Meet Asaf Peled and Rob Morrison of Hear Again America

Today we’d like to introduce you to Asaf Peled and Rob Morrison.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Asaf – I was born in a small suburb of Tel Aviv, Israel and was enlisted in the Paratroopers (Airborn Rangers) as a medic at age 18. It was there that I found my passion for helping people. It was in my role as a medic that I knew my purpose in life was to help people and assist my community, but I was not sure yet how to do so. After my discharge, when I was 21, I came to New York City and worked for the Israeli government. During that time I earned my undergraduate and masters degrees from Farleigh Dickenson University, and upon graduating I was offered a position in a New Jersey-based hearing aid company. I became a licensed hearing aid dispenser in New Jersey.

Having worked as a medic in active military duty I experienced situations where I was not always able to help people. I found working to restore patients hearing immensely rewarding. I was able to see their smiles as I enabled them to live richer fuller lives. I wanted to do more of this, and I had (and have) big dreams of helping large numbers of people achieve optimal medical results in hearing care on a one by one basis with individualized care in a welcoming setting.

I am married and have three children, 4, 8, and 10. I moved to Florida and opened a chain of hearing aid locations to bring patients the highest level of haring care I could achieve. I have been in the industry for two decades and my company is in its fourth year. I have great pride in assisting thousands of Florida residents to enjoy happier full lives with my practice. I teach my children by example and tell them if you can dream it and work hard, you can achieve your goals.

Rob – I began my undergraduate studies in Speech Pathology and Audiology at Ithaca College in upstate NY, eventually focusing my attention on Audiology and the diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss, Auditory Pathology and Vestibular (Balance) related Pathology. After completing my Masters and Doctoral work at Indiana University, I spent the first few years of my professional career with a start-up hearing aid company raising the venture capital necessary to fund the company’s expansion efforts nationally. Eventually growing the business to 30 locations in an Operations role across 12 states, I decided to shift gears and join the largest Hearing Aid manufacturer based in the United States, Starkey Hearing Technologies.

During my time with Starkey, I held a number of positions that allowed me to be a part of the Education and Training team as well as the Sales and Business Development teams- the latter of which I spent the majority of my tenure in. This opportunity gave me great insight into the value and importance of independent/ private practice ownership, as it relates to delivering the best quality care for patients. The opportunity to join my current business partner Asaf Peled at Hear Again America has allowed for me to use the operational and clinical skill sets that I’ve developed throughout my career, to grow our business throughout Florida and South Carolina.

Our focus is on delivering the highest quality of care for our patients and exceeding service expectations, which we feel is a significant value-add for patients to seek care at one of our clinics.

I am married to my beautiful wife Cindy, and we have 2 amazing children – Robert (8) and Charlotte “Charlee” (5).  Residing in Southwest Florida for going on 12 years, it is my family that keeps me motivated and energized to work hard every day to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Asaf – It has, of course, had its challenges. Nothing in business comes effortlessly. There was a large hurricane in September of 2017 and it set us back a bit but we bounced back from it and became better and stronger. We strongly believe that it is all about the people we hire. If you have a good team on your side, you can overcome any struggle.

Rob -The Hearing Aid industry is an extremely competitive market and is currently facing threats of commoditization from Big Box retailers (Costco, Sam’s Club), Internet Sales, Managed Care, Affinity Programs and (most recently) Over the Counter Hearing Aids – just passed by the House and the Senate at the end of last year. In an industry where the largest threats have the deepest pockets, we have worked extremely hard to grow the organization through superior patient care with the best providers in the markets that we serve.  Our philosophy of treating every patent with the utmost care and respect, we feel will help us continue to be a leader in hearing health care across the states of Florida and South Carolina and allow us to innovate our service delivery as the changes in the market demand.

Please tell us about Hear Again America.
Asaf – We are Hear Again America and we have 25 locations throughout Florida and South Carolina. Our Key West location is the most Southern point in the US. We have 10 offices from Key West to Boca to better serve the S. Miami community.

Our goal is to provide our patients with the best hearing care possible.

Choosing a hearing professional is one of the most important decisions a hearing impaired person can make. Since a hearing aid cannot be prescribed like eyeglasses, a proper hearing aid recommendation and fitting is highly dependent on the judgment and skill of the professional selecting the instrument. We test your hearing and select and dispense the hearing instrument best suited to your needs in addition to providing support, counseling, and servicing related to the hearing system.

Our professional staff enables us to be considered one of the best hearing healthcare providers in the U.S.

Hear Again America is committed to protecting your hearing from further deterioration through education about what affects your hearing, as well as the proper use and care of hearing protection devices.

Rob – Hear Again America is a privately held hearing aid company with 23 Florida locations and 2 locations in South Carolina (all private practices). We work with all major hearing aid manufacturers to make the best-suited recommendations for all of our patients. We work in this business to bring families and their loved ones back together through communication- to live life through meaningful connection rather than withdrawal from life’s important moments and relationships.  We take great strides to make sure each of our patients is well educated by bringing our seminar (Lunch and Learn) series into all of the local markets that we operate in.

These seminars serve as a medium for us to reach out to the community, weed through some of the misleading and often confusing advertising that exists and serve as a source of education for potential patients. We feel that this approach builds the necessary trust that is required to serve our patients better than anyone else. I am most proud of the people that I have the honor of working with at Hear Again America. We are truly an organization whose fabric is strong because of the dedication of each person who shows up to work every day to make a difference in the lives of others. Without the team that we are fortunate to work with on a daily basis, none of our goals would be attainable- and we (Asaf Peled and I) always lead with that sentiment in mind.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Asaf – I think that as children we are driven by our most basic needs, love, warmth, touch, hunger, and we operate on emotion rather than logic. If I had to pick a favorite memory from childhood I would pick a moment in time driven by feeling rather than by external events. I remember the warmth of the sun and the feeling of being safe and loved by my parents. As an adult with three small children, I hope I can give them that same feeling of safety, security and love that we as adults try to again achieve and maintain.

Rob – My childhood influences shaped much of who I am today both personally and professionally and my family has always kept me grounded.  My fondest memories are those sitting around my Grandma’s table playing cards after dinner, hiking the trails in the White Mountains or competing on various baseball diamonds, soccer fields or basketball courts with teammates.  There is no question that I am who I am today because of the guidance of family growing up and would be remiss not to specifically mention my Mom, Step-Father and Sister that have always surrounded me with unconditional love and support.  My parents provided me with great role models and taught the importance of honesty, integrity, compassion and hard work, while my relationship with my sister taught me about loyalty and camaraderie.

Professionally, there are many moments to choose from- and I’m fortunate to have worked in a profession that allows for me to connect with people from all walks of life in many different capacities. A highlight would have to be some of the mission work that I was able to participate in thanks to the great work of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Through the philanthropic arm of Starkey Hearing Technologies and the passion of Bill and Tani Austin, I was privileged to be able to serve those in need of better hearing both domestically and abroad.

In 2015, I traveled to India to participate in a mission where we fit nearly 5000 children over the course of the 2 weeks I was there with hearing aids. It was a life-changing experience that has since served as a constant reminder of the importance of the work I do on a daily basis- bringing people together through communication and better hearing.

Contact Info:

• Address: 7600 SW 57 Ave #125 S. Miami, FL 33143
• Website: www.HearAgainAmerica.com
• Phone: 305-661-7672
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hearagainamerica/

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