Jacob Wood
Regional Director of Business Development
Welcome to a new monthly feature in which we go behind “Behind the Scenes” to learn more about a member of the Capstan team. If you’d like to see someone specific featured, let us know!
Jacob Wood hasn’t always been a dedicated attorney, tax guru, and R&D Credit expert. In fact, he’s held a lot of jobs. From farmhand to EMT to international teen model (!) — Jacob’s done it all and has the stamps on his passport to prove it. In this month’s Behind the Scenes, we talk with Jacob about his fascinating career trajectory and why he’s so glad to have settled here at Capstan.
Okay, let’s start with the elephant in the room. International teen model?!
[Laughs]. It’s not as impressive as it sounds. My father worked for a multinational company, and he was transferred from country to country as the needs of the firm evolved. It just so happened that we were in the Philippines when I was in high school, and I guess the “American” look was very “in” at that time. Before I knew it, I had kind of stumbled into a teen modeling career…
That’s insane. Please tell me there are pictures.
Can I plead the fifth?
You can try… Where else did you spend time growing up?
The big three were the Philippines, China, and Russia. I did speak Mandarin pretty fluently at one point.
Wow! Do you think growing up internationally had an impact on you?
Absolutely. I have a real respect for different cultures, and I love learning about other ways of life. Moving frequently forced me to become socially nimble, to learn how to read people and adapt to new situations. And I learned to play the sports that were popular in those countries – I grew up playing rugby and volleyball, not baseball or football.
Rugby, très chic! But before you were an international teen model and rugby star, I understand you had a very different position as a child.
I did – I worked as a farmhand, actually, and I did everything from shoveling hay to milking cows. There’s a job on the farm where you just pick up rocks. Today there are machines for that, but when I was a kid, I picked up a lot of rocks.
Yikes. The glamorous world of teen modeling must have been a welcome change.
It was certainly different. And after that I became an EMT.
And after you became an EMT you went to law school? How did you end up in the world of tax strategies?
I knew I wanted to focus on transactional law, and I didn’t just want to do research and deal in theories. I wanted to apply my knowledge of the law in a hands-on way to help people grow and succeed. Tax law has so many practical applications and can be employed very strategically. This is how I help clients grow and succeed, and I love what I do.
Well, at Capstan we love what you do as well.
I’ll tell you why I love Capstan – because Capstan is a firm that invests in the long-term. I’m a long-term person myself – I don’t go for the quick sale, but instead I put time and effort into relationships that last for years. Capstan is the same – they encourage long-term personal and professional growth, and they see and reward the whole person.
Wow. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Speaking of the whole person, tell me about your beautiful family.
I am very blessed. I’ve been married to my college sweetheart Kim for almost 12 years now, and we have four fantastic kids. James is 9, Nate is 7, Audrey is 5, and Baby Davy is 9 months old. Want to see some pictures? [Shares photos]
Oh my goodness. They’re all so cute, but I’m obsessed with Baby Davy.
Yeah, he’s great. He just wants to be along for the ride, even when he has no idea what the ride is [chuckles].
Your wife Kim is amazing – four kiddos 9 and under isn’t easy.
Did I mention she also homeschools them?
Your wife Kim is a saint!
Jacob can be reached at jwood@capstantax.com, where he can answer your R&D Tax Credit questions in Mandarin.