Welcome to the personal website of
executive and investor

Nick Gausling

Strategic Planning

Creates forward-thinking plans to compete within a changing business landscape, capitalize on trends, and drive long-term corporate development and growth.

Finance & Analytics

Utilizes financial analysis, economics, analytics, market research, and business intelligence to solve problems and identify opportunities.

Operations Management

Structures and leads cross-functional teams to optimize processes, drive revenue growth, reduce expenses, and generate bottom-line profits.

About Nick Gausling

Nicholas Gausling is a strategic operations executive, investor, author, and speaker residing in Texas. He has a track record in growing market share, optimizing operations, and developing strategic initiatives to increase revenue, reduce expense, and generate profits.

Hands-on experience in:

• Organizational Leadership • Cross-Functional Teams

• General Management • Strategic Planning

• Process Improvement • Corporate Development

• Financial Analysis • Analytics and Business Intelligence

• Business Development • Strategic Partnerships

• Sales Operations • Corporate Affairs

• Investor Relations / Board of Directors • Compliance

Nick accepts a limited number of speaking opportunities. If you would like him to speak at your event, please contact him via LinkedIn with details.

Key Professional Experience

Mattress Firm (2018 - present)

Director of Omnichannel Optimization (2020 - present)
Divisional Director, Field Optimization (2020)
Divisional Director, Strategy & Analytics (2018- 2020)

Currently leads optimization efforts, strategic planning, and special projects for omnichannel sales company-wide for the United States’ largest specialty mattress retailer, including revenue generation (e-commerce/website sales, chat and phone-based inside sales, and third-party marketplaces), CX, digital merchandising, and digital marketing.

Also supports and serves as a member of the Northeast Retail Divisional Leadership Team, a $700MM+ book of business with over 600 stores across 13 states, with direct responsibility for field-facing financial & KPI analysis, finance vendor relations, special projects, and serving as a divisional liaison to the corporate office. Directly reports to the EVP of Northeast Stores & GM of Omni Commerce.

Extensive field time to understand the needs of local leadership, advise on best practices and process improvements, train on financial disciplines and controls, and furnish analysis for the Divisional EVP.
Sourced vendors, analyzed proposals, and procured relationship with a financial services vendor to solve competitive gap in New Jersey & Vermont with no secondary/tertiary financing. Later led expansion of that same program into Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Led field budget control effort to drive down brick & mortar divisional salesperson expense by -50 basis points year over year.
Helped lead through navigating numerous challenges including bankruptcy change management, multiple organizational restructures, and COVID-19 crisis response (regulatory, expense management, contactless retail program, revenue recapture, sanitation, and re-opening plans).

Emerald Risk Solutions (2014 – 2018)

Managing Partner

Co-founded and led a boutique financial services firm. Sourced deals, conducted due diligence, trained personnel, interfaced with regulators, and provided services for businesses and individuals.

Managed establishment of strategic relationships with multiple Fortune 100 companies.
Guided the firm through its transformation from a financial planning and management consulting provider into a boutique private equity / venture capital investor and incubator.
Led the firm to acquire equity positions in portfolio companies spanning tech, CPG manufacturing and distribution, and professional services, including operations both domestic and international.

Real Water (2013 – 2015)

Chief of Staff (2013 - 2015)
Manager, External Affairs (2013)

Exercised cross-functional executive coordination and special project management across all departments of a nationally-distributed CPG functional beverage company, including: sales and distribution, marketing and PR, finance, HR, manufacturing and logistics, and QA/QC. Direct responsibility for investor relations, Board of Directors affairs, contract negotiation, compliance and regulatory affairs, and interfacing with outside legal counsel. Directly reported to the CEO.

As a key member of the executive team, helped lead the company from negative EBITDA into positive EBITDA. Worked with the VP of Sales to negotiate a private label contract with a major natural products retail chain, boosting annual revenue by more than 10%.
Implemented a new HR management system which reduced payroll man hours by 10%, lowered premiums on worker’s comp insurance, and significantly cut the company’s liability exposure.
Sat on the management task force which successfully prepared the company’s primary manufacturing facility to receive certification from the National Sanitation Foundation.
Managed and negotiated across numerous contract cycles, including with: one of the largest beverage companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), multiple domestic beverage distributors, and celebrities in diverse fields including music and professional sports.

Publications

POPULAR:

Nick’s answers to business questions on Quora

Nick’s articles on Medium

SCHOLARLY:

Nicholas Gausling, “A Review of Mark Spitznagel’s The Dao of Capital: Austrian Investing in a Distorted World,” Christian Libertarian Review, vol. 2 (Jul 2019): R61-R68

Executive Training

The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania, Certificate in Leadership and Management (in progress)