Eyetrepreneur: Recent Episodes

Perry Brill and Dr. Raymond Brill

Eye care professionals and wizards of the eye industry discuss business, innovation, tech, marketing, glasses, contact lenses, clinical info, and hot topics to make businesses thrive in the opportunistic market we operate in. Learn new skills and adopt new ideas to implement in your workplace today to stay 5 years ahead of the competition.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT MEDICAL INSURANCE:

What a copay, deductible, co-insurance and out-of-pocket maximums are
Examples of how to read insurance cards
Examples of how to calculate what a patient owes at a visit
Asking for payment from patients
Collecting insurance info ahead of visit tips

HOW TO BULK VERIFY INSURANCE AND AVOID PAYER WEBSITES:

EHRs have really bad insurance searchability features. Even those with integrations, it's a click heavy unorganized timely process. You will learn how to verify the whole patient schedule with a few steps.

IT'S ALL A LITTLE OVERWHELMING. NEED PRO HELP? HIRE SOMEONE.

The Eye Help You team led by Perry can do it for you in 2 ways. Read the program document.

1. Pay a 1-time setup and training fee for your team to learn how to bulk verify and interpret benefits. Best for strong offices appropriately staffed looking for more efficient ways. Starting at $1500. Pricing is determined by the complexity of your setup with EHR and how organized your office is currently. A custom workflow will be designed and documented for repeatability.

2. Have a qualified insurance verification specialist login to your EHR weekly and do it for you. Just buy verification units that never expire and purchase more when needed.

Watch YouTube replay

Join Facebook Group

perry@eyehelpyou.co

The hardest thing to train is vision plans. It's a foreign language. This episode guides you on how to speak to patients in simple terms, lookup benefits, interpret and price, and tips and tricks to have office efficiency.

This was originally a webinar so watch the YouTube replay here for best experience.

Training resources created for this event:

Optical Sales Quote Sheet
VSP Benefit Step-by-Step Interpretation
EyeMed Step-by-Step Interpretation
EyeMed Progressive and anti-reflective tier classifications

Eye Help You ---email perry@eyehelpyou.co

We discuss digital, print and internal marketing to attract dry eye sufferers to our clinics. Everything from IG reel videos to paid Google AdWords and direct mail. You can't always rely on the butts in the chair to feed your dry eye business.

Join the live show on Wednesdays at 8:30pm ET. Register here: https://dryeyehive.com/

YouTube replays

Sponsors: Dry Eye Rescue and Zocular

Focused bi-weekly topic:

Clinical and business
90 mins of Q&A with peers
Webcams encouraged!
No slidedecks
No KOL bias
Education from those in the trenches

How to implement a remote receptionist. Dr Dawn Kaplan, a 2-location Costco owner, describes her experience having staffing issues and then hiring remotely.

She hired Lorenta, an experienced optician from South Africa to answer calls for both of her locations.

Learn why hiring through Eye Help You can alleviate many of your short staffing issues. Hiring remote doesn't have to be scary when you hire people that actually have worked in the optometric field before.

View resumes of people available for hire.

Learn how an optician in South Africa remotely helps a 4+ location office in Florida sumbit ALL their vision plan claims for exams, Rx glasses, contacts, and more.

Nightly, she logs into VSP, Eyemed, etc to submit the claims and communicate back to the office if she has any questions. It frees up opticians in office to cater towards patient facing care.

Remote Vision Billing Assisstance

perry@eyehelpyou.co

Perry takes the hot seat as Helen Whitaker interviews him about his definition of success, freedom, and business growth. You'll get to hear a more candid side of Perry of his past and current eyecare career from unhappiness to debt to traveling happiness.

Interested in mobile optical? Checkout Secure Vision's curriculum

Learn about vision plan remote billing assistance

The general public/patients join us this time on Dry Eye Hive from around the world.

Listen to patient cases and hear their dry eye journey. We give actionable feedback to patients and guide them towards wellness.

Dry Eye Hive is a live dry eye show where "dry eye docs talk shop." Come to engage in a casual townhall style talk show every other Tuesday at 8:30pm ET. Learn from doctors in the trenches making it happen in their offices.

Sponsors:

Dry Eye Rescue

Zocular

Eye Help You

David Salk, the owner of Blue Logic Lenses and e-clips, walks us through the science and technical parts of blue light as an optician with 50+ years of experience.

Blue light lenses have been around a decade now. It started with Crizal Prevencia and now everyone has a coating, lens material, tint, etc.

Many internet retailers are completely dedicated to selling blue light like Felix Gray with a healthy business.

Schedule medical insurance verficiation consult with Eye Help You remote staffing service

Opticians can make or break a private practices dispensary. Smart, happy and business minded opticians create profitability. Navindi, an optician in the DC area, shares how she stays disciplined and works with her colleagues in office to create the ideal optical environment for her team and patients.

Highlights:

Performance reviews
Delegation
Reduction of errors
Profitability
Peer-to-peer coaching

Join our FB group

Get info about Routine Vision Billing Assistance

We talk about "Eyesthetics" with guest appearances from Drs. Kerry Salsberg, Jordan Friedman, Michelle Baron.

Dry Eye Hive is a live dry eye show where "dry eye docs talk shop." Come to engage in a casual townhall style talk show every other Tuesday at 8:30pm ET. Learn from doctors in the trenches making it happen in their offices.

Sponsors:

Dry Eye Rescue

Zocular

Eye Help You

Episode 1 of 6 of Dry Eye Hive, the talk show for dry eye docs airing live bi-weekly Tuesdays at 8:30pm ET.

It's straight Q&A with doctors in the trenches. None of the KOL stuff. It's free of sponsor pitches, regulation, and is downright informational with no slidedecks.

Signup here: https://dryeyehive.com/

Here's what you can expect:

Focused bi-weekly topic
Clinical and business
10-min opening monologue
90 mins of Q&A with peers
Webcams encouraged!
No slidedecks
No KOL bias
Education from those in the trenches

Support our sponsors: Zocular and Dry Eye Rescue and Eye Help You

Imagine what can happen when dry eye docs all huddle on a Zoom call and just talk shop. That's what we're doing on Nov. 1 at 8:30 PM and continuing over a 6-week period bi-weekly.

No big agenda; talk about what's going on in your practice clincally and the business side to keep patients returning and referring others.

Come video ready. There's no big presentation, just conversation and mentorship Q&A style.

Register for Dry Eye Hive

Helen Whitaker of Secure Vision Mobile Optical Academy shares how she went from working at Costco in Canada as an optician to builing a thriving mobile business. Now, she teaches opticians how THEY CAN DO IT!

Benefits of mobile optical?

Low startup costs
Minimal inventory
No rent
Work when you want
Every appointment is a guaranteed sale
Opportunity for 6-figure income with hard work

Checkout the online course how to get started with your mobile optical.

Join Eyetrepreneur FB group

Remote staffing for your office

Frame reppin' is not a luxurious job. It's hard work. Some reps make 6-figures and others just have a day job with modest income.

Topics:

how they produce income
being an employee vs 1099 worker
exchange policies
downside of traveling
years to build a territory
how to break into the biz
nightmares

Eye Help You remote staffing

Facebook group

Practice management newsletter

Nothing is worse than frame inventory out off control. Lost dollars, pressure from boss to sell, backroom stacked. Discussion of best strategies for purchasing, stocking, re-stocking, doing inventory, and sell through.

Join Optical Obsessed LIVE

Learn about remote staffing through Eye Help You

There's other ways beyond private equity and doctor-to-doctor sales to harvest a business you have grown.

Amplify EyeCare is revolutionizing eyecare by purchasing practices and developing a nationwide network of medical & specialty eyecare practices, amplified with investments in training, management, marketing, & technology.

Eye Help You remote staffing service

Signup for Eyetrepreneur newsletter

Perry mystery shop calls 10+ offices.

How's the front desk at your office? Are they answering optical questions appropriately to drive sales and traffic? Or, do they say "I don't know" or wrong unenthusiastic answers?

On the calls, he ask questions like:

Can I get my PD?
Do you carry frames for big watermelon heads?
What's the cost of a progressive?
Do you carry XYZ brand?
What's the price of an eye exam?
How fast can I get my glasses made?
What do you do for myopia control?

Optical Obsessed LIVE - Sign Up - Every Wednesday at 8pm ET

Eye Help You - Remote Staffing

Perry chats with Edwards Marques, CEO of Vision Science Labs.

The online platform was designed to enable all eyecare professionals to provide Vision Therapy for treating minor to severe binocular vision conditions. The digital tools allow clinicians to assign as lists of activities for home and in-office treatment while managing, monitoring, and reporting patient progress.

Vision Science Labs

Join every Wednesday at 8pm ET for optical education on Optical Obsessed LIVE stream.

Learn about Eye Help You, Perry's remote staffing business.

Fallon walked into what she feels is a storm waiting to strike with no proper training, no one to push the office to succeed. She is determined to navigate this on her own and wants to better herself in every way.

Main issues described in Fallon's words:

I would like to learn how to properly prioritize every patient is one coming into our office and avoid the constant missed or same day canceled slots that I feel could be avoided.
I want everyone being checked in consistently and properly billed.
How to manage my time on non dr days.
How to train Kirsten on knowing how to properly verify insurance and light billing and any other way to become a powerful duo that can function without error.

Schedule office hours with Perry

Dealing with refunds and unhappy patients
When you forget lens-add ons; how to handle
Not overselling
Sticker shock, how to address
Choosing tints

Attend the show live every Wednesday at 8PM ET. Register here.

View YouTube recordings with video.

Link to pricing guide for frame tags

Launched in 2000, 39DollarGlasses.com was developed by Dr. Marc Weinstein and Dr. Lee Marlow who wanted to create an inexpensive method for people to acquire high-quality, finished prescription eyeglasses.

Sleeping glasses mentioned

Eye Help You (remote staffing)

This is episode # 1 of a weekly live talk show video series called Optical Obsessed LIVE. All of these episodes are optical focused on business, technical skills, product sourcing, customer service, and other hacks.

In this episode:
-Dealing with the typical insurance shopper

-Getting men into colorful frames

-Learn to not be afraid to close a sale

-Greet outside Rxs immediately or risk losing the sale

-Fixing nosepad irritation

Attend the show live every Wednesday at 8PM ET. Register here.

Where are the bottlenecks in your optometry practice? How do you uncork them?

Perry is a guest on The Optometry Money Podcast.

Perry Brill talks about this and much more. Perry has several years of experience managing the operations of a successful private optometry practice, to go along with years of experience and great insights on eye care technology and marketing. Perry dives into practice operations and bottlenecks, what the future holds for eye care technology and marketing, and what areas practice owners can consider outsourcing.

Check out www.optometrywealth.com to get to know more about Evon, his financial planning firm Optometry Wealth Advisors, and how he helps ODs nationwide master their cash flow, build their net worth, and plan purposefully around their money and their practices.

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Eye Help You - Virtual Staffing for Eye Care
Tango
Scribe How
Loom
Thumbtack

WALDO contacts is a UK-based company that has entered the USA market. They are known for their Direct-to-Consumer model but are making strides to become engrained with optometrists with a revenue-sharing platform.

Whether the patient buys online, or in-office the doctor gets credit for the sale. Buying from the big-4 contact lens companies is one form of purchasing and we as a profession should be open to exploring others.

www.hiwaldo.com

Got feedback? Email perry@eyetrepreneur.com

Scott Jens shares his journey from student, optometrist, and finally a technology founder of RevolutionEHR.

How technology aids in better life satisfaction
Why rapid technology adoption is more key than ever for private practice to stand out against private equity, online, etc.
Why collaboration amongst vendors is key
How a curious ECP can explore technology ventures----a few guiding steps ---many have ideas but need to help with the execution
Marketing for B2B companies is more important than gorilla sales

Check out Scott's podcast, Sandbox Stories.

Contact Perry at perry@eyetrepreneur.com

Managing employees can be a pain. The payroll, the compliance, hiring, firing, and all the crazy benefit packages we must offer to stay competitive in private practice. Not to mention, everyone wants health insurance but costs are outrageous for non-corporate employers.

You'll learn how to save money and time on human resources in your office and be less reliant on yourself or an office manager to keep everything running: payroll, health insurance, professional insurance, unemployment, IRA, 401K, workers comp, background checks and everything else.

https://eyedealsolutions.com/

john@eyedealsolutions.com

Every business allows customers to pre-shop online except optometry. We tend to hide our merchandise in our offices/stores rather than use our websites to allow patients to see our real-time inventory. Optify is the company that allows your patients to select frames before coming into your office. This gets them excited to buy and saves your staff 15 minutes per patient.

Watch your capture rate increase when your patients can pre-shop online even weeks before an exam.

Email jenn@optifyonline.com

Get 15-min Optify demo

Learn about Opti-Xpres online forms

See To Learn was developed by the Eye Care Council as a preventive program to help make sure every child’s early education is unaffected by vision problems. Through See To Learn, parents can schedule a FREE vision assessment for their 3-year-old child in a participating optometrist's office.

seetolearn.com

Schedule Opti-Xpres Demo

Join our FB Group

Ideas 41-50 on improving your practice with actions now.

Be adamant about collecting patient emails.
Utilize MailChimp or other email apps to do monthly mail blasts.
Put your credit cards on autopay
Don't offer half down payment on eyewear initially.
Avoid staff overtime abuse. Overtime is okay if there's a reason for it, but not just to milk the clock.
Throw away those crusty old magazines nobody reads
Keep your pharmaceutical samples stocked.
Don't waste money on branded company pens.
Clean the nasty forehead grease and makeup off
Invite your friends to this group for more tips!

Text 913-349-5436 if you want expanded knowledge on any topic

Interview of Perry by Dr. Maria Sampalis of Corporate Optometry Facebook group.

Many young ODs start in corporate optometry and learn so much, some will continue to grow within a sublease opportunity while others use it as a starting point to open a private practice. Listen in to learn how to start a successful optical, how to purchase frames and make lens selections in your practice to maximize profits without seeing so many patients per day!

Get Opti-Xpres online forms

Text Perry at 913-349-5436 for anything eyecare.

Optometrist Wade Weisz, former private practice owner, started For Eyes Bookkeeping to help optometrists relieve themselves of the dreaded task. Learn why outsourcing can be cheaper, get a better ROI, and set up your business of for success with clean financial reporting.

It’s time to stop relying on an overworked staff member, an ill-trained part-timer, an expensive full-time employee, or, worst of all — yourself — for these important duties. Your resources are better spent seeing patients, growing your practice, and making the right business decisions.

Contact wade@foreyesbookkeeping.com

Learn about Opti-Xpres online forms

Join the Eyetrepreneur Facebook Group

Dr. Brill leased his 1st office space in 1983. He eventually expanded the footprint and then started building his real-estate dream in 2003.

When a professional practice is combined with earning income from tenants, long-term wealth can be built. Learn how he went through the decision-making process to build a building, how he got a loan, the troubles he encountered with bad tenants, and other risky decisions.

PracticePal: Relieve Vision Plan Problems

Opti-Xpres: Online forms custom for YOU

Get our email newsletter!

Interview with Dr. Maria Sampalis who's an influential corporate optometry leader. She famously created the Corporate Optometry Facebook group to give these docs and staff members a voice.

Given the choice of commercial or private, all things the same with salary and everything else, why should any OD choose corporate?
Do corporate docs feel this is another form of private practice?
Does practicing in a corporate setting change the morals of the optometrists in terms of how they provide care (customer vs patient)?
Can someone who has worked in a commercial setting for 10 years make the transition from a transactional practice to a relationship practice?
What's the percentage of women vs men and part-time vs. full-time?
Is there a hierarchy of commercial practice brands from a patient perspective and a doctor's perspective?
How does commercial practice dovetail into private equity practices?

My newsletter

PracticePal: Simply Vision Plans

Facebook Group of Eyetrepreneur Media

Ideas 31-40 actionable items to improve your practice today:

Clean the outside windows to your office. It's a direct reflection of cleanliness. Hire someone; your time is more valuable in the lane.
Employ a shredding service for PHI documents. They come monthly for a reasonable fee.
Utilize an app like Dext to take pics of business receipts for purchases to store for tax purposes, audits, good bookkeeping, etc. It reads the text and categorizes purchases.
Utilize a service like Compliancy Group for HIPAA compliance. I know, feels like a waste of money for this shit, but HIPAA has nothing to do with actual education IMO, it's all about documentation and having record keeping of training so when a breach occurs, you said you did your best to protect data.
Your ripped and torn exam room chairs can be reupholstered rather than replacing cushions and armrests.
Keep a log of all outbound tracking numbers associated with patient names to labs for shipping. It's just a matter of time before you wish you had the info for a lost job.
Hire a Spanish speaker when you can. They come in clutch!!!
Want to surprise a staff member with a reward? Amazon prime them something they would use like a bath bomb or dog bone for their furry beast.
Update your Google My Business photos. It's the first impression when people search "optometry/optical practice near me"
Invite your friends to this group, please and thank you.

