EYE OWN A BUSINESS

You didn’t start your practice to feel trapped inside it. Yet somewhere along the way, longer hours became normal. Days off felt stressful. And the idea of stepping away—even briefly—started to feel impossible. If you’ve ever thought, “If I’m not there, everything falls apart,” you’re not alone. In this episode of Eye Own a Business, Dr. Ruth Mannschreck shares a powerful story that began with a p...

You don’t need more motivation—you need a better system. If you’ve ever started the year feeling hopeful, only to wonder by March where your goals went, this episode is for you. Every January, you promise yourself this year will be different. You set goals with good intentions, real excitement, and a desire to grow. But then real life shows up—patients, staff issues, unexpected fires—and slowly, q...

If you’ve ever watched a dry eye patient nod along… then disappear, stall, or come back unchanged, this episode will feel like a reset. Because the truth is: dry eye isn’t just “bad tears.” It’s stress, sleep, diet, inflammation, screens, habits—and a patient who’s overwhelmed by one more thing to do. In this conversation, ophthalmologist Dr. Laura Periman (the “Dry Eye Master”) shows you how to r...

The future of optometry is evolving, and today’s new grads have different expectations, career goals, and challenges than ever before. In this episode, I sit down with Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, President and CEO of New England College of Optometry, to discuss what the next generation of optometrists really wants—from practicing to the full extent of their licensure to navigating student debt and b...

You might be leaving thousands of dollars on the table in contact lenses every year—and not even know it. If you’ve ever stared at your CL numbers and thought, “We’re busy… so why isn’t this more profitable?” this episode is for you. In this conversation, you’ll step into the shoes of a practice owner who stopped guessing and started treating contact lenses like a real profit engine. Dr. Justin Ba...

In this conversation with Dr. Brianna Rhue, you’ll step into a new way of thinking about your practice: not as a small business desperately trying to keep up with tech, but as a tech-enabled practice that happens to deliver incredible eye care. Instead of treating AI like a buzzword or a threat, you’ll see how it becomes the quiet engine behind smoother days, fewer bottlenecks, and more time with...

In this episode, you’ll step into one of the most overlooked opportunities in eye care—an opportunity that affects every patient over 40 and can quietly transform the way your practice grows. Dr. Amanda Nanasy shares a story most of us forget: presbyopia isn’t just a refractive change… it’s an emotional moment. It’s the instant a patient realizes their vision—and their identity—is shifting. And fo...

In this episode, you’ll step into a challenge almost every practice owner faces—but few want to admit: you’re surrounded by data… and still making decisions based on gut feel. Alongside Cathy Firman from GPN, you’ll walk through what happens when you stop guessing and start listening to what your practice is already trying to tell you—through revenue per exam, capture rate, staff performance, and...

In this episode, you’ll step inside a world few of us ever see—one where every decision carries weight, pressure is constant, and clarity is non-negotiable. Last week, I spent a day learning from a retired Air Force fighter pilot, and what struck me wasn’t the complexity of the cockpit or the intensity of the mission. It was how much their world mirrors ours. Because while we may not be flying at...

In this episode, you’ll discover how world-class thinkers approach leadership, communication, and growth—and how their lessons can transform your practice. What can an optometrist learn from the CEO of Disney, a best-selling author on sales, and a self-made billionaire who started a company with $5,000? As it turns out—everything. You’ll hear what happens when clarity replaces complexity, when con...

In this episode, you’ll discover why the next 12 to 18 months have the potential to redefine what it means to practice optometry AI isn’t coming — it’s already here. And while some doctors are still debating its relevance, others are quietly building practices ready to lead the next era of connected care. Dr. Rupe Hansra, VP of Professional Affairs at Topcon Healthcare, joins Dr. Steve Vargo to ex...

What would it take to open a practice cold and within 5 years achieve a level of financial success that many practices never reach… becoming a multi-million-dollar practice?  In this episode, Dr. Joel Tuite takes us through his 5-year journey, year-by-year. Some of the topics we cover are how he attracted patients in the lean years, the importance of putting staff first and treating patients like...

