Episodes

Belief Before Ability: The Leadership Secret Every Optometry Practice Owner Needs | E315 Highlights from this episode: Belief Before Ability: The Leadership Secret Every Optometry Practice Owner Needs (00:42) Closing Thought: Keep the Friction (20:20) One of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve had as a practice owner is realizing that people don’t become exceptional because of their skills—they become exceptional because they believe their work matters. In this episode, I’m sharing how giving ever...

How to Create Teams That Believe in the Mission | E314 Highlights from this episode: How to Create Teams That Believe in the Mission (00:36) Closing Thought: Privilege (14:42) One of the biggest leadership lessons I’ve learned is that having a vision isn’t enough—your team has to believe it too. In this episode, I’m sharing what I took away from studying Disney CEO Bob Iger, why culture is built through repetition instead of inspiration, and how every role in your practice becomes more meanin...

The Identity Crisis Every Growing Practice Owner Faces | E313 Highlights from this episode: The Identity Crisis Every Growing Practice Owner Faces (00:49) Closing Thought: Risk Not, Have Not (19:48) As my practice continues to grow, I’ve realized the hardest part isn’t adding another doctor—it’s letting go of the identity that got me here in the first place. In this episode, I’m sharing the internal battle of shifting from being the top producer to becoming a coach, mentor, and CEO, why too ma...

The CEO's Greatest ROI: Their Thoughts | E312 Highlights from this episode: The CEO's Greatest ROI: Their Thoughts (01:11) Closing Thought: The story of two monks (24:59) One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a practice owner is realizing that my value isn’t measured by how many patients I see—it’s measured by the quality of the decisions I make for the business. In this episode, I’m sharing why creating space to think has become one of the highest ROI activities in my week, how stepping ...

What the Best Mentors Taught Me About Leadership and Life | E311 Highlights from this episode: What the Best Mentors Taught Me About Leadership and Life (00:54) Closing Thought: What we're praised for in public, we pay for in private (21:27) Training a new associate has reminded me just how much of who I am today came from the mentors, colleagues, and leaders who invested in me long before I knew what I was capable of. In this episode, we are talking about the lessons that shaped my career, th...

The First Thing I Teach A New Associate (And It’s Not Clinical) | E310 Highlights from this episode: The First Thing I Teach A New Associate (And It’s Not Clinical) (00:58) Closing Thought: What Only Time Can Teach (15:21) When I’m training a new associate, I’m not starting with dry eye, myopia, or advanced disease management—I’m starting with communication, connection, and the fundamentals that create an extraordinary patient experience. In this episode, we're talking about why the little thi...

The Leadership Test that Nobody Talks About | E309 Highlights from this episode: The Leadership Test that Nobody Talks About (01:00) Closing Thought: Keep it + Multiply it! (28:02) Hiring an associate taught me something I wasn’t expecting: great leadership isn’t about creating copies of yourself—it’s about helping other people become the best version of themselves. In this episode, I’m sharing what I’ve learned while onboarding a new graduate, why most practice owners accidentally become the ...

Excellence vs Success: The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything | E308 Highlights from this episode: Excellence vs Success: The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything (00:56) Closing Thought: Preparing for a Future (21:30) As practice owners, it’s easy to get obsessed with revenue goals, new technology, and the next big opportunity—but I’ve learned that real growth comes from mastering the fundamentals. In this episode, we're talking about why excellence is about who you become, not what you a...

The “Monster” Mindset: Raising Your Standards in Private Practice | E307 Highlights from this episode: The “Monster” Mindset: Raising Your Standards in Private Practice (00:40) Closing Thought: Be Consistent (22:29) I’ve realized one of the fastest ways to level up your optometry practice is to put yourself in rooms where you’re no longer the best in the room. In this episode, we're talking about the “monsters” out there—the elite performers, operators, and practice owners that completely reca...

Why Growing Your Optometry Practice Feels So Hard (Even When You’re Winning) | E306 Highlights from this episode: Why Growing Your Optometry Practice Feels So Hard (Even When You’re Winning) (00:48) Closing Thought: The Cost of Winning (21:00) Growing a private practice rarely feels smooth. It feels like constant fires, repeated conversations, and wondering if any of the work is actually paying off. In this episode, I’m sharing why the biggest breakthroughs in my office didn’t come from flash...

The Hidden Ceiling in Your Practice: YOU | E305 Highlights from this episode: The Hidden Ceiling in Your Practice: YOU (01:27) Closing Thought: The Cost of In-Action (25:29) Adding an associate didn’t just grow my optometry practice—it exposed every weak system I was hiding behind as the “Superman” doctor. I realized the biggest bottleneck in my business wasn’t my staff, my patients, or my market…it was me. In this episode, we're talking about how stepping back, standardizing systems, and buil...

You're Not Losing Motivation, You're Losing Chaos: How to Survive the Messy Middle of Practice Gowth | E304 Highlights from this episode: You're Not Losing Motivation, You're Losing Chaos: How to Survive the Messy Middle of Practice Growth (00:45) Closing Thought: 3 Characteristics of Great CEOs (19:52) I used to think feeling bored in my practice meant I was losing my edge, but I’ve realized it’s actually a sign that things are working—and that’s where most ODs get tripped up. When the chaos ...

