The Optometry Success Podcast

Adam Cmejla, CFP & Chad Fleming, OD, FAAO

The Optometry Success Podcast helps private-practice optometrists build profitable, sustainable businesses with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Adam Cmejla, CFP—a financial planner and CFO to ODs nationwide—and Chad Fleming, OD, FAAO—a multi-location practice owner with decades of hands-on experience—each 20-minute episode delivers practical strategies and actionable insights you can apply right away. From leadership and financials to team culture, operations, and growth, this is your weekly dose of real-world advice for real-world practice owners. New episodes every Wednesday.

  1. 1d ago

    Your partner wants profit. You want freedom. Now what?

    What if making less money actually made your practice—and your life—better?   In this episode of The Optometry Success Podcast, we explore a tension that can quietly create significant friction between practice partners: what happens when one owner wants to maximize profitability while another is willing to trade some of that profit for greater capacity, less stress, and a better quality of life?   We discuss why neither owner is necessarily wrong. Adding staff, scribes, technology, or other resources may reduce profitability if the additional capacity isn't converted into more production—but that doesn't automatically make it a bad business decision. The real question is whether everyone understands what they're receiving in exchange for the dollars they're giving up.   That becomes especially important in partnerships. When owners have different financial goals, work preferences, or definitions of success, seemingly simple decisions about staffing and expenses can quickly become much bigger conversations about fairness and compensation.   We also discuss the danger of trying to solve every difference through formulas, policies, and operating agreements. You can't legislate your way around poor communication. As we discuss in the episode, there's often a seamless transition between communication ending and resentment beginning—especially when money is involved.   Have a question for us to address in a future episode? Submit it here!   Resources: Book: Die With Zero Book: Crucial Confrontation Learn more about Partners in Profit Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice     Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https://shorturl.at/jCtsk

  2. Sep 9

    Before you hire your next CPA, ask these questions

    The wrong CPA may file your tax return perfectly—and still be the wrong CPA for your practice.   This week on The Optometry Success Podcast, we're answering a listener question from a new 50% practice owner whose longtime CPA may soon be retiring: What should I be looking for when interviewing a new CPA, and what questions should I ask?   Before you start interviewing firms, though, there's an important distinction to make: What do you actually expect your CPA to do?   Do you need someone to prepare tax returns and make sure everything is filed correctly? Do you expect proactive tax planning throughout the year? Are they handling bookkeeping and financial reporting? Do you want them advising you on business decisions? And how does the CPA fit alongside the other professionals already sitting at your proverbial advisory roundtable?   We discuss why practice owners sometimes overestimate how much their CPA understands about the actual business of optometry. Knowing how to read a P&L and prepare a tax return isn't the same as understanding what healthy margins should look like inside an optometry practice or how an owner should operate the business.   From there, we get tactical with questions you can use when interviewing your next CPA. How many healthcare and optometry practices do they serve? What does their service model actually look like? How proactive is their tax planning? Do they have experience with the tax laws in your state? What technology do they use, and how accessible is your financial data? What mistakes do they commonly find when taking over optometry practices from other accounting firms?   We also discuss why your CPA probably shouldn't be the only person advising you on how to run your business. A strong practice owner builds a roundtable of professionals with different areas of expertise rather than expecting one advisor to know everything.   NBS (Next Best Step): Before interviewing another CPA, define the role you need them to fill. Then build your interview questions around that expectation. You're not simply looking for someone capable of filing a tax return—you're looking for the right person to occupy the CPA seat at your advisory roundtable.   Have a question for us to address in a future episode? Submit it here!   Resources: Learn more about Partners in Profit Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice     Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https://shorturl.at/jCtsk

  3. Sep 2

    So you want to get rid of your front desk? Start here.

    Getting rid of your front desk sounds great in theory—but what does it actually look like on Monday morning?   In a recent episode of The Optometry Success Podcast, "Why do you still have a front desk?", we challenged one of those assumptions in optometry that often goes unquestioned simply because "that's the way we've always done it." That conversation generated a listener question asking us to go one step further: How do you actually make this work?   So that's exactly what we're doing in this episode.   Chad walks through the self-check-in system he built and currently uses in his practices, including the physical kiosk setup, the simple technology behind it, the questions patients are asked when they arrive, and how that information gets communicated to the appropriate team members in real time.   We also talk about why eliminating the traditional front desk doesn't mean eliminating the patient experience—or even eliminating a team member. In fact, the better way to approach this may be to start running the new system while your existing front desk is still in place. Let patients learn the process. Let your team learn the workflow. Find the problems. Make adjustments. Then see whether the traditional front desk is still necessary.   This is a perfect example of Jim Collins' concept of firing bullets before cannonballs. You don't need a major remodel or an expensive technology investment to test the idea. A relatively inexpensive kiosk, an iPad, and a simple form can give you enough information to determine whether the concept works in your practice.   And if it does, the upside extends beyond payroll. You may create a more efficient check-in experience, reduce your dependence on a difficult-to-staff position, and even reclaim valuable square footage for more productive uses.   NBS (Next Best Step): Don't start by getting rid of your front desk. Start by making it unnecessary. Build a simple self-check-in process alongside your existing workflow, train patients and staff to use it, and see whether the system can gradually replace a task you've historically needed someone to perform.   Examples of a kiosk stand   Have a question for us to address in a future episode? Submit it here!   Resources: Learn more about Partners in Profit Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https://shorturl.at/jCtsk

  4. Aug 26

    How to Manipulate Yourself into Financial Happiness as a Practice Owner—and What It's Really Costing You

