Cleinman Connect Podcast

Cleinman Performance Partners
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Owning and running a private optometry practice is challenging—but help is here! The Cleinman Connect Podcast offers valuable insights from independent optometrists/practice owners, practice managers, and industry experts. Each episode features top performers or industry experts who share their success strategies for navigating common business and operational hurdles to grow and enhance practices. From marketing tips and team management to succession planning and financial strategies, our experienced guests provide actionable advice tailored to private optometry practices. Tune in for a new episode on the 1st Wednesday of each month and stay ahead of the curve! Subscribe to the Cleinman Connect Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Whether you're an established owner or manager, or just starting out, this podcast is a valuable resource for practice growth and professional development.

  1. 5d ago

    [Optometrist Unleashed] Part 1: Buying Practices, Metrics That Matter, and Prioritizing Initiatives

    Dr. Wes McCann is the Founder of Doctors Vision Group, a network of 15 Ontario optometry practices delivering modern, full-scope eye care. He leads practice acquisitions, integration, technology investment, financial strategy, and team development. Dr. McCann is also an optometrist, educator, and speaker who has lectured at hundreds of industry events and published in Review of Optometry and Review of Myopia Management. A 2024 Contact Lens Institute Culture Award honoree, he is recognized for improving patient experiences and practice outcomes. In this episode…Buying an optometry practice requires more than recognizing growth potential. Owners must understand what they are purchasing, which numbers reveal the practice’s true health, and where to invest first. How can they make those decisions with greater confidence? Dr. Wes McCann, an optometrist experienced in acquiring and managing multiple practices, believes buyers should evaluate what a practice has already achieved rather than pay for unrealized opportunity. He recommends examining cultural fit, labor ratios, revenue per patient, dispensing rates, EBITDA, and post-financing cash flow before moving forward. Dr. McCann also suggests ranking technology and operational initiatives by their expected return, ensuring each investment covers its costs after associate compensation. This disciplined approach helps owners reduce acquisition risk and direct resources toward the improvements that matter most. In this episode of Optometrist Unleashed, a Cleinman Connect Podcast, Dr. Trevor Miranda talks with Dr. Wes McCann, Founder of Doctors Vision Group, about buying and improving optometry practices. Dr. McCann explains how to evaluate acquisition opportunities, identify the metrics that reveal financial health, and prioritize initiatives by ROI. He also discusses pricing, technology investments, and team performance.

    [Optometrist Unleashed] Part 1: Buying Practices, Metrics That Matter, and Prioritizing Initiatives

  2. Jul 29

    Why Your Practice Needs Video Marketing

    Lila Swiatylo is an Account Manager at Marketing4ECPs, a full-service digital marketing agency that helps specialized businesses build visibility and achieve their growth goals. With more than 14 years in marketing and customer service, she develops strategies for niche brands and helps clients build visibility. An expert in social media and video marketing, Lila also teaches eye care professionals to create engaging content for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Her creative work and contribution to company culture earned POD Marketing’s Unicorn Award. In this episode…Video gives optometry practices a practical way to educate patients, show personality, and stay visible online. Still, many teams assume effective content requires polished production or confident presenters. How can practices make video marketing easier without sacrificing results? Drawing on her expertise in social media, content creation, and niche marketing, Lila Swiatylo recommends keeping video simple, authentic, and consistent. Practices can involve camera-shy employees through B-roll and voiceovers, adapt existing trends, and focus on one platform before expanding. Rather than chasing follower counts, Lila suggests tracking views, shares, watch time, and website clicks to see what drives attention and action. Captions can also support search visibility by helping Google connect videos with patient questions. A sustainable strategy comes from experimenting, learning from each post, and building trust over time. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Kim Carson talks with Lila Swiatylo, Account Manager at Marketing4ECPs, about why video marketing matters for optometry practices. Lila explains how to involve camera-shy staff, choose the right platforms, and measure meaningful results. She also touches on SEO, content batching, and adapting trends without losing authenticity.

