Story: Heather Lee Photography: David DelPoio
“I’m hopeful, encouraged, and excited about the rest of this year!”
Lofty words for an optometrist in the middle of a pandemic. But that’s the essence of Dr. Scott Colonna — doctor, entrepreneur, business consultant, mentor, father, friend, and ever the optimist.
“Contrary to how many of us are feeling, the sky is not falling,” Colonna says. “Yes, this has been a challenging year. Yes, we’ve all experienced hardship at work and at home. Yes, we have had to pivot. But isn’t that what business is? Constant reinvention?”
He’s not being cavalier. Colonna and his businesses—Westminster Eyecare Associates, GMC Properties, Mandalay Optical Labs, and Uppercut Consulting—faced the same challenges as every other small businesses in the wake of COVID-19.
“Everything about how we had to run our businesses changed overnight. Over a two-week span, we furloughed our entire staff and faced mandatory shutdowns,” he says. “And yes, it feels like a merry-go-round of pivot, spin, reassess, reinvent, but that’s what business is. And it’s exactly what Rachel has prepared us for.”
He is, of course, referring to Rachel Siegel, CPA, Colonna’s longtime financial strategist, accountant, and bookkeeper.
“No matter what was thrown our way during the pandemic, Go Figure has kept it all on track. They were able to advise us on short- and long-term planning, and to coordinate that with our work family. Plus, when the PPP/Cares Act was launched, Go Figure was able to clarify the terms, navigate the changes, and keep up above water throughout those initial impact months. “
All told, Colonna’s companies were able to offer back full-time employment to 95 percent of their original employees. The other five percent chose to make a change, to stay home with their families. “A decision we respect to the fullest,” Colonna adds.
“When it comes to navigating the business side of COVID-19, we never had an issue,” he says. “Because of the work we put into our cashflow strategies early on, we never had an issue we couldn’t overcome. What a blessing, right?”
That said, there was life before the pandemic. And to understand Colonna, one must look back to gauge such optimism.
20/02 Vision
The year is 2002. Dr. Scott Colonna is in his first year at Westminster Eyecare Associates, the practice he and Dr. John Ormando bought from a
retiring doctor when the pair graduated from the New York College of Optometry.
Even then, the duo had a vision for more. “We knew we wanted to get out into the community and turn it into a group practice,” says Colonna. And that they did. What started out as a $600k practice has grown over the years into a $6M practice with over 65 employees and continues double-digit growth year over year.
“What makes us unique is that John and I had a goal; whether it was our staff or our patients, we wanted everyone to leave happy and satisfied with their service here,” says Dr. Colonna. “Where is the patient in this moment? How can we serve him? How can we surprise and delight her today? How is our team faring? When you bring it down to that basic level, magical things can happen.”
That passion remains today, even as COVID-19 acts as a universal kryptonite in the landscape of small business. “This is what we challenge ourselves with every day we come to work. It’s what we challenge our team with every day they come to work. It’s the standard we set in 2002 when we bought the practice, and it remains the core of what we do in 2020.”
In a way, Colonna says he is grateful for how this year has challenged him. “I know that sounds crazy, but the pandemic forced us to address weaknesses in employee satisfaction and our leadership practices,” he says. “We were able to step back and reconnect with our team, work beside them, and really understand the nuances of day-to-day practice life. What we realized is that we had drifted from our core principles, and we’ve been able to use this time to get back to our roots, while still growing.”
What does growth look like in a pandemic? One word: expansion. “It has created partnerships and collaborations among businesses. We’ve been looking at buying businesses, expanding our footprint, and better serving our clients and patients,” says Colonna. “And look, interest rates are at an all-time low. If you are well-positioned and have the right financial plan, it’s a great time to expand. Go Figure has shown us that there is opportunity everywhere.”
So, for the immediate future, Colonna and his team plan on buying more practices, expanding their market base, and focusing on giving small business owners the tools they need to succeed. In fact, Uppercut Consulting gave business advice to small business and entrepreneurs for free during the first six weeks of COVID-19.
“The truth is, we want to be the best in the world at what we do. And I, literally, want to help everyone be the best in the world at what they do,” says Colonna. “We’re very personal. We’re not a cookie-cutter company. I believe during challenging times like this, the personal touch is going to set us apart from the larger, monopoly company. People want to feel like they are a part of something that makes a difference in their daily lives and where they live.”
Community First
“One of the things I’ve noticed in my lifetime is the loss of community, and I’m working hard to change that,” says Colonna. “Helping small business owners has been my biggest passion.”
Indeed, communities are our social fabric, the source of our livelihoods. Small business owners don’t just provide jobs; they live and work inside the communities they serve. And Colonna holds that as a core principle.
“I believe small businesses are what make communities thrive,” he says.
“We’re the ones who sponsor the local sports teams, dance teams, mathletes. We support local schools as boosters, PTA members, bake sale organizers, crossing guards, and school board members. We give back, we hire, we foster relationships. All our employees are from our community.”
For Colonna and Ormando, they are choosing to build their businesses around their lives. And the same goes for their employees. “There’s too much talk of burnout,” Colonna says. “It doesn’t have to be that way. You can create memories with your family and still run, or work in, a successful business.”
As a husband and father, Colonna knows this firsthand. His daughter, Gianna, is independent and passionate about soccer, basketball, and finance—a triple-threat in her father’s eyes. His younger son, AJ, although more affable than his sister, is equally competitive, with an affinity for golf taking him to national events.
Colonna and his wife are active parents, volunteering at the kids’ schools, cheering for them in after-school activities, and helping create a framework for their success. And yet, they still find time to have dinner together as a family.
And that is the measure of success. Or as Colonna likes to quote: “Success is not measured in the amount of dollars you make, but the amount of lives you impact.”
