May 11, 2025 • 12 mins
Juggling university and running a business while living with low vision is no small feat. How can you possibly balance it all? We’ve found someone who has.
In this episode, we explore stepping into leadership, making accessible business decisions, finding the right support and building resilience.
Special guest speaker: Sammy McCombe, student and co-manager.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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S1 (00:05):
Hi and welcome to season two of the Vision Australia podcast,
The Career Path. Today we're chatting with a university student
who's balancing her studies, running a family business, and managing
life with her vision condition. We'll explore how she goes
about her day to day, applies her business and schooling knowledge,
(00:26):
and finds support along the way. I'm Sam Colley, your
host and Vision Australia Radio's community assistant for national programs.
I'm thrilled to be part of this series where we'll
be helping people in the blind and low vision community
feel confident, capable and ready to crush in their careers.
(00:47):
This episode will be recorded, so feel free to hit pause,
take a breather, and come back to it whenever works
for you. You can find all the episodes by searching
Vision Australia's The Career Path on your go to podcast platform.
But for the time being. It's my great pleasure to
welcome our guest for today, Sammy McComb. Welcome, Sammy.
S2 (01:11):
Thanks for having me, guys. I'm so excited to be here.
Can't wait.
S1 (01:14):
And I'm can't wait to have a chat now. Firstly, Sammy,
let's just get to the heart of things. How do
you navigate the pressures of university while managing a business
and coping with low vision?
S2 (01:28):
Gosh, a bit of a loaded question. I don't know.
Super loaded.
S1 (01:31):
Yeah.
S2 (01:32):
Yeah, I guess you kind of just have to take
it day by day. And the way I look at
it is I didn't choose my cards. You know, these cards,
just the cards I've been dealt. I didn't choose to
run a business or manage a business with my mum.
My dad passed away end of last year, so that's
also pretty new. But he was the owner of the business,
so I was kind of just handed that role in
(01:52):
a way. So that wasn't a choice. And obviously being
vision impaired wasn't a choice either. So I kind of
just have to manage it in a way is the
way I look at it, and it helps that I
love it too.
S1 (02:03):
So there you go. And, Sammy, what were the biggest
challenges you faced stepping into this role at such a
young age, especially while studying and managing low vision?
S2 (02:15):
Definitely the hardest challenge was the grief I was facing.
My father's death was very, very sudden, so we didn't
get any warning. And he was a very, very healthy
man and had everything going for him. And the business
was going well. And he was he just made some
big changes in the business as well. So there was
a big expansion going on and then we obviously lost him.
So we lost the head figure. So and I've lost
(02:37):
my father and everything that comes with that. So the
hardest part for me was definitely the grief. And then
everything else kind of came after that. So rolling with
the punches.
S1 (02:46):
Mhm. And how did your studies in marketing and business
help or perhaps not help when managing a company, particularly
when considering accessibility needs for yourself and the business.
S2 (03:00):
Yep. So I'm currently studying a Bachelor of or double
Bachelor of Business and Economics and Marketing is one of
my majors, so obviously I wasn't planning to be doing
so much marketing and business management at such a young age,
but I definitely think that a lot of the skills
I've learnt in uni have been very helpful in the
last sort of six months, but more than anything, I'd
(03:22):
honestly just say that having lived experience as someone with
a disability and a vision impairment has been the biggest
part of it. Like for example, with marketing, just the
basic things like having good contrast and big text that
a lot of regular people probably wouldn't think about, I
kind of just incorporate those things into my daily life, naturally,
and so they kind of follow through with the marketing
(03:43):
side of things, and then just having a disability, being
able to relate to people is a big help in
managing a business. I think, too, because you're working in
a team environment, so you need to be able to
be good around people, and empathy is a big part
of that. I think as well with patients because it's
a healthcare clinic. So yeah, just being able to relate
(04:04):
to people and have that sense of empathy is a
big part of running a business in general, I would say.
S1 (04:10):
You've spoken a little bit about accessibility there and the
assistive technologies and, you know, little features that have made
your life that little bit easier. But outside of that,
there's also been a lot of changes, a lot of upheaval,
certainly lots of ups and downs, to say the least.
