For the second associate spotlight post of 2021, we decided to put the spotlight on Nathan DeWindt! Nathan has been on the SpendMend team since November of 2019, which was only 4 months before the entire world went into quarantine. This made it very interesting to see things from Nathan’s point of view, starting a new job and quickly making a huge transition to working remotely. Despite the challenges, Nathan rose to the occasion and has done a tremendous job! When he’s not working, you might find Nathan relaxing with a board game or listening to his favorite podcast, the Freakonomics Radio Show. Nathan is also a traveler and has visited all 50 states! If you’re looking for travel destination suggestions, Nathan is definitely your guy. Make sure to read the interview with Nathan to see what States Nathan thinks everyone should go see. We really enjoyed getting to know Nathan better and it was very interesting getting to hear his responses. It’s not an easy task starting a new job and dealing with multiple changes, so our hats are off to you, Nathan! We look forward to what the future holds for Nathan and we appreciate all the hard work he does. Thank you, Nathan!
Interview With Nathan:
What is your role at SpendMend?
Auditor
How long have you been with SpendMend?
1 year and 2 months!
How did you first learn about SpendMend?
Job Fair.
What 3 words would you use to describe SpendMend?
Client-centered, Goal-oriented, and Focused
Why do you look forward to coming to work?
I solve puzzles for a living! It’s exciting and every day is different.
Before working at SpendMend, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
I worked as a financial coach for a year.
What is one fun fact about you?
I’ve visited all 50 United States.
What are your top 3 states if you had to rank them?
My favorite states would be #1 Michigan (I’m a little biased of course!), #2 and #3 would be Pennsylvania and California because I have family in both of those states. If we’re going based off of cool places I’ve visited or things I’ve seen, I may have to put #2 and #3 as Utah (It’s got Zion, Arches, and Bryce Canyon national parks; many other national parks are great too!) and Hawaii (very beautiful mountain top views and so much variety in attractions between islands).
What type of music or podcasts do you listen to during the workday?
I love rock and roll, and my favorite podcast is the freakonomics radio show.
Do you have any hobbies or participate in any activities outside of work?
I greatly enjoy playing pretty much any board game you’ve ever heard of.
Can you describe an interaction when you helped a client or a supplier that stands out in your mind?
Yes, one jumps out to me. I was on the phone once with a vendor/supplier when I was still fairly new to the job, and he was in a panic because he thought he had made a mistake on $20k check. I listened for a couple minutes, and then explained to him that he hadn’t made any mistake and was just trying to help him reconcile any discrepancies. I’ll never forget that he got quiet for a second and then told me he really should have listened to what I had to say first. We resolved the whole rest of the issue in less than five minutes. It was the first big win I’d had here!
What was the best compliment you’ve ever been paid by a client or supplier?
Best one I can think of was when I was working on a Stryker account and I filled out a spreadsheet that had not been taken care of for quite a while by the client for a vendor/supplier, and the lady was so grateful, she called me personally just to say thank you for helping her out. No business, not to request that I do more work, just to say thank you so much.
Would you like to give a shout out to a client or supplier?
I like this question! Joshua Welcker works for GE (Cash Operations Analyst) and is probably the most helpful supplier I have ever worked with.
What is the best part of serving the healthcare market?
Keeping in mind that we’re helping out those who need the services of a hospital. It’s all about them at the end of the day.
What has been your experience with SpendMend community service events?
Haven’t done any yet, but I also haven’t spent a lot of time at this company pre-covid, so excited to see more when we return to the office.
What is your favorite in house event? (specific potluck, chili cook-off, bring your kid to work day, etc.)
I’ve really enjoyed all the picnic (everybody bring something and enjoy) style events that have been put together!
Do you want to shout out a co-worker who has helped or inspired you at SpendMend?
I can’t just pick one. Everybody is so welcoming and helpful. It really feels like a team environment.
What advice do you have for perspective candidates who want to join the SpendMend team?
Find out where different members of your team specialize and ask them your questions based on that.
What has been your proudest accomplishment at SpendMend?
I’ve claimed 62 claims in one day without using a macro and that has to be some kind of record!
What is something you’re looking forward to for your future at SpendMend?
I have been here for a little over a year, and I’ve already had the opportunity to be in two different pods with all different jobs. I have found it is challenging and exciting to explore fully the ins and outs of new systems. I look forward to learning more of these in the future and showing others what I know, as I enjoy helping others output excellent work and to make their work process more efficient.