If you feel squeezed by conventional professional narratives, it’s time to write a new story. We can do that, together.
The places we work and create are productive and purpose-driven when they are brought to life by leaders who maximize their strengths to draw out the best in people.
(how we do this→)
About Nick Jerez
(through)collective was founded by Nick Jerez in 2022. Nick is a Gallup-certified Strengths Coach with over 20 years of experience working with mission-driven organizations and creatives. This coaching practice is the culmination of his effort to push past traditional professional narratives. As a Latino and a first-generation college graduate, he has been told implicitly and explicitly time and time again that experience and instinctive talents don’t have value if they do not conform to a conventional narrative. At (through)collective, we say, NOPE—what you bring to the table matters. Let’s bring it all into the light so it can help you blaze your own path forward.
© Sahar Coston-HardyIf this resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you.
(start a conversation →)
Before starting (through)collective Nick was the Vice President of Operations at U3 Advisors and an Assistant Director for the Children’s Aid Society. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Cooke School and Institute, a New York-based independent school serving children with special needs. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors of Birch Family Services, a non-profit on the front lines of supporting more than 2,000 individuals with Autism throughout New York City. Taken together, Nick has over 20 years of nonprofit & private sector operations management experience.
As a life-long New Yorker, first-generation college graduate with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from Brooklyn College, and the proud parent of two children on the Autism spectrum, Nick’s journey as a strengths-based development professional is deeply personal as he works towards a future where people of all backgrounds and abilities can live their fullest lives.
Music and the arts are fundamental to Nick. It all started at the High School of Art & Design, the leading commercial arts high school in New York City. There, Nick was exposed to the power of channeling our creative selves into our professional pursuits. And he developed his love for playing the guitar…through a guitar amp cranked to up to 11. He believes that the arts, like strengths-based development, is a common language that all humans share and deepens our understanding of ourselves and one another.
Nick is also an avid marathon runner, completing a marathon every year for the past decade. The inspiration for the (through)collective name came from his experience of hitting “The Wall” at the 20-mile marker on the NYC Marathon course. When you hit “The Wall” and every fiber in your being is telling you to quit, it is your inner strength that allows you to chart a path through the wall to finish the race. Life is a marathon, and strengths development is key to unlocking your reservoir of talents, aiming them to push through the walls we all inevitably encounter in our journeys.
While we know your story is unique, Nick brings an empathetic approach to our work together, because as someone who has worked in nonprofits and creative spaces, he understands many of the particular challenges of those environments and cultures. He knows that it’s common to feel like a character in someone else’s story.
© Sahar Coston-Hardy
The only way is through. Together.
-
Individual and Team Coaching
-
Leadership Development
-
Culture & Brand Alignment