UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the latest episode of Invent Penn State’s "Dare to Disrupt" podcast, host Ryan Newman interviews co-founder and co-owner of Allegiance Transportation, Norm Potter. Potter is also co-owner and executive director of the Winston Salem branch of Griswold Home Care.
Potter began his career in banking and wealth management, falling in love with providing clients top-notch service through a very personable approach, he said. He then made a career shift away from banking and into higher education, where he managed philanthropic support initiatives for medical programming at Wake Forest University and Appalachian State University.
During this time, his father was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, and Potter became his primary caregiver.
“After he died, it became a passion of mine, because I looked at the care available for people, and the care was all over the place. And I thought, there's got to be a better way to take care of an individual who chooses to be in their home with their family so that they can live their life the way they want to live,” Potter said during the podcast interview.
Inspired to take the problem into his own hands, he purchased a Griswold Home Care franchise in Winston Salem, North Carolina, and built it into one of the highest rated agencies in the region serving primarily people who have dementia.
In this episode, Potter talks about his experiences drastically shifting career paths, and how applying a personal touch and connecting with his customers has been a common indicator of success throughout his career. He also shares his current journey battling cancer and how it has changed his outlook on life and business.
Listen to this interview to learn more about Potter’s journey.
In the second half of the episode, Josh Reynolds, a biomedical engineering doctoral candidate, joins the conversation. His startup, Atlas Biotech, is striving to overcome drug resistance and accelerate drug discovery efforts in the fight against cancer. He recently participated in the Invent Penn State NSF I-Corps short course program and the Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank FastTrack Accelerator. Reynolds talks to Potter about issues with the current standards of care for cancer patients, as well as any decisions Potter would have made differently knowing what he knows now regarding his career and his businesses.
Students can apply or be nominated to be on the show here.
About 'Dare to Disrupt'
"Dare to Disrupt" is a podcast from Invent Penn State about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success. The podcast is hosted by alumnus Ryan Newman, a graduate of the Smeal College of Business and a Schreyer Scholar alumnus who is now a managing director at Goldman Sachs.
Past episodes of "Dare to Disrupt" include interviews with Matt Brezina, David Rusenko and Jess Weiner.
Subscribe to "Dare to Disrupt" on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. New episodes of "Dare to Disrupt" release monthly. Learn more at invent.psu.edu/dare-to-disrupt.
Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success.