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Alex Fisher’s Ladue studio is filled with light, color, and art, much of it drawn and painted by herself. As co-founder and chief creative officer of former technology company Sherpa, she also helped humanize the senior housing industry. Originally from Argentina, she moved to St. Louis with her three young children in 2000 after visiting her older brother who attended St. Louis University. At the time, she was in desperate need of a job, and she found a job in sales at Gatesworth Senior Living Facility in University City, where she met David Smith, who would later become Sherpa’s business partner. Together, they developed a “customer relationship management (CRM) tool to help salespeople.” [at a senior living facility] “You’re actually painting a portrait of the person in front of you, so to speak,” Fisher says. “And in the process, that person will feel empowered and validated to make their own decisions.” CRM tools can help identify potential residents’ values, aspirations and expectations regarding senior living. , was a helpful guide to gathering relevant information about anxiety. Sherpa’s customers grew from 50 communities in 2015 to nearly 1,800 by the end of 2022, when a private equity firm acquired the company and merged it with other businesses to form Aline. Mr. Fisher still serves on the board, but these days he spends time in his home studio reading, writing, painting, and reflecting on his experiences in the business world.
Elements of an ideal workspace
- desk/table: Fisher ordered this versatile desk/work table from Turkey. She uses it in a variety of ways throughout the day, including writing, moving to an easel, and moving it completely out of the way to use her yoga space.
- lighting equipment: Fisher chose this light fixture because she was drawn to the warm wood tones found throughout the home. “I really think you need warmth to create,” she says.
- wooden ceiling: She also likes the warmth the wood ceiling brings to the space. She says, “I looked at a lot of photos of studios for inspiration, but I was always drawn to studios with wooden ceilings.”
- Garage door: Consultant Jassen Johnson used garage doors in the design of Sherpa’s offices in Midtown Alley in 2016. “I loved it,” Fisher says of the unexpected door choice. “Opening the garage door is like saying, Please come”
- artwork: “I like being surrounded by faces,” she says. Most of the art in her studio is her own original work, created either by hand or with apps on her iPad.
- Lug: Fisher was looking for an authentic kilim rug and found this beautiful orange rug on Etsy. “It’s so nice to be surrounded by small businesses and things made by artisans,” she says. “That was important to me.”
Reliable business inspiration
- how to know people Written by David Brooks: “This is one of my favorite books, and I think it applies to any business,” Fisher says.
- think again Written by Adam Grant: In this book, Grant helps readers reconsider their preconceptions and open their minds. “With all the changes happening around the world, businesses need to keep up and be agile,” Fisher says. “I love Think again. We had a book club at work and we all read this book. ”
- inspired Written by Marty Cagan: “More specifically, when it comes to technology business, inspired We’re all about designing and creating technology with the customer in mind. [At Sherpa] I always wanted my customers to not only benefit from the product, but love the product,” Fisher says.
- how we built this Podcast: Host Guy Raz talks to various entrepreneurs about how they developed their businesses. Fisher loves hearing the stories because he learns that “there’s really no template” for starting a company. “Business is personal,” she says.
- hidden brain Podcast: “What I hear now is about how people behave. I find that most of the things I can hear about deeper knowledge about myself and others can help me run a business. ” she says.
- Elizabeth Gilbert: The journalist and author spoke at a Sherpa conference several years ago, and Fisher still thinks about it. “She was talking about her curiosity, and I felt like this industry really needed to be more curious,” Fisher says. “People are looking for inspiration. You have to be inspired by something first and then find a way to be inspired again.”
- StoryCorps Podcast: What Fisher loves is StoryCorps Because we know how powerful it is when people tell their stories to interested listeners. “One of the things I always say is that it’s not so important to learn someone else’s story. The most important thing is to listen. By telling your own story, you can add to that story. It takes on new meaning and creates moments that feel almost personal.”
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