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."

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. The company scaled in 2021-22, Mac Nab says.

Zoom in: The Waukee office near Vibrant Music Hall first looks like a 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.

What's next: Mac Nab is starting all over again with LFG Sports AI — a sports betting app.

Go deeper

Iowa's Asian population continues growing — making up 3.1% of the state's total population, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Zoom in: In Des Moines, the most common Asian populations represented were from Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand.

State of play: Many of the people who migrated to Iowa from Asia were refugees, especially more recently from Myanmar and Thailand.

• Existing families in the state and support networks have also encouraged more relatives to come here.

✈️ A new direct route flight between Des Moines and Gulf Shores, Alabama, will operate seasonally starting Oct. 3. (Press release)

📸 The DSM police released images of an alleged serial burglar and are seeking the public's help in identifying him. (KCCI)

🔻 Cash rental rates for Iowa farmland fell nearly 3% this year, the first decline since 2019. (Radio Iowa)

Eileen, 9, of the Drake neighborhood, has a new title: Cat detective.

Catch up quick: Inspired by "Harriet the Spy" and her Girl Scout training, she started a pro bono lost cat detective agency — logo, dossiers, scooter and all.

• Her first big break was recently reuniting a neighborhood cat named Salt with its owner after a swift search through Grace Park (catnip in hand).
• Neighbors are now sending her new cases.

What they're saying: Brianne Sanchez says her daughter's pastime is a "fun little hobby."

• We call it paws-itively delightful.