In this episode, you’ll discover why the true value of your practice isn’t built when you sell—it’s built every day you show up to lead it. Nathan Hayes joins me to unpack the mindset and strategies of owners who play the long game—the ones who treat every decision as an investment in their future freedom. They don’t wait until retirement to think about value. They build systems that run without t...

In this episode, you’ll discover why the most powerful tool in your practice isn’t your OCT or your EHR—it’s your voice. Dr. Steve Vargo shares a personal story of the time he bombed his first big presentation. Months of preparation, flawless slides, and bullet-point perfection… and yet, the audience checked out. That failure became the turning point that taught him one truth every doctor needs to...

In this episode, you’ll step into a conversation that challenges the way most ODs think about marketing. It’s easy to see marketing as an expense, a line item on a budget that you either cut or dabble in when things slow down. But what if you looked at it differently? What if your marketing wasn’t about spending more—but about finally getting clear on who you are, who you serve, and how you want t...

In this episode, you’ll hear what happens when a group of forward-thinking ODs come together, not just to share clinical tips, but to challenge the way we think about contact lenses. We didn’t sit around talking about products. We dug into something bigger—the opportunities hiding in plain sight. The moments when patients walk out the door because we never asked the right question. The silent obje...

In this episode, you’ll discover what reinvention really looks like when innovation isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a mindset. Davis Corley, CEO of Newton (formerly Neurolens), didn’t just announce a rebrand. He revealed a bold new vision for the future of eyecare—one that challenges us to rethink how we lead, how we innovate, and how we meet the expectations of a new generation of patients. We talk ab...

In this episode, you step into the exam room with two ODs who turned “maybe someday” into a thriving myopia management program—without waiting to have it all figured out. Dr. Alecia Barnes and Dr. Jenn Lyerly share how they moved from dabbling to discipline: simple scripts that spark parent buy-in, a clean consult flow that saves time, pricing built on chair cost (not guesswork), and team training...

In this episode, you step into a future that’s already knocking on your door—and learn how to meet it with confidence. Dr. Scot Morris doesn’t talk about artificial intelligence; he tells the story of a profession on the edge of reinvention. If you’ve ever felt buried by admin, boxed in by EHRs, or frustrated by 3rd-party red tape, this conversation reframes what’s possible when you pair human car...

In this episode, you’ll step into the shoes of tomorrow’s patient—and see how their expectations are already reshaping the way you need to run your practice today. The healthcare world isn’t changing slowly anymore. It’s being redefined by the same forces that transformed shopping, travel, and entertainment. Amazon taught us convenience. Netflix taught us personalization. Uber taught us immediacy....

To celebrate 100 episodes, we're bringing you the best insights from our top 5 most downloaded shows. From team building and leadership to optical strategy and staff training, this episode pulls the key takeaways that have helped practices scale fast and smart. You'll hear highlights from: Sharon Carter on leadership development and executing what matters most Susan Daly on designing an optical th...

In this episode, you’ll discover why the most powerful thing you can say to a patient might be nothing at all. It started with one piece of advice from a seasoned VP of sales: “Ask a question, and then just shut up.” Simple, but transformational. We explore how this counterintuitive approach can change everything—from the way patients perceive your recommendations to the trust they place in you. Y...

In this episode, you’ll discover how small, steady changes can quietly transform a practice—and your future. Dr. Mariah Smith didn’t make one big leap. Over the past decade, she built a thriving, six-times-more-profitable practice by making intentional improvements—one at a time. No shortcuts. No flash. Just smart systems, better leadership, and the discipline to keep going. If you’re feeling stuc...

You didn’t become an optometrist to feel like a discount retailer. But somewhere along the way, insurance plans took over, patients started price-shopping, and the optical—once the heart of your business—started to feel like a race to the bottom. In this conversation, we step back and ask: What if the problem isn’t the patients? What if it’s how we’ve been taught to sell to them? We explore the em...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo welcomes Dr. Juawana Hall to discuss the importance of understanding generational differences in patient care. They explore how different generations, from Boomers to Gen Z, have distinct expectations and behaviors regarding eye care. Dr. Hall shares her journey and the methods she uses to tailor communication and recommendations to various age groups. The discussi...