In this episode of Power Hour, renowned author and customer experience strategist, Dr. Joseph Michelli, joins Eugene Shatsman to explore how practices can craft emotional, memorable, and loyalty-driven experiences that set them apart. With a track record that includes Starbucks, Mercedes-Benz, Ritz-Carlton, and Zappos, Michelli unpacks how optometry practices, no matter the size, can apply the same principles used by global giants to delight patients and strengthen practice growth.

Most practices think buying the latest technology will automatically boost revenue — but Dr. Sage Hider says it’s not about what you buy, it’s how you use it. 

This isn’t a clinical episode, it’s a human one. 

Kenneth Hines, known online as Professor Hines, is a celebrity photographer with a global portfolio. Despite depending on his eyes to make a living, he quietly lived with deteriorating vision, avoiding the eye doctor for over a decade. It wasn’t cost. It wasn’t access. It was something deeper. 

Some patients walk out feeling wowed. Others walk away — and never come back. What’s the difference? It’s not your prices. It’s not your credentials and the experience. 

In this eye-opening episode of Power Hour, Eugene Shatsman sits down with Shareef Mahdavi — industry consultant, speaker, and author of Beyond Bedside Manner — to expose one of the most overlooked (yet most profitable) parts of practice growth: the patient experience. 

Most practices think about growth in terms of marketing — but what if the real advantage lies in how you use technology to engage patients before they even pick up the phone? 

Optometry is facing some of its biggest challenges yet — from Medicare reimbursement cuts to scope expansion battles and new legislative threats that could redefine the profession. If you think these issues won’t impact your practice, think again.

Forget routine exams — eye care’s future just walked off the showroom floor at Vision Expo East 2025, and we've got your VIP ticket right here. Host Eugene Shatsman caught up with top executives from CareCredit, ZEISS, Silhouette Optical, and RevitalVision to uncover the innovations that had the industry buzzing. Whether it’s turning patient conversations into profitable treatments, groundbreaking lens technology, eco-conscious eyewear, or brain-training breakthroughs, this is your chance to tap into what's next — before your competitors do. 

Most practices stop at routine eye exams — but what if your practice could unlock new (cash-pay) revenue streams and provide high-value specialty care without feeling like you’re selling to patients? 

Dr. Jordan Dau started Dau Family Eyecare from scratch, transforming it into a technology-driven, specialty-focused practice that sees 100-150 patients per week and is expanding to a second location. In this episode, recorded live from Vision Expo East in Orlando, Dr. Dau shares how he structures patient interactions to seamlessly integrate specialty services — so they feel like the next natural step, not a sales pitch. 

Building a thriving optometry practice isn’t about luck — It’s about strategy, efficiency, and data-driven decisions. Dr. David Cockrell has spent over 40 years refining the formula for success, turning his practice into a 12,000 sq. ft. powerhouse where five doctors each see 40 patients a day, without sacrificing quality of care. 

Innovation isn’t just reshaping tech—it’s transforming eye care, and your practice can be at the forefront. Ruth Yomtoubian, innovation leader at VSP, joins Eugene Shatsman to discuss the cutting-edge trends shaping eye care’s future. Fresh from CES, the world’s largest tech show—she reveals how AI, data, and multi-sensory tech are redefining healthcare and why optometrists need to take notice.