Podcast
Power Hour Optometry
Hosted by The Power Practice · EN
Join us for the latest ideas and innovations in the optometric industry.
Brought to you every Wednesday by Power Practice. Learn more at www.PowerPractice.com
92episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
3 Game-Changing Optometry Innovations That Can 10X Your Practice Revenue | Innovators Edition
Mar 2001:01:17Summary readyEvery year at Vision Expo, companies make massive promises about the "future of optometry." But as a practice owner, you don't need more hype; you need solutions that are real, scalable, and useful. In this special Innovators Edition of the Power Hour recorded live at Vision Expo, Eugene Shatsman sits down with three executives attacking the future of the profession from three completely different angles: surgical business models, patient-centric retail, and all-in-one operational technology. If you've ever wondered how to monetize your surgical referrals, give patients a reason to visit you between exams, or finally consolidate those 14 open tabs on your staff's computer into an all-in-one operational technology, this episode is for you.
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$4.8M Stolen by a Trusted Employee | How Fraud Could Happen in Your Practice & What to Look For
Mar 1301:06:43Summary readyWhat would you do if you discovered someone inside your business had been stealing from you? Not hundreds. Not thousands. Millions. In this week's episode of Power Hour, Eugene Shatsman sits down with Mick Hall, President of Bard Optical (one of the most respected multi-location practices in the country) to hear a story that every practice owner needs to listen to. It started with something small… A financial number that didn't look quite right. That single moment of curiosity uncovered an embezzlement scheme that eventually totaled $4.8 million. But this episode isn't about scandal. It's about leadership, vigilance, and protecting the business you've worked so hard to build.
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Owner Burnout and Frustration? How to Reset, Rebuild & Prevent It from Happening Again | The Power Practice
Mar 601:01:21Summary readyBurnout is more common than many leaders are willing to admit. It's rarely a sign that the practice itself is broken. More often, it's a signal that the systems supporting the business need to evolve. In this week's Power Hour, Eugene sits down with Allison Kraemer & Dr. Brian Spittle from The Power Practice to talk about something many practice owners experience but rarely discuss openly: Burnout in private practice.
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Evidence-Based Hiring in Optometry: How to Fix Staffing at the Root | Kati Lechner & Eugene Shatsman
Feb 2701:03:18Summary readyHow many times have you said, "We had such a great interview," only to be thinking 60 days later, "How did we get this so wrong?" Staffing is still the #1 issue in practices, but what if the sustainable fix isn't another job post? What if it's understanding who you're hiring (before you hire them) and knowing how to develop them once they're on your team? In this episode of Power Hour, Eugene Shatsman sits down with Kati Lechner, Senior Director of Learning at Wonderlic, who has spent 20 years in the science of selecting and developing great talent derived from evidence-based hiring. And by the way, PowerPractice has established a partnership with Wonderlic to provide eye care practices with direct access to these assessment tools. If you're interested in exploring how Wonderlic Select or Develop could support your hiring or team development strategy, you can reach out to PowerPractice and reference this episode to learn more about available options and next steps at https://powerpractice.com/hire-smarter/
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The Eyecare BOSS System: Build a Practice That Runs, Optimizes & Scales Without You
Feb 1901:11:53Summary readyHow do you transform your practice from something that depends on you for everything, into something that grows with clarity and control on its own? You've invested in equipment, hired good people, and are working hard; and yet, growth feels heavier than it should. In this episode of Power Hour, Eugene Shatsman sits down with Jamie Rosin to talk about a systematic approach to practice growth. The Eyecare BOSS System (Business, Optimization and Scalability System) is a structured operating framework built specifically for independent optometry practices that want to grow without chaos. Instead of relying on scattered ideas, reactive decisions, or owner-dependent execution, it organizes your entire practice around five integrated pillars: Accountability, Revenue, People, Experience, and Data. Jamie and Eugene take you through a strategic walkthrough of the system, revealing how your practice can eliminate bottlenecks, prioritize the highest-impact growth levers, develop leaders instead of managing personalities, improve patient satisfaction in measurable ways, and build a data-driven culture that predicts results before problems show up.
