Gappers are passionate people. We are passionate about each other, our clients, our community, and are inspired by life! To explore more about what drives our team, resident hedgehog, Herbie, sat down with gappers in a series we like to call: Words with Herbs.
Name?
Nathan Sanfaçon
How did you get to gap?
I grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and although I loved every minute of the incredible skiing, snowy winters, and awesome summer backpacking trips, I had always been intrigued by life on the west coast, learning to surf, and enjoying the near-perfect weather year-round. So, following my graduation from Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder, I packed up my little blue Subaru with all of my belongings and hit the road headed west! Along the way, I was able to explore and camp in so many beautiful places including Moab, Park City, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite Valley. Fast-forward a month and a few thousand miles later, I ended up on a gorgeous sunny beach in San Diego, realizing that I had found my new home!
After finding a place to live and few surf lessons later, I discovered gap intelligence. gap’s inspiring commitment to being a values-led company got me hooked, as I wanted to join an organization acting with purpose. And after meeting some awesome gappers and learning more about gap’s passion for data, I was sold!
What values lead you and why?
Compassion, integrity, and growth are three of my most telling and guiding values. Compassion is vital to me as I strive to live a life with an open mind and kindness; considering and appreciating other’s feelings, opinions, ideas, and circumstances. Integrity is invaluable to me and I protect it as so. It is also just as much internal as it is external. Externally, I want to gain and defend other’s trust by being transparent, honest, and reliable, while internally, I have a duty to myself that I will stay true to my values. Lastly, personal growth and exploration are essential to how I live. I am endlessly trying to quench my thirst for new experiences, learnings, ideas, opinions, and cultures.
What skills are you bringing to gap and what skills are you excited to learn?
I am excited to bring my passion for working with high-performing teams to gap, as well as a fresh, new perspective. From what I have seen, gappers are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what they do and I am eager to glean as much as I can from them. Also, I am really looking forward to learning and exploring how to make data not only more accessible but meaningful and useful.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be, why, and what would you do with it?
Without a doubt, my superpower would be the ability to control time. The opportunities are endless! I could go fly fishing in Montana, re-read, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and ski a few runs in the Swiss Alps, all before coming into work.
What’s the quirkiest thing about you that you’re willing to admit?
I am obsessed with sunsets! I will go to great lengths to catch a sunset, even if all I can do is stick my head out the window to see the sky change. Instead of checking the weather each morning, I am looking at what time the sun sets. My obsession has grown tenfold since moving to San Diego, as I have been able to watch some great sunsets while walking on the beach, surfing, or doing yoga.
What is your favorite thing to do in San Diego and why?
Having been born and raised in a landlocked state, my favorite thing to do in San Diego is anything that revolves around being by the ocean. I am just now learning to surf, and although I can only stand up half of the time, I am in heaven whenever I get the chance to get out there!
Where would you go in a time machine?
Although traveling into the future is very tempting, I think I would have to take the opportunity to travel back in time to visit the Jurassic era and see some dinosaurs!
