Meet Nick Geiman! Nick and his family have been in Jackson County for six years. He has immersed himself in our community in a variety of different areas. He and his wife, Holly, co-founded an accounting business, and their family are huge advocates for autism support.
We want to thank Nick for telling us a little about himself and his love of our community.
“Hello everyone! First, I wanted to say that I feel honored to be nominated to be a part of the Faces of Jackson County. Even though I am a first-generation resident, I absolutely love being here and rooting my family within this phenomenal community. Jax Co has completely stolen our hearts! So naturally, I hold community outreach and development a top priority. My family and I have taken an active role in our community through involvement in our local school system, our Parks & Rec Department, and numerous local charities, as well as our own charitable giving to members of our community during the holidays. I also currently serve as a Council Member in the City of Pendergrass. We continue to plug in as time goes on. We are also huge autism awareness advocates, especially centered toward level 3 (the most severe level) Autism Spectrum Disorder adults, as I have a younger brother, Thomas, that has been living with this diagnosis for 32 years. We are also business owners. In a nutshell, I stay busy!” Nick said.
Question: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
Answer: “My wife, Holly, and I have four younger children. Our two oldest boys are Avery and Brycen and our two youngest girls are Adeline and Riley. I also have a high schooler, Jackson, who lives with his mother and attends a Gwinnett County school.”
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
A: “I focus my career on areas that I am passionate about. My wife and I cofounded an accounting, tax, and consulting business centered around client growth and success. We are also building a day-support program for severely autistic adults to obtain care and development while simultaneously providing respite for families and caregivers of these adults. Both businesses provide much needed services in vastly different sectors. Our accounting business helps bring each client in tune with their business and set achievable goals. We love providing strategies for success, as well as handling business compliance, day-to-day function efficiency, as well as maximizing tax savings from Uncle Sam, and everything in between! And our day-support program has become more than our passion project. There is an astounding lack of options available in the marketplace for this ever-growing population and this demographic needs help desperately. Our day center provides the care for these individuals and a support system these families need. We hope to grow and have numerous centers to serve not only our community but many others who are in need.”
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
A: “Great pizza is a weakness of mine, and Sliced in Hoschton is at the top of my list! We have also enjoyed the new Two Fox Farm restaurant in Arcade. And our family favorite is Swirlee’s in Jefferson.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
A: “We have been in JaxCo going on 6 years and don’t plan on leaving!”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
A: “This is a difficult list to narrow down. I have met so many people and I love hearing about their stories and adventures through life. But, there is one that has helped to inspire me and that’s Troy Johnson, the principal of one of the elementary schools in Jax Co. He’s a daily inspiration and light in our community.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
A: “It’s a toss-up between the Japanese countryside and the landscapes of New Zealand (where the Lord of the Rings was filmed). Japan has one of the most diverse landscapes in the world, and I love the culture in much of the country. New Zealand for much of the same, but I absolutely love J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and how Peter Jackson adapted it to the screen (our wedding cake was even LotR themed!). Being able to tour where the movies were filmed would be a dream come true!”
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
A: “‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy is my favorite movie, and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ probably takes the cake in the favorite show category. But, I also love a lot of the new Star Wars shows on Disney+.”
Q: What advice would you give to people?
A: “I have two pieces of advice: The most important piece of advice is to be kind for kindness’ sake. Next, people say to follow your passion. That doesn’t always pay the bills. You aren’t going to be passionate about everything you do but anything you put the persistent effort in, you’ll become passionate about it. Consistency is key.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I want to visit every continent. Travel is probably my favorite thing to do!”
Q: What is your go-to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
A: “With so many small kids in our home, it’s usually some variation of Disney. But if I am by myself, I listen to audiobooks or podcasts for self-development and motivation, and occasionally, piano-based jazz.”
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
A: “Since I am so new here, nostalgia hasn’t quite kicked in yet, but two places that I love to support are the Reflect Mercantile in Pendergrass and the Dragon’s Lair Bookshop in Jefferson.”
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
A: “Jon Favreau is at the top of my list! I love all that he has been involved in, especially his indie movie ‘Chef.’ He is passionate about cooking, Star Wars (which he has produced some of my favorite content ever), and he enjoys all things nerdy like I do. I believe we’d probably enjoy some pizza at Sliced.”
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
A: “I love the pride this community has in itself! Folks here want to help one another whether it be by supporting local businesses or just looking out for one another. The owner of Skate A Rama lent me a hand when I had car issues just the other day. Countless times we are all looking out for one another, especially during these hard economic times. Our residents are truly special, and it’s displayed repeatedly.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
A: “We’ll be here in Pendergrass helping this community as best as we can. Professionally, we hope to have expanded our accounting business and have several locations opened for our autism day support program for families and caregivers.”
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “My family up north in Michigan are big into water sports. My late grandfather tried to teach me to waterski, and I couldn’t quite master it fast enough for his speed. So, he told me to try without the skis since I had wide feet (like a duck he said). And I did! So, I learned how to waterski without the skis!”
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
A: “I have been all over the USA and it’s so vastly different. My top three spots are the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Grand Canyon, and southwest Wyoming (Jackson Hole area). I haven’t been to Alaska or Hawaii so I’m sure they’ll make the list when that time comes.”
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and the best single day on the calendar?
A: “December is my favorite because of the cold and the celebrations of Christmas. My single favorite date on the calendar is the day we leave on our next family travel adventure.”
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
A: “Traveling without a doubt! Experiencing the different landscapes, ecosystems, cultures, and cities of the world is incredible.”
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
A: “My mother certainly instilled in me the foundations of being a good man, work ethic and drive, and to ensure my integrity is always a priority. My wife has taken that foundation and elevated me beyond what I thought was possible. She is my fuel to keep climbing and to never give up or give in. Holly inspires me daily. She is amazing!”
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
A: “I must admit, this question threw me off! We don’t particularly use tons of scents or scented products. Got to love allergies! But, I do love the smell of sautéed onions and garlic as I love cooking. I particularly love the smell of our herb garden. Cooking is special to me so it’s no surprise the smells of the kitchen would take the top spots!”
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: “Family. Food. Fun!”
