Ready to supercharge your financial strategies and build your optometry empire? Our guest today is Adam Cmejla, a powerhouse in financial advising dedicated to optometrists nationwide. He is the founder and president of Integrated Planning and Wealth Management. In this episode, we'll uncover the secrets behind his expertise, from planning life on …

Elevate your optometry practice with expert advice from Dr. Anith Pillai,co-owner of Evolutionary Eye Care. Anith sits down with host Ankit Patel to uncover strategies for scaling your practice, effective team management, and staying at the forefront of the ever-evolving eye care industry. Dr. Pillai offers valuable insights on delegation, smart ri…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Erich Mattei, founder of Akrinos. In this conversation, Erich and I discuss five specific concepts and ways that optometrists can make prudent business decisions in their practice and reduce the chances of making a strategic wrong decision. As a reminder, you can get all the inform…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Jennifer Stewart, founder of the private practice Look New Canaan and OD Perspectives. In this episode, we talk about two major themes that she’s observed over the years as she has consulted with both friends and colleagues. Whether it be an OD launching a cold start or trying …

Take your business staffing strategy to the next level with insightful advice on growing your empire and developing a visionary team. In this week's episode, we revisit insights from our guests regarding staffing. Discover the secrets to recognizing your limitations, leveraging self-awareness, and identifying key players who can effectively complem…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Daniel Palmer, founder of Morether Creative, a Fractional CMO for optometrists nationwide. In this conversation, we talk through and explain the Story Brand process and the SB7 framework. We talk about the common marketing mistakes that biz owners (not just ODs) make when it comes …

In this week’s episode of Optometrists Building Empires, Ankit sits down with Chad Fleming, Owner and Optometrist at Wichita Optometry. Chad shares powerful insights into leadership, emotional intelligence, and efficiencies in practice management. Discover his secrets of scaling your practice, balancing business and personal growth, and building a …

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Bethany Fishbein, OD, Consultant & Executive Coach with Leaders of Vision. Bethany and I talk about a topic that an OD might not think about directly correlating to the financials of a practice: leadership skills. However, I believe that we quickly illustrate in our conversatio…

Discover what it truly means to be an entrepreneurial powerhouse in the field of optometry with Dr. Tony Turin. In this week’s episode, we delve into the entrepreneurial journey of Dr. Turin, a recognized leader known for his clinical expertise and commitment to advancing optometry. From his beginnings in the U.S. Army to becoming the owner of Moun…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Michael Neal, OD. Michael joins me back on the show to discuss bonus structures that work for non-producing members of your team, and how they can be put together in a way that is advantageous to both the team member and the overall growth of the practice. As a reminder, you ca…

Welcome to Optometrists Building Empires! In today's podcast, Ankit sits down with Dr. Bradley Grant, owner and optometrist at Mid-State Eye & EYE Wisconsin. He is an outstanding optometrist and entrepreneur who has successfully scaled his practice while maintaining a strong commitment to top-notch patient care. Dr. Grant discusses his journey, foc…

In this episode, we break down why the Federal Reserve decided to cut interest rates by 0.5% (50 basis points) and what it signals about the economy. More importantly, we dive into actionable steps that optometry practice owners can take to benefit from these lower rates while preparing for potential economic shifts. Resources: 20/20 Money Communit…

Welcome to another exciting episode of Optometrist Building Empires! This episode promises to take your practice growth strategy to new heights with groundbreaking insights from our guest, Dr. Adam J. Palo, Optometrist and President of The Eye Institute. Adam is an impressive entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in medical optometry and dr…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Kurt Steele, OD. Kurt joins me back on the show to talk in further detail how he and his partners have structured their compensation structure in a way that works for everyone in the practice while also ensuring that there is parity in comp based on the amount of revenue that e…

Get ready to take your optometry practice to the next level with powerful insights about building partnerships, scaling your business, and navigating the challenges of private practice. Who better to share this expert advice than the accomplished Dr. Derek Black! With his extensive experience in the military and private practice, Derek has navigate…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Nathan Hayes from Books & Benchmarks. Nathan joins me back on the show to talk all things business financials and how owners should be thinking about actual profit in a business—and where to look in your business financials to learn how much money the practice has actually provided…