Conviction vs. Push Back: The CEO Test | E303 Highlights from this episode: Conviction vs. Push Back: The CEO Test (01:05) Closing Thought: Which kid are you going to feed? (31:11) In this week's episode, we're talking about what it actually looks like to lead in private practice—especially when you start doing things differently and get hit with pushback from patients, staff, or even other doctors. I had a recent experience in my own practice that lit a fire under me and reinforced a simple t...

Your Baby Is Ugly: Why Brutally Honest Feedback is a Necessity for Growth | E302 Highlights from this episode: Your Baby Is Ugly: Why Brutally Honest Feedback is a Necessity for Growth (01:03) Closing Thought: Love where you are (25:29) If I’m being honest, some of my biggest growth hasn’t come from new ideas—it’s come from having the right people tell me when my ideas aren’t that good. In this episode, we're talking about why surrounding yourself with “yes people” is one of the fastest ways t...

Strategic Discomfort vs. Boredom Discomfort: Making the Pain Productive | E301 Highlights from this episode: Strategic Discomfort vs. Boredom Discomfort: Making the Pain Productive (00:45) Closing Thought: Conquering the World (21:48) In this episode, I’m working through something that’s been hitting me hard lately—are we actually building something scalable, or just chasing the feeling of growth? There's a difference between strategic discomfort and boredom-driven decisions, especially in that...

Sprint vs Sustain: How Smart ODs Scale Without Burning Out | E300 Highlights from this episode: Sprint vs Sustain: How Smart ODs Scale Without Burning Out (00:58) Closing Thought: The courage of leadership (25:35) In this episode, I challenge you to take a hard look at where you’re at as a practice owner—are you truly progressing, or just coasting and avoiding what matters most? The idea is that success isn’t found at the “peak,” but in learning how to live and thrive on the side of the mounta...

Private Practice Growth: Turning a Specialty Into a Revenue Driver | E299 Highlights from this episode: Private Practice Growth: Turning a Specialty Into a Revenue Driver (00:50) Closing Thought: Learning to Swim (25:55) I’ve been on this journey of focusing purely on clinical care to really thinking like a CEO, and in this episode I break down how that shift has completely changed the way I approach building a dry eye specialty in my practice. I believe dry eye is one of the biggest untapped o...

The Secret to Growing Your Optometry Practice: Empower Your Team | E298 Highlights from this episode: The Secret to Growing Your Optometry Practice: Empower Your Team (00:50) Closing Thought: 5 Magnetic Affirmations (20:44) In this week's episode, we're diving into the real shift that has to happen if you want to go from being a great clinician to an extraordinary practice owner. I share the hard lessons I’ve learned about stepping into the CEO role—letting go of ego, empowering your team, and ...

Amazing vs. Extraordinary Doctors: The Mindset That Builds a Thriving Practice | E297 Highlights from this episode: Amazing vs. Extraordinary Doctors: The Mindset That Builds a Thriving Practice (1:00) Closing Thought: The life you want (21:34) In this week's episode, we dive into the difference between being an amazing doctor and becoming an extraordinary one. Early in my career, I thought the goal was to impress patients with my knowledge but over time I realized the real magic happens when p...

Stop Being the Hero Doctor: Build a Practice That Runs Without You | E296 Highlights from this episode: Stop Being the Hero Doctor: Build a Practice That Runs Without You (00:37) Closing Thought: When the medicine shows up (23:09) In this episode, I’m sharing the mindset shift that’s pushing me from being the hero doctor in my practice to becoming the CEO of a scalable optometry business. I talk about the concept of “burning the ships” and why intentionally creating constraints—like adding anot...

Why Talent Isn’t Enough: The CEO Mentality That Builds Profitable Eye Care Practices | E295 Highlights from this episode: Why Talent Isn’t Enough: The CEO Mentality That Builds Profitable Eye Care Practices (00:53) Closing Thought: If Today Were Your Last Day... (30:11) In this week's episode, we are walking through my journey from being a talent-driven optometrist to thinking like a true CEO of my practice. Tying your identity to daily wins and losses can hold you back— adaptability, metrics,...

How to Differentiate Your Optometry Practice in a Crowded Market | E294 Highlights from this episode: How to Differentiate Your Optometry Practice in a Crowded Market (00:46) Closing Thought: Living in the Present (24:04) In this episode, I dive deeper into why your elevator pitch matters and how clarity in your vision is the key to building a scalable, successful optometry practice. Refining my message around dry eye and ocular surface care transformed the way I lead my team, recruit doctors,...

The Power of the Elevator Pitch | E293 Highlights from this episode: The Power of the Elevator Pitch (00:38) Closing Thought: Calm during the storm (28:48) In this episode, we are breaking down why every private practice owner needs a clear CEO elevator pitch if they truly want to grow and scale their practice. I share how defining what we DON'T do, articulating our vision, and selling direction instead of treatments completely transformed my dry eye clinic, my team, and my marketing. This isn’...

Failure, Fear, and Growth: A New Way to Think About Running Your Practice | E292 Highlights from this episode: Failure, Fear, and Growth: A New Way to Think About Running Your Practice (01:01) Closing Thought: 4 Life Lessons In this week's episode, I dive into why most “failure” in optometry isn’t financially the way you'd think and how the identity you choose as a practice owner shapes every decision you make. We talk about the difference between thinking like a doctor who owns a practice vers...