Join Facebook Group

Learn about PracticePal insurance software

Bookkeeping episode

Ideas 21-30 actionable items to improve your practice today:

Dust your dusty optical shelves and rods. Patients notice.
Don't bank on your old ass OCT or other equipment to last forever. Replace before you are in deep shit.
Time your computers to timeout and lock. It's a privacy hazard leaving computers open to the public.
Does your lab suck and frustrate you? Switch, don't be lazy. They likely won't even notice if they are shitty.
Comanage your multifocal cataract referrals. The dollars add up.
Comanage your LASIK referrals...many pay $800+
Help staff or co-workers get their 1st credit card if they don't have one. Building credit is important.
An easy way to reward someone for good work performance is to allow one to go home early and get paid full hours.
Keep an eye out for staff that discount glasses without permission.
Invite your friends to this group!!! This knowledge ain't found in a book, school, conference, or other groups...promise baby.

Join Facebook Group

Twelve84 Wholesale Subscription Eyewear

Learn how a monthly payment of $179 can get you access to 80 quality frames in your office and complete Rx pairs easily made.

Eyewear package pricing creates affordability and pricing transparency in your office. Not everybody cares to spend $300 - $800 and be confused by add-on pricing.

Optical-X has developed a wholesale subscription eyewear program where you have ZERO inventory costs. This allows you to maintain office cash flow and provide patients with competitive pricing for private-pay patients, those tempted to shop online or hit up your nearest chain eyecare retailer.

info@optical-x.com

Get online patient forms

Join our Facebook Group for more inspiration and education

Ideas 11-20, actionable items to improve your practice today. Perry's off-the-cuff recommendations. 1. Update your outside building signage. LED sign makes the difference. Old signs = old crappy business 2. Fire your complaining staff member...they suck the energy out of everyone. 3. Consult ABB Contact Lens Monitor publication to determine if your CL prices are too low. 4. Clean your carpet at least bi-annually! Hire a pro. 5. Outsource your insurance billing....for $40,000+ dollars a company can do it better and cheaper. 6. Consider selling to private equity if your practice is $850,000 + in gross charges...don't be stupid, at least check the value before saying NO. 7. Don't let a frame rep stuff you with frames. Be in control. You determine when they get an appointment and not based on the schedule they want. 8. If you are a staff member and something bothers you, speak up. Nobody can read your mind, everybody just observes you are acting weird/pissed off. 9. Iron your clothes, looks matter in sales. 10. Invite your friends to this group so they can read the next 80 ideas I'll be delivering.

Example of great signage

Contact lens price monitoring tool (must be a subscriber of platform)

Make money on vision plans E-book sponsored by PracticePal.io

10 actionable items to improve your practice today. Perry's off-the-cuff recommendations.

Clear the clutter off the front desk (looks matter)
Consider charging $25 for frame/lens warranties to cover staff labor and shipping. 100 warranties a year could be $2500 in recovered revenue.
Drink more water. We're all dehydrated.
Assess if your EHR data is backed up to 2 different off-site locations.
Drop your lowest paying medical plan if your schedule is full
Get all opticians business cards and work emails
Learn how to use a scribe in the exam room
Bring in a frame line that's $100 more expensive than your most expensive line. Don't prejudge your patients.
Buy a picnic table and eat outside at lunch. The sun does wonders for attitude.
Invite your friends to this group, please.

How to Scribe

Expensive frame lines to consider

Email me at perry@eyetrepreneur.com for additional questions pertaining to these tips.

There's lots of funky eyewear in the market. SpiltMilk is a new NYC brand that brings humor and laughter to eyewear design. Hear the story from start to finish of how the brand was created. Eyewear is very serious and this company just makes you laugh.

Co-founder Judge Khanna gives you all the secrets about how he budded into the competitive market and why you should consider selling this indie line.

Contact SpiltMilk Eyewear

Get FREE Vernon Gantry Frame

Opti-Xpres Digital Solutions

Vernon Gantry was created 5 years ago by NYC doctors Scott Tisdale and Pauline Leong, both of who co-own a private practice together in Long Island City. Warby Parker infiltrated the NYC market hard at one time and they went on a mission to create a safety net around their optical sales.

Learn about $19 wholesale frames you can sell in your office for 5-10x markup and why wholesale brands may be ripping you off.

By eliminating the sales reps, licensing fees and advertising costs that are often employed by traditional eyewear companies, they are able to manufacture and distribute high-quality frames at a fraction of the cost to independent doctors and opticals only.

Request FREE Vernon Gantry frame

Open Vernon Gantry Account Now!

Get in touch with Opti-Xpres

We've heard the hype about smart eyewear for a long time, but the products are READY! We talk with Harrison Gross, the CEO of Lucyd Eyewear about an audio glasses product this is Rx-able and also available for wholesale at ECP offices.

The e-glasses enable wearers to seamlessly play music, take phone calls and chat with their phone's assistant while keeping their ears free and clear; a true co-connected experience via strategic open-ear technology.

Buy Lucyd Eyewear wholesale here!

Get FREE Vernon Gantry frame

Get online forms for your office

Optometrists generate 6 figures of income. What's more important than a salary is how you put that money to work to generate more personal or business wealth. Dr. Aaron Neufeld co-founded a Facebook group called ODsonFinance to teach, mentor, and open up financial conversations with other optometrists.

Learn the basics of investing in the stock market, what is cryptocurrency, and how to plan for financial freedom now and in the future.

Inquire about online forms

Get FREE Vernon Gantry frame

Having accurate and up-to-date bookkeeping is peace of mind! But, do you have time for it, and can you understand the data? Is your profit and loss statement always current and bills paid on time?

We talk to a professional and certified bookkeeper about why eyecare private practices should ditch the in-house bookkeeper and opt for a pro. Your resources are better spent seeing patients, growing your practice, and making the right business decisions.

Talk to a bookkeeper now!

Get your FREE Vernon Gantry frame.

Filing out-of-network health insurance claims should not be so hard for patients, right? But it is.

Using a mobile phone app called Reimbursify, you can help your patients get quick and easy OON reimbursements. Save time, money and the administrative hassle of helping your patients file their claims and give them the confidence that they will get the correct reimbursements for your office visits.

Vatsal Thakkar, MD developed the idea for the app as he saw many OON patients in his private practice in NYC. Patients wanted to see him but found the paperwork process to submit claims confusing.

Get your FREE Vernon Gantry Frame

Learn about Opti-Xpres online forms

You probably feel like a task rabbit many times just checking off the to-do list and never really getting to the meat of your projects and workweek. Small business owners (and big) many times have trouble delegating. We feel we are the person for the job and can get it done quicker and better. However, it's important we learn how to outsource small things in life.

You will learn how to hire a "virtual assistant" who you can teach to do almost any task that involves a computer and a phone. We're talking with the CEO of Unbottleneck who's whole business is about removing bottlenecks in businesses.

Get time back in your life to focus and let someone else handle the grunt work.

Contact David Kent to get outsourcing help

Register for American eyewear webinar

Did you know there's a Facebook group called Dry Eye Syndrome Support Community with over 14,000 members from across the world that advise patients on diagnosis, treatment, and mental support?

Dr. Brill is religious in this community about participating and providing his professional medical advice. Many of these patients do not have access to quality dry eye care and are faced with self-diagnose and treat themselves. Dr. Brill shares his philosophy and approach to advanced dry eye care.

Dr. Travis Zigler along Dr. Jenna Zigler run this community and work hard to spread awareness of proper treatments.

This episode covers:

No one person is the same. Until the right questions are asked, it’s hard to know exactly why you have dry eye. Have you had LASIK? Have you taken Accutane? Do you live in a dry environment? Do you drink too much caffeine? Is your diet horrible? Do you have an autoimmune condition? Are you going through menopause?

Everything works well on the correct candidate.

Make Insurance Verification and Pricing on Products Easy w/ This App

Get Better Lab Pricing!

USA made frames! There are a few companies doing this already, but Eyenavision in Pittsburgh, PA just launched their factory. Joe Zewe, the CEO, tells you how to buy their new brand of frames called Northpoint and soon build your own USA-made frame line for your office in small easy-to-buy quantities.

Joe goes through the whole story of coming up with the concept and also putting it into execution.

You will also hear about Chemistrie Clips, which are magnetic sun and reader clips custom made for frames. You will learn how they were invented and what it can do to boost your practice sales.

Lastly, here about Chemistrie Clips new lenses for colorblindness.

Get info about USA frames or Lens Technology

Get better lab pricing info

What's the easiest way to make more money in optical? NO, it's not to increase the volume of eyewear sold. That's going to take a skilled sales-based optician.

It's much easier to source OVERSTOCK eyewear and instead of the usual 3x markup, you can achieve 6x or more.

The reason Warby Parker, Vision Works, Stanton, and Costco are powerhouses, is because they have low costs of goods because they buy in bulk. Small optical locations like ours can't buy 50,000 pairs of frames at once.

This is why you need a source for affordable high-quality independent overstock eyewear and Perry's Eyewear Garden has you covered. We don't sell crappy name-brand stuff. Our e-commerce store of eyewear is breaking industry trends.

Signup for May 6th Webinar

Join our text message club for weekly eyewear deals

We have been brained when a frame rep visits our offices, we are forced to return the "old" eyewear that will be discontinued. The rep comes in quarterly and writes us an RA form and we ship the discontinued frames back for credit.

This act of returns is really really bad for everybody! Eyewear has to be priced higher by frame manufacturers so they can give you the ability to do returns.

Discontinued frames are NOT BAD. That's all in your head. Learn how to NOT return frames and create profits in your office and get negotiating power.

Want more ideas? Join our text message community here for weekly doses to your phone.

Mark Graham, CEO of Your Brand Eyewear, has built a company around the seamless creation of eyewear brands for the independent ECP office. They allow low-quantity orders of frames, logo creation, easy color selection, and more straight to your office door within about 27 days.

It's really hard to make optical profits today selling brand names and relying on lousy 3x margins. Many opticals are opting to create their own brand via private label frame companies.

Resources:

https://yourbrandeyewear.com/

Click To Join Perry's Eyewear Garden Text Message Buying Club

Get Better Lab Pricing

Video content rules the internet. However, most eyecare businesses, both clinics and wholesalers, rarely put out any video. Being a video content creator in your professional business does not mean you have to do silly TikTok dances or be a good editor, you just need to spend some time actually doing it.

Dr. Joey Allen, host of the Doctor Eye Health channel on YouTube has over 340,000 subscribers where the public goes to for really good and entertaining education.

You will learn:

Using YouTube to grow your clinic or business
Using video to advertise your clinic on the web
Using video to help with pt education and selling your goods and services
The tools you need to record and edit video

View Perry's Eyewear Garden E-Commerce Page

Get Better Lab Pricing Now!

View Dr. Allens YouTube Channel

Serial optometrist entrepreneur Ali Khoshnevis does it again by developing a website and app that helps optometrist find fill-in coverage. No more are the days of posting things on Facebook and emailing your local society for help.

ClinicCover is a technology-enabled service that connects Eye Care Professionals (ECPs) with Eye Care Businesses (ECBs) that aim to hire doctors for short-term patient care opportunities, particularly for single-day patient care.

There are many uses of ClinicCover technology. Whether you want to take a vacation or get in a backlog of patients to produce more revenue, the choice is yours.

Visit cliniccover.com

Click to Join our texting community!

Get Fair Lab Pricing Here!

Perry has always loved cooking...so, we're taking a 1-week break to speak with his best friend Erika and master Chef about how to be badass cook in the kitchen and the importance of salt in your food. (YOU WILL LAUGH YOUR PANTS OFF).

Salt is a mainstay in every kitchen you've ever been in. From your grandma Felicia's kitchen to your favorite French bistro down the street with that cute chef. Ever wonder why? Salt not only helps to balance tastes and flavors (on a scientific level, sup Bill Nye), but it brings out each ingredient's best potential.

SIGNUP FOR WEBINAR MARCH 30TH

VISIT FOODSPLAINER.COM FOR COOKING TIPS

Stop being a sheep and following the optical herd buying the same branded frames every other office has. Learn how to grow your optical profits by selling indie eyewear.

You will hear from 6 eyewear brands: Kala, Ziena/7Eye, Gazal, Swissflex, Tempo, and Article One. They will share how they got started, how they made their product, and what ECPs need to do to be successful today.

Learn how frames go from pencil sketch to a physical product
How to train staff to sell non-branded product
How to market yourself as that office that sells niche product
What makes indie product different in quality and design
Why ‘Big Box’ frame brands are not a long term financial solution for your optical

Buy Anti-Fog Seals--CLICK HERE

Our dedicated front desk team members really have it hard. So much stupid paperwork, typing, and just crap. Why not automate some of this?

Learn how the new start-up Opti-Xpres is adding customization to your office's patient communication system that can replace Weave, Solution Reach, Prime Nexus, 4PatientCare, Demand Fore and more.

Stop using LAME "appointment request" functions and get a real online scheduler that feeds into your EHR.

Stop using LAME "online forms" where the front desk has to retype. Get ones that feed into your EHR.

Comply with the NEW contact lens rule by automatically sending patients their Rx via text message.

Allow patients to pay via text messages and a whole host of other contactless features that you need.

GET A DEMO OF OPTI-XPRES (CLICK HERE)

EMAIL CORNELIUS.M@OPTI-XPRES.COM FOR MORE INFO.

Start receiving and tracking referrals through a secure, HIPAA-compliant web portal. Introducing The Chiasm! No more chasing paperwork!

Save staff time by eliminating phone calls, faxes and preventing undeliverable faxes or unanswered phone calls. The system provides a simple and quick way of managing referrals by receiving instant appointment times for your patient. It also tracks every step of the referral process, from canceled appointments to completed visits with detailed reports of clinical outcomes. Provide optimal health services to your patients and doctors in need of further clinical evaluation.

Get more info about The Chiasm

Get Better Lab Pricing!

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Save hours a day from searching the web for patient vision and medical plan info.

See how ABB Verify’s intelligent software solution integrates with almost any EHR system, freeing you from tedious health and vision benefit verifications and authorizations.

Increase office visits with automated email/text alerts reminding patients about unused benefits.

CLICK TO SIGNUP FOR FEB 16TH WEBINAR

Optical inventory is such a pain in the ass to do. In fact, most opticians and offices don't even bother doing it! It's time-consuming and frankly a very manual process.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is making optical inventory so much easier. It's the same tech used to get into hotel rooms or cars when you are nearby and holding a card / keyfob.

Just imagine being up to do an inventory of 1000 frames in 10 minutes by simply walking around waving a smartphone at frame displays and inventory being done rapidly fast! No pen, no paper, no excel sheets, no typing things.

WaveRFID is leading the way in providing optical inventory management systems that integrate with EHRs. Track frame turns, get 100% accurate sales data, reduce theft, free up optician time, order frames from manufactures with 2 clicks, and more.

View WaveRFID website and get demo

Signup for ABB Verify Webinar Feb 16th to Remove Insurance Verification Hassles

Learn how Opti-Xpres can make online patient forms and patient schedulers easy

You have an in-person receptionist, but do you have an online receptionist? It's the premier concierge experience your patients deserve. Listen as Ryan Hungate, DDS shares how he developed chat software for optometrists, dentists, and any doc that wants a great online experience to drive patients to your office.

Simplifeye is the first and only 24/7 Live HIPAA Compliant Web Chat. The live chat team are trained to qualify patients to YOUR specifications (insurance, procedures, products etc.). Patient appointment info is passed to practices via an end-to-end encrypted, HIPAA-secure portal.

Track Your Success!

Stay informed by using a built-in dashboard to analyze your current traffic and conversion metrics. Simplifeye doesn't just say they save the front desk time, they prove it!

Get 30-Day FREE trial of Simplifeye

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FSA / HSA dollars spent in your office can result in a significant end of your financial boost for your practice. How are you communicating to your patients via email, social, and in-person to make them aware they can spend dollars at your office on eyewear and other goods and services.

As you know, Flex Spending accounts expire making this a busy time of the year. Most plans expire on December 31st. Some extend into Q1, however, reminding patients this time of year maximizes your revenue. We're talking about tactics, tools, and communication methods to get spending to happen.

Download email and social templates

Join Eyetrepreneur Facebook group

Face it, most MDs think optometrists are quacks or just the person next to Walmart or Target doing glasses and contact lens eye exams. We all know that ALL optometrists have nearly the same schooling and are qualified to treat medically.

What happens is MDs refer to OMDs where the patient is typically seen by an OD for non-surgical stuff. It's time we get MD to OD direct referrals and we'll show you how with a proven formula of outreach and marketing.

Learn more at riseoptometry.com

Register for the December 10th webinar about online forms, online scheduler and contact lens Rxs being texted:

In This Episode:Bricks and mortar opticals and optometry offices are really slow to adopt e-commerce solutions for their patients. Patients want to buy glasses online, so why not give them the option through their local ECP. Buy the eyewear online and get adjustments in the store? Bricks and clicks...learn about it!

