We are excited to bring you a new series of interviews highlighting female entrepreneur role models in our communities!
Introducing Elise Wheadon of Wizard Pharmacy
Question 1: Where did your idea (or interest in your industry) come from? Was it something you have always been passionate about?
I started working in Pharmacy when I was 15 and I did not have a clear career path chosen but knew whatever I did must be challenging, improve health outcomes and use my personal strengths of empathy and compassion. Pharmacy was a perfect fit. An ever-changing retail and health environment mean every year has new challenges and new opportunities which keeps the profession interesting. Being one of the most accessible health professionals, our patients seek our professional opinion regularly and I really feel that we make a difference in their lives. Owning and practicing in the country is particularly rewarding.
Question 2: What gave you the confidence to get started? Or the resilience to keep going?
Knowing the difference we make to the local community gives me the resilience to keep on going. With every improvement to efficiency gives the patients a better experience and improves staff morale. Every service we implement to keep patients out of hospital is another reason to keep going and striving for more.
Question 3: What skills have you learned along the way as a Girl Founder (Female CEO / Founder) ?
You should never stop learning and you should know your strengths and weaknesses. When you stop learning or evolving, your business will suffer. Knowledge really is power. It helps you to make better decisions, learn from previous mistakes and improve outcomes.
Don’t surround yourself with people who are exactly like you. Work out what your strengths and weaknesses are and surround yourself with people who excel in areas you are not strong in. This way your business will be more robust and you will learn from them along the way as well.
Question 4: What did you learn from a hero or mentor? How did you find them?
Vesna Hrsto – Naturopath and life coach. You must remember you can’t be all things to all people. Stay true to yourself and don’t lose what makes you YOU! Life is meant to be enjoyable and it is very easy to let your goals consume you.
Question 5: Why do you think more young women should consider becoming Girl Founders? Why do women make great business owners?
Women make fantastic leaders because as well as being incredibly capable and creative, our nurturing side also helps develop others to their fullest potential. More women in positions of power also helps break down centuries of stereotypes and makes the possibilities endless for the next generation.
Question 6: Any last advice to give to young girls ?
The sky is the limit to the possibilities and potential you possess and is only restricted by your dedication and your imagination. It won’t happen overnight but patience and perseverance go a very long way.
Question 7: How has your business pivoted during COVID?
There have been many pivots with COVID from restructuring rosters to minimise the team’s exposure to reallocating resources to areas of greater need. Our people were always my biggest concern because without them, we can’t support our community. We have had to adopt new workflows to adapt to the ever changing policies from social distancing measures to electronic prescriptions. We have had to have more frequent management meetings because every week there has been a new change in the way we can operate and we need to be abreast of the changes and be proactive about implementation. This has also allowed us to react to new sales trends and adjust our strategies accordingly to minimise potential pain and maximise outcomes.
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