What does it take to grow a successful optometry practice while leading a strong team and maintaining work-life balance? This week on Optometrists Building Empires, host Ankit Patel speaks with Dr. Meenal Agarwal, optometrist, entrepreneur, and podcast host, about her journey in building multiple thriving clinics. She shares her insights on leadership, financial management, and the evolving role of optometrists in healthcare. If you’re looking for expert advice on scaling your practice and creating a lasting impact, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Takeaways: 

• To avoid micromanagement, trust your team and empower them with responsibilities. Over time, you’ll find that they might perform better than you expected. Establish a clear organizational structure with defined roles and responsibilities.
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your staff and align their roles accordingly. This might involve shifting roles to better suit their skills.. Hiring individuals with the right attitude and cultural fit is crucial.
• Offer schedules that provide two consecutive days off, or consider four-day workweeks to meet employees' preferences for balanced personal and professional lives.
• Create a replicable system for setting up new clinics. This includes having the right team, IT setup, and operational blueprint ready to go. Leverage the experience of your current team to support and train new locations.
• Advocate for the role of optometrists beyond just eye care. Emphasize total health care during patient interactions to establish respect and trust. Utilize platforms like podcasts to educate both the public and fellow professionals about broader health topics and the integral role of optometry in overall health.

Quote of the Show:

• “You can't train personality. You can train skills, but you cannot train personality” - Meenal Agarwal

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-meenal-agarwal-9732a260/  
• Company website: https://www.drmeenal.com/  
• Uncover your eyes: https://www.youtube.com/@UncoverYourEyeswithDr.Meenal 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.meenalagarwal/   

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5w1H9BBwRXvBSSkexePYxG 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/optometrists-building-empires/id1762685070 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/689a039b-54ce-4f04-b641-66d8640d93d0 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/optometrists-building-empires-5812208