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PODCAST

EYE OWN A BUSINESS

What does your ideal optometry practice look like? Eye Own a Business is your go-to resource, whether you’re an established owner or aspiring optometrist. Hosted by Dr. Steve Vargo, this podcast offers expert insights to help you grow your practice, enhance patient care, and so much more. Follow us and keep dreaming big!

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

49:00

The #1 Mistake Practice Owners Make: Hoping Growth...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2026/02/24

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Australian host Michael Nasser for a candid conversation about the real reason so many practices plateau—even when the doctor is working harder than ever: a leadership gap no one trained you for.Steve breaks down the hidden difference between management (running the day-to-day) and leadership (creating direction, clarity, and momentum)—and why most practice problems don’t live in the exam room. They unpack what happens when goals are fuzzy,

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30:46

Dr. David Kading: How to Build an Invisible Team That...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2026/02/17

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with optometrist, author, and podcast host Dr. David Kading for an honest and timely conversation about burnout, staffing strain, and why the way we’ve been running practices may no longer be sustainable.Steve and David explore the concept of the “Invisible Team”—virtual professionals who work behind the scenes to reduce administrative overload, protect in-office staff, and restore the parts of practice ownership that many doctors feel they’ve lost. They

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42:20

Dr. Crystal Brimer: Why You’re Still “Dabbling” in...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2026/02/10

If you’ve ever felt confident diagnosing dry eye… but frustrated by inconsistent follow-through, stalled treatment plans, or patients who quietly disappear, this episode will feel like a reset.In this conversation, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Dr. Crystal Brimer, founder of Dry Eye Institute, to unpack why so many doctors stay stuck in “dabble mode” with dry eye—and what it actually takes to turn it into a meaningful, sustainable specialty. Dr. Brimer shares the mindset shift that changed

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37:33

Why Trying Harder is Holding Your Practice Back

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2026/02/03

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo shares the full conversation from his recent guest appearance on Ankit Patel’s podcast, Optometrists Building Empires—a wide-ranging and deeply honest discussion about leadership, growth, and why so many practice owners feel stuck despite working harder than ever.Steve and Ankit explore the unseen challenges of practice ownership that no one talks about in school: the pressure to do everything yourself, the isolation that comes with leadership, and the quiet burnout

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22:37

What a National Championship Taught Me About Turning...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2026/01/27

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo reflects on a moment he never expected to witness as an Indiana University alum: watching IU football win a national championship after decades as one of the most historically losing programs in college football. What made the moment even more striking wasn’t just the win—it was how quickly the turnaround happened under new leadership.Using Indiana’s transformation under head coach Curt Cignetti as a real-world case study, Steve explores why struggling practices

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35:25

The moment I realized sales wasn’t the problem—I was

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2026/01/20

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo shares the full conversation from his recent guest appearance on Adam Cmejla’s podcast, 2020 Money—a conversation that explores why so many healthcare professionals feel conflicted, uncomfortable, or even resistant to the idea of “sales,” despite spending their entire careers trying to influence outcomes that matter. Steve and Adam unpack how early experiences, subconscious narratives, and professional conditioning shape the way doctors communicate, prescribe, lead,

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36:55

Why You’re Working Too Much—and What Actually Lets...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2026/01/13

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 personal crisis—and led to a complete rethinking of how a practice can run. What started as a necessity

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21:15

How to Achieve Your 2026 Goals Without Burning Out or...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2026/01/06

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, quietly, those goals fade into the background. Not because you don’t care. Not because you’re lazy. But

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47:57

The #1 mistake you make with dry eye: trying to...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/12/30

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 reorient patients without lecturing or shaming them. You’ll hear how she uses simple, memorable language

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48:51

RE-RELEASE: The Future of Optometry: What the Next...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/12/23

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 business ownership. We also explore the shifting dynamics between experienced ODs and new graduates, the

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34:19

Why Most Doctors Leave Thousands on the Table with...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/12/16

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 Bazan didn’t do it by chasing every new brand or arguing over pennies per box—he did it by simplifying. He

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51:10

How to stop falling behind: the AI shift every OD...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/12/09

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 patients.Brianna doesn’t sugarcoat the reality: ODs who ignore this shift will feel more irrelevant

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31:33

The Hidden Opportunity in Your Exam Lane: Why...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/12/02

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 for many, it feels like a reminder that time is moving faster than they’d like. But inside that discomfort

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32:37

You’re Surrounded by Data—So Why Are You Ignoring It?...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/11/25

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 the quiet leaks that add up over time. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by dashboards, unsure where to

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20:27

How to Lead Like a Fighter Pilot: The Simple System...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/11/18

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 500 knots, many practice owners feel like they’re in a dogfight every single day—reacting, scrambling,

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27:23

What I Learned from the World’s Top Minds

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/11/11

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 confidence replaces hesitation, and when action replaces perfection. You’ll see how persuasion becomes

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36:49

How AI Will Reshape Eye Care in 12–18 Months and How...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/11/04

In this episode, you’ll discover why the next 12 to 18 months have the potential to redefine what it means to practice optometryAI 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 explore how AI is transforming everything from diagnostics to communication — and why optometrists stand

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42:43

RE-RELEASE: Becoming a Multi-Million Dollar Practice...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/10/28

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 family and how having a vision of success keeps you motivated and optimistic even during challenging

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29:38

Want to Retire Someday? Start Building Practice Value...

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/10/21

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 them. They create teams that thrive without micromanagement. And they keep their practices so well-run

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19:30

You’re Always on Stage: How to Speak So Patients Say Yes

EYE OWN A BUSINESS ·

2025/10/14

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 know: information doesn’t inspire action—connection does. You’ll learn how the same techniques great

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127 results

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