[2:39] Guests introduction.
[8:13] Why was Optify E-commerce created for indie docs and opticians?
[18:43] Signing up with Optify.
[23:08] Fitting a patient virtually.
[26:02] Buying process and shipping.
[39:14] Preselecting the glasses.

Click to get more Optify info!

Tool for looking up Vision and Medical Plans

Get Bookkeeping help in your office!

In This Episode:[3:05] What is Zocular?
[12:29] Okra and polysaccharide.
[24:10] Supplies for irrigation.
[26:44] Zest procedure.
[30:59] Other products.
[41:53] Tea tree oil.
[45:56] Stocking products.

The Guest:Peter A. Pham, MD

Dr. Pham is a chemist, entrepreneur, and practicing ophthalmologist in Houston. He received his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis after graduating summa cum laude with a degree in chemistry. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Doheny Eye Institute in Los Angeles, and as a resident, co-developed the first online visual field testing system for glaucoma and macular degeneration, which can still be accessed at KeepYourSight.org. He patented an innovative system using okra polysaccharide complexes called Zokrex as a natural alternative for addressing inflammation. He’s also the CEO and Founder of Okra LLC, the first company to incorporate the Zokrex platform in its line of Zocular products.

Resources:Lookup insurance plans on ONE WEBSITE

Dry eye diagnosis video for beginners (9 minutes)

peter.pham@zocular.com

Perry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebookConnect With Us On Social Media!Facebook

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You will learn:

--Difference between Chinese and Japanese acetate

--How frames are polished

--How to determine if a frame is good quality

--How Asian fit frames are made

--The manufacturing steps

--Why frames cost so much to make

--How to design your own collection

--What made in Japan means

--The different types of equipment used

Guest: Christopher Esposito

In This Episode:[2:44] Guest Introduction.
[9:17] Workshop tour.
[11:38] Acetate production.
[28:34] The design software they use.
[38:26] Average frame price.
[39:08] Japanese hinges.
[44:34] Japan's process vs China vs Europe.

Resources:ethnicityeyewear.com

say-oh.com

Perry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebookConnect With Us On Social Media!Facebook

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YouTube

Join our Facebook Group

Text our 24/7 Eyetrepreneur HOTLINE at 913-660-2855. Ask us anything medical, business, or just vent to us.

In This Episode:[8:08] Guest introduction.
[13:43] Credit card processing
[15:08] Tiered pricing.
[29:35] Reprogramming terminals.
[32:32] Chip vs Swipe fees.
[41:01] Background check.
[44:59] Payroll.
[52:17] Bookkeeping.
[01:05] Employee health insurance.

Tim EmersonTim has 28 years of experience in the financial service industry. He founded Emerson & Co. in June of 2006. His firm provides: Payroll, Merchant Services, and Insurance, working with public organizations and businesses to cut cost and provide efficiencies. Tim is currently a Deacon at Country Club Christian Church, President of Waldo Brookside Rotary Club in Kansas City, and a member of multiple chambers of commerce. He is on the board of directors for the Parkville Area Chamber of Commerce. Tim and his wife Darci reside in the Kansas City area, have 2 daughters Sophie and Zoey, and enjoy outdoors activities and travel.

Resources:How To Be a Profit-Oriented Office Manager

Learn how to sell eyewear online. Book a demo: https://calendly.com/wes-goddard/optify-

Perry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebookLearn about Perry's consulting business at www.eyerockit.com

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Text our 24/7 Eyetrepreneur HOTLINE at 913-660-2855. Ask us anything medical, business, or just vent to us.

Discounting eyewear or any services is the best way to give profit away.

You essentially are apologizing for your prices when you offer 30% off. This sets a presidence for people to always expect a deal. We already make enough "phantom income" in eyecare with vision plans.

Change the way you offer payment options... Offer Sunbit payment plans. They are new to eyecare and give patients peace of mind with transparent application process and fees.

The best part! Scan state issued ID, and get application complete in nearly 30 seconds.

Webinar for more info August 25th at 7 Eastern.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OFRMkLcgTj29cBZSmjeQPw

Impatient and just want a demo of software technology now? https://marketing.sunbit.com/optical

In This Episode:[2:24] Eyetrepreneur team introduction.
[6:05] The current state of private practice and profitability..
[21:13] Common bottleneck in the exam room and the optical when it comes to creating a profitable practice.
[44:56] Streamline check-in / check-out.
[47:08] Exam room hacks.
[52:44] Tweaker hack.
[56:34] Converting someone asking for prescription.

Resources:Learn about Perry's consulting business at www.eyerockit.com

Perry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebookConnect With Us On Social Media!Facebook

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Join our Facebook Group

Text our 24/7 Eyetrepreneur HOTLINE at 913-660-2855. Ask us anything medical, business, or just vent to us.

Announcement: webinar tonight where Perry and Dr. Brill will talk for 1 hour about why and how to start selling Rx glasses online. It's the path forward to creating revenue opportunities outside the 4 walls of your practice.

Webinar tonight 7/27/2020 at 8:30 EDT

Register for webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e1y9fyLvSMyqh5d4Dw2KfQ

In This Episode:[4:48] Perry's introduction and background.
[8:07] Big box vs independent box.
[13:20] Eyerockit Consulting overview.
[14:29] Eyerockit processes and steps.
[16:48] Crush your eyewear sales.
[22:53] Crush patient collections.
[30:07] Lower all cost of goods and services.
[35:18] Frame inventory assessment and plan.
[41:07] Develop optical executors not opticians.
[44:12] Private labeling.
[45:34] Create radical, happy and transparency culture.
[49:47] Office procedures perfection.
[53:48] Administrative duties.
[55:44] High tech office upgrade beyond equipment.
[01:02] Expert real world advice from an OD in the trenches.

Resources:Learn about Perry's consulting business at www.eyerockit.com

Perry's consulting business: eyerockit.comPerry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebook

Connect With Us On Social Media!Facebook

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Join our Facebook Group

Text our 24/7 Eyetrepreneur HOTLINE at 913-660-2855. Ask us anything medical, business, or just vent to us.

Reasons to buy private label:

Cut your cost of goods on frames by 70%
Stop wasting time meeting with frame reps
Stop wasting money on shipping frames all the time to your office
Buy better quality at lower prices
Prevent yourself from being shopped online for cheaper
It's fun to design your own collection

In This Episode:[5:41] Guests introduction.
[7:21] Eckhard Wirtz.
[9:07] Richard Keating.
[21:23] Frame licensing.
[31:27] Private label.
[35:40] Making your own frames.
[37:05] Custom frames pricing.
[37:19] Lead time and minimum order quantity.
[46:44] Cost per piece.
[50:55] Materials and where the frames are made.
[55:16] Creating your own warranty.
[1:16:26] Country of origin on the frame.

Resources:https://eyetrepreneur.com/create-private-label-frame-line/

Perry's consulting business: eyerockit.com

Perry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebook

Connect With Us On Social Media!Facebook

Instagram

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Join our Facebook Group

Text our 24/7 Eyetrepreneur HOTLINE at 913-660-2855. Ask us anything medical, business, or just vent to us.

In This Episode:[4:42] Guests introduction.
[5:28] Black Lab Optical.
[15:14] What is a click fee?
[19:55] Lens design and why lenses cost so much.
[24:44] Why do companies come out with new lenses every year and say it's new and improved?
[32:03] Private label.
[41:57] Switching lens brand.
[50:05] Training
[52:47] Why are ARs expensive.

Resources:https://eyetrepreneur.com/reasons-to-use-private-label-lenses-and-independent-labs/

Perry's consulting business: eyerockit.com

Perry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebook

Connect With Us On Social Media!Facebook

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Join our Facebook Group

Text our 24/7 Eyetrepreneur HOTLINE at 913-660-2855. Ask us anything medical, business, or just vent to us.

VSP is reducing our doctor reimbursement by about 50% if we don't agree to use certain lens technology and brands. Can you say crooked? It all starts September 1st. Learn in this episode how managed care works and why it's a corrupt system that only hurts the patient.

Tell VSP enough bullying! Fill out your dissatisfaction survey anonymously here:

https://eyetrepreneur.typeform.com/to/TqRZfh

Perry will be mailing over 500 survey results to VSP CEO so we can open a meaningful dialogue and reform the system.

In This Episode:[3:00] The Black Eyecare Perspective.
[6:05] Recruitment.
[14:16] Affirmative action in optometry.
[18:35] Black patients optical needs.
[21:21] Customizing Frames.
[41:46] Main improvements to cater to more African american communities.
[45:30] If you want to get involved with the Black Eyecare Perspective.

About The Guests:Drs. Adam Ramsey and Darryl Glover are well respected key opinion leaders in the eyecare industry. They are passionate and dedicated to helping create an environment that is inclusive and recognizes the importance of diversity in the eyecare industry. Drs. Adam Ramsey and Darryl Glover are committed to facilitating open and authentic dialogue surrounding implicit bias, organizational structure, and policies which lead to a lack of diversity and exclusion.

Resources:Watch Video Meeting Recording

Register for in-office sanitation webinar

Join our Facebook group

Perry's consulting business: eyerockit.com

Perry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebook

Connect With Us On Social Media!Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Join our Facebook Group

Text our 24/7 Eyetrepreneur HOTLINE at 913-660-2855. Ask us anything medical, business, or just vent to us.

Episode Recording: https://youtu.be/F5KGc-RC0jI

We are not professional salespeople in optometry! Frankly, we're terrible at selling our premium services. It's not our fault though...I blame the vision plans for lack of pricing transparency.

Techs or doctors selling contacts in the exam room have bad sales presentations. It's either verbal or done on a crappy paper form.

LensQuote is the sales tool that presents it beautifully on a desktop or tablet. The tool calculates contacts, insurance allowances, and rebates in 3-seconds!

No more calculation errors
No more insurance errors
No more figuring out how many boxes
No more chasing down rebates

The tool you need can be found at www.LensQuote.net

An edger in your office allows eye care professionals to be in control of speed, quality, and pricing.

You likely have been in that situation numerous times wondering why a pair of glasses is taking 2-4 weeks to complete? It’s just a simple plastic progressive lens with a premium anti-reflective coating going into an acetate frame, what could be so complicated? The truth is laboratories are assembly lines and things happen. Equipment breaks, people type in the wrong data, items get lost, employees don’t show up to work, lenses are mishandled, etc.

You can combat all this craziness by using a stock lens inventory or ordering less expensive uncut lenses and edging them yourself. Uncut lenses from labs generally can arrive in your office in 24-72 hours. This will create less headaches for you knowing the lenses are in your possession quickly.

Don’t be afraid about screwing up expensive progressive lenses in the edger (like not blocking correctly or a lens slipping or breaking).

The edger does not know how expensive a lens is. It treats every lens the same when it cuts it. A good laboratory will understand you have spoilage in your in-office-lab too and will replace the lens at $0 charge many times. Just don’t make it a frequent occurrence with 30% of your work and you will be okay.

Furthermore, an added benefit of edging your own lenses is you can control the cosmetics of lenses within the frame by adjusting bevel placement, safety bevels, size of lenses, shelving, etc. Stop getting pissed off when labs send back work with temples splayed out on high myopes or lenses are off-axis. You can control the quality of your finishing work by buying an edger.

Don’t think of buying an edger as a sunk expense.

You will actually generate revenue with this machine by reducing costs of raw materials needed to produce lenses. You can buy an edger new or used or even finance one. There’s no excuse not to buy one. They even make a small footprint today and the noise can be contained. Don’t worry if you are not super technical. When you purchase an edger, companies will give you a few days of hands on training and will always be available for technical phone support. Most edgers are low maintenance and just require regular cleaning and the occasional parts replacement.

Frequently asked questions opticians and optometrists ask about edging in houseWhat do I do? I’m not handy and don’t know how to set up a lab.

When you buy an edger from a reputable company, whether it’s a used or new piece of equipment, a representative will fly out to your location and be onsite to train 1 or multiple staff members for a couple of days. All the tools you need to edge will come with the unit. If you are buying from an individual seller, you will be more reliant on asking them for help.

How much space do I need for an edger?

The piece of equipment can fit in a closet if you have to. Today’s edgers are small and compact and generally not more than 2ft x 2ft. Some edgers are “all-in ones,” meaning it has the tracer, blocker, and edger built into one compact unit while others require you buy separate equipment and place it on counter space.

How long does it take to edge a pair of lenses?

Dry edgers are fast, wet edgers are slower, but it’s not a race! The material and the coatings determine the time frame to edge. Lenses with slippery high quality anti-reflective coatings will take longer as the machinery goes slower to prevent the lenses from slipping and getting off axis. Also, hi-index lenses are tougher lenses and take longer.

A polycarbonate lens with a hard coat will take 60 seconds. A polycarbonate lens with a premium anti-reflective will take 2-3 minutes. While the edger is running, the operating optician should be multitasking by deblocking lenses, inspecting lenses in lensometer after edging, cleaning lenses, and preparing next jobs. It’s a small assembly line and you should never just sit and watch the lens rotate. That’s a waste of time!!! It’s like watching water boil.

It’s easier to send glasses to the lab for lenses, should I really edge?

It’s also easier to stay at home on unemployment and eat popcorn. Yes, when you make glasses in-house, you save time. Imagine how much you spend on shipping and labor costs always trying to track down orders with the labs. It’s nice to know where in the production cycle every job is. You can choose if you want to expedite a job for a patient as a rush glasses order.

Why are edgers so expensive?

They are not. Why are OCTs and Optomaps so expensive? Every piece of capital equipment when used properly and consistently will help you deliver faster service and better products to your patients quicker than your competitors. Today, people want all their products they buy speedy, including eyewear.

What maintenance does an edger need?

The best way to avoid any repairs is clean the machine daily after use. You are shredding up lenses so the main form of cleaning is using a shopvac to free up any loose debris left behind. Otherwise, there is really no maintenance to be done. Just like any piece of equipment, it has screws, springs, moving parts, and electronics that can occasionally need updating. Expect this but also know you are saving so much money on lenses these costs are nominal compared to your $300 lab bills for progressive lenses you are used to.

I see mostly insurance and vision plan patients, can I edge those jobs too?

Yes, you can edge single vision jobs with any coatings and lens features, including photochromics. You buy the lenses and submit the in-office finishing claim on the same websites. You will have to sign an IOF agreement with the vision plans that explains your new reimbursement schedule, which should be higher, and other legal information you have to follow. To get started edging in office with vision plans, reach out to a rep or find the info on the websites. For progressive lenses and all other lenses that need surfacing, you will still have to order these through the contracted labs.

You will make a ton more money edging single vision jobs in office on vision plans so it’s worth buying an edger still. Also, having an edger makes increasing the cash portion of your office easier since you control where and what prices you buy products at.

I’m worried the edger smells or makes too much noise, is this a concern?

No, when you hear the sound of an edger that means you are making money. Edgers today produce noise like any piece of industrial equipment; however, with a closed door on the room where the edger is housed, 80% or more of the noise is blanketed. The noise will not be a disturbance to the patient ambiance in your office. The smell of the edger only becomes a concern when you are edging high-index lenses, which tend to smell like onions. Yummy smell, right? It’s best to have an exhaust fan installed in the edging room to circulate the air in the room and not inhale or distribute the smell throughout the office.

Are there any limitations to what type of lenses I can edge?

No, you can edge anything from plano to +/- 10.00 and beyond. Although, we hope you don’t have to edge too many super high prescriptions. All coatings and lens treatments can safely be processed in the edger. All you have to do is select the right settings for each job.The pressure the edger puts on each lens and speed it rotates the lenses is different for every lens material. Don’t worry though, the edger has all these settings pre-set. You just hit the material you are using on the screen and it adjusts the machine internal settings so you get a perfect lens everytime.

How does the edger know what shape to cut to match the frame?

The piece of machinery that’s used to create the shape for the edger to cut is called the tracer. It digitally or robotically traces the inside of the bevel to create a 100% shape the lenses into metal, acetate, semi-rimless or drill-mount frames. The accuracy is dead on, it’s amazing. The tracer sends the file of the shape to the edger so it knows what shape to cut. Once the edger is done grinding away, it’s important you place the lens into the frame to make sure the fit is good. Don’t expect the lenses to fit every single time perfectly, sometimes the eyewire will have a little gap in it or the lens is a little big for the acetate frame. You will notice it’s hard to force into the frame even with heat. This is normal. Lots of factors affect sizing such as calibration of equipment or even humidity levels. To make the lens a hair smaller, you simply go into recut mode and edge down the lens 0.1mm to 0.3mm smaller to make it fit. It’s such a small amount, but this makes it fit perfectly. Take your time edging down lenses to fit, it’s not a race. However, most times things fit perfectly.

After edging both lenses, do I need to do any final inspection?