Take your medical practice to the next level with invaluable insights about building strong patient relationships and making your practice a place where patients want to return. Dr. Jim Wood, Owner of Wood Eyecare Centers, joins Ankit to talk about new communication strategies, gaining confidence in patient interactions, and debunking common miscon…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Chris Tuff. Chris is the author of the book The Millennial Whisperer and in this conversation we talk about all things related to leading a team. As one might expect, a lot of the conversation that we had is applicable to leading all team members—not just Millennials. We talk about…

In this episode of Optometrist Building Empires, prepare to delve into the insightful journey of Dr. Michael Dittman. Learn from his extraordinary dedication to advancing the field of optometry—covering topics from managing critical eye conditions to growing a successful multi-location practice. As the president of Dittman Eye Care and the Myopia M…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is David Mason, Ph.D. David joins me on the show to talk about a seemingly abstract but important distinction that you should consider when thinking about your team: do you have satisfied team members or engaged team members? Our conversation spills over into multiple different topics…

Transform your optometry practice with key insights from a seasoned expert in the field. In this episode, uncover the secrets behind scaling a successful optometry business and enhancing patient care with none other than Dr. Christopher Browning. You'll gain invaluable knowledge about effective practice management, innovative patient care strategie…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dennis Moseley Williams. Dennis joins me to revisit the importance of the customer experience on the success of your practice. He shares the five phases of the patient experience and how to think differently about the way you engage your patients in your practice. I really love hav…

Take your optometry practice to new heights with expert insights from Dr. Todd Cohen. In this episode, we delve deep into the world of clinical practice management, growth strategies, and industry trends. Learn from Dr. Cohen as he shares his journey from establishing a successful practice to becoming a leader in the optometry field. If you're eage…

Welcome to Optometrists Building Empires! Each week, host Ankit Patel, explores the journey of multi-practice ownership and leadership in optometry with some of the top minds in his field. This show is sponsored by My Business Care Team: We help increase revenue, reduce costs, and reduce staffing headaches. Let's build your empire together!…

Today's episode is a bit special because I'm FINALLY able to announce that the 20/20 Money Membership is live! The beginning of the show is a walk-through of the membership, the offering, who it's for, and why I created it. One IMPORTANT item that I didn't share in the episode: join the Membership by September 30th using promo code FOUNDER and get …

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Justin Kwon, OD. Justin joins me on the show to talk all things myopia control. Justin’s passion for this topic is very evident and I found our conversation very informative. While there’s the obvious clinical angle that is a deeper and separate discussion than what we had here…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Chris Lopez. Chris joined me back on the show to talk about all things related to the associate OD/owner OD relationships. As the career consultant at ODs on Finance, Chris has a unique perspective and gives us insight on the conversations he has been having with both associate…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Pete Kehoe, OD. Pete joins me back on the show to discuss all the hard lessons he and his team have recently learned while they navigated their practice being shut down due to a massive ice storm that destroyed a large portion of the building's roof. Pete shares more about the head…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is John Marvin President of Texas State Optical. As one of the country’s oldest optometry business models, TSO has seen many different headwinds and tailwinds that have impacted optometry. As President of TSO over the past 20 years, John has seen TSO grow into one of the top 10 retail…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Tim Merrigan with Acquios Advisors. In the 16 years or so that I’ve been an advisor, I’ve noticed that there’s something “motivating” about turning 50: people start thinking about their lives differently and thus they start re-evaluating the way they’ve been investing and spending …

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Mike Jorgenson with Carr Healthcare Realty. Mike joins me back on the show to give us an update on what he and his team around the country are seeing in the commercial real estate market. We also dive into some of the considerations, mistakes, and blind spots that both buyers and s…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Eugene Shatsman, Managing Partner of National Strategic Group and new host of The Power Hour Podcast. In this wide-reaching marketing conversation, Eugene shares a variety of “low hanging marketing fruit” mistakes and misconceptions that practice owners nationwide have about how ma…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Amber Morgan, CPA with Mohr CPAs. In the wake of tax season, Amber and I run through some of the easy and conspicuous action items that you can take proactively over the year that not only will have a positive impact on your overall tax planning, but also make for a happy and produ…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Amanda Bennett. Amanda joins me on the show to talk about a topic that we’ve discussed directly and indirectly on this show—human capital. Specifically, Amanda talks about a gap that she saw in the hiring process over the years and how she developed a platform to help automate part…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Ryan Gustus, OD. Ryan joins me on the show live from Vision Expo East to discuss something that is very timely given the recording location: how practice owners can think about the implementation of various pieces of equipment in your practice to ensure that it's done with inte…

