What happens when a family legacy becomes a five-location optometry empire rooted in service, not consolidation? Hunter and Taylor Edwards grew up racing roller chairs through their father’s optometry practicem and today, they’re carrying that same heart for care across Mississippi and beyond. In this episode, Ankit Patel sits down with the Edwards brothers to unpack how they’ve scaled Magnolia Eye Group from a one-location, family-run clinic into a growing multi-state practice without sacrificing culture, community trust, or patient experience. This conversation dives deep into rural growth, family dynamics in leadership, and what it really takes to expand responsibly in today’s optometry landscape.

Takeaways:

• Practice growth doesn’t have to mean consolidation. Hunter and Taylor show how expansion can come from identifying real community need, especially in underserved rural areas, rather than competing in saturated markets.
• Culture scales only when it’s intentional. The Edwards brothers emphasize that patient experience, follow-up, and staff relationships must be actively protected as locations multiply.
• Family businesses require structure and trust. Healthy conflict, shared values, and clear ownership models helped them avoid common pitfalls in family-led practices.
• Administrative infrastructure is not optional past the first three locations. Building admin teams early prevented burnout and operational breakdown as they expanded.
• Leadership is about stewardship, not ego. Their approach centers on preserving legacy, empowering staff, and ensuring communities don’t lose access to quality eye care.
• Technology is expanding optometry’s role in healthcare. From AI-driven retinal imaging to early disease detection, the future of optometry is increasingly medical and collaborative.

Quote of the Show:

• “ The technology is just changing so much. You know, with AI and retinal imaging and the early detection of Alzheimer's and neurodegenerative diseases,  I think it's gonna be the PCP referring to us to say I'm not really sure what's going on, but they've got devices over there that can maybe give us an answer.” - Hunter Edwards

Links:

• Hunter’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-edwards-od-81799282/  
• Company website: https://magnoliaeyegroup.com/our-practice/    
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magnoliaeyegroup/ 
• Hunter’s Email: [email protected] 
• Taylors Email: [email protected] 
• Book a Meeting with Ankit: https://meetings.hubspot.com/ankit98/optometry-redefined?uuid=e5cd456c-9db4-42c7-b106-2b6e250a6d01 
• Optometry Redefined Book: https://www.amazon.com/Optometry-Redefined-Master-Resourcing-Performance/dp/B0FKJTZGJ3/ref=monarch_sidesheet_image 

Shoutouts:

• Duane Thompson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duane-thompson-015861163/ 
• Jason Ortman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-ortman-a45ba66/ 
• Jason Lake: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-lake-od/ 
• Susan Lake: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lake-47952b32/ 

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