Yes, the same final inspection you would do with lenses from an outsourced lab you do with in-office labs. Make sure to check the pupillary distance, ocular centers, segment heights, axis, prescriptions, and anything else. Your lensometer is your friend for final inspection. Make sure to hold the lens into the light after cleaning to make sure there is no crazing, scratches or any other weird defects. Your lens spoilage in your in-office lab will be very low since you are taking your time and paying attention.

For more advice on in-office edging or questionsEmail: info@eyetrepreneur.com

The easiest way to increase patient average spend is by offering some type of payment plan or financing option. Usually practices offer this option as a last ditch effort to save a sale, but we need to be proactive in our approach. Don't make people feel bad when they don't have enough money. Smile and offer a great payment plan tool!

Payment plans should't take 5 minutes or even 2 minutes to apply for...it should take 30 seconds and a quick driver license scan. And, more people should get approved. We have the best tool for you.

Register for the payment plan education webinar to learn how to effectively offer this solution in your office on Thursday May 21st at 7:00 EDT.

Signup here for webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8Sg7rlHORLOBIn3RA1MFdg

In This Episode:[3:48] Guests introduction.
[8:17] Origin of EnChroma.
[11:42] Manufacturing process.
[13:32] Why color vision is important?
[20:53] The ishihara test.
[23:06] The farnsworth d-15.
[32:26] EnChroma's business model.
[38:48] Cataract formation.
[47:16] Commonly asked questions about the product.
[1:00:40] Who is eligible to be an EnChroma partner.
[1:04:03] Enchroma color accessibility program.

About The Guests:Mark Mattison-Shupnick

VP, Business Development
mark@enchroma.com

Master optician, Mark Mattison-Shupnick, is a member of the board of directors for EnChroma, Inc. and a veteran optical industry consultant. As an expert in ophthalmic optics, Mark has participated in the design and production of new lens materials, designs and treatments as well as develop technical marketing and training materials for optical professionals. He is a recipient of the Beverly Myers Award for Education from the National Academy of Opticianry, and is a regular contributor to industry publications like 20/20 Magazine and Vision Monday. Mark shares his decades of expertise in lectures around the country and world.

Kent Streeb

Director of PR & Partnerships
kent@enchroma.com

To EnChroma, Kent Streeb brings 20 years of experience in marketing, public relations and copywriting helping companies in technology, healthcare, utility-scale solar, non-profit and manufacturing. He has worked with organizations such as The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), VMware, NETGEAR, HopeLab, Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation, Zamzee, Palo Alto Networks and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. He served in the Peace Corps in West Africa working in rural healthcare and community development.

Kent has successfully generated positive exposure, and driven sales, for organizations charting new ground in fields such as ‘games for health,’ incentivized activity meters to combat childhood obesity and others. He drives EnChroma’s media strategy, marketing partnerships, events and marketing for retailers.

Resources:EnChroma

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Perry's consulting business: eyerockit.com

Perry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebook

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In This Episode:[3:27] Who is Dan Richards?
[4:55] What made him decide to become an entrepreneur?
[6:56] Status on the medication for COVID-19.
[10:33] How are the patients reacting?
[14:25] The business side of pharmacy.
[22:32] Couponing.
[27:39] Saving time.
[43:39] Words of wisdom.

About The Guest:Dan Richards

Dan holds a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from Roseman University. He worked in various retail pharmacies including Walmart, Shopko and Harmon’s before starting Meds in Motion. He is passionate about giving healthcare professionals the tools they need to provide the best care for their patients.

Resources:medsinmotion

dan@medsinmotion.com

Perry's consulting business: eyerockit.com

Perry's e-book: eyerockit.com/ebook

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This is a throwback episode where Perry appeared on another podcast, the Optical Journal Podcast. Perry discusses his upbringing in eyecare, his childhood, industry thoughts on what's jacked up and what's good, why frame manufacturers have marketing wrong, how to sell the best, and more.

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The guests:

Matthew Smith, That Glasses Guy Optique de Luxe

Kevin Kretch, Eyes on Chargin

Kimberly Odle-Peters, Eyes on Main

Joshua Hackney, Optical Express

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On this special episode we talked to Dr. Stephanie Woo on how to open a cash only specialty contact lens practice, no insurance, no primary care and no optical. All that and more in this episode of Eyetrepreneur.

In This Episode: [4:26] Who is Dr. Stephanie Woo? [12:42] What happened to her old practice? [15:39] Handling leads. [20:33] Fee discussion. [22:23] Initial evaluation. [25:34] Her marketing. [29:20] Other practices response. [33:25] Key performance indicator. [36:37] Her equipment. [41:21] Office layout. [57:35] Payment plan. [59:02] Handling price shoppers. [1:01] Handling transference.

About The Guest: Dr. Stephanie L. Woo was born and raised in Lake Havasu City, AZ. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Arizona with a degree in Biology Science Education. She graduated with honors from the Southern California College of Optometry. She completed a Cornea and Contact Lens Residency at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, where she was trained to fit highly irregular corneas.

She was the recipient of the Gas Permeable Lens Institute Award for Clinical Excellence and also the John R. Griffin Award for Excellence in Vision Therapy. Dr. Woo is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Fellow of the Scleral Lens Society.

She authored the Gas Permeable Lens Expert column in Review of Contact Lenses. She is a frequent author to several professional publications including Contact Lens Spectrum, Contact Lens and Cornea section of the American Optometric Association, Review of Cornea and Contact Lenses, and Review of Optometric Business.

She is an active GPLI advisory board member. Dr. Woo is a Past President of the Scleral Lens Education Society, a non-profit organization committed to teaching the art and science of scleral lenses to practitioners.

Dr. Woo is an adjunct professor at Midwestern University. Dr. Woo enjoys lecturing around the world on the subject of contact lenses and anterior segment ocular disease.

Dr. Woo owns the Contact Lens Institute of Nevada, a clinic dedicated entirely to custom contact lenses. The Contact Lens Institute offers revolutionary technology such as the EyePrintProsthetic and sMap scleral topography to assist in complex clinical cases.

In her spare time, Dr. Woo is an avid wine collector and is a Level 2 WSET Sommelier.

Resources: drwoo@clinevada.com

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Your optical can easily produce 50% or more revenue for your practice. Learn the tricks of the trade. Buying glasses is a skill. Selling glasses is a sport. Learn how to manage an optical from choosing vendors, buying, pricing, failing with frame lines, and more. Perry's funny vacuum sucking video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ezmzlm5q-Y&feature=youtu.be Read more about managing inventory: https://eyerockit.com/frame-inventory-assessment/ Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Buy now, pay later! It's the future of buying goods and services in healthcare. Deductibles and copays remain high so you need to help your patients make care affordable while also making a profit.

[2:56] What is Sunbit?
[5:37] Difference between soft pull and hard pull credit
[18:29] What do they do if a debit card is lost?
[20:19] How do people find out about Sunbit other than the vendor?
[21:12] Fees for the vendor.
[21:42] Processing remotely.
[26:40] Sunbit’s website.
[27:53] Returns.
[29:56] Onboarding process.

Learn more about Sunbit / Get Demo

There's only 2 ways to make money. You either lower your costs of goods, or you sell more crap. If you can do both, you are winning big time! Don't ever think you have the best price on a product or service for your office. There's always new companies out there who will make your life easier. Just because you have been doing business with someone forever doesn't mean they have your best interest. Now pick up the phone and go lower your costs! If you want more ideas, many of them can be found here: https://eyerockit.com/lower-costs-of-goods-services/ Thanks to our FREE advertiser Box Medical Solutions for supporting optometry Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Learn how to make more eyewear sales in your practice or optical. Perry will give you a bunch of ideas without lowering your prices. You can't grow a practice if you are not ALWAYS focusing on sales. We all want more money for ourselves and staff members, so go chase it. If you want more ideas, many of them can be found here: https://eyerockit.com/crush-eyewear-sales/ Thanks to our FREE advertiser Dry Eye University for supporting optometry Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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I'm going to break down my story of how I went from selling lemonade on the driveway in 100 degrees Kansas heat to becoming an ambitious industry consultant to drive private practice profits This week marks the launch of my optometry and optical consulting agency called Eye Rock It. I dedicate this podcast to everyone who has made some impact in showing me the eyecare ropes since I started in 2012. I'm going to share my short suburban life story so you get a feel for who I am. Then, I'm going to talk about why eyecare is not in a state of doom and gloom. We experience a lot of fear-mongering (especially with Corona in the news). We don't need to be afraid of practices shutting down due to online or private equity. We just have to be proactive in doing 2 things: Sell more products and services, and lower your costs of goods. The formula is simple. Download 194 Page E-Book How To Profit In Practice Visit eyerockit.com for general info about Perry's consultation program. Connect With Us On Social Media!

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On the podcast today we will be touching on topics that are popular at practice management meetings. How to find, compensate and keep an associate. The differences between a buying group and alliance group. What to do with private equity. All that and more in this episode of Eyetrepreneur.

--Who spends money on glasses? People over 50. --What do these people want? Comfort --How do you give comfort? Lightweight glassess --It doesn't matter if you like them, your patients will. --Rimless wearers are 10x more loyal than traditional full-rim buyers. Email perry@eyetrepreneur.com your podcast guest recommendations. Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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The easiest way to increase your income in your practice is by asking each patient in the exam room at the end of the visit if they have other family members that need to be seen. . It's likely a mother will bring their kids in for eye exams; however, parents sometimes neglect their own healthcare needs. So, make sure to ask the mother if they have had an eye exam recently. Then, proceed to book the eye exam right away before leaving the exam room. . You will be surprised how easy it is to keep your schedule full if you constantly ask your patients in front of you if they have other family members that need an eye exam. It could be a Dad, brother, sister, or grandparents. . Optometry is one of the greatest healthcare professions because it involves medical and retail opportunities. The capacity to make more income is unlimited if you make the right business decisions.

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Cardboard tints with pictures, lame acrylic brand plaques, junky lens brochures laying around? Stop this nonsense in your optical and learn how to throw away the junk. Learn from the best retailers in the world (Apple, Microsoft, etc.) that simplicity is what consumers want. Frame and lens vendors do the bare minimum to provide practices and opticals with meaningful POP to share the brand story. You need to learn how to create your own brand materials to display in the office to share YOUR brand story and not someone else's. Put in the effort to develop a local brand and not some corporate boring brand. Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Dr James Rynerson talks about the cause, prevention, and treatment for Blepharitis. Dry eye is oversimplified today. It's a complex and vicious cycle that needs immediate and aggressive treatment. Dentists have done very well over the years preaching preventative maintenance. Listen to hear how eye doctors can adopt this same mentality.

This episode is filled with really technical details about Demodex, lid hygiene, and dry eye. If you want to be an authority on dry eye, this is a must-listen episode.

In This Episode: [4:07] Guest introduction. [7:42] The goal of his company [8:30] What is Blepharitis? [17:52] The effect of obliterating the biofilm [20:47] Examination [23:07] Recommendations [29:30] How do blepharitis and Demodex affect daily activities [36:40] Blephex [40:09] Process [44:54] Recurrence [48:27] Thoughts on the use of intense pulse light

About The Guest: Dr James Rynerson received his medical degree from University of Louisville in 1990 and went on to complete an ophthalmology residency at LSU in Shreveport. After being in private practice for 17 years with an emphasis on LASIK and cataract surgery, Dr Rynerson became convinced that eye doctors could much more effectively treat blepharitis and dry eye, if they only had a tool that allowed for a complete exfoliation of the inflammatory biofilm on the lid margins of these patients.

In 2011, Dr Rynerson began to devote his full attention to bringing just such a device to the market, for the benefit of the millions of patients worldwide who suffer from these conditions. BlephEx was introduced to the market in 2013, as the first and only doctor treatment for blepharitis and dry eye. In just over a year, BlephEx was in over 1,000 offices worldwide, and in nearly every optometric teaching institution and numerous ophthalmology programs throughout the US and Canada.

Dr Rynerson became a pioneer in the understanding and treatment of lid margins disease, and was the first to propose the etiology of biofilms and exotoxins along the lid margin as the source of low-grade inflammatory damage to the tear glands. He was also first to recognize the similarities between the benefits of dental hygiene in keeping our own teeth, and lid hygiene in keeping our own tears. With this recognition, he developed the "dental model" in eye care when he first established training seminars for "Certified Lid Hygienists."

Under the guidance of Dr James Rynerson as President and CEO, BlephEx has achieved unparalleled success due to intuitive nature and ease of use in removing the inflammatory biofilm that is causing so much lid margin disease. Patients feel near-immediate relief from their irritating symptoms and save hundreds of dollars a year on the cost of artificial tears and prescription medications that have been so ineffective for so many years.

BlephEx is now in 15 countries around the world and is quickly being adopted as the new standard of care in blepharitis, MGD and dry eye treatment. BlephEx has been featured on NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates around the country as a breakthrough in the treatment of these chronic diseases.

Dr Rynerson continues to develop new technologies and innovations in the treatment of eye disease, and in his spare time enjoys classical music and spending time with his wife, 5-year-old son, and dogs.

Resources: blephex.com

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As an optician or eye doctor, you should be establishing your brand in your local community. Instead of promoting a lens brand, make your optical about YOUR brand. People grow emotional connections with small businesses because they provide high levels of customer service and great in-office experiences. Why would you talk to patients about lens brands and names when they can just go down the street to the next optical and shop on price alone? Patients don't care what the name of their lens is. They just want to sell really well. Stop confusing patients with detailed lens education, and just reassure patients you are the expert on the subject matter of progressive lenses and they will get your brand. It’s important you ditch all the phony marketing sales aids the lens vendors give you. The branding and marketing messages on brochures, desk mats, and table tents just confuse your patients. They have no clue what Hoya, Essilor, Zeiss, or Vision Source branding is. The moment you start introducing brands into the equation, your patients get lost. YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxKglDn1eAM&feature=youtu.be

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You can have the fanciest exam, the best equipment, best doctors, beautiful office, coffee bar, treats, and the whole razzle-dazzle. But, what patients really want is WHITE EYES. We all want the feeling of beauty and youth. Patients love it when at the end of an exam you show them the simple affordable way to give them porcelain white eyes with LUMIFY Redness Reliever Eye Drops. Join our Facebook group for more intimate optometry tips: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2019102771713229/ Need help in your practice? Text our 24/7 FREE eyecare hotline at 913-660-2855. We give ideas for you on business, medical, marketing and pure inspiration. Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Are you interested in learning how an independent frame company is built? You have heard of the frame company Oliver Peoples. This family optical story is told by Garrett Leight.

He gives us an optical market perspective from the past and current. Building an indie eyewear brand doesn't just take money, it takes grit.

Garrett tells us how his family created one of the most famous eyewear brands. He then goes on to tell the story of how he created an iconic California eyewear brand at the age of 25.

In This Episode: [3:01] At what age did he understand what his parents do for work [5:14] History of Oliver Peoples [8:58] Where did the name "Oliver Peoples" come from? [12:29] About selling Oliver Peoples [14:50] How did he decide he wanted to go independent [16:27] What was his first step in creating his own brand? [19:18] Garrett Leight talks about his brand [23:25] How Chinese production has changed [26:41] A virtual tour of his frame company [29:34] As a wholesale frame company, what are the barriers that he needed to overcome? [31:19] Trade show [33:05] Importance of retail [35:10] Why eCommerce? [41:08] Thoughts on how to improve an older store [42:45] Tips on opening a new store [43:55] Buying ads online [46:12] What does it mean to be an independent brand? [50:22 ] The importance of a good staff [53:53] What should you focus on?

About The Guest: Garrett Leight was born in Los Angeles in 1984, immersed inthe eyewear and fashion industries as the son of the Founder and Creative Director of Oliver Peoples. Garrett grew up playing competitive tennis and attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, graduating with a degree in Journalism. After college he worked at Oliver Peoples, observing firsthand the development of his father’s iconic designs and brand building techniques.

In 2009, he opened his first eyewear concept store, A. Kinney Court, in Venice Beach, offering a curated assortment of hand-selected goods from his hometown. The store was the first of its kind, combining the knowledge and service of licensed opticians with the styling of a fashion boutique. Inspired by the unique atmosphere and creative characters of Venice and driven to find the perfect frames for his customers, Garrett founded Garrett Leight California Optical and released his first eyewear collection in 2010. Dedicated to creating the highest quality designs handmade with the finest materials and craftsmanship,

GLCO brings a fresh perspective to classically tailored frames by blending old and new, the iconic and the innovative.

Resources: drcontactlens.com

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Are you a young practitioner and interested in selling contacts online? Is there money in selling contacts online and what are the benefits? All that and more is answered on this episode of Eyetrepreneur.

