Name: Jess Cahill

University: UC

Winner NSBPC 2014

I didn’t know what I wanted to be or do when I finished my pharmacy degree, which is why I basically tried everything and learnt a lot along the way.

Now that I am a pharmacy owner, I get to be multiple things at once - a leader, a teammate, a clinician, a marketer, an accountant and an innovator.

I love the diversity this role brings and I love the connection that I have with my community.  I am very fortunate to have such lovely customers and a great supportive team.

As I said I got into pharmacy ownership in a roundabout way.

After the National Student Business Plan Competition, I recognised the value of the power of negotiation and this led me to securing an internship that involved 50 per cent in a community pharmacy in Coffs Harbour and 50 per cent at a hospital in Alice Springs. This internship did not previously exist, so I had to negotiate with both employers to make it a reality.

After qualifying as a pharmacist I continued to work in both community and hospital pharmacy, enjoying the challenges that both environments provided.

I really enjoyed working in Alice Springs. It is a beautiful place and I had the opportunity to work with Indigenous patients for the first time and learn more about their incredible culture. I even took some language lessons in Pitjantjatjara.

Keen to expand my skill set, I jumped across to industry, working with Sigma Healthcare as a Professional Services Pharmacist After working with Sigma for a year, I felt that I needed to further diversify my skill set.

I met my next boss through a networking event and he agreed to hire me in a finance position and teach me about that side of the industry. Having participated in the SBPC I knew that this was a key element to the industry and one that I was not yet versed in. I completed my Diploma in Finance and attained my credit licence.

Despite enjoying this role and all of the financial knowledge it brought, my heart was still in pharmacy so when a project management role presented itself at Sigma, I jumped at the opportunity.

I didn’t realise it at the time but throughout these roles I was subconsciously preparing myself for pharmacy ownership. By the time I started looking for my first pharmacy, I already knew what I had to do to find the right pharmacy, the right partners and how to execute the process.

I am excited to say that I purchased my first pharmacy, City Pharmacy Newcastle, in October last year with my business partner Manish Bagga, a local pharmacist who owns a nearby pharmacy.

I am where I am now thanks in some ways to my involvement in the competition because I learnt so much from it.

Ultimately it helped to shape the career decisions that I made and led me to my current role as a pharmacy owner.

It taught me who the key players were and how to navigate the industry.

I learnt new skills in negotiation, communication, mentorship and innovation.

Looking back, it was a competition of true endurance but that mimics the real world and what it is like to work in the industry or own a business. Its not about quick wins, it’s about endurance and persistence.