In this episode, Dr. Griffin Christenson speaks with Kayla Ashlee, founder and CEO of Spexy, about the business skills optometry school often leaves out. They explore sales communication, team training, and optical inventory management, including how to transfer patient trust from doctor to optician, educate patients in simple language, and use practice-specific data to improve frame sales and pricing. Key Takeaways● Bridging the gap between clinical education and practice management.● Building trust through effective doctor-to-optician handoffs.● Using Spexy 101 to improve onboarding and team training. Guest BioKayla Ashlee is the founder and CEO of Spexy®, a training platform helping independent opticals strengthen patient connections, sell more eyewear, and grow profitability. A certified optician and international speaker, Kayla is known for her bold, relatable, and results-driven approach to optical education. She is also the creator of FrameTurn®, a sales-based inventory coaching tool that helps opticals optimize frame merchandising and inventory using their own sales data. Kayla has been recognized as one of Vision Monday’s Most Influential Women in Eyecare, appeared on the cover of Invision Magazine, and received the 2025 Optical Women’s Association Emerging Leader Award. Chapters00:24 Why Optometry School Leaves a Business Skills Gap05:59 Why “Sales” Feels Uncomfortable in Optometry11:07 Using Pretest, Exam, and Optical to Transfer Trust15:45 Why Training and Team Management Are So Hard24:48 Pruning the Optical Like a Garden32:03 The Case for a Consumer Pricing Journey Further Resources🔗 Spexy and Kayla Ashlee → https://www.spexy.co/about🌐 Connect with Kayla → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylaashlee/🎧 Spotify → [Add episode link]🔔 Subscribe → https://www.youtube.com/@fluorescene🌐 ODs on Technology → https://odsontechnology.com/ #EyeTalkTech #ODsonTechnology #Optometry #OpticalSales #FrameTurn #Spexy #PatientExperience #OpticalDispensing #Optician #PracticeGrowth #TeamTraining #OpticalRetail #IndependentOptometry About the PodcastEye.Talk.Tech. brings subject matter experts and real conversations to the intersection of eye care and technology, exploring innovations and trends that matter to eye care professionals worldwide. Hosted by Dr. Griffin Christenson, OD, MS CS – Interactive Intelligence, Eye.Talk.Tech. is the flagship videocast of ODs on Technology, a platform dedicated to eye care technology, innovation, research, and emerging trends. Visit www.odsontechnology.com Who Are We?We're a collective of optometrists, educators, researchers, scientists, public health leaders, technology innovators, and eye care professionals. We believe technology is transforming eye care, and our profession should be leading—not following—that transformation. Eye.Talk.Tech. delivers practical, relevant technology education to the eye care community—in our own language, on our own terms. DisclaimerThis episode is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or legal advice. Consult qualified professionals before implementing clinical or business decisions. Guest views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, FluoreSCENE Group, or its partners. Mention of products, technologies, or services does not constitute an endorsement.
