A Conversation with Lisa Powers
Lisa Powers loves entrepreneurs. “They are the backbone of America,” she says. And as one of south Placer County’s most enterprising business leaders, Lisa knows a thing or two about the spirit behind an independent venture. Her development, Quarry Ponds, hosts a select group of tenants that share her philosophy of quality over quantity. This winning combination of a beautiful natural setting and exceptional retail and restaurants attracts neighborhood customers in search of a town center and offers visitors a destination.
Above all, Lisa considers herself mostly a business person and strategist holding a CPA certificate and a Masters in tax law, still practicing part time with some long-standing business clients. She helped run a software company for five years, and as a co-CEO, made deals with IBM, Qualcom, Sony and Dow Jones. In addition, both she and her other half Walt Gebauer are strong supporters of local schools and other community organizations. Currently, Lisa is on the advisory board for the Children’s Hospital of the East Bay and is working with Sutter Memorial Hospital of Roseville in connection with their rebuilding efforts and their neonatal care unit.
Sierrastyle’s Luxury Living Publisher Wendy Sipple sat down with Lisa to discuss business, Biba’s, BLTs and more.
Wendy Sipple: Hi Lisa, Quarry Ponds is so lovely. Tell us a little bit about the center.
Lisa Powers: We have two great things here. First, we have a beautiful site with the pond, and I wanted to bring that amenity to people. Second, I felt there’s too much in life that is impersonal – we wanted to make Quarry Ponds a place where people could get personal service. Customer service to me is huge. I think that quality is the hardest thing to find in life, in a friend, in a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, a husband, a grocery store. I’ve always thought that the people who provide the highest quality will always have a customer, so long as they always give their customer their money’s worth. We want Quarry Ponds to be a place where people feel they are getting personal attention.
WS: It seems like, more and more, the public yearns for personal attention and good customer service.
LP: A lot of people believe in it, but many people have forgotten that. Typically there are two general rules for our leasing at Quarry Ponds. First general rule was for food restaurants – we didn’t want to have chain restaurants. In San Francisco we have the luxury of many ethnic groups, diversity, and owner or chef-managed restaurants. I wanted to try to bring some of that originality here. The second general rule was that we preferred only owner-managed businesses. We wanted committed people with that entrepreneurial spirit where they’re happy and joyful; they care and they deliver. That’s how Quarry Ponds was developed.
WS: That’s fantastic.
LP: Plain and simple. Have you visited Market Hall? I’d love to give you a tour.
WS: That would be wonderful!
LP: Market Hall is modeled after an area of Berkeley where I’ve been shopping for twenty years. It also reminds me of a village in France where you go from the produce stores to the fish mongers to the charcuterie to the bread shop to the coffee place to the wine maker. And you’re not dealing with nine aisles of diapers and 22 types of Tostitos. You have the backbone of a healthy diet and all the fun stuff in between. That’s what you need for a healthy life.
WS: You have restaurants too.
LP: The restaurants are here because of the savvy community. We are able to bring true al fresco dining to the trade area, something we are fortunate to have in Downtown Sacramento. But up here in Placer we haven’t had too much of that.
WS: Speaking of dining in Sacramento, where do you like to go out to eat?
LP: I love Biba’s - a great classic. Randy Paragary has always done a great job with everything he does and Kurt Spataro, too. Waterboy is just one of the best places I’ve ever been to.
WS: Anything off the beaten path? Some little gem that’s sort of hidden somewhere?
LP: One place that I used to go, that I loved, was Jim-Denny’s hamburgers. Remember that?
WS: My husband and I were just talking about it the other day.
LP: Are they still good?
WS: I had the best BLT sandwich in there a few months ago. It’s just delightful.
LP: Very basic, family run business. So good.
WS: What do you and Walt like to do in your spare time?
LP: We travel and we dine. We play tennis and we golf. We work out and hang out.
WS: What do you think is the best kept secret in the Sacramento area?
LP: The genuine niceness of the people. That would be my answer. I love most everybody I’ve met here. They’re kind, sweet, thoughtful, soulful people.
WS: So true. What couldn’t you live without in life?
LP: I think it would be good food. Good food and wine. I suppose I could live without them, but I prefer not to.
WS: Finally, how would you define luxury?
LP: I just define luxury as being happy and having a happy life.
