Lisa has been a part of the PSS family for 3 years now. Known for her high energy, infectious laugh and thorough knowledge of any practice she’s selling, Lisa has built quite a following amongst the many people who have had the opportunity to work with her.
What do people really know about the person behind the deals? Where is Lisa from? What does she do in her spare time?
We decided to interview Lisa to give our clients a chance to get to know her a little better.
Q1. Where are you from? and when did you arrive in Australia?
I am from Atlantic City, New Jersey. I grew up in the rough and tumble suburbs shown on TV, like Boardwalk Empire, Jersey Shore and The Sopranos. I was the typical American kid with a strong Jersey accent. I played street hockey, did the marching band in high school, and had holidays in Disneyland. Halloween and Thanksgiving were big time events.
I met and married an Australian army officer overseas and moved here in 2010.
Q1. Tell us a bit about your career history before Practice Sale Search.
I have probably three career highlights that prepared me for practice sales.
- Straight out of school, I did a business degree at Penn State University.
- Then, for family reasons, I studied and became a Registered Dental Hygienist and worked in private practices.
- Finally, my first job after arriving in Australia was working as an acquisitions manager for a large dental corporation/aggregator.
Q2. How do you think that your unique background gives you a different perspective when dealing with dental practice sales?
I feel that the combination of my business and clinical background gives me a unique insight into practice sales on a number of levels:
On the one hand my business training allows me to analyse practice financials on a deeper level than most. It gives me a real understanding of what makes a practice successful and what the moving parts are that could turn a business around.
In my 9 years in practice acquisitions for a dental corporate, I assessed thousands of practice and was involved in or oversaw about a 100 practice purchases for them. This background helps me look at practices I represent as buyers would. I feel that I understand how to make practices attractive opportunities for buyers, how to accentuate the opportunities and how to navigate the risks, such that the buyers don’t sweat the small stuff.
At the same time, I feel like I draw on the time I spent working as a hygienist all the time. I feel I can understand the rationale owners have for various decisions on practice design, staffing, marketing, etc. When owners describe challenges and frustrations that they have with patient relations and staff harmony, I know what they are talking about from firsthand experience.
Q3. What do you like about being a business broker?
- I always ask the vendor to give me their ideal situation for post-commitment terms after selling; or to ‘wave the magic wand’ and tell me how you see life after selling your practice. If I can deliver on some of those ‘wishes’ with the contract terms meeting or exceeding their expectations, this makes me feel good about what I do. Every vendor is different and I need to understand their objectives for selling and expectations in order to tailor my approach to the transaction.
- I enjoy taking the time to help buyers navigate through the buying process with lending facilities, valuations, accountancy, and legal support.
- I love meeting up with buyers years later and seeing them successful because of the transaction that we did together.
Q4. What do you like to do outside of work?
- Travel. Usually my family travels overseas, and we are looking forward to a post-Covid world. I think our favourite trips have been to Italy, Borneo, and the Persian Gulf. I’ve certainly got a long bucket list and I think it will be Egypt and Israel next.
- Gardening. My husband does the big stuff in the garden, while I focus on my herb and vegetable garden. Everything growths at such a rapid rate in northern NSW, so the garden is highly productive.
- Cooking. At university, I studied under a master chef in Switzerland for a summer abroad. The techniques he taught me inspired me to love cooking. My two stepsons are rugby players and have appetites, so there are lots of opportunities for me to make the banquet.
- Taking my two Labradors on creek & beach adventures. Watching them smile makes me happy.
- Spending time with husband and four adult children. They are extremely busy with their careers or university studies, so every moment with them counts. Watching them grow as independent adults is a joy.
Q5. Tell us something that people would be surprised to learn about you
Well, I think it would surprise people to know that I’m a computer gaming girl. I actually met my now husband through this.
Gaming is something that my father was heavily into, and my formative years were spent helping him to design computer dungeons and dragons type games. So, to relax I like to play online with other players.
We battle. We solve puzzles. We let our imagination run wild for a while.
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