EYE OWN A BUSINESS

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo tackles a question that's easy to write off as an inventory problem but is actually a communication problem: why do most patients own five pairs of shoes and only one pair of glasses?

Steve breaks down why the practices that sell more second pairs aren't better salespeople — they're better at staying curious about the patient in front of them, and that curiosity has to start in the exam chair,...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Dr. Allan Panzer, OD, a Houston optometrist with 47 years in practice and owner of the Houston Dry Eye Clinic, for a wide-ranging conversation about the connection between financial ambition and clinical excellence — starting with a line most doctors would never say out loud: “I like to make money.”

Steve and Allan dig into what that admission actually means for a pr...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo steps outside optometry to answer a question he's been chewing on for years: what actually separates practice owners who break through from the ones who stay stuck — and is any of it unique to eye care at all?

Drawing on a decade of consulting with hundreds of independent practices, Steve breaks down five patterns he sees again and again in owners who reach the next level — from the &ldq...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo tackles a scenario more and more doctors are running into: a patient sits down and says, "I looked this up on ChatGPT."

How do you respond without sounding defensive—or losing the patient's trust?

Drawing on recent research about AI and patient behavior, Steve unpacks an uncomfortable trend: patients are increasingly rating chatbot answers as more empathetic and trustworthy than their own doct...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Susan Daly for a practical, no-nonsense conversation about one of the most guesswork-driven parts of running a practice: frame buying.

Steve and Susan unpack why most practices don't actually have a frame problem — they have a decision-making problem. Without clear processes, cadence, or data, frame buying tends to default to gut feel, favorite reps, or whoever's been there the ...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo tackles a problem that quietly costs practices their best hires: a great candidate on paper who, a few months in, becomes quiet, hesitant, and error-prone.

Why does this happen?

Drawing on onboarding research and his own not-so-great first job experience (a training manual the size of a phone book), Steve unpacks the uncomfortable reality that most struggling new hires aren't a hiring mistake &mdash...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Corey Pinegar, founder of Team, for a grounded conversation about what AI actually means for optometry practices in 2026—beyond the hype and the fear.

Steve and Corey explore the "plant a flag in the middle" approach: using AI as an accelerant for the business side of practice—insurance verification, claims, scheduling support—while protecting the human relationships...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Dr. Josh Davidson—known throughout the Gulf South as the go-to doctor for dry eye and scleral lenses—to unpack how he built one of the largest dry eye centers in the country, without starting with a blank checkbook or a room full of machines.

How does a doctor become "the guy (or gal)" in their community?

Josh shares the real starting point: not equipment, not capital, but...

In this episode, Dr. Vargo sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Roush, a practice owner from Northeast Indiana, to discuss the transformative impact of annual retreats on leadership, teamwork, and business growth.

Dr. Roche explains the logistics, planning, and execution of successful annual retreats, sharing how they have become her staff's favorite day of the year. She delves into the themes, activities, and strategies that make these re...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Dr. Shannon Joseph for a conversation about one of the most overlooked revenue opportunities in eye care — the contact lens dropout.

Steve and Shannon explore why so many patients quietly stop wearing contacts and never bring it up again, why doctors aren't having the conversation either, and what happens to a practice when someone finally does. They dig into the assumptions pat...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Luke Mathers — optometrist, author, and stress resilience expert — for a conversation that challenges one of the most common assumptions in healthcare: that what you're feeling is burnout.

Luke spent 27 years in clinical optometry before following a personal health experience down a rabbit hole of evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and human behavior. What he discovered r...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Chris Millet, Managing Director of Global Sales for Modern Optical, for an honest and timely conversation about what the data is telling us — and what independent practices can no longer afford to ignore.

Capture rates in the independent channel have dropped below 50% for the first time, and the reasons go deeper than the economy. Chris and Steve explore the shifting consumer mi...

Finding and hiring an associate OD has become one of the most frustrating challenges in independent practice — and most owners have no idea why their approach isn't working.

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo digs into the reality behind the associate shortage: the problem isn't only that there aren't enough doctors. In many cases, the way practices recruit, communicate, and present themselves is quietly disqualifying them befo...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo tackles something that's quietly weighing on a lot of healthcare professionals right now: uncertainty about the future.

What's actually coming? What's hype? And what does any of it mean for independent practices like yours?

Drawing on recent research across multiple healthcare forecasting sources — including data from the AMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, Pew Research, and ...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo welcomes back optometrist and practice owner Dr. Kristina Pusz for a deeper conversation about the one thing most growing practices are missing: structure that actually sticks.

Steve and Christina explore what happens when a practice is growing on the outside but quietly unraveling on the inside — staff turnover, things slipping through the cracks, and a leader waking up in the middle of the n...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with optometrist and AI early-adopter Dr. Jay Henry and Josh Gosnell, co-founder of Adit, for a practical and eye-opening conversation about what artificial intelligence is actually doing inside optometry practices right now — and why the doctors who aren't paying attention may already be falling behind.

Steve, Jay, and Josh cut through the hype and the fear to talk about what AI can...

In this live episode of Eye Own A Business podcast, we’ll explore how a well-defined contact lens strategy can help you achieve your practice goals. Gain valuable insights into building a strategy that aligns with your team, patients, and long-term vision. A dynamic panel of colleagues will share real-world experiences and actionable tips, giving you the chance to learn from peers, ask questions, and leave with a clear roadma...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Jenna Ellsworth, National Account Manager for CareCredit, to tackle one of the most common — and costly — moments in any practice: the patient who was ready to say yes, but walked out the door anyway.

Why does this keep happening?

Steve and Jenna make the case that price objections are rarely just about money. More often, they're a signal that the patient wasn't given the ...

In this episode, Dr. Steve Vargo sits down with Susan Daly, Head of Optical Products at IDOC, live from IDOC Connection to tackle a challenge every independent optometry practice faces: complexity in the optical.

From overloaded frame boards to overwhelming lens options, today’s opticals are often suffering from the “peanut butter problem”, too many choices leading to decision fatigue for both patients and staff. ...