Designing a better tomorrow, today: Todd Nau

What makes Todd Nau, manager of the Triphammer Marketplace ReUse location and co-owner of 15 Steps, a Hometown Hero? Those who know the creative leader — an accomplished artist and designer in his own right — say that his compassion, combined with his tireless work ethic, make him a unique and effective community builder. 

Born in Iowa, Nau attended the Art Institute of Chicago, where his love of metals and jewelry led to a degree from the college’s fashion department. He finished his college career in New York City, with an internship with fashion designer Willi Smith, of the iconic clothing label WilliWear.

From there, Nau went to work for Liz Clairborne, where he used cutting-edge computer technology to design sweaters. He also worked for Ralph Lauren.

In his last job before moving to the Ithaca area, Nau worked for 12 years for Briefly Stated, a company founded in 1988 that designs and manufactures licensed apparel.

Briefly Stated experienced huge growth during the time Nau was working there.

“We were licensing everything from Scooby Doo to Lucky Brand. Then, we got SpongeBob SquarePants, and we exploded,” Nau said.

“It was a great group of people [at Briefly Stated],” Nau said. “We still keep in touch.”

Nau enjoyed living in New York City, but after his experience with the 9/11 terrorist attack, he felt he needed a change.

“I didn’t want to be in the city anymore,” he said. “I saw 9/11 firsthand. I watched the second plane hit the tower. … I wanted to spend the next 50 years of my life in the country somewhere.”

Nau had a friend who lived in Mecklenburg, and he fell in love with the area. Nau and his husband, Scott Dolphin, opened Kidder’s Landing, a restaurant on Cayuga Lake in Interlaken.

Their two children, who were adopted out of foster care and who are now 29 and 30, attended middle and high school in Trumansburg.

Kidder’s Landing “opened in 2008, just in time for the recession,” Nau said. After receiving much support from locals but ultimately struggling to make a profit, the restaurant closed five years later.

Nau went on to be general manager of Agava restaurant, then Rulloff’s in Collegetown. He was part-time manager for Gola Osteria in 2020 and 2021.

Returning to his passion for clothing and jewelry, he opened the women’s retail clothing store Breathe in Center Ithaca. With Carol Travis, Nau and Dolphin took over neighboring 15 Steps when the store’s owners retired in 2020.

“He has a truly phenomenal work ethic and dedication to anything he makes a commitment to,” Dolphin said of his husband.

Stephanie Hayes, manager and buyer at 15 Steps, said that she’d planned to work for the store for only a short time but has stayed for eight years because she enjoys the job — especially the people she works with.

“When you’re supported and valued, it’s a big deal, and they support me and my entire family, as well,” said Hayes, whose young grandchildren regularly visit the store and sometimes even pitch in with cleaning and other store-related tasks.

“It’s very meaningful and beneficial,” she said. “I do have a sweet deal here.” At the same time, Hayes said, the goodwill Nau and Dolphin show their employees comes back to benefit the business.

“You work harder when you like where you are,” she said.

The store sells clothes, jewelry (including Nau’s own recycled silver designs), soap, art, pottery, kitchenware, household items and more. The space hosts soapmaking and jewelry-making classes, as well as cooking demonstrations.

The store also sells vases and other glass items, handblown by Nau himself. Glass blowing is another of Nau’s passions; the art form has become so important in Nau’s life that he dedicates nearly every Monday to the craft, spending the day at a workshop at Corning Museum of Glass. It is humbling to be around some of the world’s most accomplished glass blowers, said Nau.

“I like being around creative people and find that inspiring,” he said.

Frank Towner, gift officer at Cayuga Medical Center Foundation, got to know Nau when Nau joined the Ithaca Rotary.

“He was creative, outgoing, and he was willing to try different things,” Towner said of Nau. “He’s a creative, dynamic personality, and that allows him to interact well with Rotarians. … He’s got the energy that people look for in a leader, where people say, ‘OK, this is the guy who can get it done.’”

Through a Rotary/ReUse volunteer program, Nau volunteered at ReUse for about a year and a half before a new and unexpected opportunity arose. Though he wasn’t looking for a demanding full-time job, about a year ago he applied for the position of store manager at the Triphammer ReUse location — and got the job.

“I totally fell in love with it,” Nau said of working at ReUse. He sets prices that aim to keep the items flowing in a circular economy, “as opposed to a linear economy, where people buy it, use it and throw it out.”

“What ReUse does is deeply rooted in what he is,” Dolphin said of Nau. “His parents were very much the same way: give service to the community — it’s what you do.”

The former clothing designer sees this position as a small way to give back after working in an industry so prone to wasting fabrics. 

“Selfishly, I was a huge part of it,” he said. “I saw mountains of waste, and in factories overseas there is a huge amount of waste.”

Far more than most stores, ReUse works with many interns, volunteers and employees with challenging backgrounds.

“Every person is unique,” Nau said. “Everyone comes with different histories and traumas, and you have to treat them as individuals.”

“I’m proud of the team that we have,” Nau added. “With the right team, you can accomplish a lot.”

“He’s such a compassionate leader,” said Robin Elliott, chief operations officer for Finger Lakes ReUse. She said that Nau showed up to his first weekly staff meeting, which started at 8:30 a.m., with a box of donuts and a box of coffee.

“Immediately, he just had that welcoming nature of his and made a new tradition right off the bat,” Elliott said. “He has, during his time [at ReUse], really listened to people; he has included people in making some changes to the place and included them in the decision making.”

After gathering feedback from employees, Nau spearheaded a major change to the layout of the store and processing center. This created more space to sort materials, which has led to a more suitable workspace.

“It’s made it safer and more comfortable, and the process of him talking to the people who work in those areas and working with those people to rearrange it has lifted morale and made things more efficient,” Elliott said.

Nau’s advice for others, after crafting such a dynamic and creative life: “Be fearless. Don’t be afraid to try new things. The worst that could happen is you fail or make mistakes, but all human beings do.”