(04:31):
Over the past year or so, with everything that's gone on.
So what support systems did you rely on during this transition,
both for your studies and for managing low vision in
the business?
S2 (04:45):
Um, I was very lucky to actually a bit of
a shout out to Vision Australia here, but I received
the Vision Australia Further Education bursary. That was a couple
of years ago and that was fantastic because I was
set up for uni with a computer and a nice
phone with a big screen. So that was fantastic. And
some good headphones as well. So that really set me
(05:05):
up very well for uni. And I also use a
lot of that for work now too. So that was fantastic.
And just having the technology in general as well. And yeah,
besides that, just setting myself up with a really good
support system of people around me. We're very lucky at
work to have fantastic staff, so that's really handy. And
I've got really great connections at uni, education support officers
(05:27):
and people like that. So I've got pretty much everyone
I need at my fingertips really, and a supportive family
and partner too. So yeah.
S1 (05:35):
And following on from that topic around support systems, we
unfortunately have to dive back into a pretty heavy topic. And,
you know, that's coping with grief while making critical business
decisions and managing university workload. It's just amazing. And we
really take our hat off to you and how you've
(05:55):
managed with all of that. So how has the last
year shape the way you approach leadership and decision making
while balancing that.
S2 (06:05):
Gosh, massively. My dad was a great leader. He definitely
led by example, so he wasn't so much business minded. Ironically,
he wasn't great with money like in terms of making
business decisions. He was very generous with his patience and
that sort of thing. But I also think that that
did make him a great leader. So seeing him pass,
(06:25):
and I've definitely taken on a lot of that, a
lot of those traits. And I think that's very important
to keep that within the business, because it was a
thriving business before he passed. So it's important that we
keep it that way. And by doing everything he did,
I hope to do that. So yeah. And then I
think the other important thing I've learned with leadership is
that a good leader will listen above anything else. Leading
(06:48):
is not about being at the top of the rankings.
I suppose it's not a hierarchical thing. It's being able
to work really well in a team. And I'm really
lucky that I've got an amazing team at Belmont Physio
that I work with.
S1 (07:01):
Yeah. And also on top of that, how have you
perhaps changed in the way that you've balanced your work
and your uni life? I mean that's another challenge juggling
those two things. Has anything changed there in the last
12 months.
S2 (07:17):
So I'm studying fully online. So all my correspondence with
the University of Tasmania, and I've actually decided to defer
for the first semester of the year this year. So
I kind of, um, set my laptop up and I
was all ready to go, and then I just sort
of couldn't do it. The grief kind of just hit
me all at once, and I just knew I needed
to take a bit of time for myself. So I'm
(07:38):
very ready to go back in a couple of months.
But I have I have put that one on hold
for the moment just so that I can focus on
the business and myself as well, really. So yeah, I
think that balance is very important and has become more
and more important in the last 12 months.
S1 (07:52):
Oh for sure. Yeah. No, that balancing wellness and keeping
mindful and having that sense of balance in, you know,
professional and personal life. That's super important. So I think
a lot of people can totally relate with that for sure.
I guess following on from that, Sami, what lessons have
you learned about resilience and adaptability through the experience, both
(08:15):
as a student and a business owner with low vision?
S2 (08:20):
Probably, yeah. Another lesson I've learned from the last 12
months and all the responsibilities that have come during that time, um,
and all the opportunities I've been handed. I would say
just the main lesson I've learned is that I am
very resilient, because if you had told me two years ago,
even 12 months ago, that my dad was going to
pass away and mum and I were going to be
(08:40):
handed this business and all these responsibilities all at once.
I honestly don't think I would have coped nearly as
well as I have to be at the point I
am today. So that's a huge one. Just finding that
resilience within myself, and I feel like that's a very
common thing among people who are vision impaired and have disabilities,
that we don't realize how strong we actually are. And
(09:02):
even having a disability in itself is very much a
responsibility in itself, and that builds resilience. I'm sure a
lot of us have good anecdotes to prove that. Myself included.
So I think, yeah, the biggest one is just that
you're a lot stronger than you think.
S1 (09:18):
Mhm. And Sami, do you see yourself continuing with the business,
finishing your studies or even pursuing something entirely different. What
does the future hold or. It's a bit of a
Doris Day. Qué sera sera. Whatever will be will be
sort of situation.
