Double Life Series: Nick Martin

At KUSCH, we believe great engineering starts with great people – and great people have lives that venture beyond design. Our team brings their whole selves to work, and that means bringing passions, pursuits, and “other lives” that make them sharper, more curious, and more creative. We want to celebrate those double lives – the ones that remind us that when engineers stay balanced, they build better.

This month, meet Nick Martin, our structural engineer by day, ‘Tech Editor’ for Flow Mountain Bike by…also day… Between engineering projects and deadlines, Nick spends part of each week immersed in the world of mountain bikes. As a Tech Editor for Flow Mountain Bike, he writes and reviews products, testing them with the same attention to detail that drives his engineering work.

“I’ve been riding mountain bikes for as long as I can remember,” he says. “I met the right person at the right time, and it just evolved from there.”

People are often surprised by the combination. “Engineers aren’t typically known for their written or speaking skills,” Nick admits, “and I’m by no means fantastic, but we make it work.”

For him, the overlap between his two worlds feels natural. “Engineering helps me from a technical perspective when writing and reviewing products,” he explains. “I think I have a better understanding about why someone has designed something a certain way and how it could be done differently.” The influence runs both ways. “I’ve learnt a lot from a written and verbal perspective from working at Flow,” Nick says. “It helps with written reports, documentation, and communication in the engineering world.”

That constant exchange of skills has shaped how he approaches both careers. “The critical thinking aspect of testing and reviewing products helps when engineering things,” he says. “You’re always thinking about how something could be done better, what minor details could be improved.”

KUSCH has made that balance possible. “They allow me to live the double lifestyle, working for Flow two days a week, and engineering for three,” Nick says. “It means I can pursue two career paths simultaneously and do what I love. That would be extremely challenging if I were trying to work full-time as an engineer and fit Flow things in after hours.” When asked “If your life were a headline, what would it be?”, he laughs: “Engineering is a wheelie good time.”

For Nick, maintaining both careers is as much about focus as passion. “Both offer so many different opportunities for growth,” he says. “The variety of work makes it easier to stay focused.” And his advice for others trying to balance multiple callings? “Speak to the people who support you,” he says. “Be open with your intentions and work with them to develop an arrangement that works for everybody.”