Melissa And Nick Stehr, Founders, HLS Healthcare
In a world where the hustle is real and success is the ultimate prize, many find themselves caught in a race against time, zealously chasing their elusive goals. Especially in the entrepreneurial world, success has become a sprint to the finish line, leaving little room for pause or reflection. The grind, the deadlines, and the constant need to outdo the last win keep everyone on their toes always anticipating and asking, “What’s next?” This relentless pursuit, driven by a passion for achievement, often leads entrepreneurs to measure success solely in terms of milestones reached.
So, while the rest of the world is fixated on the finish line, the dynamic entrepreneurial power couple, Melissa and Nick Stehr stands out with a distinct perspective. In their worldview, business, like life, is a journey—a journey meant to be experienced, not just raced through. For them, it’s not just about achieving milestones; it’s about savoring the process, embracing the highs and lows, and finding fulfillment in the midst of it all. While the world sees milestones as the key to happiness, they advocate for finding contentment within, emphasizing that the true essence of fulfillment lies in experiencing the journey rather than obsessing over the destination.
A Bold Leap into Entrepreneurial Territory
Growing up in Castle Hill, Sydney, Nick always had a knack for leadership, even if it started as the class clown. But, after high school, reality hit, and he stepped into a management role at a fast-food joint. At 19, he married his high school sweetheart, Melissa, who supported him through promotions and relocations from Sydney to Brisbane and later Brisbane to Melbourne, where the couple took a bold leap and bought their first business. Together, they transformed a solo venture into a thriving enterprise with offices spanning three states and a remarkably has turned over more than $100 million. Today, Nick and Melissa steer a growing business portfolio, driven by a passion for making a positive impact on people’s lives. Melissa, who became a mother at 18, wears the title proudly, cherishing her role as both a mom and a grandmother while making significant strides on the professional front. Today, she serves as the CEO of HLS Healthcare and the visionary founder of Access Advisor Australia. Meanwhile, an enthusiastic investor and passionate business professional, Nick serves as the Managing Director at HLS Healthcare. This healthcare solutions company specializes in providing top-notch healthcare equipment and furniture solutions to support the disabled and elderly in their daily activities. Their mission is clear – to offer impeccable, stringently tested disability and elderly support equipment that provides comfort, convenience, and security to people across Australia. By eliminating the distractions of worrying about equipment fidelity, installation, repairs, and maintenance, HLS Healthcare empowers caregivers to focus on the heart of their care operations and deliver the highest quality of care to those who need it most.
Conquering Challenges with A Never-Give-Up Attitude
Every entrepreneurial journey begins with challenges, and Melissa and Nick’s story is no exception. Starting with no financial cushion, zero prior experience in running a business, and the added responsibilities of a young family, they faced hurdles that would have deterred many. Yet, instead of succumbing to the pressure, this dynamic duo dared to dream beyond the conventional 9-5 grind. “No money, no previous experience in running a business, having a young family. All pretty common for most people. We just knew we wanted more than just working 9-5, we wanted to create something,” they say, keeping it as straightforward as it gets.
Challenges kept rolling in, but instead of giving up, they learned to manage them better. Their philosophy was simple yet profound: never stop, never give up. They admit they didn’t always have a clear path, but their refusal to give in, coupled with seeking guidance from mentors and advisors, helped them overcome each challenge. “Everyone will have challenges when starting out and guess what, the challenges never stop, as long as you never quit, you get better at handling them,” Nick boldly asserts.
Culture of Collaboration: Where Values Shape Success
Today, Melissa and Nick attribute a significant part of their success to their focus on building a strong internal culture. With values like honesty, integrity, people, and passion at the core, they have fostered a culture of collaboration at HLS Healthcare that starts from within and extends to their clients. They ensure these core values seep into every part of the business – starting with them, flowing through their recruitment process, and company culture, and reaching out to customers and partners. Trust, they believe, is the bedrock of successful collaboration. “Collaboration only becomes possible when you have trust. This can be hard won and easily lost. To protect this, internally we talk about and hold each other accountable to these values, every decision made is measured against them and when we make mistakes, we own them, fix them, and move on,” affirms Melissa.
Sharing Lessons on Business, Failure, and Growth
Over the years, the entrepreneur duo has learned invaluable lessons that form the bedrock of their achievements. First and foremost, they stress the importance of knowing your numbers – a fundamental principle that keeps the wheels of any business turning. However, they also emphasize that business isn’t just about figures; it’s about people. Building relationships, networking, and serving others are core elements that can’t be overlooked. For Melissa and Nick, ‘near enough’ is never good enough, and in their playbook, failure isn’t a roadblock; rather, they encourage embracing failure as a catalyst for learning. “Fail faster and move on,” they advise, highlighting the invaluable lessons that can be gleaned from setbacks.
The duo also underscores the power of listening – a simple yet often overlooked skill. “Listen to learn, as the saying goes, you have two ears and one mouth, use them accordingly,” opines Nick. Imparting the valuable lessons from their years of experience, they advise emerging entrepreneurs to take more risks, learn from failures swiftly, and, most importantly, never quit. Recognizing the value of mentorship, they also advocate for strategic investment in mentors and advisors, emphasizing that you either pay with time or money – and a shortcut is always worth the cost. And finally, the power couple believes that having a life partner with whom you can combine forces is a surefire recipe for unstoppable success.
Being Partners in Life and Business: A Potent Recipe for Success
Steering the course of marriage and business partnership might sound like a challenge to many, but for the dynamic power couple, Melissa and Nick, it’s their unbeatable superpower. Partners in life and business, they’ve seamlessly blended their individual strengths into a force to be reckoned with. While many run behind the conventional idea of achieving work-life balance, the dynamic duo leans into the concept of work-life blend, an insight they’ve taken on from their mentor. Designing their life around business, personal joy, and family, they’ve found that being a couple in business is a potent formula.
Sure, it’s no cakewalk; disagreements are bound to happen, but as they reveal, clarity on their shared direction, love, and mutual respect keep them on course. Laughter, according to Nick, is a vital ingredient in their recipe for success. They make it a point to have fun, poking good-natured fun at each other, finding joy even in their differences. Amidst the challenges, they carve out time as a couple, not just business partners, holding each other accountable along the way. It’s not always smooth sailing, but quitting is never on the table for these resilient partners, even during tough times. “We have had difficult times like any relationship, but we never quit or give up, even sometimes when the other one has wanted to,” shares Melissa.
What’s Next for This Unstoppable Duo?
Looking ahead, the entrepreneur duo has no intention of resting on their laurels. Instead, they’re committed to growing and scaling HLS, aiming to offer unparalleled service to customers in the industry. “HLS serves its customers better than anyone in the industry and after more than 25 years in the industry, we know. The people we serve deserve the best possible quality of life. Better Ways for Living encompasses everything about life, working, aging, healing, and loving and we will continue to look for better ways,” opines Melissa.
But the journey doesn’t stop there. They aim to explore new industries, constantly seeking opportunities to learn and push their limits. With an eye on fresh business prospects and potential partnerships, they promise exciting developments in the near future. But not content with just personal success, the duo has a broader vision. They are eager to share their knowledge by mentoring other couples in business. Leveraging their wealth of experience and success, they aim to impart and help others thrive. Given their incredible journey and steadfast commitment to excellence, one can’t help but be intrigued by the boundless possibilities that lie ahead for this dynamic entrepreneurial duo.