Our guest is Dr. Patricia Poma, industry expert, consultant, and known for her success in private practice. In this episode, we discuss leadership lessons for practice growth, strategies for success implementing new technology like Sequel and Neurolenses, and the PECAA Annual Meeting. 

Key Takeaways:

What Patricia is Reading: 

Practice Advantage Reading List

**Don't miss out on an extra $15 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams now thru the END of 2027! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

Key Takeaways:

What Jeremy is reading: 

Practice Advantage Reading List

**Don't miss out on an extra $15 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams throughout all of 2026! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

In this episode, we sit down with PECAA's President Jonathan Worrall to discuss strategies for leading through uncertainty and taking advantage of the opportunities that any challenge provides. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Be change ready. Build your business strategy with possible adversaries to address and plans for how you'd respond to them. 
2. Your business isn't the only one facing uncertainty. All of your patients are as well. Understand how they're feeling and reacting to the uncertainty and adjust how you take care of them and do business in order to meet them where they are. Leverage the data in your PM system and your daily conversations with your patients. 
3. When faced with uncertainty, take care of your people first. Rally around your team and build them up. Focus on what you have control over, not the things you have no control over. 
4. 2026 brings significant opportunity to strengthen your practice culture. In addition, leverage AI to build your operations, increase revenue, and expand care to patients. 
5. The natural response to fear is fight, flight or freeze. Consider a fourth option - forging a new path forward that every threat gives opportunity to create. 
6. Remember, our profession is unbelievably resilient. We've weather many storms that have threatened how we care for our patients and none of have been successful in putting us out of business. 

What Jonathan is reading: 

1. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
2. Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
3. Think Again by Adam Grant

Practice Advantage Reading List

**Don't miss out on an extra $15 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams throughout all of 2026! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

It's January 2026 and time to focus on your 2026 practice goals. What do you want to accomplish and where do you want to take your business this year? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jenn DenHartog, founder of Premier Vision Clinic in Clive, IA to ask her tips for success in growing a dry eye and aesthetics practice. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Own your role in medical optometry. Most patient cases don't need a referral out to ophthalmology until surgical intervention.
2. Medical v. Vision doesn't have to be all or nothing - give the vision exam patient a nugget of their medical diagnoses and treatment options and then bring them back for their medical follow up visit.
3. You can never put processes and systems in place too early. Even if it doesn't feel like it's needed, there will come a time when you needed those systems in place.
4. Beginning with the dry eye conversation addresses the most significant issue the patient is facing. Highlighting the additional impacts certain treatments like IPL, RF, LLLT, etc. have additional benefits that the patient may also experience. This opens the door for the patient to experience them and wanting to continue the treatments for cosmetic reasons.
5. Celebrate wins with your patients and with your team. Only the patient gets to determine what their wins are. 

What Dr. DenHartog is reading: 

1. Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

Practice Advantage Reading List

**Don't miss out on an extra $15 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams throughout all of 2026! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Connor Smallwood, owner of Smallwood Eye Associates in Gahanna, OH. Dr. Smallwood has built a practice that empowers his life outside the business. His story is a powerful one. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Buying an established practice gave him a head start with the patient base especially a base that was loyal. Spending time in the practice by himself allowed the practice to slowly transition before the founder retired.
2. Staff is the engine that makes the practice run. Retaining the staff following the transition was critical. Bringing the staff along on the changes over time made a difference.
3. Despite how successful the practice was, there was significant opportunity to improve aspects of the business. Taking it slow, getting one change right at a time was key to bringing staff and patients along on the journey.
4. Building a business doesn’t mean you have to grind all day, every day. While that’s certainly an option, building a successful business should empower you to live the life you want to live within and outside the business.
5. Prioritizing opportunities outside the office requires prioritization of processes and efficiency within the office such that you’re maximizing both the people and time in the office.

What Connor is reading:

• Wild At Heart by John Eldredge

Practice Advantage Reading List

** Don't miss out on an extra $15 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams this year - with $15 extended through June of 2026, and $10 thru the end of next year! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

In today's episode, our guests are Saul Alvarez, found of Midbrain, and Dr. Chantel Garcia, founder and owner of Carolina Eye Doctors in Harrisburg, NC, talking about the power of marketing and how your website and external marketing drives the experience your patients will have in your practice. 

Key Takeaways:

1. While websites feel like old hat, they shouldn't. Your website should tell your story, evoke an emotion from your patients, and set them up for the experience they'll have in your practice before they actually step foot through the door. Language tone, colors, fonts, photos, and videos matter significantly.
2. Your brand is all encompassing. Your decisions. Your patient experience. Your physical space. Your lighting. Your technology and equipment. A good marketing partner will take all those into consideration to build a strong foundation.
3. Setting your processes and procedures to set your practice up for the success you want. Make the bold decision. Stick to it while it's tough. It will lead to the outcomes you want.
4. Your personal story is a critical component of your brand. Tell it and tell it often. Offloading your marketing prevents you from telling that story effectively.
5. To continue to grow, your strategy must evolve over time. As your strategy changes, invest in your marketing to support the specific goals you have for that time period.
6. In the grand scheme of things, the basics of marketing are the most impactful. 

