Cleinman Connect Podcast

Dr. Trevor Miranda is an optometrist and practice owner specializing in dry eye care and aesthetics, serving the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island for over 30 years. He is the Founder of Cowichan Eyecare, mydryeye, and MyRetina, and has built five successful clinics from the ground up. Recognized as a key leader and brand ambassador in the eyecare industry, his practices consistently achieve dou...

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...

Amanda Van Voris and Nancy Dewald are Senior Directors of Client Solutions at Cleinman, bringing decades of combined experience supporting independent optometry practices. Known for their integrity, client-first approach, and collaborative leadership, they help practice owners navigate growth, change, and people challenges with confidence. Together, they partner closely with clients to drive accou...

Wade Horb is the President of Marketing4ECPs and SmileShop Dental Marketing, where he leads strategic growth initiatives for brands in the eye care and dental industries. Under his leadership, Marketing4ECPs partners with independent practices across Canada and the United States, earning a reputation for hands-on collaboration and industry expertise. Wade is known for his people-first leadership a...

Meagan Staab is the Director of Client Support and Insights at Cleinman Performance Partners, a company that delivers business consulting and data-driven solutions for eye care practices. Under her leadership, Cleinman has developed benchmarking systems and client portals that help practices track 32 key performance indicators, with clients who engage regularly in data review seeing up to 8% highe...

Michelle Kelley is the Director of Ophthalmic Materials and Services and a licensed dispensing optician at the Southern College of Optometry, a leading institution for optometric education in the US. Under her leadership, the college dispenses over 20,000 frames annually and trains future optometrists in best practices for optical management, including board management and customer service. Michel...

Dylan Cunningham is the Head of Growth at Otto, an e-commerce and patient engagement platform that helps independent eyecare clinics thrive in the digital age by streamlining contact lens sales and automating patient communication. Under Dylan's leadership, Otto has enabled practices to compete with industry giants by implementing seamless online ordering and refill systems, resulting in measurabl...

Michelle Kelley is the Director of Ophthalmic Materials and Services and a licensed dispensing optician at the Southern College of Optometry, a leading institution for optometric education in the US. Under her leadership, the college dispenses over 20,000 frames annually and trains future optometrists in best practices for optical management, including board management and customer service. Michel...

Kehna Kelly is the Team Lead of Creative Services at POD Marketing, a company specializing in innovative branding and marketing solutions for businesses in the eye care industry. With over 10 years of experience in branding and design, Kehna has led creative strategy for brands such as POD Marketing, Free Smile Shop Dental Marketing, and recently spearheaded the successful rebrand of Cleinman. She...

Claire Laurie is the Team Lead of SEO at Marketing4ECPs, a company that specializes in developing and executing digital marketing strategies for eye care professionals. Over the past four years, Claire has helped numerous practices increase their online visibility and attract more patients, contributing to the company's impressive reputation in the optometry marketing space. She combines creativit...

Al Cleinman is the Founder of Cleinman Performance Partners, a leading consulting firm that has served as optometry's trusted business advisor for over 35 years, specializing in practice transitions, growth strategies, and innovative solutions for eye care professionals. Under Al’s leadership, the firm has helped hundreds of optometry practices navigate complex transactions and succession plans, r...

Kimberly Friedman, OD FAAO, is an optometric physician and serves as Vice President of Education and Scientific Affairs at PRN Vision Group, a company that provides evidence-based omega-based nutraceuticals and ocular health products to support eye care professionals and patients worldwide. Under her medical education leadership, PRN Vision Group and its brands (including EyePromise) hold the top-...

Andrew Davis is a Commercial Placement Broker and Account Manager at Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services Alberta, a boutique insurance brokerage specializing in customized insurance solutions for commercial clients across Canada. He brings extensive experience in policy placement, risk management, and client service, with a growing focus on supporting optometry practices. Andrew helps business owner...

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.