S2 (09:38):
Yeah. It's such a hard one.
S1 (09:40):
That's a super hard one.
S2 (09:41):
Yeah. And everything's been so crazy lately that it's. It's
hard to say for sure. But one thing I do
know is that I definitely want to go back and
finish my double degree and get that under my belt.
So I'm two out of four years through, so I'm halfway. Yeah.
So I hope to get that done in the next
couple of years and smash that out of the way.
And then after that it's. Yeah, I'm not sure whether
(10:01):
I'll use that to continue on with the business or
use that to fund myself a completely different job or
even start a business myself. So yeah, I definitely think
I'll start a business in the longer term, but how
soon that comes? Only time will tell.
S1 (10:14):
Yeah, well, let's keep tabs on the Sammy McComb story.
I think that's going to be something super worth following,
and we're very excited to see how it all pans out. Now, finally, Sammy,
what advice would you give to others facing unexpected responsibilities
or challenges, especially when balancing personal growth, education and low vision?
S2 (10:38):
Just yeah, going back to what I said before about
you've got this, you can do it. You don't know
what you're capable of until you're actually in that position.
And it's definitely a lot more than you expect it
to be. So definitely that. And the other thing I
would say is, and this is something my partner and
I have always lived by is don't view your dreams
as dreams. You've got to view them as goals. That's
(10:59):
something I've always lived by because if it's a dream,
you're not going to achieve it. You've got to have
it as a goal and then it's set.
S1 (11:05):
I love that. No. That's fantastic. A huge thank you
to Sami for joining us today. What a fantastic session
just filled with so many ideas and positive thoughts. We
hope you've walked away, having heard a few new strategies
to help you land your dream job and feel confident
in yourself. This podcast is accessible on all major podcast platforms,
(11:29):
so remember to like, subscribe and share it with your friends.
Simply search for Vision Australia's The Career Path to find
this episode and the rest of the series. Sami, thank
you so much for having a chat with us today.
We really appreciate how candid and open you've been, and
we do appreciate you having a chat with us today.
(11:50):
So thank you again.
S2 (11:51):
Oh thank you guys. Thank you so much for having
me in the studio.
Hi and welcome to season two of the Vision Australia podcast,
The Career Path. Today we're chatting with a university student
who's balancing her studies, running a family business, and managing
life with her vision condition. We'll explore how she goes
about her day to day, applies her business and schooling knowledge,
(00:26):
and finds support along the way. I'm Sam Colley, your
host and Vision Australia Radio's community assistant for national programs.
I'm thrilled to be part of this series where we'll
be helping people in the blind and low vision community
feel confident, capable and ready to crush in their careers.
(00:47):
This episode will be recorded, so feel free to hit pause,
take a breather, and come back to it whenever works
for you. You can find all the episodes by searching
Vision Australia's The Career Path on your go to podcast platform.
But for the time being. It's my great pleasure to
welcome our guest for today, Sammy McComb. Welcome, Sammy.
S2 (01:11):
Thanks for having me, guys. I'm so excited to be here.
Can't wait.
S1 (01:14):
And I'm can't wait to have a chat now. Firstly, Sammy,
let's just get to the heart of things. How do
you navigate the pressures of university while managing a business
and coping with low vision?
S2 (01:28):
Gosh, a bit of a loaded question. I don't know.
Super loaded.
S1 (01:31):
Yeah.
S2 (01:32):
Yeah, I guess you kind of just have to take
it day by day. And the way I look at
it is I didn't choose my cards. You know, these cards,
just the cards I've been dealt. I didn't choose to
run a business or manage a business with my mum.
My dad passed away end of last year, so that's
also pretty new. But he was the owner of the business,
so I was kind of just handed that role in
(01:52):
a way. So that wasn't a choice. And obviously being
vision impaired wasn't a choice either. So I kind of
just have to manage it in a way is the
way I look at it, and it helps that I
love it too.
S1 (02:03):
So there you go. And, Sammy, what were the biggest
challenges you faced stepping into this role at such a
young age, especially while studying and managing low vision?