Dr. Garcia's Practice

What Saul is Reading:

• Letters from a Nut by Jim Nancy

Practice Advantage Reading List

** Don't miss out on an extra $15 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams this year - with $15 extended through June of 2026, and $10 thru the end of next year! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

We're live from Vision Expo West in Las Vegas in the buzz of the show, discussing the new direction for Newton, formerly Neurolens with CEO and co-founder Davis Corley. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Newton was inspired by Isaac Newton, one of the earliest fathers of optics and prism opening a new direction for three pillars: Sequel, Neurolens, and AI innovation.
2. Sequel is the newest lens portfolio to hit the market, spanning two near relaxing designs and a full progressive. Driven by Convergence Boost technology, the lens eliminates the varients in prismatic effect as patients move form distance to near.
3. Neurolens continues as the flagship product for Newton, leveraging the N3 device to deliver therapeutic optics to patients with symptomatic convergence issues.
4. Newton is also investing in Isaac, an AI innovation and training platform to support private practice staff training and development.

What Davis is reading: 

• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Practice Advantage Reading List

** Don't miss out on an extra $15 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams this year - with $15 extended through June of 2026, and $10 thru the end of next year! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Brett Richardson, founder of DermaCautery to discuss chemical cauterization of benign skin lesions, who can perform it in the practice, and the benefits it brings to your business and your patients. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Chemical cauterization of lid lesions is within the training of optometrists, and is permitted in many, but not all states.
2. The procedure is relatively straightforward. A wooden applicator is soaked in the chemical agent. Following application, the lid lesion will no longer receive blood supply, leading to necrosis and sloughing off. Follow up is 2-3 weeks and is rare to have complications.
3. Patients actively desire to have these skin lesions removed but aren't necessarily thinking about having it done in the optometrist's office. The lead in conversation is important and many patients will be open to receiving treatment.
4. Staff are a great asset with this service. It is not a major burden on the team as the treatment and preparation is relatively simple. Getting them on board is key to success.
5. Depending on the patient complaints, it may or may not be billable to insurance. For cosmetic only, it is a cash based procedure. On average, each treatment adds $350 per patient to your top line. Given most of it is a service based, most of that drops to your bottom line.

What Brett is Reading:

• 10X Is Easier Than 2X by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Practice Advantage Reading List

** Don't miss out on an extra $15 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams this year - with $15 extended through June of 2026, and $10 thru the end of next year! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

In this unscripted episode, we sit down with PECAA President Jonathan Worrall to discuss the importance of connection as a person, business owner, and with your team. No question list. No prepared answers. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Connection with yourself is critical to success as a business leader. Knowing your values, what drives your integrity, and how to be present is what sets great leaders apart from the rest. 
2. A great way to build connection with your people is to start with curiosity. Ask more questions, have less answers, and make everyone's voice feel heard - both personally and in the context of work. 
3. A connected team creates an energy in the business that patients can feel when they walk through the door. It is the foundation of a great patient/ customer experience. 
4. Actions speak louder than words. 
5. As a leader, it is important to build relationships with your people and create the space to share deep challenges and great successes. 
6. Connection builds trust and that is a slow process. Yet, trust allows you to move faster, more efficiently, and be more effective. It allows you start at a further place down the path to change and growth. 

What Jonathan is Reading:

• Tuesday Morning Coaching by David Cottrell

Practice Advantage Reading List

** Don't miss out on an extra $15 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams this year! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Kogelis, co-founder of Big City Optical, a 20 location private optometry practice in Chicagoland. Primarily growing by individual cold starts, Mike is a wealth of knowledge in building and scaring a practice. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Having a disciplined, growth mindset is the foundation for scaling your practice as large as you want to build it. You can't grow your business without working on and growing yourself along the journey 
2. The most successful businesses aren't afraid of making mistakes in the process of growing. Mistakes lead to learning that lead to faster, more effective business decisions in the future.
3. You can't scale without having great people. Build your business around a great employee experience leads to a great patient experience. Empowering them to lead, grow, and develop is necessary as you grow. Find people who can help you build in addition to those who can help you run the business.
4. Stick to a game plan that works. Repeat it over and over. Avoid distractions that take you away from your core business model.
5. Surround yourself with people that help you become the person, business, etc. you want to be.
6. Luck favors the bold and prepared. Say yes, make the phone call, make the crazy ask, take the chance.

What Mike is Reading:

• Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman

Practice Advantage Reading List

** Don't miss out on an extra $10 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams this year! Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**