Laura Reale
Laura Reale is one of ten Australian women featured in Voices of the 21st Century: Wise Women Bringing Light to the World, a book to be launched on International Women’s Day, Saturday 8 March.
Ms Reale, founder of Lifestyle Optical in Sydney, is the only optometrist among the authors in this international collection that celebrates women’s achievements and wisdom. Her chapter focusses on her extraordinary journey balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship as she grew her optical business in some of Sydney’s most iconic locations.
“The chapter is basically about me surviving the challenges of growing four stores, one store to four, and then having kids,” Ms Reale explained. Her journey took an unexpected turn when she discovered she was pregnant, despite being told she couldn’t have children.
“Five months before opening the first store I was five months pregnant,” she recalled. “We’d signed the lease a year earlier and I was like, ‘how do I do this?’”
Leaning In
The book details what Ms Reale describes as “the juggling act” of managing multiple storefronts while raising children. As her business expanded, she sought guidance from mentors, though initially found their advice too narrowly focussed on business growth.
“Those first mentors just gave me more work. Everything was focussed on growing the business,” she said. “Then one day I said, hold on a minute. I’m a mum as well. I need help with managing everything.”
Ms Reale credits her close family for providing crucial support with childcare, allowing her to know her children “were safe and well” while she tended to her growing business. She also brought her children to work, adapting her professional environment to accommodate family life.
The turning point came when she found a mentor who took a more holistic approach. “Finally I found a mentor who put everything together. It was like, look at your entire life and dedicate the time you want to all of these aspects – it’s your family, it’s your finances, it’s your business, it’s whatever you want it to be; dedicate time to you.”
This balanced perspective transformed her approach to both business and life. “Every week I do a plan of the person I want to be and what I need to do to achieve that,” she explained. “It could be I just want to uplift everyone I see this week. It could be I need to connect with 20 patients this week.”
Facing Off the Pandemic
Of course life is never without another challenge and the pandemic was one that particularly stretched Ms Reale’s resilience.
With four practices in Sydney’s central business district, catering to diverse markets including CBD workers, residents, students, day-trippers, and both international and domestic visitors, her market was particularly affected.
“We first noticed when international customers, particularly Chinese visitors, stopped coming in November 2019.
Over the next few months, she said, “we were hit bad” .
The impact was devastating. “We went from X income to zero,”… the CBD was “basically an economic disaster.” With most of their market segments disappearing overnight, the business faced critical decisions about its future.
The relationship with landlords proved crucial in determining which stores would survive. “Some wanted all the back rent, some wouldn’t let us out of leases”, others offered “incredible deals,” others refused to negotiate, forcing difficult closures.
With expert negotiation help – which Ms Reale acknowledges was expensive but invaluable – the business avoided crushing debt. Ad though initially “terrifying”, these forced changes ultimately led to positive outcomes. “Where we are now is better for everyone,” she reflected. “It did work out in the end.”
Tips for Aspiring Women
For women aspiring to balance entrepreneurship with family life, Ms Reale offers hard-won wisdom: “If it’s your dream, you have to go for it. Otherwise, it will always haunt you. Get as much support as you can and take time out to listen to your gut. Your gut has your back.”
She encourages women to release the guilt often associated with taking necessary breaks. “We carry this guilt for not being at work, guilt for not being with the child. If you need some time off, whether it be for the family or for the business, just do it.”
Ms Reale emphasised the importance of maintaining focus while being gentle with oneself. “You don’t have to be a heroine, you just need to take baby steps in the right direction. And having your focus is the most important thing. So don’t live in your trance. Live in your future.”
The book “Voices of the 21st Century: Wise Women Bringing Light to the World” is available for purchase through Laura Reale. Email Laura@reale.net.au.