As a reminder, you can get all the information discussed in today’s conversation by visiting our website at integratedpwm.com and clicking on the Learning Center. While there, be sure to subscribe to our monthly “planning life on purpose” newsletter that’s filled with tips and ideas to help you plan life on purpose. You can also set up a Triage con…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Adam Ramsey, OD. Adam joins me back on the show to continue the conversation that we teased at the end of our first conversation which was how Adam evaluated the decision to go out of network with a variety of VCPs that he was taking in his practice. He shares how he came to th…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Nathan Hayes with IDOC. Nathan joins me back on the show and we put a quantitative spin on our conversation today. We talk all things benchmarks and margins in an optometry practice. We discuss how to use benchmarks to make smart practice decisions and ways in which benchmarks can …

In the spirit of managing information overload, I wanted to take a week to pause on new information and rather share a process or organizing and prioritizing your thoughts, goals, and actions that can often stem from listening to shows like 20/20 Money and the consumption of other content. Resources: 20/20 Money Community Information reMarkable 2 T…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guests on today’s show are Dr. Todd Cohan and Sadie Blair. Todd & Sadie join me on the show today to talk about the successful dynamic that exists between both of them as owner and practice operations manager. Todd shares how impactful it’s been to have a great team member and integrator like Sadie in the …

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Bethany Fishbein, OD. Bethany joins me on the show live from Vision Expo East to talk about one of the most important relationships in an optometric practice: the relationship between the practice manager and the owner/OD. In this conversation, she talks about the evolution of the …

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Jennifer Stewart, OD. Jen joins me on the show today to talk through her journey launching her tepid start practice, Look New Canaan. I’ve had Jen on the show multiple times in the past, and this was admittedly one of my more enjoyable conversations with a podcast guest. Maybe …

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Kayla Ashlee from Spexy. Kayla joins me live on location at IDOC Connection 2024 to talk all things optical. Optical is admittedly an area of practice management that has always been intriguing because of the retail component—I feel like there are a lot of “retail 101” lessons that…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Adam Ramsey, OD, representing VA Healthcare. In this episode, we talk about the role that a virtual medical assistant can play in your practice’s patient flow and how to think about the changes that you’d have to make in your practice for this to be a viable option. Adam provid…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Nathan Hayes from IDOC. Nathan joins me back on the show to discuss and dialogue about the two basic ways practice owners can think about the way in which they hire associates for their practice: easing into it by bringing them into the practice gradually or proactively planning ah…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Kurt Steele, OD. Kurt joins me back on the show to talk in further detail how he and his partners have structured their compensation structure in a way that works for everyone in the practice while also ensuring that there is parity in comp based on the amount of revenue that e…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Mike Neal, OD. Mike is the founder of a number of different businesses, include a primary care practice in PA called Lakeside Vision and Build My Team, an effective outsourced hiring system for eyecare that does not use resumes. Mike joins me back on the show to provide additio…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Kurt Steele, OD. Kurt is one of the owners of Precision Eyecare, a member of the Vision Source Network, in Newport, TN and also the founder of Legit Vision, a consulting firm to help ODs unlock the potential in their practice. Kurt joins me on the show today to talk through the…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Charlie Steingas, founder and chief actuary at Cash Balance Actuaries, a firm that specializes in the design, implementation, and ongoing monitoring of cash balance plans. In this episode, we define what a cash balance plan is and how it’s different from a defined benefit plan (hin…

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Michael Neal, OD and this is another episode in which I experimented a bit with the format of 20/20 Money: we recorded this episode at 8,000 feet, flying from Indianapolis to Chicago! As you’ll hear in the beginning of the episode, Mike was in town meeting up with other success…