    As a practice owner, it's possible to manipulate your financials in ways that make the business appear healthier than it really is, often without realizing you're doing it. On this episode, my co-host, Dr. Chad Fleming, and I discuss how decisions like paying yourself an artificially low salary or charging the practice below-market rent can inflate your reported profitability and create a false sense of financial happiness. We also discuss why practice owners need to normalize their financials, use consistent definitions when talking about profit margins, and understand the difference between profitability and cash flow. If the numbers don't reflect the true cost of operating the practice, you may be making decisions about equipment, hiring, debt, or expansion based on a financial reality that doesn't actually exist. Our next best step for you is to review your practice financials and ask whether they reflect fair owner compensation, realistic operating expenses, and the true financial health of the business. If you aren't confident in the answer, surround yourself with professionals who can help you establish accurate numbers before making your next major decision.   Have a question for us to address in a future episode? Submit it here!   Resources: Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! by Greg Crabtree Learn more about Partners in Profit Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https://shorturl.at/jCtsk

  5. Aug 19

    Why do you still have a front desk?

    In this episode of The Optometry Success Podcast, we challenge practice owners to reconsider whether they still need a traditional front desk. Chad shares how his practices use self-service check-in kiosks to address staffing challenges, reclaim office space and redirect payroll toward higher-impact roles. We also discuss how front-desk responsibilities can be reassigned or automated without sacrificing the patient experience. We're not suggesting every practice eliminate its front desk. Instead, we want owners to question long-standing assumptions and consider whether a kiosk could solve staffing, efficiency or space challenges.   Have a question for us to address in a future episode? Submit it here!   Resources: Learn more about Partners in Profit Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https://shorturl.at/jCtsk

  6. Aug 12

    Are You Overpaying for IT? The Hidden Technology Costs Draining Practice Profit

    What if one of the biggest opportunities to improve your practice's profitability isn't seeing more patients—but simply questioning the technology bills you've accepted as "just the cost of doing business"? In this episode of The Optometry Success Podcast, Adam and Chad dive into one of the most overlooked expense categories on an optometric practice's P&L: IT and technology. From managed IT retainers to software subscriptions, networking fees, equipment warranties, and EMR integrations, they explore why so many practice owners assume these costs are fixed—and why that assumption may be costing them thousands of dollars every year. Drawing from Chad's hands-on experience building and managing technology infrastructure in a growing multi-location practice, the conversation focuses less on specific vendors and more on developing the mindset to thoughtfully evaluate every recurring expense. The goal isn't to cut costs at all costs—it's to ensure every dollar spent is delivering meaningful value to both the patient experience and the long-term health of the practice. In this episode, you'll learn: Why IT expenses deserve the same scrutiny as any other line item on your P&L. The trade-offs between managed IT services, subscriptions, and self-insuring certain technology costs. How convenience and automation can quietly inflate overhead. Why "everyone else does it" is rarely a good business strategy. Practical ways to begin evaluating whether your current technology spending aligns with your practice's goals.   Next Best Step (NBS): Ask your office manager or practice administrator to compile a complete list of every recurring technology-related expense—including IT retainers, software subscriptions, equipment support agreements, and integration fees. Don't make changes immediately. Simply review each item and ask one question: "Is this providing enough value to justify its ongoing cost?" Sometimes the greatest savings come not from eliminating technology, but from challenging long-held assumptions.   Have a question for us to address in a future episode? Submit it here!   Resources: Learn more about Partners in Profit Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https://shorturl.at/jCtsk

  7. Aug 5

    How to Audit Your Optical Lab Costs and Protect Your Profitability

    In this episode, Chad and I build on our previous conversation about lab rebates by focusing on the next step: auditing the true cost of the optical jobs for which your practice pays the bill. We explain why comparing one discounted lens or rebate isn't enough and how analyzing the complete cost of your most frequently used lens-and-AR combinations can reveal what you're actually paying.   We also discuss how labs use loss leaders, when working with multiple labs may make financial sense, and why a buying group's preferred lab relationship doesn't automatically guarantee your practice the best pricing. We share how spreadsheets, AI tools, and insights from successful colleagues can help you compare your options, verify your current relationships, and protect your practice's profitability.   Have a question for us to address in a future episode? Submit it here!   Resources: Learn more about Partners in Profit Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https://shorturl.at/jCtsk

  8. Jul 29

    Are Lab Rebates Actually Saving Your Optometry Practice Money?

    In this episode, Chad and I continue our conversation about whether optometry practices should finish jobs in-house or send them to a lab. This time, we focus on the role managed vision care plans play in that decision, including state opt-out rules, required labs, reimbursements, and rebates.   We break lab analysis into two distinct lanes: when the managed vision care plan pays the lab bill and when the practice pays it directly. We also discuss why an attractive rebate does not always equal greater profitability and how I should evaluate the total net cost, product quality, turnaround time, and customer service before choosing a lab partner.   Have a question for us to address in a future episode? Submit it here!   Resources: Learn more about Partners in Profit The Optometry Success Podcast Episode: Should You Finish In House or Send Your Jobs to a Lab? Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://shorturl.at/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https://shorturl.at/jCtsk

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About

The Optometry Success Podcast helps private-practice optometrists build profitable, sustainable businesses with clarity and confidence. Hosted by Adam Cmejla, CFP—a financial planner and CFO to ODs nationwide—and Chad Fleming, OD, FAAO—a multi-location practice owner with decades of hands-on experience—each 20-minute episode delivers practical strategies and actionable insights you can apply right away. From leadership and financials to team culture, operations, and growth, this is your weekly dose of real-world advice for real-world practice owners. New episodes every Wednesday.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Cmejla, CFP & Chad Fleming, OD, FAAO
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The Optometry Success Podcast

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