you ever received: Practice with a purpose.

What is your biggest passion: Mentoring athletes. I’ve worked with several different high school and younger athletes, mostly just on life-sport balance – how to set goals properly, what it takes to be a good leader, those sorts of things. I enjoy the teaching side of it, and it’s a fun way to relay all of the wisdom I’ve picked up and give back.

What would most people be surprised to learn about you: That I’m a huge history buff. I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned from history. I think there’s a lot of great inspiration that can be taken from people in the past, too – how people end up doing things that are greater than themselves. I study those tidbits about how those people lived their life, and try to apply those to my own life.

How do you ensure a balance between work and your personal life: I put my phone in the kitchen drawer. A big quote I try to live by is, “Be where you are.” If I’m with my kids, I try to be there. Mentally, I don’t always do a great job with that, but I do consciously and physically try to get rid of the distractions.

If you had $1 million to give, what causes would you support: The Englert Theater, the American Cancer Society and the Hawkeyes.