S2 (02:15):
Definitely the hardest challenge was the grief I was facing.
My father's death was very, very sudden, so we didn't
get any warning. And he was a very, very healthy
man and had everything going for him. And the business
was going well. And he was he just made some
big changes in the business as well. So there was
a big expansion going on and then we obviously lost him.
So we lost the head figure. So and I've lost
(02:37):
my father and everything that comes with that. So the
hardest part for me was definitely the grief. And then
everything else kind of came after that. So rolling with
the punches.
S1 (02:46):
Mhm. And how did your studies in marketing and business
help or perhaps not help when managing a company, particularly
when considering accessibility needs for yourself and the business.
S2 (03:00):
Yep. So I'm currently studying a Bachelor of or double
Bachelor of Business and Economics and Marketing is one of
my majors, so obviously I wasn't planning to be doing
so much marketing and business management at such a young age,
but I definitely think that a lot of the skills
I've learnt in uni have been very helpful in the
last sort of six months, but more than anything, I'd
(03:22):
honestly just say that having lived experience as someone with
a disability and a vision impairment has been the biggest
part of it. Like for example, with marketing, just the
basic things like having good contrast and big text that
a lot of regular people probably wouldn't think about, I
kind of just incorporate those things into my daily life, naturally,
and so they kind of follow through with the marketing
(03:43):
side of things, and then just having a disability, being
able to relate to people is a big help in
managing a business. I think, too, because you're working in
a team environment, so you need to be able to
be good around people, and empathy is a big part
of that. I think as well with patients because it's
a healthcare clinic. So yeah, just being able to relate
(04:04):
to people and have that sense of empathy is a
big part of running a business in general, I would say.
S1 (04:10):
You've spoken a little bit about accessibility there and the
assistive technologies and, you know, little features that have made
your life that little bit easier. But outside of that,
there's also been a lot of changes, a lot of upheaval,
certainly lots of ups and downs, to say the least.
(04:31):
Over the past year or so, with everything that's gone on.
So what support systems did you rely on during this transition,
both for your studies and for managing low vision in
the business?
S2 (04:45):
Um, I was very lucky to actually a bit of
a shout out to Vision Australia here, but I received
the Vision Australia Further Education bursary. That was a couple
of years ago and that was fantastic because I was
set up for uni with a computer and a nice
phone with a big screen. So that was fantastic. And
some good headphones as well. So that really set me
(05:05):
up very well for uni. And I also use a
lot of that for work now too. So that was fantastic.
And just having the technology in general as well. And yeah,
besides that, just setting myself up with a really good
support system of people around me. We're very lucky at
work to have fantastic staff, so that's really handy. And
I've got really great connections at uni, education support officers
(05:27):
and people like that. So I've got pretty much everyone
I need at my fingertips really, and a supportive family
and partner too. So yeah.
S1 (05:35):
And following on from that topic around support systems, we
unfortunately have to dive back into a pretty heavy topic. And,
you know, that's coping with grief while making critical business
decisions and managing university workload. It's just amazing. And we
really take our hat off to you and how you've
(05:55):
managed with all of that. So how has the last
year shape the way you approach leadership and decision making
while balancing that.
S2 (06:05):
Gosh, massively. My dad was a great leader. He definitely
led by example, so he wasn't so much business minded. Ironically,
he wasn't great with money like in terms of making
business decisions. He was very generous with his patience and
that sort of thing. But I also think that that
did make him a great leader. So seeing him pass,
(06:25):
and I've definitely taken on a lot of that, a
lot of those traits. And I think that's very important
to keep that within the business, because it was a
thriving business before he passed. So it's important that we
keep it that way. And by doing everything he did,
I hope to do that. So yeah. And then I
think the other important thing I've learned with leadership is
that a good leader will listen above anything else. Leading
(06:48):
is not about being at the top of the rankings.
I suppose it's not a hierarchical thing. It's being able
to work really well in a team. And I'm really
lucky that I've got an amazing team at Belmont Physio
that I work with.
S1 (07:01):
Yeah. And also on top of that, how have you
perhaps changed in the way that you've balanced your work
and your uni life? I mean that's another challenge juggling
those two things. Has anything changed there in the last
12 months.