Outside Rx's can suck sometimes. They are frequently WRONG and then you look like a stupid optician or doctor because you go the prescription wrong. Some places don't even accept outside scripts for the fear of having 2-3 remakes and getting in the hole. Facts are facts though...why would you turn away a patient who wants to spend money at your establishment? There are ways to verify an Rx is accurate before you make them. We simply autorefract every patient who walks in with a script and make sure the numbers are similar. Join our Facebook group for more intimate optometry tips: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2019102771713229/ Need help in your practice? Text our 24/7 FREE eyecare hotline at 913-660-2855. We give ideas for you on business, medical, marketing and pure inspiration. Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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We all have those PROBLEM patients. They nag, they complain, they ain't got no money, they can't see even when the Rx is right. The thing is, we should OWN these problems. Patients get shuffled from provider to provider searching for the magic solution. We can't always hit a home run, but at least running the bases with them is what they need. Join our private Facebook group for intimate business talks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2019102771713229 Need help in your practice? Text our 24/7 FREE eyecare hotline at 913-660-2855. We give ideas for you on business, medical, marketing and pure inspiration. Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Are you an optometrist that doesn't quite know how you fit into the overall health system? How do you get them to come to you, how do you get other practices to refer patients to you, and how do you find your place in the eyecare system? All that and more is answered on this episode of Eyetrepreneur.

In This Episode: [3:00] Jim's journey into developing coherent eyecare.

[4:44] Clinically integrated eyecare network.

[10:47] The medical side of eyewear businesses.

[13:29] The lack of communication around optometry and primary care management.

[21:57] What practice will be referred to?

[23:04] The requirements providers need to meet with patients with diabetes at the end of the year.

[31:33] The first step for optometrists to get those new patients.

[36:42] Macra, meaningful use, and other such programs.

[41:55] Private equity groups.

[46:56] What the quality improvement person will ask.

[49:00] Avoiding organized optometry.

[53:57] Your medical eyecare practice.

[56:08] How to involve the services like those of coherent eyecare.

About The Guest: Coming soon!

Resources: Connect with Jim at (630) 292-6156 or at jim.brocato@coherenteyecare.com

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There’s always UGLY “DOGS” at the animal shelter that people still love and adopt. But, people don’t adopt ugly frames. So, instead of returning the “dog frames,” how do you sell them in your optical? Returns are messy, ewww. You need to learn clever ways to CLEAR THEM OUT and make room for better sellers. Just face the facts, NOT ALL frames will sell. You need to be prepared for this and proactively use this as a way to give patients great eyewear at a great value. Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Eyecare and optical is a growing industry, so how does Versant Health fit into it? This episode covers many different aspects of Versant Health (Davis Vision) as it fits into the eyecare market and as it relates to you.

In This Episode: [5:44] How Scott got involved in healthcare and Versant Health.

[6:40] The background of Versant Health- Davis Vision.

[8:14] How does Versant Health stand out among the big manage care players?

[12:12] The state of the eyecare profession right now- can you still have a great career?

[15:44] How Versant Health is helping people see more value.

[18:48] How does Versant Health educate on the different types of lenses?

[20:22] How Versant Health helps their patients to use their benefits.

[21:54] When patients come in, how do you manage their expectations?

[26:28] The background of the lab that Versant Health used to own, why they closed it, and what they're doing with manufacturing now.

[30:12] When you call a lab, you might end up to talking to just a phone rep and not an optician. What is Versant Health's strategy around that?

[36:44] Why not go for the high end?

[38:04] Optimap

[43:38] If you're impatient to get an order done with Versant Health, what should you do?

[46:38] The future of Versant Health

[48:18] Alleviating other bottlenecks in offices: is Versant Health going to use electric fund transfer for reimbursement?

[54:30] The Davis Vision Collection.

About The Guest: Scott Hamey, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Manufacturing for Versant Health

Scott Hamey oversees strategic development, manufacturing, and network operations at Versant Health. Scott has more than 20 years of experience in the vision care industry with a focus in business development, finance, and underwriting. A graduate from The Ohio State University, Scott has also served as Chairman at United Way and as Board Member and Treasurer at Prevent Blindness Texas. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his wife Sara and their daughter Isabella.

Resources: Training Hub

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This episode's guest is Dr. Stuart Brill (Perry's brother), resident neurology physician currently living in Detroit. Here's what we cover: -What is high blood pressure? -How do you measure it with a cuff? -What does the measurement indicate? -What negative effects will happen? -How do you prevent it? -How to live a happy long life Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Dr. Stuart Brill (Perry's brother), a resident neurologist in Detroit, shares why diabetes is nothing to mess with and leads to a painful life. Here's what's covered: - What is diabetes? -How is it caused? -How is the body affected? -What are the treatment options? -How to prevent? -How to stay healthy? We have a 24/7 eyecare hotline, text us at 913-660-2855 your questions, comments, or just to say hello. We like talking business especially! Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Listen in to get insight on practice management, diseased corneas, and most importantly help with many kinds of specialty contact lenses. Enjoy!

Are you an expert in optometry, but not so much in business? Are you ready to buy equipment, but don't know if you should finance or purchase? Learn in this episode all about banking and finance as an entrepreneur in eyecare.

Optometry is a cushy career. let's face it. We don't have to deal with blood, the patients that visit us are usually well and not sick, we have normal office schedules, we get to sell retail goods to make us more money, and we get to put smiles on peoples faces when they see better. Some doctors like to spin the dials and go home, while others enjoy the chase of always keeping up on technology trends and catering towards their patients (even when age starts catching up with you). For myself, Dr. Brilll, I'm addicted to optometry. It's a drug. I always want to read more, go to more conferences, chat with OD friends until midnight about business and clinical stuff. Retirement can be hard for many of us and it brings me to the question is optometry your hobby or your profession? Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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How much money should opticians make? They should make what they are worth. Asking for raise can be very intimidating. Sometimes the raise comes every year at your performance review, and sometimes it never comes. . Here's a few tips to become a pro at asking your boss for a raise if you are an optician: . -Record your performance metrics -Don't base your performance off behavior and emotions -Have clear data -Show you are making the practice or optical money -Have a plan for future success and share it -Be confident -Be proactive vs. reactive -Be positive, not just leading up to the review, but always! -Be motivated intrinsically, and not when you are asked -and more.... Join Facebook Live Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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The most profitable part of an eyecare practice is the optical. This was originally a YouTube video. This podcast will teach you how to buy stock lenses, what price is a good price, warranty information, mentality of edging in office, and how to stay motivated in optical. 50% or more revenue of a practice can easily come from optical eyewear and lens sales if a practice is driven and educated enough to operate it properly. The truth is, eyecare professionals are terrible at monitoring their costs of goods. They overpay for a lot of products and wonder why they work really hard and make slim profits. Insurance will never reimburse you more money. So, start taking control of your business by being proactive. Lowering your costs of goods is the easiest thing you can do to increase profits. Stock lenses come in various prices, low and high. The high priced product is generally not any better than the low price...it just has a brand name attached to it. Edging in office can be done by anybody and the skillsets can easily be learned. Related video podcast about edging in office Connect With Us On Social Media!

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Why do some receptionists sound like they just woke up to the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE? Watch the video version of this podcast...it's better! 1st impressions in offices are still 100% the most important. It all starts on the phone or online in the form of friendly knowledgable voices. Or, starts in the form of friendly, beautiful, knowledgeable websites. This is a PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT to always have the receptionist be one of the most well-qualified and trained employees. How do you train your front-desk to be super knowledgeable about eyewear, contacts, exams, and medical? Text us at 913-660-2855 if you need advice. We're serious, we'll text back right away most times. Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Going into eyecare is just as much about business as it is about actual eyecare. Are you going into business for yourself as an eyecare provider? If so, there are a lot of things you should know, and some big challenges you can avoid. Phillip C. Hoopes, MD dives into why he started his own practice and how he has been able to make it extremely successful. Enjoy!

The business of eyecare is growing. There are lots of moving parts, and there are a lot of ways you can structure your practice to be successful. Is your business as successful as it can be? Are you aware of what's going on with contact lenses? Learn all about the eyecare business with Thomas Burke of ABB Optical Group.

In This Episode: [5:14] Thomas's journey, and his perspective.

[11:44] How do we help people to realize the importance of interaction with their doctor?

[18:27] Education... or lack thereof.

[23:14] Being fair with pricing.

[25:41] Why should you order from distributors?

[30:35] How is private equity going to shift where people are ordering?

[36:54] What can you implement in your practice to make money?

[44:14] A unique solution.

[47:18] Price integrity.

[49:35] What's going on with private label contact lenses?

[55:15] What should you be watching for?

[59:12] How are Thomas's phone representatives so polished?

About The Guest: Thomas Burke joined ABB OPTICAL GROUP in August 2018 as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. His career spans nearly four decades in the distribution and healthcare industry with extensive experience in sales management, operations and employee development. Prior to ABB OPTICAL, Tom served as CEO of Massachusetts-based Medical Specialties Distributors, a supply chain solutions provider for the home infusion therapy, home medical equipment and oncology markets. From 2014 to 2016, he served as the Senior Vice President/General Manager of Innovative Delivery Solutions for Cardinal Health, developing and overseeing the strategy and execution of Cardinal Health’s acute care pharmaceutical distribution business as well as the organization’s numerous solutions companies. From 2012 to 2014, Tom served as Vice President/General Manager of Cardinal Health’s specialty distribution division. He was CEO and President of Miami-based Novis Pharmaceuticals, a start-up national distributor of therapeutic products, from 2007 until 2012, when it was acquired by Cardinal Health. Tom began his career in the healthcare logistics industry in 1979 as a warehouse employee for Daly Hospital Supply while studying business administration at Salem State University in Massachusetts. Daly Hospital Supply was later acquired by Cardinal Health, beginning Tom’s long tenure with the Fortune 500 company in a series of advancing executive leadership roles overseeing integrated solutions, pharmaceutical distribution, medical products and services, and general management for a number of divisions and regions at Cardinal Health. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, American Society of Health System Professionals, and the Health Industry Distributors Association.

Resources: ABBoptical

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Can you beat Zenni Optical prices? HAHA. We are not kidding you; a patient brought in 14 pairs of old glasses to donate to Lions Clubs International.

You can't be the low price leader and be the best.

Choose which business value model you want to follow:

-More for more -More for the same

-More for less -Less for less

Less for more

Stop trying to compete and stay in your lane if you want to succeed in private practice or your indie optical.

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Are you running your optical on a 3x frame markup? UH OH. Optical is full of profits. Maximize it. You have to learn 3 things: 1. How to buy frames 2. How to price frames with the right multiplier 3. How to determine value Let the market determine the price, not the invoice. Watch the video Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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We know that price matching at big box stores like Walmart and Best Buy is a thing. You go into the big box stores ready to buy your dream 80 inch TV and come prepared with the local paper advertisement so you can price match.

This behavior is typical in the electronics space. However, in optometry, it's important to maintain your professional status and never succumb to price matching. Our fees are set at certain prices for a reason, we have a quality of care standards to maintain. When you price match for contacts, exams, glasses, dry eye treatments, etc., you set the precedence you are always willing to negotiate. There's a reason why patients go to professional practices and opticals, they want service and help. Give it to them and then don't apologize for your prices. Not everybody want's cheap. People enjoy a great in-office experience and paying a fair price because they want easy. Easy is not ordering online always, it's buying from a trusted source. Watch the video Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook

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Are you worried that there aren't enough pieces of the pie for you? Jim McGrann of Healthy Eyes Advantage takes a deep dive into optometry from the business side. Should you adopt telemedicine? Should you expand into ecommerce? All that and more is on this episode of Eyetrepreneur. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [3:20] How did Jim get into eyecare?

[11:19] Can the pie get bigger?

[17:36] Be a part of the brand story as an optometrist.

[25:30] The story of Healthy Eyes Advantage.

[35:08] How to provide more value to ECP's.

[39:20] The role of private equity.

[45:14] Should we adopt telemedicine?

[48:56] Expanding into ecommerce.

[59:15] Keeping patients engaged.

About The Guest: Jim McGrann is an engaging, decisive and adaptable leader with a demonstrated history of delivering results in the healthcare, insurance, technology, supply chain and consulting industries. Mr. McGrann is an experienced CEO, CTO & CIO with a passion for helping businesses win in the marketplace while growing profitably and achieving change amid order, and order amid change. Mr. McGrann possesses the ideal mix of business skills, technology expertise and creativity to lead in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace. He has been a C-Level executive for 20 years and has also served on both internal and external boards of directors. Mr. McGrann is the Chairman & CEO of Healthy Eyes Advantage a solutions company that empowers independent eye care professionals to succeed in the rapidly evolving optical industry. Prior to joining Healthy Eyes Advantage, Mr. McGrann was the President & CEO of VSP Global, a $5.3B vertically integrated healthcare organization with the mission of helping people see. He successfully navigated the needs of a complex set of stakeholders, including 83M customers, 60K clients, 37K doctors, 6K global employees & numerous business partners including fashion houses, lens & lab, software and eyewear companies. From December 2008 to November 2011, before becoming CEO of VSP Global, Mr. McGrann served as VSP Global’s President of Eyefinty, the largest practice management and electronic health record company in the Optical industry serving 25K doctors, VSP Global’s Chief Technology Officer and President of VSP Vision Care, the largest healthcare company in the world (by membership) providing vision benefits to 83M consumers (including 1 in 4 Americans). From December 2011 to September 2015, while President of VSP Vision Care, Mr. McGrann focused on winning in the marketplace and the business grew by $1.02B (34%) and 23.7M members (42%) while delivering record EBITDA and NIBT. He also led the creation and strategic development of VSP Global’s innovation lab, The Shop. Mr. McGrann leveraged revolutionary techniques such as design thinking, user-centered design and nexus management to successfully launch The Shop in a three-month period of time. While President of VSP Vision Care, Mr. McGrann was Chairman of the Board for the National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP). The NAVCP is the national association established in order to act as the unified voice representing the managed vision care industry. Mr. McGrann was elected as Chairman by his peers at competing organizations. Mr. McGrann’s employer Marchon Eyewear was acquired by VSP Global in August 2008. From August 1999 to November 2008 Mr. McGrann was the CIO of Marchon Eyewear and the CEO of OfficeMate Software Solutions (a Marchon Company). Mr. McGrann led the post-acquisition integration team following VSP Global’s acquisition of Marchon. Before joining Marchon, Mr. McGrann spent 15 years as a management consultant and partner for Accenture, IBM and EY. Mr. McGrann lives in New Yok City with his wife Taryn. He has a BS in Industrial Engineering from Columbia University. He was a Member of the Wall Street Journal CEO Council from 2015 to 2017.

Resources: Connect with Jim at jmcgrann@hea2020.com

Check out Healthy Eyes Advantage

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We believe outsourcing is how you scale your business by capitalizing on what others are good at. Focus on your practice or optical, and let niche business partners pick up the slack in other areas. Other people can do tasks at a fraction of the cost it would take a full or part-time employee. Why hire one person when you can hire a team? Outsourcing areas to consider: --Insurance Billing --Bookkeeping --IT --HIPAA Compliance --Website + Marketing (still have to be hands-on) --Payroll --Janitorial

In This Episode: Here are the top 5 reasons to have a corneal topographer in your practice:

Refractively more accurate
Diseases processes (Keratoconus)
General contact lens fitting (flat cornea vs. steep cornea)
Dry eye (look at tear film)
Specialty contact lens fittings (Orthokeratology + sclerals + RGP)

Corneal topographers are the standard of care. Your investment in one will boost your practice income and give your patients better outcomes.

Don't worry about insurance not paying for images. Most patients are happy paying cash for the images knowing they are getting the highest quality of care possible.

Our recommendation for the best topographer is one from the good folks at Medmont. We like this one due to the friendliness of the company, and the fact the computer that powers it is separate from the instrument.

Watch Dr. Brill explain the importance of a topographer in your practice.

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How much do you really know about the optical labs that all want to "partner" with you? Janet Benjamin of Laramy-K Optical takes a deep dive into this as well as many other topics that will certainly help you and your practice get to the next level. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [3:16] How should you really choose a lab?

[5:46] What does "partnership" mean to big optical?

[10:06] Choosing a real partner when it comes to labs.

[11:54] Why proximity from your office to the lab does not matter.

[18:15] Establishing your brand in the marketplace instead of relying on others.

[27:22] How to get unstuck.

[39:28] Scams that go on in optical labs.

Link To Part 1 Episode Of Lab Business Revealed About The Guest: Janet Benjamin, is the owner and president of Laramy-K Optical. Janet has been in the business of making the impossible happen in optics for 46 years. Together with her now-deceased husband, Jack Benjamin, she has been at the head of two cutting edge independent optical laboratories that have pushed the boundaries of lens surfacing with the help of an amazing team.

"People are what make the difference here, both in the lab and the customers we serve," said Janet. "I have seen many changes over the decades in the optical field, from technology advancements to corporate buyouts, and I've made it her goal to continue doing business the way I have her whole life: breaking rules with independence, innovation, and heart. It is important for us to have real relationships with our customers because if you truly know your customer, you can serve them better."

