EYE OWN A BUSINESS

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EYE OWN A BUSINESS episodes

March 17 How to Catch Expensive Tax Errors Before the IRS Does
In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with financial planner and repeat guest Adam Cmejla for a timely conversation about taxes, costly filing mistakes, and why practice owners need more than just a CPA who “gets it done.”
Steve and Adam unpack a real-world example that started with a social media post: a doctor’s tax return included an $83,000 qualified business income deduction they likely didn’t qualify for—an error that could have created more than $30,000 in back taxes, plus penalties and interest. From there, the conversation expands into the broader issues practice owners need to understand during tax season: the difference between tax preparation and tax planning, why a second set of eyes matters, and how seemingly small errors can turn into expensive problems years later.
This conversation isn’t about fear. It’s about clarity. It’s about helping doctors understand their numbers, ask better questions, and take a more intentional approach to taxes as part of a complete financial plan.

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38 min
March 10 Why Patients Don’t Follow Through (And What We’re Getting Wrong About “Noncompliance”)
In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo explores a frustrating experience nearly every doctor has faced: explaining a treatment plan clearly, receiving agreement from the patient—and then watching them never follow through.
Why does this happen?
Drawing on recent research he conducted on patient behavior and adherence, Steve unpacks the uncomfortable reality that patient “non-compliance” is rarely about patients simply not caring or not listening. In fact, the World Health Organization and behavioral science research suggest something very different: many adherence failures are predictable outcomes of human behavior—and often influenced by how treatment plans are communicated and implemented.
If you’ve ever wondered why patients nod in the exam room but don’t act afterward, this episode will challenge the way you think about compliance—and offer a smarter approach to designing care that patients actually follow.

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24 min
March 03 If You’re Drowning in Staffing Issues, Listen to This
In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo is joined by repeat guest Ankit Patel—AI and remote staffing expert and founder of My Business Care Team—for a practical conversation about one word that matters more than ever right now: scalability.
Steve and Ankit unpack why so many optometry practices feel stuck in a staffing trap—constant turnover, missed calls, overwhelmed teams, and owners carrying far more operational weight than they should. And they connect the dots to a hidden consequence most doctors don’t think about until it’s too late: if your practice is still “key-person dependent,” it becomes harder to scale… and less attractive to buy.
You’ll hear how Ankit has built a hybrid model using remote teams and AI to strip away administrative noise—phones, confirmations, insurance verification, recalls—so in-office staff can focus on the patient experience. They explore what changes when remote staffing is done right: fewer distractions, higher capture rates, stronger patient flow, improved profitability, and a business that feels less like a job and more like an asset.
This isn’t a conversation about outsourcing to save a few dollars. It’s about building a modern practice that can grow without compounding chaos—and creating the kind of structure that can increase valuation and help you sell faster, and at a higher price, when the time comes.
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35 min
February 24 The #1 Mistake Practice Owners Make: Hoping Growth Happens “Naturally”
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, communication is inconsistent, and accountability is avoided… and how that quietly creates staff friction, stalled growth, and burnout.
You’ll hear practical, immediately usable ideas—like how to build accountability without confrontation, how to identify (or develop) the right office manager, and the five pillars Steve sees behind most team issues: clarity, development, strengths, accountability, and autonomy.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying the entire practice on your back… if staffing is draining your energy… or if you know your practice could grow—but your team isn’t aligned—this episode will feel like a reset.

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49 min
February 17 How to Build an Invisible Team That Gives You Your Practice Back
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 discuss how staffing shortages, rising complexity, and constant interruptions quietly erode patient care and physician satisfaction—and why adding more people in-office isn’t always the answer.
This conversation goes beyond cost savings or efficiency. It’s about redesigning the practice around meaningful patient connection, reclaiming time and energy, and building systems that support doctors instead of draining them. David shares hard-won lessons from implementing virtual teams in his own practice, including the mindset shifts, systems, and leadership changes required to make it work.

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31 min
February 10 Why You’re Still “Dabbling” in Dry Eye—and What Actually Changes That
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 everything for her practice, the non-negotiable systems that create consistency even in busy offices, and why most dry eye failures have far less to do with patients—and far more to do with leadership, flow, and clarity.
You’ll hear how screening every patient changes outcomes, why one well-trained “dry eye ambassador” can transform team buy-in, and how clear communication—grounded in objective findings, not pressure—dramatically improves patient trust and follow-through. This isn’t about adding another device or chasing the next trend. It’s about building a process that works in real life, with real staff, and real patients who are overwhelmed.
If you know dry eye could be a game-changer in your practice—but something keeps breaking down—this conversation will help you see exactly where, and what to do next.

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43 min
February 03 Why Trying Harder is Holding Your Practice Back
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 that builds when the business depends entirely on you. They unpack why mindset—not market conditions—is often the real constraint on growth, and how learning to lean on others, build systems, and redefine success can completely change the trajectory of a practice.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by ownership… if you’ve wondered whether growth is worth the cost… or if you’ve sensed there’s a better way to lead without burning yourself out—this conversation will resonate deeply.

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38 min
January 27 What a National Championship Taught Me About Turning Around a Practice

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 and small businesses don’t fail overnight—they drift there slowly. Lowered expectations, tolerated dysfunction, unclear standards, and leaders who are busy but not aligned.
This episode breaks down the leadership principles behind Indiana’s rapid rise and translates them directly into lessons for optometry practices: redefining identity before strategy, raising standards without burning out your team, focusing relentlessly on fundamentals, making hard people decisions, and committing to execution long enough for momentum to compound.

This isn’t about becoming a “national champion” practice. It’s about understanding what it actually takes to change the trajectory of a business in 18–24 months.

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23 min
January 20 The moment I realized sales wasn’t the problem—I was
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, and even avoid conversations that could improve patient care. They explore why being a doctor doesn’t automatically guarantee influence—and how listening, asking better questions, and letting go of control can actually create trust and clarity.
This episode isn’t about selling more products. It’s about recognizing that influence is already part of your role—and that avoiding it may be costing you more than you realize.
If you’ve ever felt tension between being a clinician and being a business owner… if you’ve ever wondered why patients don’t always follow your recommendations… or if you’ve questioned whether “sales” belongs in healthcare at all—this conversation will make you rethink everything.

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36 min
January 13Why You’re Working Too Much—and What Actually Lets You Work Less
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 turned into a blueprint for freedom. Not by working harder. Not by sacrificing care or growth. But by building the right systems, empowering the right people, and leading in a fundamentally different way.
This conversation isn’t about shortcuts or “hacks.” It’s about a shift—from being the engine of your practice to becoming its architect. This episode shows you what’s possible when your business finally supports your life, not the other way around.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why you’re working too much—and what actually allows you to work less
How to build systems that run the practice without constant doctor input
The real reason delegation often fails (and how to fix it)
Simple ways to empower your team without losing control
How intentional culture and leadership create freedom, not chaos
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37 min