Cleinman Connect Podcast

Kate Virzi is the Director of Sales & Client Success at Marketing4ECPs, a digital marketing agency that helps eye care professionals grow their practices. With over 15 years of experience in sales, advertising, and client strategy, Kate has extensive expertise in helping businesses grow. She leads initiatives focused on driving patient acquisition, strengthening brands, and increasing revenue...

Dennis Evans Jr. is the Director of Professional Relations at DryEye Rescue, a company that helps eye care providers expand their dry eye services and supply doctor-recommended products. He leads provider development and practice implementation initiatives to support doctors in boosting patient compliance and revenue. Under his guidance, DryEye Rescue offers turnkey solutions like kiosk displays,...

Kevin Wilhelm is the CEO of Cleinman Performance Partners, a consulting firm that helps optometry practices grow their business operations and drive performance. He also co-founded POD Marketing, which acquired Cleinman in 2025. In his role, he sets the firm’s strategic vision and oversees all consulting, HR, and practice transition services to help independent optometry practices grow. He is an A...

Sarah Vinson is the Owner and CEO of Lunette USA, a woman-owned company that imports and distributes luxury eyewear exclusively to independent optical boutiques across the US. She emphasizes building genuine partnerships with these independent opticians and helping them distinguish their practices. Sarah brings considerable experience in small-business operations to her leadership role. Under her...

Amanda Van Voris is the Senior Director of Client Solutions at Cleinman Performance Partners, a consulting firm that helps independent optometry practices grow through strategic, operational, and people-focused support. With over 20 years of experience, she leads her team in delivering solutions in areas like finance, systems, and organizational effectiveness to help clients achieve both large-sca...

Optometrist and former Practice Owner, Dr. Patrick Wellick of Apple Valley Eye Care in Apple Valley, MN, discusses his private equity practice divestiture journey and how he overcame a serious setback during the process. Practice owners will get great advice and tips on planning a successful exit.

Practice Administrator Sherri Kelly of Crystal Vision Clinic in Crystal, MN discusses how she and the Practice Owner, Dr. Chase Endres approached growing revenue by enhancing practice efficiencies and broadening their team’s financial literacy while maintaining exceptional patient care.

Dr. Dori Carlson, owner and optometrist at Heartland Eye Care, P.C. in North Dakota talks about the unique challenges and rewards of providing eyecare to elderly patients and shares strategies for optimizing optometry practice efficiency.

Dr. Dwight Barnes, co-owner and optometrist at Cary Family Eye Care in Cary, North Carolina shares his leadership journey and the important lessons he learned. Listen to hone your leadership skills.

Dr. Melanie Weiss, owner and optometrist at Weiss Eyecare Clinic in Watertown, SD reveals her in-depth strategies for establishing a successful dry eye clinic utilizing Intense Pulse Light (IPL) and Radio Frequency (RF) treatments. Learn the secrets to success!

Cleinman Performance Partners’ Senior Director of Client Solutions, Amanda Van Voris weighs in on best practices for finding, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding the right people to join your private optometry practice team. This episode is filled with proven success methods.

Michelle Devito Marinello, Attorney and Partner at Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP, discusses the top 5 common legal issues faced by private optometry practice owners and how to avoid them.

Join us as Dr. Billy McMillin of McMillin Eyecare in Kingsport, TN, shares his journey from Associate Doctor to partner, and ultimately, owner of his own practice. He offers valuable strategies and insights into succession planning to help ensure a seamless transition for any practice.

Our guest, optometry practice co-owner, manager, and veteran optician, Kari Whitehorne, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, shares her tried-and-true strategies that lead to second and multiple pairs of eyewear sales. You’ll walk away with real solutions to put into action right away!

Listen for exclusive tips as Dr. Dora Adamopoulos, President and Founder of Eye2Eye Optometry Corner and SomaSou MedSpa in Alexandria, VA details how she developed a very successful business featuring aesthetic services to enhance her private optometry practice.

Listen for great tips to improve your private optometry practice revenue! Guest Heidi Cass, operations manager for a two-location practice, Reed Optical in NH, reveals her successful methods for getting the most for a practice from frame and lens sales representatives.

Listen for great tips on incorporating luxury eyewear into an optometry practice from Dr. Joelle Zagury in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She’ll share how she reached her luxury retail success quickly and how other practices can too.

In this episode, Dr. Robert Goerss and his manager, Josh Lefholz, from Tomasino Goerss Vision Source in O’Fallon, MO, share their journey of overcoming a staffing crisis and rebuilding their eyecare practice culture from the ground up.

For private optometry practice owners looking to break free from the limitations of vision plans and grow revenue, this episode features Dr. Kyle Ross of North Shore Eye Health and Wellness, who shares strategies for opting out of them and cultivating a thriving practice.

For an eyecare practice to grow, it’s essential to continuously find ways to motivate your team to foster that growth. Business partners Dr. Christine Hayes and Dr. Kimberly Brown at Wildwood Vision Specialists in Wildwood, MO, share their methods for successfully motivating their team.

Dr. Nathan Heilman, a practice owner in Northfield, Minnesota, shares his step-by-step journey to successfully integrating a long-term Associate Optometrist into his practice.

Learn how Dr. Michael Feeser and practice manager Angela Feeser of Feeser Eye Care in Odessa, TX tackled staffing challenges by hiring virtual assistants for their independent optometry practice. Discover the challenges, benefits, and insights gained.

Guests Dr. Joshua Woodland and Dr. Corey Kelly, optometrists and business partners at the Woodland Eye Clinics in Iowa discuss how essential benchmarking has become in their eyecare practice and how they effectively developed a system across their three locations.

Dr. Melissa McCulley, optometrist and owner of McCulley Optix Gallery in West Fargo, ND talks about what she and her team experienced during and following the move of their practice into new construction. You'll learn about the process, potential issues, and tips to make it easier.

Dr. Reed Jarvis, owner of Jarvis Vision Center in Murray, KY, shares his journey from becoming a practice owner right out of optometry school to running a high-performing eyecare practice, highlighting lessons learned along the way.