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From Grad to Greenfield: One Optometrist's Journey to Private Practice Ownership with Sheila Lam - Part 1

  • 4 hours ago
  • 2 min read

From grad to greenfield. Sheila Lam didn’t just follow the expected path, she built her own.


In this episode, we are joined by Sheila Lam, optometrist and co-founder of Eye Definition Optometrist, to share her journey to practice ownership. From graduating during the pandemic, working in corporate optometry, questioning the "safe" career path in front of her, and ultimately taking the leap to open a greenfield independent practice with a business partner.


This conversation is packed with practical insights for early-career optometrists who are curious about ownership, passionate about clinical development, or exploring alternative paths within the profession.


About the Guest:


Sheila graduated from the University of New South Wales in 2020 with a Master of Clinical Optometry and a Bachelor of Vision Science. She is the principal optometrist and co-founder of Eye Definition Optometrists, an independent full-scope practice in Sydney with a focus on myopia management and specialty contact lenses, particularly orthokeratology. She currently serves as Chairperson of Young Optometrists (YO) and is a committee member of CCLSA NSW. She also holds a Diploma in Business Administration and is actively involved in mentoring optometry students.


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Key Topics with Timestamps:

2:58 - Sheila Lam's background  

4:38 - Early ambitions of practice ownership

6:47 - Sheila's introduction to corporate optometry

9:18 - Outgrowing the corporate path

11:11 - Joining the Young Optometrists and the power of networking 

15:24 - Lessons from corporate optometry

19:24 - Making the leap to independent practice

22:07 - Replan the future with independent practice

24:57 - Opening an independent optometry practice

28:30 - Choosing a business partner, aligning goals, and priorities

32:57 - Defining partnership structure and tasks of the practice

35:02 - Why they chose a 50/50 ownership structure

36:17 - Advice they received about the partnership

39:17 - Navigating difficult conversations

43:54 - Other things to consider in a partnership

45:19 - Benefits of having a business partner


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Thank you for joining us in this episode of The Focused View Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a 5-Star rating, and leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify to help us reach even more eye care professionals and build a community of innovation and see new opportunities within the optical industry. Talk with you next time!

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