Podcast Episodes

In this episode, we are joined by Allyson Freind, optical dispenser, owner of Northam Optical and recipient of Independent Practice of the Year 2025, to explore how a loyal customer base, deep community connection, and consistent, high-quality care can outperform even the biggest city-based advantages.

As we close out another year on The Focused View, we wanted to pause the usual format and do something truly special.   In this special holiday episode, we bring together one standout piece of advice from some of our past guests. You'll also hear their personal messages to the eye care community, reflections, encouragement, and what they hope we carry with us into the new year.   Think of this episode as a collective deep breath. A moment to reflect on the challenges we've fa

You've finally decided, you want to own your own practice. But then comes the big question: where do I even start? Should you build one from scratch or take over an existing practice? It's exciting… but also a little overwhelming, right? In this episode, Erich Mattei of Akrinos is back to unpack what it really takes to step into practice ownership in today's optometry landscape. From identifying each phase of the practice lifecycle to good practice acquisition and making a m

What if you had a support network ready to answer your questions, guide you through your first grad role, and remind you why you chose...

Ever wonder how optometry practices in the US compare to those in Australia and what we can learn from each other? In this episode, we...

Everyone loses when thousands of optical assistants are untrained. It's not their fault; it's just that they're out there performing...

She drove patients to the hospital by herself three times because there was no other choice - here's what a rural independent practice...