Episodes

The #1 Mistake Holding Private Practice ODs Back | E280 Highlights from this episode: The #1 Mistake Holding Private Practice ODs Back (00:49) Closing Thought: Facing the Pain (13:55) In this episode we are talking about the biggest mistake I believe most ODs make when trying to grow a private practice: staying buried in the exam room. For years, I thought success meant seeing more patients, but stepping back has been the real game changer for my business, my culture, and my mindset. Focusing ...

5 Game-Changing Questions to Transform Your Optometry Practice | E279 Highlights from this episode: 5 Game-Changing Questions to Transform Your Optometry Practice (00:49) Closing Thought: What is the cost of staying right where you are? In this episode, I share the five key questions every private practice owner should be asking themselves—and their team—as we close out the year. These questions aren’t just about reflection; they’re a blueprint for growth, leadership, and smarter decision-maki...

The Business of Optometry: Culture, Systems, and the Freedom to Step Back | E278 Highlights from this episode: The Business of Optometry: Culture, Systems, and the Freedom to Step Back (00:44) Closing Thought: Finding your passion (16:57) In this episode, we are talking about what it really means to become the CEO of your practice—not just the doctor seeing patients day to day. Stepping out of the exam lane allowed me to see the business clearly, refine our culture, and build systems that run ...

The Power of Evolution: Designing the Life and Practice You Actually Want | E277 Highlights from this episode: The Power of Evolution: Designing the Life and Practice You Actually Want (00:36) Closing Thought: Create (17:21) In this episode, we are talking about evolving as a private practice owner. After 14 years of building my practice from the ground up, I’m learning how to step back from the day-to-day grind and design a clinic—and a life—that reflects what I actually want. From delegating...

Two Businesses, One Roof: How to Separate Clinical and Optical Success | E276 Highlights from this episode: Two Businesses, One Roof: How to Separate Clinical and Optical Success (00:42) Closing Thought: What a Privilege (16:28) In this episode, I dive into one of the biggest mindset traps holding private practices back — running your clinic like a retail store. 👓 As optometrists, we operate two separate businesses under one roof: a medical clinic and a retail optical. When we start making cli...

Why Systems—Not Superstars—Are the Key to Practice Growth | E275 Highlights from this episode: Why Systems—Not Superstars—Are the Key to Practice Growth (00:42) Closing Thought: The truth about risk (14:30) In this episode, I dive deep into what it really takes to scale your practice beyond being a one-person show. After years of doing everything myself—from answering phones to training staff—I finally realized that systems, not people, are what allow a business to grow sustainably. I break d...

Building a Business That Works for You (Not the Other Way Around) | E274 Highlights from this episode: Building a Business That Works for You (Not the Other Way Around) (00:46) Closing Thought: The inner compass (17:24) In this episode, we are talking about what it really means to reach the next level of private practice ownership—when your business finally starts working for you, not the other way around. I share how I shifted from chasing revenue goals to building a team, creating time to t...

Taking Bigger Shots: 4 Bold Moves That Transformed My Optometry Practice | E273 Highlights from this episode: Taking Bigger Shots: 4 Bold Moves That Transformed My Optometry Practice (00:49) Closing Thought: True Confidence is Earned (18:09) This past year has felt like a decade’s worth of growth for me as a practice owner, and this week I’m breaking down the biggest risks I’ve taken that completely changed my business. From cutting my patient volume in half to deliver more value, to moving in...

How To Increase Your Revenue Per Patient Over 50% in Just 3 Months | E272 Highlights from this episode: How To Increase Your Revenue Per Patient Over 50% in Just 3 Months (00:44) Closing Thought: The key to good relationships (13:54) In this week's episode, I share how we boosted our revenue per patient by over $200 simply by setting a higher standard of care and fully committing to our dry eye clinic. I walk through the process we use: establishing a strong baseline, showing patients their res...

Simplify, Commit, Grow: The Formula That Took My Optometry Practice to the Next Level | E271 Highlights from this episode: Simplify, Commit, Grow: The Formula That Took My Optometry Practice to the Next Level (00:46) Closing Thought: Take big shots and network like crazy! (27:23) In this episode, I’m doing a deep dive into everything I’ve learned over the past year—from opening a brand-new location to getting on stage with the giants in ocular surface disease. I talk about the real cost of gro...

Inside My Specialty Clinic Funnel: How to Attract, Convert & Retain Ideal Patients | E270 Highlights from this episode: Inside My Specialty Clinic Funnel: How to Attract, Convert & Retain Ideal Patients (01:04) Closing Thought: To make your present better, make your future bigger (20:41) In this episode, we are talking about how to build a powerful sales funnel for your specialty (using my dry eye practice as an example of course). I share the exact 8-step framework I’m using to grow RDEC into...

Stop Competing with the Middle 50%—Here’s How to Stand Out | E269 Highlights from this episode: Stop Competing with the Middle 50%—Here’s How to Stand Out (00:52) Closing Thought: Do one thing a thousand times (17:29) In this week's episode, I get real about the three big changes I’ve made to transform my specialty clinic with lessons learned the hard way after years of doing it wrong. There are a lot of things I wish I had done from the start when building out my dry eye center, now that I’m ...