    Why Your Practice Needs Video Marketing

  3. Jul 22

    Highlighting Practice Culture With Cleinman's New Excellence Awards

    Amanda Van Voris is the Senior Director of Client Solutions at Cleinman, a consulting firm that helps independent optometry practices strengthen performance, operations, leadership, and growth. With more than 20 years at the company, she provides strategic and operational guidance across people, finance, and systems. Amanda helps owners navigate complex development plans, improve team performance, build leadership resilience, and create sustainable practices through planning, benchmarking, and intentional change. Meagan Staab is the Director of Client Support and Insights at Cleinman. She leads the development and use of information-management systems, benchmarking tools, client portals, and performance reporting. Meagan helps practices select meaningful KPIs, compare results with relevant benchmarks, strengthen accountability, and turn consistent data review into clearer decisions and measurable growth. In this episode…Strong practice culture is often reflected in the everyday choices that shape how people work, grow, and support one another. Recognition can make that work more visible while reinforcing the behaviors that help teams thrive. What does it take to build a culture worthy of celebration? Amanda Van Voris, an advisor experienced in practice growth, leadership, and team development, and Meagan Staab, an expert in business intelligence, benchmarking, and performance improvement, point to intentionality as the answer. Amanda recommends creating career paths, developing employees, celebrating shared wins, and gathering honest team feedback, while Meagan emphasizes clear purpose, accountability, measurable goals, employee voice, and daily discipline. Together, their insights show that culture should be treated as a strategic driver of retention, recruiting, patient experience, and sustainable growth. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Kim Carson discusses practice culture with Amanda Van Voris, Senior Director of Client Solutions at Cleinman, and Meagan Staab, Director of Client Support and Insights at Cleinman. Amanda and Meagan explain why culture deserves recognition, how intentional leadership supports growth, and what makes a strong award nomination. They also touch on employee feedback, career paths, and employer branding.

    Highlighting Practice Culture With Cleinman's New Excellence Awards

  4. Jul 15

    AI Is Changing How Patients Find You

    Kieran Chrysler is the Manager of Organic Strategy at Citizen, a marketing agency helping senior living brands grow through digital strategy and AI-era search visibility. In her role, she manages a team of strategists and helps communities bridge classic SEO with generative engine optimization, ensuring AI-driven discovery still reflects authentic human experiences. Kieran brings experience across healthcare, government, retail, publishing, and eyecare marketing, with expertise in SEO, GEO, brand visibility, and practical AI workflows. In this episode…Search is becoming less about typing a few words into Google and more about asking detailed questions and expecting tailored answers. As patients use AI tools to find care that matches their exact needs, how can an optometry practice make sure it shows up? Kieran Chrysler, an SEO and GEO strategist, explains that the answer starts with clarity, specificity, and consistency across a practice’s digital presence. Instead of relying only on broad keywords, practices need to clearly communicate what they offer, what makes them different, and where that information can be verified through reviews, community presence, and trusted third-party channels that help patients choose confidently. Kieran emphasizes that AI search is becoming more personalized, which means businesses must make their unique selling points easy for both people and AI crawlers to understand. For practices, the path to stronger visibility now means making sure the website, brand story, patient experience, and social proof all reinforce the same credible message. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Kim Carson talks with Kieran Chrysler, Manager of Organic Strategy at Citizen, about how AI is changing how patients find optometry practices. Kieran explains GEO, AI-driven buyer behavior, and the role of reviews in search visibility. She also touches on community branding and using AI to simplify internal workflows.

    AI Is Changing How Patients Find You

  5. Jul 8

    The Hidden Driver of Practice Growth: Employee Engagement

    Dr. Alanna Wilson is the Owner and an Optometrist at Lakeland Family Eyecare, a family-focused practice offering comprehensive eye care, eyewear, contact lenses, dry eye therapy, and specialty services in Bonnyville and St. Paul, Alberta. Dr. Wilson brings experience in family eye care and ocular disease, with training that included externships at a VA hospital and a LASIK/cataract surgery center in Florida. She helps lead patient care, team culture, and practice operations across this multi-doctor, multi-location business. Olivia Leduc is the Manager of Strategic HR Services at Cleinman, where she leads the HR support team to ensure that HR policies, processes, and documentation are compliant, efficient, and built to support scalable business operations. With experience in leadership, HR, and recruitment process development, Olivia drives improvements in operational efficiency and talent retention for clients. In this episode…Practice growth is often measured through new patients, revenue, expanded services, or stronger marketing. But the experience patients remember is shaped every day by the people answering questions, solving problems, and carrying the culture into each interaction. When employees feel heard, recognized, and aligned, how much more effectively can a practice grow? Dr. Alanna Wilson, an optometrist and multi-location practice owner, and Olivia Leduc, a strategic HR services leader, both see employee engagement as a growth lever rather than just an HR concern. Dr. Wilson shares how anonymous engagement surveys helped uncover what her team needed most, including clearer communication, consistent feedback, and more intentional recognition. Olivia explains that practices often expect employees to perform consistently before they have defined expectations, core values, and performance conversations in place. The takeaway is simple but powerful: engaged teams are more likely to stay, contribute ideas, strengthen culture, and deliver a patient experience that supports long-term practice growth. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Tyler Kemp chats with Dr. Alanna Wilson, Owner and an Optometrist at Lakeland Family Eyecare, and Olivia Leduc, Manager of Strategic HR Services at Cleinman, about employee engagement as a driver of practice growth. Dr. Wilson and Olivia discuss surveys, feedback, and core values. They also touch on recognition, one-on-ones, and proactive HR systems.

