Time & Energy: Why?

I have a sincere fascination with people and the myriad of reasons people behave the way they do. Unlike animals, humans have a unique ability to “control the line” of time between stimulus and response. Our defining moments, and perhaps our overall legacy, are defined by our responses to the personal and professional stimuli we receive every day.

Time & Energy is my effort lo learn, digest, process and share the impactful things I’ve learned up to this point, as well as, bring you all along for the rest of the journey. The goal is personal and professional growth. I don’t have all the answers, but I aim to find as many as possible. And through this endeavor, we all get a little bit better for ourselves, each other, and those most important to us.

Time & Energy: Who?

Hello and welcome! I'm Nick Lakoduk and I'm grateful that you've prioritized a portion of your valuable time to visit Time & Energy!

Pictured here at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, IA with my awesome wife, Alyssa. We find ourselves with a bit less time to enjoy experiences such as these, just the two of us; but I can confidently say that neither of us would trade it for the opportunity we have to raise our children together. That said, we still prioritize time to play some golf, head out to dinner, and spend a long weekend in our favorite place - New York City. We're grateful for our incredible family and friends!

FM Redhawks with the West Region in 2019

I grew up in Fargo, North Dakota as the youngest of three children. I grew up playing a lot of sports before finally settling on tennis as my primary sport at the age of 15 and now, I prioritize as much of my time as is reasonable on golf. You'll see pictures around the site of some great golf courses I've been fortunate to play, and some great people I've come across. I enjoy an abundance of gratitude for my life experiences, but even more so for the deep and meaningful relationships I've found along the way. I believe deeply that, while sometimes difficult, the time one prioritizes building into relationships with others will be returned exponentially in their favor. I've made a lot of mistakes in friendships, and I will make more, but I'm committed to getting better every day.

My college career began at the University of Iowa in 1998 and I've been back nearly every fall since for a Hawkeye football game and to visit longtime friends. Alyssa is now a Hawkeye fan by association, and we've had a ton of fun, most recently, watching Caitlin Clark and Iowa Women's Baseketball's run to back to back National Title Games!

My professional career started in 2005 with UCB Pharma, where I sold medications in the allergy, asthma, and ADHD space around North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota. I accepted a life-changing opportunity to move to Atlanta, GA, in 2008 to take on the role of National Sales Trainer at UCB. In this position, I was exposed to incredibly impactful concepts like Emotional Intelligence, Time Management, Situational Leadership, and DiSC, among others. In this position, I also realized two things: 1. Personal and Professional Development is the exact type of work I wanted to do for the rest of my life! Some refer to it as a "calling," but for me, it was like a "freight train." 2. Top performers are built differently. I didn't fully realize it at the time, but this realization was the kindling of my fascination with people, behaviors, and development of others that now burns brighter than ever. I transitioned back to the Midwest in 2010 and to the UCB epilepsy sales team selling AEDs (Keppra / Vimpat) in the neurology field until my exit in 2013.

In 2013, my friend and colleague, Mike, approached me about potentially joining the sales team at Discovery Benefits. I had become disenchanted with my time in the pharmaceutical industry, and Mike had just begun his career at DBI in the fall of 2012. When I asked Mike what he sold, he replied, "I'm not 100% sure yet, but the company is awesome, and the people are great!". The rest, as they say, is history. I started at Discovery Benefits in February 2013 and sold our pre-tax and COBRA solutions to Employee Benefits brokers in Southern California, Denver, and Phoenix. In 2017 I transitioned to Regional Vice President, West Region and, most recently, to National Vice President of Sales in 2022.

This is the Intersection of Time and energy as I see it. Prioritizing time and intentional mindfulness of one's Emotional Energy to honor those next to you makes Time and Energy not only an internal endeavor but an external one. Welcome!