Saying No to "Good" to Build Something Great | E268 Highlights from this episode: Saying No to "Good" to Build Something Great (01:22) Closing Thought: Having the tough conversations (20:08) In this episode, I get real about the tension between what we want and what we need as private practice owners. I walk you through the mental tug-of-war I’m in: deciding whether to chase opportunity or stay laser-focused on building something elite. My passion for ocular surface disease and the dream of sc...

From Horse-and-Buggy to Ferrari: Thinking Bigger in Your Practice | E267 Highlights from this episode: From Horse-and-Buggy to Ferrari: Thinking Bigger in Your Practice (00:53) Closing Thought: Courage vs. Confidence (15:29) Success isn’t just about hard work—it’s about raising your standards. In this episode, I break down the difference between confidence and courage, and why courage is what actually moves you into the top 1%. I share the tough decisions I’m facing in my own practice and how ...

Staffing, Patients, Strategy: The Non-Negotiables for Practice Success | E266 Highlights from this episode: Staffing, Patients, Strategy: The Non-Negotiables for Practice Success (00:50) Closing Thought: You can have anything, but you can't have everything (26:44) The three biggest lessons that can make or break your private practice: staffing with intention, attracting the right patients, and knowing what to say “no” to. After 14 years in the trenches, I’m sharing the hard-earned truths, mist...

How I Went from Volume-Based Burnout to Vision-Fueled Freedom | E265 Highlights from this episode: How I Went from Volume-Based Burnout to Vision-Fueled Freedom (00:41) Closing Thought: Don't Get Comfortable (17:47) In this episode we're talking about how my solo cold-start practice grew into a thriving dry eye and ocular aesthetics center—with a team that brings just as much juice as I do. I’ve realized that real growth happens when you stop trying to do everything yourself and start surround...

Building Bigger Than You: Creating a Brand That Outlives the Doctor | E264 Highlights from this episode: Building Bigger Than You: Creating a Brand That Outlives the Doctor (00:34) Closing Thought: Burn the boats. (17:46) In this week's episode it's all about having the tough conversations and making bold moves. I share how I navigated leadership challenges, staff transitions, and the emotional rollercoaster of growth, all while staying true to my core: giving hope, educating, and advising. Fr...

Vision First: Why Every Optometrist Needs a 5-Year Plan | E263 Highlights from this episode: Vision First: Why Every Optometrist Needs a 5-Year Plan (00:41) Closing Thought: 2 Keys to Accomplishing Great Things (20:51) In this episode we're talking about what it means to actually lead your practice with vision. I've made some big changes—like bringing on a rockstar associate, down-scheduling for better patient care, and adding new tech like Tixel and dry eye slit lamps. But more than that, I...

Navigating Turnover: How to Build a Culture That Thrives on Change | E262 Highlights from this episode: Navigating Turnover: How to Build a Culture That Thrives on Change (01:08) Closing Thought: The only way to do great work is to love what you do (29:42) In this episode we are talking about my journey to reshape my optometry practice into something that truly reflects my passion—focusing on dry eye. It wasn’t just about adding a specialty; it meant building a strong culture, defining clear r...

Authentic Passion Cannot Be Duplicated: Your Secret to Professional Success | E261 Highlights from this episode: Authentic Passion Cannot Be Duplicated: Your Secret to Professional Success (00:59) Closing Thought: Effort and Success (21:36) In this episode we are talking about enjoying your work even amidst challenges like a broken phoropter or a leaking ceiling. Loving what you do makes you unbeatable. You cannot beat authentic passion. Join in the conversation and subscribe to the podcast ...

Small Space, Big Profits: Optometry Practice Growth | E260 Highlights from this episode: Small Space, Big Profits: Optometry Practice Growth (01:12) Closing Thought: Everything has a price (18:46) Today we are answering a listener question that was submitted and I think will give great value to everyone! The question is from an OD couple running their own private practice in a small space and looking for ideas to optimize it and work as efficiently as possible. I have 3 main suggestions that I...

4 Areas of Focus for Practice Success Within 12 Months | E259 Highlights from this episode: 4 Areas of Focus for Practice Success Within 12 Months (00:48) Closing Thought: Delusional Belief! (14:21) In this episode we are talking about a pivotal moment that truly shaped my journey toward becoming the CEO of my practice, shifting my focus from the exam room to coaching staff and growing the business. It all stemmed from a question from a potential associate: "What would your goal be fore me at t...

The Growth Playbook: Wisdom from Coaching and Business | E258 Highlights from this episode: The Growth Playbook: Wisdom from Coaching and Business (1:00) Closing Thought: (21:04) I am making the jump back into football, my friends! Coaching that is - and as I have been preparing for the upcoming practices, I am reminded of the amount of mentorship that takes place in sports. There are 5 key principles that I want to share with my team that also are incredibly applicable to our practices. I will...

Applying the Disney Standard: Communication & Combustion Points | E257 Highlights from this episode: Applying the Disney Standard: Communication & Combustion Points | E257 (01:05) Closing Thought: The power of positive feedback (19:28) One of my practice's main core values is "Care". This value has evolved over the last year as it became clear that we were very good at caring for our patients... but we were NOT caring for each other as team members. This led me to implement principles from t...