A career built on saying yes

For Zoe Smith, a career at Specsavers was never part of a grand plan. 28 years ago, she packed up her life, moved from North-West England to South Wales at just 21 years old, and stepped into a role as a Dispensing Manager knowing almost no one in the area.

Today, she is both a qualified Dispensing Optician and Director, co-leading two optical businesses and an audiology hub serving 5 locations across North Wales. Working alongside three Clinical Directors across optics and audiology, Zoe has built a career shaped by opportunity, partnership and a passion for helping both customers and colleagues thrive.

It all started with an opportunity

“I actually fell into optics by accident.

I trained as a trainee Dispensing Optician with an independent practice and absolutely loved it. Coming out with a professional qualification gave me a great foundation, but I wanted to develop further. I was interested in becoming a Contact Lens Optician and taking on more management responsibility, and those opportunities weren't available where I was.

A family friend who was a Specsavers director told me about a vacancy in South Wales, so I took a leap of faith and went for it. If I'm honest, those early days were daunting. The pace and volume of work felt completely different to anything I'd experienced before. I was scared and genuinely wasn't sure I'd last.

Looking back now, I'd tell anyone feeling the same to stick with it. The opportunities that come from pushing through that initial temporary discomfort can change your life.

Following every opportunity

My first 7 years were spent as a Dispensing Optician Manager in store. During that time, one of the directors encouraged me to complete Pathway (to Partnership), which ultimately opened new doors.

I was fortunate enough to be offered director opportunities, but I loved living in South Wales and was happy to wait for the right one. Instead, I was approached to become an Interim Director, supporting stores across the UK that needed leadership cover.

I thought I'd do it for a few months. I ended up doing it for almost 10 years.

One week I could be in Essex, the next in Scotland. It gave me an incredible insight into different businesses, teams and challenges. Along the way, I became involved with loss prevention and NHS audit work, eventually leading a newly formed NHS Audit team.

What always struck me was how varied a Dispensing Optician's career could be. People often think they understand the role, but there are so many avenues to explore if you're open to them.

Today, I'm also working with ABDO to help address workforce challenges in Wales and support the development of apprenticeship opportunities. It's something I'm passionate about because there's a real need to attract more people into the profession.

The unexpected path to partnership

After several years in change management and regional support roles, Covid changed everything. Many of the projects I was working on stopped overnight, and it gave me time to reflect on what I wanted next. I'd always thought about becoming a Partner, but suddenly I found myself asking: if not now, when?

When an opportunity arose in a commutable store with a large audiology business, I decided to take the leap. The funny thing is that audiology wasn't originally in my plan.

While leading the NHS audit team, I'd been asked to support audiology services alongside optics. At first, I was completely flummoxed. I was optics through and through. But the more I learned about hearing care, the more I saw the incredible difference it made to people's lives.

Partnership has been everything I hoped it would be and more.

Watching people flourish

The biggest reward isn't the business. It's the people.

As a Partner, I've been able to help colleagues develop their careers in ways that genuinely change their futures. We've sponsored qualifications, supported overseas recruitment, and helped talented people progress when others told them they couldn't.

One colleague completed a Hearing Aid Dispenser qualification with our support and has just started their Partner progression. Another joined us after being told there wasn't a future for him in audiology at a competitor; we sponsored his degree and, today, he's one of four qualified audiology clinicians in our business. 5 years ago, we had just one.

Seeing people grow in confidence, develop new skills and achieve things they didn't think were possible is still one of the best parts of my job.

Why it still matters

One customer, Fred, reminds me exactly why we do what we do.

100-year-old Fred has been a loyal customer for more than a decade and contacted us to order a new hearing aid. Later that same day, he cancelled the order. We weren’t quite sure why, so we decided as a team to gift him the hearing aid instead.

The impact was extraordinary. It meant he could fully enjoy his birthday celebrations, engage with family and friends, and continue doing the things that mattered most to him.

For us, it was a relatively small gesture. For Fred, it made all the difference. Those moments are a reminder that we're in a privileged position to help people. That's what keeps me motivated after all these years. Whether it's outstanding customer care, supporting local communities, fundraising, or helping a colleague progress, all those small moments add up. I've honestly never had a day where I didn't want to come to work.

One piece of advice

If I could speak to the 21-year-old version of myself on my first day at Specsavers, I'd tell her that the journey ahead will be more incredible than you can imagine. Keep pushing yourself, keep an open mind, keep saying yes to opportunities, and always look to the horizon.

Most importantly? Have fun”.