S2 (07:17):
So I'm studying fully online. So all my correspondence with
the University of Tasmania, and I've actually decided to defer
for the first semester of the year this year. So
I kind of, um, set my laptop up and I
was all ready to go, and then I just sort
of couldn't do it. The grief kind of just hit
me all at once, and I just knew I needed
to take a bit of time for myself. So I'm
(07:38):
very ready to go back in a couple of months.
But I have I have put that one on hold
for the moment just so that I can focus on
the business and myself as well, really. So yeah, I
think that balance is very important and has become more
and more important in the last 12 months.
S1 (07:52):
Oh for sure. Yeah. No, that balancing wellness and keeping
mindful and having that sense of balance in, you know,
professional and personal life. That's super important. So I think
a lot of people can totally relate with that for sure.
I guess following on from that, Sami, what lessons have
you learned about resilience and adaptability through the experience, both
(08:15):
as a student and a business owner with low vision?
S2 (08:20):
Probably, yeah. Another lesson I've learned from the last 12
months and all the responsibilities that have come during that time, um,
and all the opportunities I've been handed. I would say
just the main lesson I've learned is that I am
very resilient, because if you had told me two years ago,
even 12 months ago, that my dad was going to
pass away and mum and I were going to be
(08:40):
handed this business and all these responsibilities all at once.
I honestly don't think I would have coped nearly as
well as I have to be at the point I
am today. So that's a huge one. Just finding that
resilience within myself, and I feel like that's a very
common thing among people who are vision impaired and have disabilities,
that we don't realize how strong we actually are. And
(09:02):
even having a disability in itself is very much a
responsibility in itself, and that builds resilience. I'm sure a
lot of us have good anecdotes to prove that. Myself included.
So I think, yeah, the biggest one is just that
you're a lot stronger than you think.
S1 (09:18):
Mhm. And Sami, do you see yourself continuing with the business,
finishing your studies or even pursuing something entirely different. What
does the future hold or. It's a bit of a
Doris Day. Qué sera sera. Whatever will be will be
sort of situation.
S2 (09:38):
Yeah. It's such a hard one.
S1 (09:40):
That's a super hard one.
S2 (09:41):
Yeah. And everything's been so crazy lately that it's. It's
hard to say for sure. But one thing I do
know is that I definitely want to go back and
finish my double degree and get that under my belt.
So I'm two out of four years through, so I'm halfway. Yeah.
So I hope to get that done in the next
couple of years and smash that out of the way.
And then after that it's. Yeah, I'm not sure whether
(10:01):
I'll use that to continue on with the business or
use that to fund myself a completely different job or
even start a business myself. So yeah, I definitely think
I'll start a business in the longer term, but how
soon that comes? Only time will tell.
S1 (10:14):
Yeah, well, let's keep tabs on the Sammy McComb story.
I think that's going to be something super worth following,
and we're very excited to see how it all pans out. Now, finally, Sammy,
what advice would you give to others facing unexpected responsibilities
or challenges, especially when balancing personal growth, education and low vision?
S2 (10:38):
Just yeah, going back to what I said before about
you've got this, you can do it. You don't know
what you're capable of until you're actually in that position.
And it's definitely a lot more than you expect it
to be. So definitely that. And the other thing I
would say is, and this is something my partner and
I have always lived by is don't view your dreams
as dreams. You've got to view them as goals. That's
(10:59):
something I've always lived by because if it's a dream,
you're not going to achieve it. You've got to have
it as a goal and then it's set.
S1 (11:05):
I love that. No. That's fantastic. A huge thank you
to Sami for joining us today. What a fantastic session
just filled with so many ideas and positive thoughts. We
hope you've walked away, having heard a few new strategies
to help you land your dream job and feel confident
in yourself. This podcast is accessible on all major podcast platforms,
(11:29):
so remember to like, subscribe and share it with your friends.
Simply search for Vision Australia's The Career Path to find
this episode and the rest of the series. Sami, thank
you so much for having a chat with us today.
We really appreciate how candid and open you've been, and
we do appreciate you having a chat with us today.
(11:50):
So thank you again.
S2 (11:51):
Oh thank you guys. Thank you so much for having
me in the studio.
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