Amanda Fair

I attribute my success to hard work and unwavering determination. I’m the kind of person who, once I commit to something, sees it through to the end. When I want something, I put in the work to earn it—and once I’ve set my sights on a goal, I don’t stop until I’ve reached it.

Recently, I confided in my husband that I’d been wrestling with a touch of imposter syndrome. After a year of serving on ADAM’s Education Committee, the organization nominated me to join their board. Around that same time, someone put my name forward for the Executive Roundtable—a group composed of some of the sharpest minds in the field. I caught myself thinking, are you sure you want me? But then it struck me: other people see the work I’m doing and genuinely believe in it. That kind of recognition is deeply meaningful.

Honestly, if my headstone simply read “the hardest-working person,” I’d consider that a life well lived. In fact, my daughter wrote those very words in my Mother’s Day card this year—that I’m the hardest-working person she knows. There’s no greater honor than that.

For me, the best advice centers on finding balance as a female leader—and I cannot overstate how important that is. If we’re too strict, we’re labeled as harsh or unkind. If we’re too soft, people question whether we’re capable of doing the job. The challenge is landing somewhere in the middle: fair but firm, deeply compassionate and invested in your people, without tipping too far in either direction. Honestly, I don’t believe men navigate this same tension. My husband is a police officer who trains other officers, and that tightrope simply isn’t there for him in the same way—it’s expected of men by default.

That said, I care profoundly about every person who works for me. I maintain an open-door policy, and my staff knows they can call me when life happens outside of work—I’ll be the first one to show up. But I also won’t tolerate excuses. If you aren’t showing up and doing your job, we’re going to have a candid conversation. My team jokes that Amanda will bail you out of jail—and then chastise you the entire ride home.

I treat my staff much the way I treat my own children: we celebrate the wins together, and we address the missteps honestly. It’s taken time to learn how to lead with genuine compassion while still running a tight ship, but I’ve found my rhythm. I have strong relationships with my team, and they respect me enough to consistently show up and do excellent work—because they don’t want to let me down.

Love your people. Lead with compassion. You will go infinitely further leading that way than any other.

There’s a persistent misconception that women have to be aggressive to be taken seriously, and I simply don’t believe that’s true. Yes, there are moments when assertiveness is necessary—but you can lead with compassion, genuinely invest in your people, and still build a thriving business. You can command the respect of your staff while making it clear that you care about them as human beings, both inside and outside the office.

In our practice, we have what I call a no-tolerance policy for disrespect. If anyone—a patient, an employee, a representative, anyone who walks through our doors—treats our staff poorly, the response is the same: we ask them to leave, and they don’t come back. We protect our people. We have their backs. And they know, without question, that they will never come to work to be mistreated.

I can’t count how many people I’ve interviewed who’ve responded with genuine surprise: that’s so refreshing—you don’t understand, that doesn’t happen at most companies. But it should. No one should walk into their workplace and be subjected to abuse. I have parted ways with employees, providers, and patients alike when necessary. This building is a safe space, and I will protect it fiercely—because fairness matters, and every person who walks through these doors deserves to be treated with dignity.

Cost is a significant factor in everything we do. The owner of my practice has taught me so much about being financially savvy—asking for discounts, negotiating thoughtfully, and stretching every dollar. When you’re operating a small practice, you have to be exceptionally smart with your money. Every small business is roughly three bad financial decisions away from closing its doors, which means we can’t afford to be careless. We take our time, do our research, and ensure we’re making sound decisions. Then we conduct a post-mortem review on the situations that didn’t pan out: what went wrong, and what can we do differently next time?

Insurance reimbursements continue to shrink year after year, while the cost of goods and services keeps climbing. To remain successful, you have to stay creative—constantly thinking about how to build additional streams of revenue. We work to keep our operations as lean and efficient as possible: shopping around, asking for discounts, and leaning heavily on our professional network. I’m the first one to jump on our Facebook group and ask how others are handling a particular situation. Tapping into those resources and learning from peers has been absolutely paramount to our success.

Compassion sits at the very top of my list—it shapes how I lead, how I treat people, and how I move through both my professional and personal life. Fairness matters deeply to me, as does integrity. And I would be remiss not to mention hard work, which has defined nearly every chapter of my career.

I’ve always believed that leading by example is the most powerful form of influence, and I take pride in the fact that my children have grown into hardworking, driven young adults in their own right. My daughter has held the same job throughout her time in college, and my son set his sights on joining the Air Force when he was young—the most competitive branch to enter. I told him he’d have to work hard and keep his nose clean, and he did exactly that.

I’m deeply proud that my children are goal-oriented, disciplined, and genuinely good people. Beyond any professional accomplishment, that is what I’m most grateful for.