If you ever call Laramy-K, you will notice the difference in customer service from pretty much anywhere else. Janet is always there to talk to people personally and spends most of her days answering customer questions and solving problems to help their patients see the best they possibly can.

Independence in the optical industry is Janet’s passion. She has many times called Laramy-K “fiercely independent,” and in addition to serving mainly independent opticians and practices, she also supports independent vendors. The majority of the work that comes through her lab is done using products from these vendors. She strives to provide the very best products, from digital progressives, to anti-reflective and mirror coatings, to simple, high-quality standard surfacing, all out from under the thumb of the “big guys.” Janet can answer questions, calculate formulas, deliver top-notch lenses, paint her nails and throw out some snark, all while running her business like a boss. Because she is the boss...The Independent Optical Boss.

Resources: OpticianWorks.com

Laramy-K.com

Youtube channel with 100s of educational optical videos

Check out the first part of this episode!

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Hector Miranda is the Northwest territory sales manager for Etnia Barcelona. He originally thought he would spend his adulthood as a historian. But early on, he got a job at Sunglass Hut selling plano suns. This was his journey into eyecare. He later ended up working at private practice, taking on managerial roles, and then transitioned it being a frame sales rep. Hector walks us through keeping positive, delivering ambition in the job, staying true to yourself as a brand ambassador, and why optometry is a great profession. Thanks to The After Party for letting us record the magical moments. The After Party is lit! Checkout the Instagram here

Neurolens tells us about their prescription lenses that add a contoured prism to bring the eyes into alignment and how Dr. Timothy Fierce helps his patient using the Neurolens system. Enjoy!

Eyewear design and creation is an art and science. This episode covers the really technical topics about eyewear making that gets ignored. There's no book or college program to learn how to make frames.Chris owns http://www.say-oh.com in Japan and is generous enough to share is intellectual knowledge. Share these facts with your patients when selling frames and they will be amused. Thanks to http://www.eyewearafterparty.com/ for sponsoring this podcast. Check out the website to learn more about how you can attend the next local event in your neighborhood.

Dr. Michael Chappell goes into fantastic detail in this episode of Eyetrepreneur in all of the different areas of his expertise being an ophthalmologist and oculoplastic surgeon. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [3:35] How did Dr. Chappell get into ophthalmology and oculoplastic surgery?

[10:06] What does Dr. Chappell do when he comes across a botched plastic surgery?

[11:56] What are the entry points for patients to Dr. Chappell's practice, and what are the different approached Dr. Chappell uses?

[34:26] What can people do to decrease a baggy eye look?

[39:26] Dr. Chappell's experience with dry eye.

[48:04] The different types of tapes for lids.

[55:26] How do we all form a better bond?

[1:11:02] What you need to know about Bell's Palsy.

[1:19:50] How can you improve what you do?

About The Guest: Dr. Michael C. Chappell is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the eyelids, tear drainage system, bones and contents of the orbit around the eye, and the face. He is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, and received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, before earning his medical degree, graduating with honors (Alpha Omega Alpha), from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Dr. Chappell completed an internship in internal medicine from St. Mary’s Medical Center and an ophthalmology residency at California Pacific Medical Center both in San Francisco, California.

Following his residency, Dr. Chappell completed a two-year oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgery (oculoplastics) fellowship accredited by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), at the University of Washington in Seattle. At the conclusion of his fellowship, he received the Marvin H. Quickert Thesis Award – a prestigious recognition given to the most outstanding research conducted in the United States by oculoplastics fellows for that year. Dr. Chappell enjoys the breadth of the field of oculoplastics and is continually fascinated by the form and function of the periocular and facial tissues.

Dr. Chappell is married, and he and his wife Mandi are very excited about being in the Kansas City area with the opportunities that Kansas City offers to them and their three children. Outside of medicine, Dr. Chappell enjoys listening to and playing music, playing soccer, running, travel, and spending time with family and friends.

Resources: moyeseye.com

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What is the INTERNET? It's this tool optometrists and opticians DON'T UNDERSTAND. >>> 1991, the year the internet went live

What really is sales? Where do you start with a new employee who doesn't know anything about optical? Learn about that and so much more with Kayla Ashlee and Dr. Rook Torres of Spexy on this week's episode of Eyetrepreneur!

In This Episode: [4:55] Why is Kayla qualified to be giving optical training?

[6:35] What is sales, really?

[9:45] How are new opticians trained?

[11:22] Where do you start?

[15:02] How to help new hires be more outgoing?

[21:00] What is the necessity of video?

[24:44] How is Kayla able to get more people into her program?

[28:18] What should you be doing with sales and manage care to remain profitable?

[39:38] Where to start with a new non-optical employee.

[43:26] Should you use incentives with sales?

[50:02] Is spexy more business management or optical training?

It's said, nothing happens until something is sold.

As an optician, just helping people to get what they want is selling.

To be a better optician, you need to be a better salesperson.

How do you become a better salesperson? You need help. Even Tiger Woods has a coach and practices every day.

Here's how:
Train
Train again
Focus on sales
Educate with real knowledge and not marketing bullshit from lens and frame manufacturers.
You are the brand
Train one more time

Kayla Ashlee of bespexy.com is a professional independent optical trainer who breeds the finest opticians in the USA. She's going to spill the beans this week!

About The Guests: Kayla Ashlee In 2006 Kayla stepped into optical and has sought out ways enhance the magic of our industry ever since. Finding a passion for optics as an optician, she began incorporating her business and marketing education into her love of optics. Developing as business consultant for multiple opticals, she created a unique tool for maximizing the profitability of frame boards. She was asked to work for a lens distributor and used her skills as a speaker to solidify partnerships with the independent opticals they serviced. This expanded her skillset to making a difference in the Northwest United States.

The next step needed to be something big! This is when she joined forces with SPEXY. Sharing the belief that the independent can do more, if they just had access to it. Since uniting with SPEXY she has patented her frame board creation. She has become an international optometric speaker. She has created an online portal for opticals to access education. Most importantly, she has empowered independent opticals to think about our eye-world differently.

Kayla lives in her home state of Idaho, where she and Rook have built a beautiful home for their family in downtown Boise. There, they are surrounded by fantastic friends that have helped them to grow and loads of family that keep them busy and have supported their adventures from the beginning.

Dr. Rook Torres, B.S., C.C.E.P, D.C. When I was a kid my dad worked in management for a major insurance company. Years later, he became self-employed and I distinctly remember the relief in his voice when he said, “Finally, I fear no man! Rook, I never want you to have to fear a boss.” Those words stuck with me. As a self-employed entrepreneur since age 12 being independent has always been critically important to me. Naturally, this helped me tremendously in choosing my doctoral education and career as a chiropractor (and also created some of my biggest challenges haha!). When I met Kayla and learned about the unique struggles in the optical industry I was fascinated and extremely excited by the opportunity to help Independent ECP’s and Opticians.

Boring Stuff about Dr. Rook:

Completed 8.5 year Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Doctor of Chiropractic degree education in 6 years.
Graduated with doctorate degree at age 23.
Diplomate Degree in Extremity care: C.C.E.P. Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner.
Certified in Webster’s In-Utero Constraint Technique.
100% success turning breech babies.
Clinical expertise in care for pediatrics, pregnancy, biomechanical kinetic chain function, sports for professional and recreational
Specialize in Lifestyle Wellness education. Physical, Bio-chemical and Psychological well being.
National TV appearance on QVC for fitness product.
Accomplished continuing education speaker.
Author of 4 books.

Resources: bespexy.com

frameturn.com

What's more important than having a solid workplace where everyone feels like family and comfortable to come to work? NOTHING. John's wife owns Myoptic Optometry in Portland, Oregon with 3 locations. They have created procedures and protocols to create a smooth workplace. John is a branding and messaging expert as he has worked with companies like Nike and Coca Cola in his career outside of optometry. This episode hits hard on creating great experiences online, in-office, choosing the right staff, and being true to your brand. Thanks to The After Party eyewear show for sponsoring us at the event. www.eyewearafterparty.com www.pdxeyes.com

Online contacts, direct to consumer business, internet refractions, managed care vision buying into retail. What the heck is going on? Dr. Jeffrey Sonsino and And Barrow of a new startup called Eyeris are making a safe place for optometrists to practice. Get ahead of the game now!

In This Episode: [3:40] The backgrounds of both Dr. Jeffery Sonsino and Andy Barrow

[16:42] How is their approach to eyecare changing?

[20:50] State and national organizations and how they work with optometrists.

[26:28] Bad players tactics.

[29:56] Where are the industry supporters for general eyecare?

[39:26] Good players and good tactics like Eyeris.

[47:24] How has the patient finder worked so far?

Get in touch at https://myeyeris.com/

https://eyetrepreneur.com/new-and-changing-business-models-dr-jeffery-sonsino-and-andy-barrow/

We're doctors, opticians, and industry professionals. While we do good deeds, we also deserve to make a living and profits. Here are 5 financial tips: 1. Don't match prices 2. Always charge for nosepads 3. Sell solutions and accessories, your patients want convenience 4. How to handle giving optician raises 5. The biggest opportunity in the exam room

Thinking is easy. Executing is hard. Hit is up on our texting platform. We want to hear from you about ideas you have, advice you want to give or just to say hello. Our number is 913-660-2855. www.eyetrepreneur.com

Listen to Robert Bell take a deep dive into the side of optometry many optometrists are unprepared for: sales.

In This Episode: [2:04] Break it down. Why did they walk through your door?

[2:52] Should you charge for adjustments even if the frame wasn't purchased at your store?

[7:22] What challenges are employees presenting, and how to overcome them?

[11:54] Handling the retail side of optometry.

[20:18] How much should you chat during a sale?

[24:30] How to make your presence more widely known.

Check out Robert on Facebook

6 practice tips and topics to ponder about. 1. The public is confused about eyecare 2. Is optometry your hobby or profession? 3. Music matters in your office. It sets the vibe 4. Should family work in your practice? 5. Optometry's dirty little secret. ODs don't refer to ODs 6. Phone etiquette is super important for first impressions

Make sure to text us your thoughts on our new texting platform. Hit us up at 913-660-2855 to communicate with Perry and Dr. Brill. Ask us questions, just say hello, or get advice. Watch our educational videos at https://eyetrepreneur.com/our-videos/

In This Episode:

Eyewaer retailers must adapt and change, sell out, or slowly die.

Dennis Zelazowski and Perry Brill sat down on January 16, 2019 in London to discuss the future of the retail eyewear market.

The times are changing as vision plan companies are buying large chain operations and going vertical.

Watch as Dennis and Perry discuss how to thrive and the future of customized eyewear.

Perry also did a podcast with Dennis earlier in the year!

About The Guest: Dennis is a third generation optician, Inventor of the Chemistrie magnetic lenses, founder of Eyenavision, and Co-Founder of 3DNA Eyewear, recipient of Japan's "Good Design Award" and recently named to the "Top 50 Retail Innovators of Hong Kong. Growing up inside the optical business has positioned Dennis to be a leading innovator in the industry. Dennis has been involved with Marketing and Development of optical solutions for over 20 years. Dennis has worked in nearly every facet of the optical industry, including: private practice; retail locations; and the wholesale supply chain. He has worked for a variety of companies, ranging from independent, single-location practices, to multi-location hybrids, and optical conglomerates. Dennis, a native to the greater Pittsburgh area, has apprenticed in optical trade locally, as well as in Colorado and Washington. Dennis’ educational background includes course work at Northern Arizona University, University of Pittsburgh and the Robert E. Cook Honor College at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dennis has also earned his certification as a Microsoft Systems Engineer. Dennis holds Seven US patents for optical frame and lens design and several additional patents-pending. Dennis has successfully designed and implemented software for Retail, Wholesale, Laboratory, B2B, and B2C applications in the optical field.

Resources: 3DNA.org

Learn more about 3DNA Eyewear

Link to Patents

https://www.instagram.com/3dna_eyewear/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dzyne

Contact Dennis: dz@eye-dna.com

WhatsApp: +852 5527 0678

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Michael Freeman takes a deep dive into some exciting new tech coming to eyecare: virtual reality and augmented reality. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [5:13] The invention of the mobile video, and how it was applied at first.

[6:44] How Michael made it into eyecare.

[8:10] Virtual reality and augmented reality, and how it relates to eyewear.

[15:32] The device itself: what does it look like, and how does it work?

[26:55] Will eyecare providers be necessary for these devices?

[40:21] Is it comfortable?

About The Guest: Freeman is an award-winning innovator with over 150 patents filed, with over 60 patents issued in the Sectors of: Multi-Channel Streaming Mobile Video, Augmented Reality Eyewear, RFID Location Base Tracking, Nano-Chemicals, and Ultra-Hight Efficiency Muxcapacitor® Transformerless Power Supplies. Freeman also won the 2015 and 2016 Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards for Best Product to Power the IoT while CEO of Semitrex a company Freeman founded based on his Switch Cap transformerless power supplies invention which provides over 95% efficiency.

While President of PC Designs, Freeman invented the first streaming mobile video technology in 1994 which garnered him a two TV Emmy Awards. This revolutionary mobile video technology was licensed by virtually all cell companies throughout the 1990's and acquired by Samsung who asserted the patents in the Apple vs. Samsung II litigation, where Mr. Freeman testified. In that Appsung litigation Freeman was identified as developing the "forerunner" of Smart Phones because his team was the first to combine the connectivity of cell phones with the intelligence of computers. His streaming mobile video was the basis for the 802.11(n) MIMO protocol.

Freeman also served a stint in the Major Motion Picture Industry as a Sr. Executive Vice President for a leading Hollywood Company, 1492 Studios, Inc.

Resources: oculenz.com

Q&A session with the marketing and educational director of Hoya. It's important ECPs learn more about a lens company than what they find in marketing brochures and advertisements in magazines. Hoya has been making lenses since 1941 and has contributed many innovations to the lens market.

In This Episode: * What differentiates Hoya from other big optical vendors * How to increase lens sales * Current thoughts about lens market being saturated * Is Hoya a partner or competitor to ECPs? * New innovations * Technical talk about progressive and anti-reflective * Questions from audience answered

About The Guests: Bob Alexander, LDO, ABOM / NCLE-AC :

Bob is a graduate of Hocking College with an AAS in Opticianry. He is a Dual Licensed Dispensing Optician in OH, an Advanced Certified Contact Lens Technician through the National Contact Lens Examiners and a certified Master in Ophthalmic Optics through the American Board of Opticianry. Bob is a certified technical level III speaker for both ABO and NCLE. In 2018 he started his career with Hoya Vision Care and currently holds the position of Senior Manager of Education Resources.

Mike Hanbridge:

Michael Hanbridge is Digital Marketing Manager for Hoya Vision Care, US Market. He has 25 years of experience covering a broad range of marketing disciplines and industries.

Resources: hoyavision.com

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Watch Facebook Live broadcast here: https://www.facebook.com/eyetrepreneur/videos/2975609855844797/

Coco and Breezy share their incredible story of hand-making eyewear pieces in their NYC apartment with studs and stones on safety glasses selling them to celebrities like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and more. They eventually went ALL-IN by creating an electric eyewear brand from scratch not knowing a single thing about eyewear design, production, or manufacturing.

In This Episode: [4:52] Their evolution growing up and what they are doing today.

[12:16] How they got by moving to NYC.

[15:52] The next steps after people started wearing their glasses.

[20:28] The impact of expanding their team.

[21:56] A typical day for Coco and Breezy.

[25:40] How could they sell their eyewear when most eyewear sales happen offline?

[31:40] What did they know about producing eyewear when they started?

[36:24] When did things start to smooth out for Coco and Breezy?

[38:10] Big brands or small brands?

[39:50] What should you be doing to have really good presence in store?

[43:54] How to get the electric feeling back into the eyewear industry.

[48:16] How did Coco and Breezy begin to DJ, and what are they doing now?

[51:18] What is the game plan in the future for Coco and Breezy?

About The Guest: Twin Cities natives and twins, Coco & Breezy are founders of Coco and Breezy Eyewear, DJs, and music producers on everyone's radar. Coming from humble beginnings, the duo launched Coco & Breezy Eyewear at age nineteen in 2009 and moved to New York City to pursue their passions. Designs from their eponymous eyewear line are worn by icons such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, and the late, great superlative style legend Prince, who championed their now iconic 'third eye' design. The pair's successes have been noticed by major publications across the globe. They have been featured by Forbes, Refinery29, Teen Vogue and NBC News, all of whom have remarked upon their incredible ingenuity and charming personalities. In addition to presiding at the helm of their booming brand, Coco & Breezy have turned their attention to the music world. They are regularly featured DJs at a string of high profile events and have most recently released their debut single, Differences. You can find their eyewear in over 400 fine optical retailers around the world. www.cocoandbreezy.com https://eyetrepreneur.com/2019/10/black-female-eyewear-creators-djs-coco-breezy/

In This Episode:

Innovation is not just for tech start-ups and e-commerce giants. Plenty of innovation exists within the eye care space too, specifically optometry practices. At Brill Eye Center, our 37 year eyecare practice, we have maintained our innovation through staying modern by treating our business like a start-up. We wakeup every morning and think "what can we do better to improve our profitability, flow, efficiency, staff, eyewear, and processes?" It's a never ending process and that's what gives us the leading edge.

