This post is part of a weekly series in which we get to know Sifties.


Nick Priestley is an Account Executive who has been with Sift Science for almost a year and a half. If he could have any superpower, he would want telepathy, because then he could convince someone that he has any superpower. In this sense, Nick considers telepathy a cheat code superpower – and also thinks it’d be a great power for salespeople to use to get people to buy things. A fun fact is that he and his older sister are 3 years, 3 months, 3 days, and 3 minutes apart.

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?

Greek yogurt. It’s the perfect snack rich, creamy, and tart all at the same time. My favorite brand is Fage, in either the cherry or blueberry flavor.

Who do you admire the most?

My mom, because she wasn’t from this country, and she really worked her way up from the bottom of a pharmaceutical company to being the first African-American VP.

What was your first job?

The summer after I graduated high school and right before college, I worked at a warehouse stacking pallets and loading them onto trucks with a fork lift. Technically you’re supposed to have a certification, but I didn’t.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Either an astronaut or a stand-up comedian. I wanted to be an astronaut because I was always fascinated with space and sci-fi stuff growing up — be it in movies, books, or games. I think practicality held me back with that dream.

As far as being a comedian, I’ve always felt that laughter is one of the great unifiers amongst a diverse set of people. Regardless of age, race, or religion, if something is funny, everyone laughs.

You have quite an impressive sneaker collection. Tell me about it!

I’ve cut down quite a bit on my collection – now I think I only have 10-12 pairs. At my peak, I had close to 40-50 pairs. I started really growing my collection in college, but it became too expensive of a hobby. At that point, I had over 30 sneakers worth around $10k. Since graduating I’ve matured and have sold off a majority of them, only keeping 5-6 of my favorites.

As far as brands are concerned, I’m pretty agnostic. The Air Jordan 5 is my favorite line, because they’re the most comfortable and have the most variety. But if I had to pick a favorite pair that I’ve owned it would be Air Max 1 Safari.

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