Nicholas Soden
Bio
Hi there! My name is Nicholas and I am a dancer, musician and avid recipe researcher. I aspire to help small businesses gain traction during these tumultuous times, showcasing those who’ve made a profound impact on my life.
Stories (3/0)
Shedding Skin
Sitting atop an oceanside bluff, listening as the echoing clap of waves fizzle into a delicate sea simmer. The pink sun is swallowed by the distant shoreline as I peer out to the horizon. Summer is reborn--a time of pure bliss that comes once a year, filled with intangible, precious memories. Spontaneous road trips, carefree campfire adventures, and deep conversations that go late into the starry night. What characterizes the season is its arid, tropical climate, but what sticks with us most are the outdoor excursions, vacations, and the indescribable nostalgia of our childhood traditions. To put it lightly, the summer of 2020 is unlike any other--our world is navigating a tumultuous pandemic, experiencing tragic events that have spawned radical social change. Humanity has been dealt unwarranted changes that have knocked many off of their feet, postponing major milestones and events such as graduations, weddings, and national conventions. Despite these ever-changing circumstances, we all owe it to ourselves to take advantage of the summer and focus on its true meaning: happiness.
By Nicholas Soden4 years ago in Motivation
Quench - a family that found me
Summer was quickly approaching, and my options became endless. Should I stay in California and pursue opportunities here? What about moving back to Minnesota? Reconnecting with friends and family felt practical and comforting. In April 2019, I found myself at an existential crossroads. Having lived in the state for almost two years, I’d recently quit my part-time job as a café server and relocated to Orange County, as my prospective career in modeling was starting to bloom. After signing with an agency that winter, I was determined to inch my way toward the alluring utopia of Los Angeles, where my dreams would come to fruition...right? Flexibility, being “on-call” and mobility are all aspects of a successful worker in entertainment industry, and I knew I needed to find a job that provided all of it. Being in a novel environment and lacking connections in this new realm on top of my longing for the nostalgia of home left me unsure, overwhelmed and quite honestly, terrified.
By Nicholas Soden4 years ago in Journal
Pancho Villa Mexican Restaurant — a business with heart at its core
I’ll never forget that humid May afternoon--I’d just finished my freshman year of college, and was in search of a cool summer job. I spoke Spanish, and knew I wanted to keep it up, but the idea of working in a Spanish-speaking environment in central Minnesota seemed a tad bit unrealistic. Sure enough, my dad and I sat down for lunch at Pancho Villa, a local Mexican restaurant in Monticello, Minnesota. We’d drove past it a couple of times, but I never gave it more than a passing glance. Its quaint, Latin American ambience seemed displaced in the primarily gentrified, suburban town surrounding it. It really stuck out, and I knew I’d encountered a gem. Pancho’s manager, Mercy, happily took our order. A short, youthful Ecuadorian woman with a radiant smile, I mustered up the courage to ask her in Spanish if they were hiring servers. Taken aback, she immediately responded. “Puedes empezar mañana a las cuatro?” Asking if I could start the following day at four o’clock. Without hesitation, I meekly responded, “Sí.” The search was over--I got the job.
By Nicholas Soden4 years ago in Journal