Innovation comes when you do what's right for the patient. When the patient benefits, the practice benefits. It's really that simple. Also, adopting technology 5 years ahead of your competition is a key pillar in staying relevant within the eyecare space.

You don't have to your blow your competition out of the water to be better, just focus on being 10% more awesome.

If you expect your optometry office to be innovative, you must proactively work with your staff to change. Always altering your procedures in office is annoying, but it's what drives innovation.

Innovation goes beyond perfecting your in-office experience, it must exist online too. At www.brilleye.com, we spent over a year building a state-of-the art eyecare website to give our patients all the knowledge and resources they need before they visit us in person. If you are not generating content weekly and updating your website, you are losing the online war. Buying a cookie cutter website then never updating it is like committing business suicide. Innovation is online, in-person and in your hand.

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Joey Horn provides a unique and interesting outside perspective to the world of optical: but not only optical, medical and business as well. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [2:40] How did Joey get started in the eyecare space?

[9:30] What changes Joey's vision?

[12:18] Joey's professional role and the launch of a product.

[17:40] The dry eye experiences Joey has had.

[25:10] What was Joey's research like when it came to finding the best doctor for her.

[31:10] Joey's top three surprises at joining the eyecare industry.

Carissa Dunphy is an ABO Certified Optician who has been working in the optical industry since 2008. This episode dives into the trenches of being an optician, how to treat it as your own business, and work a fulfilling progressive career.

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Dr. Richard Maharaj discusses the different specialties surrounding optometry, the psychology surrounding optometry from both the doctor and patient perspective, and so much more. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [3:09] Dr. Maharaj's journey into eyecare and where he is today.

[9:40] Why are specialties in optometry emerging right now?

[16:48] The experience of seeing an eye doctor.

[19:50] Should you get rid of retail?

[22:20] How hard should you look into the wallets of your patients?

[37:48] How Canada helps those patients who can't work and afford care.

[39:58] Collaborative eyecare in Canada.

[49:15] Handling patients that are having trouble understanding their condition.

[59:09] How to maintain pricing even when competitors lower their pricing.

About The Guest: Dr. Richard Maharaj is the current medical director for eyeLABS Center for Ocular Surface Disease a leading specialty eye Care and research facility outside of Toronto. He obtained his Doctor of Optometry from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry and is an active Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. He is a clinical adjunct faculty for the University of Waterloo School of Optometry, the Canadian Association of Optometrists Section Chair for Ocular Surface Disease, Editorial Board Member for The Journal of Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease, and Chief Education Officer at MyDryEye.ca and co-founder for the Canadian Dry Eye Summit - a national conference dedicated to educating eye doctors in the area of dry eye disease management. He is a published respected national speaker and clinical scientist on diseases of the ocular surface. He was honored as one of the Top 40 Canadian Optometrists under 40 by Johnson and Johnson Vision Care in 2018 Important Links: EyeLabs.ca

In This Episode: The optical today is still where practices can make 50% or more of their revenue. You have to be smart and take control of your production instead of giving away the profits to your labs. Even with all the crazy acquisitions from insurance companies and private equity, the room for your optical to grow is ample!

Any employee or doctor can be trained on how to edge in office over a few days. It's not rocket science. Simply purchase an edger, and the installation company will teach you the basics right away. Listen as we talk with Allan J. Panzer about implementing in-office edging.

About The Guest: Dr. Allan Panzer is committed to providing quality personalized eyecare. Helping children with their eye sight problems – especially those who have special needs – is one of his main priorities and interests.

He is a certified Optometric Glaucoma Specialist. Dr. Panzer also has a passion for specialty contact lenses for myopia control and has been a big advocate for orthokeratology for over a decade.

Dr. Panzer’s practice has a major emphasis on dry eye prevention and effective treatments. He is an early adopter of technology and now uses Intense Pulse Light (IPL) to help his patients find dry eye relief.

His onsite laboratory makes it fast and easy to provide all eyewear needs and there are literally hundreds of frame styles to choose from in every price range — from very serviceable to the latest high fashions.

He recognizes that we all live in a fast-paced environment with busy lifestyles and schedules, so he works hard to make sure that all patients receive personal attention in a timely manner and that his staff is always friendly, knowledgeable and well-trained.

Home dry eye maintenance treatments...what's new? We're talking with NuLids, a manufacturer of a daily use dry eye treatment device to see how patients can maintain compliance.

In This Episode: [3:02] How the guests got involved with NuSight Medical.

[5:10] What is NuLids?

[12:47] NuLids versus an in-office treatment.

[18:13] Where NuLids can fit into your practice.

[19:49] Dealing with squeamish dry eye patients.

[29:50] Are you wary of selling in your clinic?

[41:32] Should you charge for dry eye treatments in-office?

[49:03] What happens if the patient doesn't like NuLids?

About The Guests: Kevin Jones * Vice President, Business Development * NuSight Medical, LLC * 22 years award-winning executive sales management in Ophthalmology & Optometry * Previous roles include: + Founder and Principal of award-winning medical device distribution company + Sales & Territory Management + *Sales Training

David Frigerio Vice President of Sales and Business Development at NuSight Medical

NuSight Medical NuSight Medical is a device manufacturer that developed NuLids, a doctor directed, at home, Dry Eye Treatment and Lid Hygiene product. Nulids is sold in the US, Canada, and Europe to Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Hospitals and Teaching Institutes. I was brought on to manage the US product launch, Sales, and to develop Independent Dealer program sales program. I currently control sales for Michigan, and manage a distributor sales team that covers 36 states. The company has experienced sales growth of 40x since August, 2017. Our product is now in over 3000 housholds, and is being sold by over 500 Eye Care Professionals.

What you can learn from a top retinal specialist who also raises goats. Find out if bowtie guys are really smarter. Controversies in retina referrals. What you need to know with Dr. Ivan Batlle.

[2:25] Dr. Batlle's journey into ophthalmology.

[6:15] The ForeSeeHome program.

[8:00] Longer-term injections versus regular injections.

[10:00] How much does the medicine cost, and what is the injection process?

[15:50] All about the disease and what can be done.

[19:30] The psychological aspects of the disease you can talk with the patients about.

[24:15] What testing is going to be available in the future.

[26:55] How quick should you refer to a retina specialist?

[39:00] How do we make the professions more collaborative?

[42:45] How urgent is a retinal detachment?

[46:00] Acute Retinal Necrosis

[53:36] How can we do a better job of communicating with patients?

KCretina.com

eyetrepreneur.com

Learn about American made eyewear production from a pioneer.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Daniel Lau, owner of Kala eyewear. The brand has been producing frames in California for numerous years.

Topics:

How his Dad started the company 2. Polishing frames 3. Acetate production of eyewear 4. Eyewear culture and trends 5. What it means to be American made

This podcast was recorded at The After Party in Seattle on February 26, 2019. It is an independent eyewear and eyecare event.

https://www.eyewearafterparty.com

https://www.kalaeyewear.com

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Janet Benjamin of Laramy-K Optical Labs takes a deep dive into private/independent labs versus big name companies, and how those differences can affect you. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [3:20] How did Janet get into optical, and owning her own lab?

[11:30] What is Laramy-K optical?

[14:21] What is uncut, and why is that Janet's specialty?

[19:08] When would you want to have an uncut?

[21:16] How should an ECP choose a lab to work with?

[28:58] What happens when a lab's service goes from good to bad?

[33:58] The top three things that cause order delays.

[40:16] How we should improve our service and save money at the same time.

[48:44] How does the big-name companies and the independent differ?

[1:00:28] What to keep in mind going into 2020.

About The Guest: Janet Benjamin, is the owner and president of Laramy-K Optical. Janet has been in the business of making the impossible happen in optics for 46 years. Together with her now-deceased husband, Jack Benjamin, she has been at the head of two cutting edge independent optical laboratories that have pushed the boundaries of lens surfacing with the help of an amazing team.

"People are what make the difference here, both in the lab and the customers we serve," said Janet. "I have seen many changes over the decades in the optical field, from technology advancements to corporate buyouts, and I've made it her goal to continue doing business the way I have her whole life: breaking rules with independence, innovation, and heart. It is important for us to have real relationships with our customers because if you truly know your customer, you can serve them better."

If you ever call Laramy-K, you will notice the difference in customer service from pretty much anywhere else. Janet is always there to talk to people personally and spends most of her days answering customer questions and solving problems to help their patients see the best they possibly can.

Independence in the optical industry is Janet’s passion. She has many times called Laramy-K “fiercely independent,” and in addition to serving mainly independent opticians and practices, she also supports independent vendors. The majority of the work that comes through her lab is done using products from these vendors. She strives to provide the very best products, from digital progressives, to anti-reflective and mirror coatings, to simple, high-quality standard surfacing, all out from under the thumb of the “big guys.” Janet can answer questions, calculate formulas, deliver top-notch lenses, paint her nails and throw out some snark, all while running her business like a boss. Because she is the boss...The Independent Optical Boss.

In This Episode: There's nothing sexier than a woman that knows optics and fashion. These two ladies, Anissa Laval and Autianna Wilson are crushing the optical game on all fronts.

Here's what we talk about: 1. Knowing your worth 2. How to ask for a raise 3. How to find mentorship 4. Women in optical 5. What is independent eyewear? 6. Social media hacks for optical

This podcast was recorded on June 25, 2019 at The After Party, a regional independent eyewear event.

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, two guests from WEAVE discuss integrating EHR, recall, reminders, telephone and other smart business practices into your practice and what benefits that can give you. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [4:34] What is WEAVE?

[9:06] What can you do to keep your books full?

[11:20] How to ask patients for other family members to come in.

[17:31] How does it work weaving all aspects of outreach into one?

[19:24] Why patients don’t check their voicemail and call back, and how to handle it.

[26:28] How to prevent the opt-outs.

[33:25] How doctors can get better google reviews.

[38:00] The virtual healthcare summit.

[46:44] How to contend with modern communication in an optometric practice.

Get a demo of WEAVE and $50 Amazon Gift Card

Attend the Practice Growth Virtual Summit

Yes, there are frames being made in the USA, specifically in Brooklyn.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Gerard Masci of Lowercase NYC at The After Party in San Francisco for the coolest modern-day American eyewear creation story.

From hedge fund manager on Wall Street for 13 years to learning how to build and design eyewear, Lowecase is one of the most rad eyewear brands to hit the American market in decades.

This podcast brings straight inspiration! So much warm fuzzy feelings knowing people still have the drive and curiosity to accomplish such entrepreneurial goals.

Visit www.lowercasenyc.com and www.eyewearafterparty.com for more info about the frame brand and this eyewear event held quarterly.

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Anu Chiarelli shares her experiences as a dry eye patient. Enjoy!

In This Episode:

Opticals can easily drive 50% or more of an optical's revenue. Optical educational for staff can be the key to success in staying abreast of sales techniques, technical knowledge, and staying motivated. Doctors invest lots of money in medical equipment, but many times overlook the cash infusion it takes to properly train staff and carry the right product assortment of frames.

Optical has relied on corporate frame and lens companies to provide education, but this obviously is not sustainable since these companies are now competing against small ECPs.

This episode with Kayla Ashlee of www.bespexy.com focuses on showing opticals the importance of frame inventory management (keeping things profitable and smooth) and on-boarding education for new optical hirees. Now, this isn't your typical boring math-infused and marketing crap you get from everyone else. Spexy provides video-based content that's entertaining, engaging, and relevant. Plus, the online educational platform has a guided learning e-course that managers and owners can access to track learning progress. The optical resource is subscription-based, affordable and with no contracts.

About Kayla Ashlee: In 2006 Kayla stepped into optical and has sought out ways enhance the magic of our industry ever since. Finding a passion for optics as an optician, she began incorporating her business and marketing education into her love of optics. Developing as business consultant for multiple opticals, she created a unique tool for maximizing the profitability of frame boards. She was asked to work for a lens distributor and used her skills as a speaker to solidify partnerships with the independent opticals they serviced. This expanded her skillset to making a difference in the Northwest United States.

The next step needed to be something big! This is when she joined forces with SPEXY. Sharing the belief that the independent can do more, if they just had access to it. Since uniting with SPEXY she has patented her frame board creation. She has become an international optometric speaker. She has created an online portal for opticals to access education. Most importantly, she has empowered independent opticals to think about our eye-world differently.

Kayla lives in her home state of Idaho, where she and Rook have built a beautiful home for their family in downtown Boise. There, they are surrounded by fantastic friends that have helped them to grow and loads of family that keep them busy and have supported their adventures from the beginning.

Important Links: EyewearAfterParty

BeSpexy

FrameTurn

SPEXY on Facebook

Kayla on LinkedIn

Connect with Kayla at kayla@beSPEXY.com or at (929) 777-5817

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Scott Shapiro shares how he was able to find success in state optical and Europa Eyewear. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [3:31] The family roots of optical.

[8:00] What did Scott do before eyecare?

[10:22] What Europa is, what they do, and how they differentiate themselves in the market.

[15:26] The hardest thing to do within the industry, and how it is necessary for success.

[18:26] How to motivate a sales force to do a good job.

[21:06] Are eyewear events really just a big recruiting ground?

[21:56] The actual manufacturing process of eyewear.

[33:26] Why is the eyewear industry is one of the few that accepts exchanges and returns?

[33:50] How to handle the difficult customers and the crooked customers.

[38:40] What does state optical mean today?

[48:08] How to shoot the core wire of a frame.

[53:20] How the public reacts to state optical.

[58:02] Will we all end up online selling direct to consumers?

About Scott Shapiro: Scott Harris Shapiro grew up in the eyewear industry. His parents founded Europa Eyewear in 1977 and for over 40 years the company has been designing, importing and distributing eyeglasses and sunglasses.

Scott studied journalism in college and spent 10 years on morning radio before finally joining his family’s business.

In 2014 he teamed up with two innovative entrepreneurs to build a first-of-its kind American eyewear factory and produce a new luxury brand called STATE Optical Co. Today he works out of the company’s headquarters just outside of Chicago, IL, but spends a great deal of his time traveling around the country talking to eyecare professionals about the craft of eyewear production.

Important Links: Check out state optical and Europa Eyewear.

See the rest of the show notes at eyetrepreneur.com!

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Daniel Crespo takes a deep dive into frames and eyewear technology; with a background as a physicist he brings a unique perspective to eyewear. Enjoy!

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Alexandra Peng takes a deep dive into the fitting of eyewear and all of the challenges associated with it. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [5:55] How Alexandra first got into eyewear.

[08:10] The fitting of eyewear.

[19:35] Helping people with self frame selection.

[26:50] Alleviating fitness challenges.

[33:00] The next type of challenging fit.

[53:15] Establishing your presence as an optician.

About Alexandra Peng: Alexandra Peng Charton is a veteran of the industry, spending more than 20 years designing and producing eyewear for global brands. However, despite helping countless clients find the perfect eyewear to match their needs, there was one person she could never find the right frame for: herself.

So, with her vast knowledge of the eyewear industry and firsthand experience with difficulty finding well-fitting glasses, she started TC CHARTON in 2009 - the first North American brand that focuses solely on making distinctive, beautiful eyewear for Asians.

The brand was designed to accommodate higher cheekbones, lower nose bridges and other ethnic features that make conventional eyewear impossible or uncomfortable to wear. With over a hundred different frames to choose from, the wearer can have a great fit without having to compromise on style and luxury.

Alexandra is constantly studying faces wherever she goes, always on the lookout for her latest muse. Each style is crafted to fit the features of people that she has met in her travels, and the finished product even shares the name of the person that inspired them.

TC CHARTON was created foremost to fit Asian features, however the multitudinous styles available in the collection appeal to people of many other ethnic backgrounds, and they are finding that TC CHARTON eyewear fits them fabulously.

Check out the rest of the show notes at eyetrepreneur.com!

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Dr. David Grosswald shares his optemetric journey through growing a practice, selling a practice with private equity, using the latest technologies to help patients, and so much more. Enjoy!

In This Episode: [3:24] Dr. Grosswald's optemetric journey.

[7:24] The evolution of Dr. Grosswald's practice.

[11:51] The three best places to grow in your practice.

[13:21] Why Dr. Grosswald decided to de-franchise.

[16:58] The private equity world.

[23:51] Selling your practice.

[31:37] Addressing the concerns surrounding selling your practice.

[35:30] The reality of total eyecare partners.

[39:26] The cutting edge areas that Dr. Grosswald has used to great effect.

[49:17] Learning about different types of technology.

[1:03:28] What you should be doing to differentiate yourself.

