Twice as nice: Kathleen Fisher opens her second Audiology store  

An audiology professional for more than 18 years, Kathleen Fisher knows a thing or two about the hearing industry.  

It’s why, just two years ago she turned to Specsavers, looking for a partner who was focused on doing things right.  

“I had become unhappy working in the hearing industry, so much so that my unhappiness had begun to feel normal. I found it more and more difficult to give people what they needed, and I had become disillusioned,” she says.  

“Hearing care is at its core a customer-centred industry. And somehow some of the big players have lost sight of that.”  

Kathleen is the first to admit that she didn’t know much about Specsavers at first, except that it was claiming to disrupt the market.  

“As I learned more about the values of Specsavers and their model, I realised they aligned with my own and that this could help me realise my dreams of business ownership,” she says. “After doing my research and due diligence, I felt that Specsavers could provide me with the framework to give people better access to life-changing technology. After the first day of induction, I had felt happiness and a passion for hearing that I had not felt for a long time,” she says.  

“Being a Specsavers partner gives me the ability to help people without the restrictions – both cost and time – that I had experienced earlier in my career.” 

And now, after growing her first store, Forster into a successful and respected business, Kathleen is taking her next step, with an additional store in Taree.  

“My opportunities as a partner continue to grow as the Specsavers business grows,” she says. “I’m now opening my second store and once I build up that customer base, I can look at what comes next – whether that is bringing on a second audiology professional or a graduate, or maybe even a third store. I don’t know what the future will bring, but the possibilities are exciting.”  

And as well as making a difference for her local communities, Kathleen says working as a Specsavers partner means coming to work every day with like-minded and passionate people. 

“The teams across both stores are wonderful talented caring, passionate, and hard-working. They made me feel welcome from day one. I feel like I am with like-minded people with similar goals and this business really blends all my passions together,” she says.  

And her advice to fellow audiology professionals? 

“If you feel like you’re the enemy trying to sell something just to meet a business expectation, then try Specsavers.  They truly treat you and others like you would like to be treated.” 

“Partnership gives you the freedom to make clinical judgements based on what you think is best. It gives you the opportunity to own your own business – and grow it – without compromising yourself or your customers.”