Many know him as the guy who started a watch company, but he is much more. Nathan Resnick, a funny and hard-working junior, created Yes Man, a startup company that launched in 2014, which has grown exponentially since. But who is the guy behind Yes Man? Outside of his friends and family most people don’t know about the life of Nathan, the guy who started the entire Yes Man concept and brand. Who is Nathan outside of his brand? I met with him this week and learned a lot of things that many people probably don’t know. Let me tell you, he is much more than just a Yes Man.
Nathan is currently a junior at USD majoring in finance. He was born and raised in Washington D.C., where he spent his childhood playing lacrosse, soccer, and riding his mountain bike. Growing up, he used to tell people to vote for him for president, but his career path changed in elementary school. His entrepreneurial tendencies have been a part of him from an early age, “I remember I used to sell those Livestrong bracelets for a profit as a youngster in elementary school and I moved on to hyped Nike SB sneakers in middle school.” In high school, Nathan took a break from work and focused on typical high school things such as sports, school and girls. He explained to me an especially awkward high school memory: “When I was asking my date to prom, I asked the security guard at school to bring her to the principal’s office where I stood waiting with flowers. She was shocked and said yes, but we later found out she actually had to go to the principal’s office for some real trouble, and I had just reminded them.”
Hopefully she has forgiven him by now, but since he has moved all the way across the country for school it’s all in the past. For Nathan, moving was not at all difficult. In high school, he moved away from home and lived all the way in China for a year…transition to college was pretty smooth compared to that!
It’s safe to say that between D.C., China, and San Diego, Nathan is most at home here. His favorite things about San Diego are the weather and the women, two things he never complains about! He especially loves the food here, his favorites being Chinese food, fresh fish, and ice cream. In his free time, Nathan enjoys sailing, hiking, football, and “pretty much anything outdoors.”
Nathan has big plans for his future. “Hopefully I’ll be pretty well traveled and have an understanding for different cultures. Maybe I’ll find a yes woman too. Work wise, I’d like to have grown Yes Man to a globally renowned brand and have started and grown a few other companies along the way.”
Obviously Nathan is incredibly accomplished for a 20-year-old. Few people our age can say they started and ran a successful and growing company. While this is certainly something that sets him apart, I was lucky to learn and share with you all the guy behind Yes Man. Nathan’s parting comment was, “I pretty much always wear a Yes Man watch—if you catch me when I’m not rocking one, feel free to call me out on it!”