In this episode, Dr. Mike Neal shares how he transformed his practice by removing many of the obstacles that prevent practice owners from building a great team.   A few things we discuss are taking emotion out of the interview process, the importance of focusing on talents and strengths rather than just experience, what we can learn from companies like Disney to ensure better hires, and how to get clear on which applicants to reject and which to call in for an interview.  If you're ready to change the game and set yourself up for hiring success, you’ll love this episode!  D ..read more

In this episode, we explore the key elements of a successful staff meeting that leaves a lasting impact. The planning phase takes center stage, emphasizing the importance of identifying the need, purpose, and intention of the meeting. The episode highlights the perpetual nature of issues to address and emphasizes the value of delivering a clear and focused message, recognizing that less is more when it comes to information absorption.  Collaboration is introduced as a powerful tool during staff meetings, illustrating how discussions among attendees can enhance information retention. The ..read more

In this episode, Dr. Aaron Neufeld shares his strategies for leveraging referrals from other doctors to grow his practice.   When it comes to marketing your practice, many ODs think of traditional marketing strategies such as social media, online or print marketing, and having a great website. These are all important to grow a practice, but in this technological world we often marginalize face to face marketing.  In this interview, we focus on Dr. Neufeld’s strategies for securing more referrals, what to expect when you begin this process, which doctors to target, how to sustain ..read more

In this episode, Stanford lecturer Matt Abrahams shares valuable insights about listening and communication from his book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot   Doctors are tasked with solving problems for their patients, but as Matt points out, it’s not hard to solve problems, it’s hard to find the right problems to solve.   In this interview, we focus on asking better questions and sharpening our listening skills. Matt says that questions get the other person more invested in the problem itself and the desire to solve it. “Whe ..read more

The best practices are NOT constantly trying to motivate people, they just have better systems in place, and they manage the systems. That's much easier than constantly managing (and motivating) people.  Do you agree or disagree with the above? In this episode, I take on the interviewee role as Erich Mattei, President of Akrinos, interviews me on this topic for his podcast. We attempt to answer the question, “Which is more effective when it comes to managing employees, motivation or systems ..read more

One of the biggest checks you write is to your lab, yet many practices seem to tolerate a lot of bad service from the labs they partner with. Dr. Barton Higley is one doctor who had enough, ultimately partnering with an independent lab out of Pittsburgh called Three Rivers Optical. In this episode Dr. Higley describes his struggles with the labs he used prior. Poor customer service, poor quality, and inexperienced reps led him to pursue alternatives. Based on prior experience he was understandably skeptical, but he explains how Three Rivers Optical surpassed all his expectations. Dr. Higley as ..read more

Approximately 50 percent of doctors are experiencing professional burnout. In this episode we explore the most common reasons for this and what you can do to overcome it. While much of the attention for reducing physician burnout has been focused on getting away from patient care, also called escapism, this isn’t a realistic option for all doctors and it’s also not always the most effective option. A more sustainable approach is not getting away from patient care, but rather changing how we provide patient care. The focus of this episode is on shifting from a transactional model back to a rela ..read more

Are you struggling to make specialty care a meaningful part of your practice? Maybe you’re trying to solve a medical problem when you should be trying to solve a marketing problem. For many ODs, time is the biggest culprit when it comes to growing a specialty service. Doctors are trying to cram medical conversations into comp exams and failing to get the patient’s buy-in. In this episode with Bob Miglani, founder of Hoot, we explore some of the most common reasons for this and how Hoot provides a solution to these problems. Find out more at Gethoot.com ..read more

Unforgettable Patient Care: Influence Outcomes by Making a Lasting Impression In this enlightening podcast episode with Dr. Carmen Simon, the renowned author of "Impossible to Ignore: Creating Memorable Content to Influence Decisions," we delve into the fascinating world of memory and message retention. Would it surprise you to know that people typically only remember about 10% of the messages they encounter, and most of this information is forgotten within the first 24 hours? Memory challenge not only affects what people remember, but also what they act on. As healthcare professionals, what i ..read more

In this episode with Colin Carr, founder of Carr Realty, we explore the intricacies of securing an optimal space for your practice. Our conversation begins by highlighting the significance of leaving room for growth over the coming years. To gain a tangible grasp of spatial dimensions, Colin recommends using tape to visualize and assess potential layouts. Delving into the realm of property procurement, our discussion underscores the advantages of collaborating with contractors attuned to the unique needs of optometrists. Colin advocates a structured three-step evaluation approach: analyzing yo ..read more