About Dr. David Grosswald: Dr. David Grosswald is a third generation native of Atlanta, Georgia. He studied premedical sciences at the University of Georgia from 1984 to 1988. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Physiologic Optics in 1990 and earned his Doctorate of Optometry from Southern College of Optometry in 1992. Upon graduation, he was employed with a private practice and, ultimately, opened his own practice as a Pearle Vision franchisee in 1998. His franchise practice grew to three locations throughout east Georgia with eventual consolidation in 2014 to single private practice now known as The Eye Center of Conyers, Georgia. In 2018, he partnered with Total Eyecare Partners with the goal of achieving industry-leading, medically-oriented optometric care assisted by their collaborative, group resources.

In the early, developing years of his Conyers, Georgia practice, he had a special interest in better serving patients with the latest diagnostic and practice management technologies. Utilizing these technologies has been a progressive process with the goal of providing more efficient care while assuring a more impressionable experience for the patient. His success in this daily endeavor has been reflective in the tremendous growth and productivity of his practice.

Through the application of these technologies, niche specialties beyond the conventional optometric realm were realized. As a result, Dr. Grosswald developed extensive experience in providing specialty contact lens services with orthokeratology and scleral lens designs. His lens designs are primarily achieved via Wave Custom design software. This permits infinitely adjustable fitting and optical parameters necessary for achieving success with challenging cases. Dr. Grosswald is recognized among the Wave contact lens community as an “opinion leader” and pioneer of lens design concepts. He is a frequent lecturer with the Vision by Design educational symposiums on topics such as Wave custom GP designs and practice management concepts.

With the chronicity of many ocular pathologies and the frequent futility of conventional treatment methods, determining and treating the underlying systemic causes has been Dr. Grosswald's recent passion. He has become a voracious scholar of functional or integrative medicine and how it applies to managing conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, glaucoma and other commonly seen ocular conditions resulting from chronic systemic inflammation, vascular insufficiency and immune compromise or excitation. In essence, the goal is to utilize integrative technologies to aid the body's own ability to make new, energized cells and, thus, heal itself. This goal is assisted by in-office use of photobiomodulation, pulsed electromagnetic therapy, transdermal ozone therapy, and epigenetic analysis.

Important Links: Check out Dr. Grosswald's website!

Connect with Dr. Grosswald on Facebook

Give him a call at (678) 758-2184

Check out the full show notes page at Eyetrepreneur.com!

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Shaun Paterson shares his journey to creating his own eyewear brand with only a business background.

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Dr. Eric Larson dives into the current state of the healthcare system, including the direct primary care model, business models of hospitals, and so much more.

In This Episode: [5:42] The Paradox Podcast

[7:06] The advantage of the direct primary care model.

[12:20] How to help people realize that they can pay with cash instead of always through insurance.

[15:10] Seeking care despite a high deductible plan.

[16:45] The business model of hospitals and what's going on in health care consolidation.

[22:20] What happens when a patient needs more days in the hospital.

[24:30] Are we repeating history when it comes to hospitals and healthcare systems becoming more vertical?

[27:30] Efficiency in third party payers.

[43:50] Are drugs cheaper outside of the US?

[50:05] Are physicians saying enough is enough?

[56:10] Maintenance of certification.

[1:00:15] Systems that work for healthcare.

About Dr. Eric Larson: Eric Larson, MD is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Eric is in private practice and is board certified in anesthesiology where he specializes in ambulatory, preoperative acute pain, and general anesthesia. He serves as the president of the Kent County Medical Society and practices anesthesiology in a large independent single specialty group in Grand Rapids, MI.

He works in the Grand Rapids, MI area and is married to a pediatrician with whom he has three children and one foster son (now grown and soon moved out of the house).

He is the host of the popular new podcast, Paradocs. The show covers a range of topics related to medicine and the delivery system. Specifically, Dr. Larson interviews another doctor (usually) where they discuss the issues facing physicians in medicine and how it affects their practice and patients.

You can find the Paradocs on all podcast software or at his website, www.theparadocs.com.

Important Links: The Paradocs Podcast

Check out the show notes page at eyetrepreneur.com!

In this episode of Eyetrepreneur, Laura Periman, MD shares her journey into the wonderful world of dry eye, helping patients with dry eye when they might not realize they need help, the why of dry eye, and so much more.

In This Episode: [9:30] The consultant to the eyeware industry.

[11:25] How glasses became fashionable.

[14:10] The mentors that really fired up Bruce on his journey.

[17:00] Opticians are really self employed, right?

[20:45] Why Bruce carries independent eyewear.

[24:00] How opticians can differentiate themselves in their business.

[35:40] How opticians can have the mindset that they're more than just an hourly employee.

[47:40] How can you beat out the market competition?

[1:03:40] What we can utilize to make our lives easier and more fulfilling.

About Bruce Sporn: Bruce Sporn is a veteran of the optical industry. He is the president of Optical Alternatives, Inc., a consulting and supply firm to Independent Eyecare Professionals. Bruce has been helping independent opticals and optometrists succeed for the last 41 years by providing them top-quality products and education. Today, Bruce dedicates his time on the road to eyewear sales, service, making sure independents stay ahead of the curve to remain relevant and profitable. Representing only independent products, Bruce prides himself on bringing his accounts quality, functional, and fashionable eyewear that meets the needs of trendy eyewear consumers.

To check out the rest of the show notes, go to eyetrepreneur.com!

In This Episode:

[6:20] How Jerry got into eyecare.

[7:25] What OMS is.

[9:18] What happens when someone calls looking for an assessment.

[12:00] Revenue cycle management: how it works and how it can be improved.

[13:44] Why someone might want to outsource medical billing as opposed to having someone in office.

[20:02] Is there an easy way to access insurance information?

[25:10] How you can find savings by outsourcing.

[28:10] Ways you can scale today.

[36:55] What practices are doing today to manage debt collections.

[41:34] What's involved in compliance.

[48:25] What are the steps for practices to critically look at their current situation and decide on whether or not they need help?

[52:25] The do's and don't's of social media.

[1:03:00] The private equity market.

About Jerry Godwin: Jerry Godwin is the president & CEO of Optometric Medical Solutions (OMS), a practice management firm specializing in consulting, compliance, revenue cycle management, and education focused on implementing medical eye care in the optometric practice. Jerry has developed software, systems and processes to mitigate the challenges the Eye Care Professional (ECP) faces. His diverse background in the healthcare industry provides unique expertise developing critical business infrastructure and implementing practice solutions in a competitive eye care market. His vast experience over the past 18 years in multi-discipline physician practice settings including the ownership and operation of a home health company and outpatient therapy clinics provides visionary leadership and exceptional execution of deliverables to his clients. Jerry's knowledge base and experience provide the expertise necessary for guiding your practice to success and motivating your staff to their fullest potential. Jerry earned his Executive MBA focused on leadership and change from the Center for Professional Excellence at University of Texas San Antonio. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas San Antonio earning a BA in Finance.

Important Links: Check out Jerry's website at OMS.com

Also check out the rest of the show notes for this episode at Eyetrepreneur.com!

Get a behind the scenes look into the creation of eyewear in factories, along with consumers' reactions to purchasing frames online, the omni-channel approach Ditto is developing, and so much more.

In This Episode: [2:55] The Hundert family tradition of eyewear.

[7:08] Key pearls from working in an eyewear factory in China.

[10:40] Kevin's life after the factory.

[12:54] How customers responded to buying frames online.

[16:38] The omni-channel approach Ditto is developing.

[19:40] The next generation of virtual try on.

[21:58] The procedures and purpose of Ditto.

[27:00] What Ditto is doing to get involved with beta testing and implementing into real-world applications.

[37:45] What should brick and mortar stores be doing online today to make sure their brands stand out?

[42:05] The future of what opticals should be selling online.

[45:20] How do you differentiate between what's quality and what's not with online eyewear?

[50:35] Will Amazon be a player in the online eyewear industry?

[51:55] Will there be a barrier of entry for ECP's?

[54:55] What to get excited about in the near future.

About Kevin Hundert: Kevin Hundert is currently the Business Development Manager at Ditto.com. The Hundert’s family has been in the industry since the mid ’70s when his grandfather started REM Eyewear, a top manufacturer for the likes of John Varvatos, Converse, Lucky Brand, and more.

In 2013, Kevin launched a direct-to-consumer eyewear brand called Made Eyewear. The company featured an at-home-try-on program similar to that of Warby Parker. The eyewear started at $84 and was quality design and material focused at that price point. Kevin hoped to disrupt the traditional store-bought eyewear model since consumers want easier access to products and more reasonable price points on eyewear. Made Eyewear also worked with ECPs, to help bridge the gap of online and in-store. Made ceased its operations, but it was a learning experience that provided Kevin with tremendous knowledge about the online marketplace for eyewear.

Today, Kevin works to expand Ditto.com which is a company focused on virtual try-on and frame recommendation technology for eyewear retailers.

Important Links: Ditto.com

Connect with Kevin at kevin@ditto.com

Make sure to check out the full show notes page along with all the other amazing episodes of Eyetrepreneur on our website: eyetrepreneur.com!

The smartphone is the greatest invention of the century. It’s also healthcare’s latest new tool for patients and doctors to communicate 24/7 with telemedicine. Convenience is king today. Patients and consumer want to do everything online because it’s quick, easy, and affordable. With HD quality video calls, doctors can now get paid for many of the same services they offer in their practices, but using video calls in a HIPAA secure app platform. Doctors can increase revenue in their practice, and increase patient compliance with telemedicine. Telemedicine is a surefire way to differentiate your practice. Patients can schedule appointments, chat, video, do follow ups, and even view test reports in a convenient organized way. Welcome to the future of healthcare. It’s in your hands!

Learn about purchasing practices, the lifetime value of a patient, and how to get the lowest price for a piece of equipment that a company offers.

Learn about the world of online eyewear and the benefits you can find there.

In This Episode: [3:35] How David Was Introduced To The Optical Industry

[6:00] What Changed David's Mindset About Where Eyewear Was Going

[10:55] Upholding The Relationships Your Clients Want

[13:40] What's More Important, The Brand Or The Experience?

[18:25] The David Kind Brand

[25:15] Trends Today In Eyewear

[27:20] Who To Sell Good Quality Eyewear To

[30:25] How To Deal With Fraud When It Comes To Buying Expensive Frames

[31:35] How To Engage With Your Customers

[33:50] David's Relationship With The ECP

[35:15] Where David Fits Into The Luxury Market

[39:35] Where The Eyewear Industry Is Going

[43:35] Why Can't Wholesalers Invest Online To Drive Business To Brick And Mortar Stores?

[46:55] Where Geo-Fencing Should Be For Your Brand

[50:10] Addressing People's Fears Of Online Buying And Selling

[54:20] How To Get Back To Goodwill And Personalized Service Blended With Do It Yourself

About David Barton: David Barton is Founder & CEO of DavidKind.com, and formerly of Oliver Peoples and Paul Smith Spectacles. He draws on over a decade making eyewear for the best brands in the world, having traveled across the globe in search of the best materials and style options. He is based in Southern California.

David Kind Eyewear is the first digitally native vertical brand (DNVB) to partner with optometrists and merge the online/offline consumer experience.

The brand has been popular with ODs because: 1. price-points are consistent with optical retail therefore accessible via insurance programs, etc 2. our ECP Partnership program pays ODs for sales converted online by tracking their Rx's 3. online fitting measurements are accurate (SEG, OC, PD).

Important Links: Imagery on our Spring 2019 capsule collection release

DavidKind.com

ECPPartnerships.DavidKind.com

DavidKind.com/stockists

David Barton on LinkedIn

David Barton on Medium

David Barton on Instagram

More about David

Learn the best ways to supercharge your practice and start myopia management.

In This Episode: [4:30] Dr. Despotidis's Journey Into Myopia Management

[15:30] What Is Ortho-K Today?

[19:20] From Acquiring A New Patient Through The Sales Process And The Follow Up Care

[26:10] External Marketing Efforts: Yes Or No?

[34:20] Dealing With Rejection As A Part Of Business: Supercharge

[40:50] The Profitability Aspect Of Ortho-K

[48:00] Step One To Starting Myopia Management

[53:40] The Role Of Referrals

[57:40] Different Lenses For Myopia Management

About Dr. Nick Despotidis: It was his children's need for eyeglasses at very young ages that sparked his passion to investigate and address the growing number of children requiring eyeglasses. He's the lead author of the book My Children Are Nearsighted Too. "Dr. D" (as his patients fondly refer to him) has been practicing optometry for over 30 years and brings a heightened level of compassion to every child in his care. He was invited to speak at TEDx AsburyPark—to share his passion, "A Childhood Disease Worth Preventing."

Important Links: Dr. Despotidis's book

SuperchargeYourPractice

A Parent's Guide to Raising Children with Healthy Vision: How Technology Affects Eyesight & What to Do about It!

Learn everything you need to know about myopia management in your practice and developing a big-time Orthokeratology practice.

In This Episode:

[4:05] Dr. Herzberg's Background In Optometry

[10:50] The Countries That Have Fellows In The AAOMC

[12:10] How To Go From A Sleepy Practice To The World Stage

[17:05] Why Myopia Control Is Important

[19:30] What Mentality You Should Have To Start Myopia Control In Your Practice

[23:00] Ramping Up The Business Model Of Ortho-K

[24:40] Do You Need To Be Part Of The Indian Or Chinese Population To Develop A Big Time Ortho-K Practice?

[31:55] After You Make The Initial Sale, How To Make Sure Both Patient And Practice Are On The Same Page

[42:20] The Strong Age Ranges For Ortho-K

[43:20] The Next Generation Of Tools For Myopia Prevention

[46:30] When Should You Intervene, And How Forceful Should You Be?

[51:30] How To Manage Your Time To Make A Successful Practice

Connect with Dr. Herzberg and Important Links

AAOMC

National Eye Research Foundation

Check out the full show notes at Eyetrepreneur.com

The invention of Chemistrie Clips and 3DNA Eyewear With Dennis Zelazowski.

Learn everything from what makes a successful dry eye clinic to the future of dry eye in optometry with the help of Dr. Art Epstein.

Have you ever wondered what the life of a frame rep is like? You might think it’s a glamorous lifestyle living in fancy hotels, selling beautiful eyewear, and having the freedom to travel. However, frames reps invest a lot of time and expertise in working strategically with their optical accounts to grow together. Misty Tusing is a professional frame sales representative for Studio Optyx and shares her experience of life on the road. Also, Misty shares motivational words to opticians and frame buyers on how they can be successful in their positions. Success comes with practice and execution, not just being the status quo. Lastly, Misty breaks down the culture of frame reps and what people should know about the job. Frame reps and opticians can work better together if they each can understand each other’s business goals and inspiration for providing great customer experiences.

Discover the best practices of private equity and all the steps you need to take to achieve success with private equity.

Once upon a long drive Brett Cates and Addie Bogart were talking on the phone and brainstorming about a mutual customer from Alaska who was flying down to see them. They thought, "Let’s make this something special! Why not have a show that focused around her and independent eyewear?" ONLY independent lines and reps (that knew how to have a good time) were allowed entry. It was met with immediate success and encouragement from the industry, and so The After Party was born. They are the exclusive, intimate, curated, traveling independent eyewear party.

Once upon a long drive Brett Cates and Addie Bogart were talking on the phone and brainstorming about a mutual customer from Alaska who was flying down to see them. They thought, "Let’s make this something special! Why not have a show that focused around her and independent eyewear?" ONLY independent lines and reps (that knew how to have a good time) were allowed entry. It was met with immediate success and encouragement from the industry, and so The After Party was born. They are the exclusive, intimate, curated, traveling independent eyewear party.

Italy has long set the standard for high quality eyewear. Giulia Valmossoi shares her family’s story and tradition about their eyewear manufacturing company called Thema—A Family Factory. Furthermore, the trend to produce eyewear in the USA is growing! Giulia goes into detail how Thema is carving the way for eyewear production in Miami that meets Italian standards. Lastly, Giulia talks about an innovative 3D facial scanning product Thema developed and how eye care professionals can enter the digital age of eyewear sales and production.

Arun Gulani, world-renowned ophthalmologist, shares his story of creating a dream practice where people from all over the world visit him for miraculous vision surgeries. Dr. Gulani shares loads of inspiration and enlightenment on how to be agents of change within your practice and creating meaningful relationships with your patients. Lastly, listen as Dr. Gulani shares secrets on how eye doctors should be working together, rather than creating competitive environments.

Millennial's have extreme purchasing power today. Instead of guessing on how millennial's decide to purchase glasses, we asked 3 of them! Learn how to focus your marketing efforts on millennials by catering to the millennial's needs described here.

Allan Panzer shares 40 years of experience and profitability strategy. Hear in-depth stories of delivering 5-star customer service and being a personality practice. Learn how to be a truly independent doctor by choosing the right products, services, and mentality.