Nicholas Sposato is the man behind the magic at Bond Collective, floating between locations to keep facilities running like well oiled machines. We’re sitting down to get to know a little more about this New Jersey native with a soft spot for animals, and Bushwick.
-Nicole Clark, General Manager
Photography: Ben Lamberty
We’ve put together a curated playlist inspired by Nick’s heavy rotation. Open in a new window and enjoy while you read!
NC: Nick! I am so excited to get to chat with you. You know, there was a lot of enthusiasm behind this interview. The people have questions! You’re everywhere at Bond Collective, you know everything, you travel to all locations and are the solution to every facility challenge–but who is the real Nicholas Sposato? Let’s find out.
NS: I am a really private guy, I always have been. I always keep my personal life separate from my professional life. Even with my close friends I’d say I’m not a details person, I don’t post much on social media, but I’m here to answer all the questions.
NC: First of all congratulations to one of the hardest working people on our team. You are the resident Bond Collective go-to for all locations, and people feel confident going to you for solutions. I wanted to know if you always knew, ever since you were a kid, that you were destined to be a superhero?
NS: I certainly did not! I went to school for environmental science, I wanted to do something along the lines of ecological research. In 2008 the recession impacted science programs I was involved in, and when I graduated in 2010 I realized the landscape of internships had dwindled because so many programs had been cut. The hiring freeze in my field meant that I started looking around at different positions and I ended up taking a job at my best friend’s dad’s construction company.
NC: So that’s where you started to pick up these tools, so to speak?
NS: Yes, so I was 21 at the time. And I knew nothing–nothing. So I just learned. I’m a hard worker, I’m a fast learner, so I picked it all up along the way and within a few years I was the foreman of the company. I worked with that company for eight years.
NC: Oh wow! That’s incredible.
NS: I had been with this company for a while and it was time to see where else I could go and that’s what led me to Bond Collective. I went to an interview in New York City and I was like, there is no way I’m working in the city. This commute? No way.
NC: A Jersey boy through and through, what did you think about your first time meeting with the team at Bond Collective?
NS: I met Elide and Tim Bailey, and they offered me a job the same day. Something that was different right away was that on my first day on the job I was issued my work laptop and I had never used a laptop at work ever before this. In college I used computers all the time to track my field work and research, but construction sites were so different.
NC: That’s hard to imagine!
NS: I had always worked with my hands, I didn’t carry a laptop with me. I was on site managing, always moving around. My first day I logged into all of these platforms and the Google drives, and I just thought, I don’t know what’s going on. This was all so new to me. I think I had a little bit of imposter’s syndrome in the beginning.
NC: I think we all know what that’s like, but you have a history now of stepping into roles and demonstrating that you can master them.
NS: Yeah I turned into the go-to guy for everything that the company needed and people realized that they could depend on me. Electrical, plumbing, glass installations, you name it. And you know, my title is Facilities Manager, but that means that I could be doing anything depending on the day.
NC: It’s hard to find a title that really describes the full extent of what you do, we all know you as Nick. And Nick is who we go to! What an interesting way to land your current position.
NS: My family isn’t in construction at all, if anything I’ve gone against the grain because I went to school for something completely different.
NC: I know you’re close with your family, is there anyone there who is a particular source of guidance for you or the person you go to?
NS: I would say my fiance, Becky. It’s hard to think of one particular piece of advice she’s given me but I just follow her energy. She’s definitely a major support in my life, and we’ve been together for 12 years. She’s a certified personal trainer, she works for CNBC, she’s an extrovert and just great in social situations. She’s probably my biggest supporter.
NC: Congratulations! We’ll keep an eye out for the wedding invite!
NS: Thank you! Yeah something else that’s great about Becky is that her family has these two beautiful dogs and we were all able to spend a lot of time together during Covid. I’ve always loved animals. In college I was tracking migrating songbirds in the meadowlands, catching them and banding them to track patterns every season. It’s actually what my thesis was on. It’s why I went into environmental science, to find a way to work with animals and make an impact. Who doesn’t want to save the world, you know?
NC: I can safely say that within the environment of Bond, both the team and the community, you’re still saving the world. You’re just doing it in small ways, but consistently and every day.
NC: Okay one of our favorite questions to ask everyone we sit down with is what is the best compliment you have ever received?
NS: I am a very bad compliment taker, actually. I haven’t ever been great at accepting compliments or flattery. It can be uncomfortable, but I’m working on it.
NC: Does it feel strange to be receiving this type of attention and praise as Employee of the Month?
N: Oh totally, but I do appreciate it. Some of the personal messages I received from the team were really nice. I’m just doing my job, I like to stay in the background.
NC: They don’t call you The Humble King for nothing. Is there a particular location that you have a special affinity for? It feels like you know every single thing about every single location, is there one connection there that stands out for you?
NS: For all of the it’s quirks and curve balls, and all the crazy train stories I have from traveling there, I have to say Bushwick. Working with Pablo is also great, he’s the Maintenance Technician there and we’ve been a team for a long time. I’ve spent a lot of time there, love that crazy place.
NC: Okay now is the time, you have the stage, do you have anything you want to share that we don’t know?
NS: I actually do, yeah.
NC: Wow, okay. Fire away!
NS: I do not use curse words. At all. I tried when I was younger and it never felt right, it’s not like a moral decision it just wasn’t for me, so it’s just not part of my vocabulary. You’ll never hear me use profanity.
NC: Wow, I might not have ever noticed that. That is such a pleasant surprise! Thank you so much for taking time to let us get to know a little more about you. You are so valuable and we wanted to really celebrate all of your contributions.