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AOA Leaders Summit 2026: The Battles, Wins, and Priorities Shaping Optometry
Feb 1300:47:13Summary readyAs the economics of practice ownership evolve, technology accelerates, and legislative conversations become more complex, who is shaping the future of optometry behind the scenes? And what decisions are being made right now that could impact your practice next year? In this episode of Power Hour, recorded live from the AOA Leaders Summit in St. Louis, Eugene Shatsman sits down with three of the American Optometric Association's elected leaders: Dr. Jacqueline M. Bowen (President), Dr. Teri K. Geist (President-Elect), and Dr. Terri A. Gossard (Vice President). Together, they offer a firsthand look into what these leaders believe are the profession's biggest pressure points, and what they say the AOA is doing to protect, expand, and advance optometry heading into 2026.
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The Framework to Scale Optometry Across 4 States: Cold Starts, Acquisitions & the Medical Model | Dr. Solomon Gould
Feb 600:55:37Summary readyPeople, Technology, and Strategy. Three pillars that shaped how Dr. Solomon Gould built a scalable medical model, developed high-performing teams, and grew without sacrificing patient experience. In this week's episode of Power Hour, Eugene sits down with Dr. Solomon Gould, Sr. Director of Eye Care at EssilorLuxottica, and a leader whose career spans nearly every side of optometry: private practice ownership, consulting, corporate environments, and large-scale operational growth. He shares how to scale your practice without becoming the bottleneck, burning out the team, or losing what made your practice successful in the first place.
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Vision Council 2025 Industry Data: Exam Volume Declines, Spending Shifts & What's Next for 2026
Jan 3000:44:05Summary readyWhat if the biggest story in vision care right now isn't a new product, but a shift in patient behavior that could reshape 2026? Today's episode is a little different (in the best way) because we're recording live from The Vision Council's Executive Summit. This is a conference filled with CEOs, founders, and eye care industry leaders who are here to network, but more importantly, to answer one big question: What is actually happening in our industry right now, and what do we do next? Joining Eugene on the show are Ashley Mills (CEO) and Alysse Henkel (VP of Research & Insights) from The Vision Council, and they're bringing something every practice owner should pay attention to: the data behind 2025. Together, they break down what the data is revealing about patient spending, category performance, and the trade-offs consumers are making, and connect it to what practice owners should be thinking about for 2026. You'll also get a preview as to what's changing at Vision Expo Orlando 2026, and why the show is being designed to deliver more than excitement, it's being designed to deliver results.
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Private Equity Pulled Back in 2025: How Buyers Actually Value Optometry Practices in 2026
Jan 2300:55:36Summary ready2025 wasn't business as usual in optometry M&A. Fewer buyers, more deal scrutiny, softer multiples, and a growing number of practice owners asking the same question: "Is my practice worth what I think it's worth?" That's why this episode is perfectly timed for the start of 2026. Eugene is joined by Anne Kavanagh (Founder & Managing Director) and Jason Preator (Managing Partner) from Kavanagh Consulting, two people who have seen more optometry practice transactions than almost anyone in the industry over the last decade. Their perspective is based on real deals, real outcomes, and patterns that repeat year after year. Anne and Jason explain how the buyer landscape has evolved, who is actively acquiring practices right now, and how buyers are evaluating risk, structure, and long-term profitability.
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Multi-Location Optometry Growth: Systems, Leadership Layers & Cold Start vs Acquisition
Jan 1600:58:54Summary readyGoing from one location to two sounds exciting… until it's not. The truth is, scaling a practice brings on a completely different level of complexity than just more patients or an increase in revenue; it's new operational pressure points, and a whole new set of problems that don't show up until you're already in motion. In this listener-requested episode of Power Hour, host Eugene Shatsman speaks with two highly qualified professionals (Dr. Susan Lake, Optometrist at Eyecare Specialties, and Kevin Whaley-Stefany, Business Consultant at Autograph Eye LLC) who actually built and scaled multiple practices, and what it takes to succeed and scale in today's market.
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