Meet the Waukee CEO who's breaking business norms
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Austin Mac Nab. Photo: Courtesy of VizyPay
Traditional finance and insurance companies have long been ingrained in Des Moines' identity, but VizyPay founder Austin Mac Nab wants to show there's also a counter-culture path toward wealth and growth.
Why it matters: Mac Nab's credit-card payment-processing company pushes a blunt "work hard, play hard" culture that isn't typical in Waukee — but he believes it's key to success and finding the next generation of talent.
- "Most corporations that have corporate people, like a Principal — even the top CEOs wouldn't last six months here because it's just too different than the stereotypical way of running a business," Mac Nab says.
Flashback: Mac Nab, who is Vietnamese American, faced turbulence in his childhood and moved around often, working at a young age to support his mom. At 10, he walked around his neighborhood, selling his mom's eggrolls for cash.
- He didn't attend college and instead worked at a credit-card processing company for 11 years before deciding to start his venture in Iowa.
- "That's why I don't look at resumes. That's why I give a flying s--- what college you came from," Mac Nab says. "I'm looking for genuine people."
State of play: When he launched VizyPay in 2017, he had just three employees, and brought in $97,000 in revenue that first year. The early days were tough — long hours and a demanding environment — until he realized he wanted to build a workplace where people actually enjoyed coming in.
- Now, VizyPay is at nearly $27 million in revenue with 86 employees and an emphasis on "culture before anything," Mac Nab says.
The intrigue: Prior to the pandemic, VizyPay was experiencing steady growth, but 2020 provided an unexpected surge in customers.
- As people experienced layoffs, some started their own businesses and needed a credit-card processor. More people were also searching for work, which helped VizyPay grow its own workforce. The company scaled in 2021-22, Mac Nab says.
Zoom in: The Waukee office near Vibrant Music Hall first appears like today's typical open-concept office.
- But on a closer look, there are signs of the mentality Mac Nab pushes, like a mural that also has the words "work f------ harder" hidden in the art.
- VizyPay's "war room" displays a shelf of liquor and a bottle of Clase Azul tequila. It's where Mac Nab reminisced on the worries of 2020 and whom he would have to cut — and how the company grew instead.
- There's a full-scale bar where employees get a happy hour every week that's also held weddings and graduation parties. And the company is known for its giant holiday parties, which Mac Nab touts are for the "sexy-ass, high-energy individuals at our company."
Fun fact: Employees receive unlimited discretionary time off, as well as an annual $1,000 to use however they want, as long as it benefits a small-business owner.
What's next: Mac Nab is starting all over again with LFG Sports AI — a sports betting app.