Amy Elizabeth Grantham, Founder, Cellmed
A famous American journalist Napoleon Hill once quoted, “It is not a wish! It is a keen, pulsating desire, which transcends everything else.”This statement stands true in the business world where an avid entrepreneur articulates a vision, places all the energy, efforts, and willpower to realize the goal with unwavering perseverance and determination. Such ardent business leaders possess an uncanny ability to find and act upon opportunities to build a successful venture and bring change through their endeavors while contributing towards the overall growth of society. Given below is the story of one such successful woman entrepreneur, Amy Elizabeth Grantham who is setting an instance of dedicated leadership in the healthcare sector through her impeccable business acumen andfierce commitment.
Amy’s professional journey began 30 years ago, during her final year of college, when she got an opportunity to take up a clerical position at a medical device distributor in Adelaide, Australia. But she realized her true potential when she was interviewed by Dale Carnegie at the age of 22. At that time, she was managing a medical distribution business and managing a government-funded project based in Perth. After the interview, she was immediately offered a choice of global management board positions in Sydney. Since then she never looked back and continued forging on a path of building success in global corporations. During this period, she helmed leading positions on international boards and eventually started her own company, Cellmed with her husband.
The Inception of Cellmed
Founded in 2006, Cellmedis committed to delivering innovative medical technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare.The name Cellmed was the combination of two words—Cell (Cellsaving) and Med (Medical). Its logo symbolizes the transformation of the blood (deoxygenated/blue to oxygenated/red), creating a symbol of healthy cell transformation.
“We knew that we wanted to create a business that provided innovative and new technologies to improve people’s health. We were about stretching ourselves in the areas of healthcare that we knew well. This carved out the strategic product focus for us being in Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Operating Theatres,” opines Amy.
Today, the pioneering company is focusing on its strengths in the imaging and cardiology product portfolios nationally, whilst providing optimal private cell saving service for the South Australian Hospital System. It is strengthening its portfolios by partnering with strong market brands so that it can provide its customers with globally acclaimed products.
“Cellmed aims to provide solutions to clinicians so that we become the partner of choice. We see ourselves as a company of solutions and through this, our success follows. Our focus is on creating a quality experience for our customers and ensuring that they are completely satisfied so that they commit to us with their loyalty,” states Amy.
Currently, Cellmed is attaining a unique edge in the market for its capsule endoscopy product. It is the first product globally to have high definition imaging and artificial intelligence in one product to make a significant improvement over current technologies. With artificial intelligence creating much interest in many medical fields, the company is excited to be a leader in this sector.
Successfully Riding the Waves of Challenges
Like every successful company, Cellmed had to face several challenges over the years. But instead of seeing those challenges as obstacles, Amy considers it as an opportunity to become even stronger and more aware. For Amy, the 3 major challenges were diversification, success, and managing in a pandemic. Initially, the company was soley focussed on a number of products but to survive in this market diversification was key. A good balance was needed while striving to maintain focus on its top products. To address the challenge, Amy devised her business plan to always include the next step approach. This gives the company a buffering approach to lean on if needed, without impacting the business structure or profitability greatly. So if changes do happen, it becomes more like a tremor in the business than a major earthquake. The influential entrepreneur believes that success can also be challenging as when you are too successful, others want what you have or global corporations see it as an opportunity for them to go direct. Another critical challenge that Cellmedhad to overcome was navigating through the unknown of the Covid-19.
“The pandemic was definitely a curveball for all businesses and their management teams. We needed to give added support to our staff at this time whilst providing a solid business model for our customers. When support and stability are given, strength and trust are returned. As the pandemic progresses, we have learnt new tools and skills to better manage our business,” adds Amy.
According to Amy, a business leader needs to be resilient, strong, and adaptable to the changing market and the challenges of doing business especially in the wake of the global pandemic.
Continues Acting as Influencer in the Healthcare Sector
Amy always sees herself as an influencer in the healthcare sector and continues transforming healthcare through innovative technologies. Amy advises budding entrepreneurs to always do what they love doing and drive their passion with long-term goals. She also suggests them to spend time with people who inspire them and find mentors who will assist them in the learning process.
“The biggest piece of advice is to be your own best friend and always look after your family. You will always need your health to be sharp and your family support as these are the people in your life that will support you through the best and worst times,” asserts Amy on a concluding note.