  6. Jul 1

    [Optometrist Unleashed] Vision, Vines & Remote Communities

    Dr. Davinder Sidhu is the optometrist behind The Genuwine OD, an educational and consulting platform focused on evidence-based eye care, private practice growth, dry eye, leadership, and the eye-brain connection. He provides comprehensive eye care in British Columbia, with experience in ocular disease, surgical co-management, contact lenses, binocular vision, pediatrics, and neuro-ophthalmology. Additionally, Dr. Sidhu advises clinics on KPIs, patient flow, operations, and clinical systems, drawing from his experience building clinics and consulting with optometry practices. He is also the Co-owner and Director of Operations at Vasanti Estate Winery, an award-winning, family-owned South Okanagan winery rooted in the Sidhu family’s farming heritage. In this episode…Optometry can look very different depending on where it is practiced, who it serves, and how widely a clinician is willing to define the profession. From remote communities to practice systems, patient education, and family winemaking, what does it take to build a career that is both clinically grounded and creatively expansive? For Dr. Davinder Sidhu, an optometrist, practice owner, consultant, and educator focused on evidence-based eye care and practice growth, the answer starts with refusing to fit into a single mold. He explains that optometrists can build careers around their strengths, whether that means serving rural and Indigenous communities, developing efficient clinic systems, educating patients online, or branching into entrepreneurship. Dr. Sidhu emphasizes the importance of mapping the patient journey, tracking meaningful KPIs like revenue per hour, and using tools such as AI and teleoptometry to expand access without losing the human side of care. His perspective turns “unconventional” into a practical strategy for creating more resilient practices, stronger teams, and more meaningful patient experiences. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast's Optometrist Unleashed series, Dr. Trevor Miranda chats with Dr. Davinder Sidhu, the optometrist behind The Genuwine OD and the Co-owner and Director of Operations at Vasanti Estate Winery, about vision care, business, and vines. Dr. Sidhu shares lessons from remote BC clinics, optometry KPIs, and the patient experience. He also touches on AI, teleoptometry, neuroscience, wine hospitality, and unconventional career paths.

    [Optometrist Unleashed] Vision, Vines & Remote Communities

  7. Jun 24

    Part 2: Taking Ownership of Your Optical Boutique

    Michele Self is the Program Facilitator at Cleinman, a consulting firm that helps independent optometry practices improve operations, strengthen teams, and grow sustainably. She facilitates FrameWorks, Cleinman’s peer-to-peer program for opticians, where she guides discussions, shares optical best practices, and helps teams improve performance, patient care, and profitability. Michele is also the Owner of A Spectacular Gaze LLC, which provides on-site optician training and inventory management for private practices. In this episode…In optical practices, small operational gaps can quietly shape the entire patient experience, often surfacing only when trust is already strained. Delays in communication, unclear job status, and inconsistent coordination can all build unnoticed over time. So what actually keeps these breakdowns from happening in the first place? Michele Self, an opticianry and optical operations expert, points to ownership, communication, and system visibility as the foundation of stronger performance. Rather than reacting to lab issues after the fact, she stresses proactively contacting patients when problems arise to preserve trust. Michele also emphasizes daily tracking of lab jobs to catch delays early and reduce risk beyond standard turnaround expectations, while noting that many remakes stem from preventable fitting or measurement errors. Her core message centers on building consistent systems that stop issues before they reach the patient. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Michele Self, Program Facilitator at Cleinman, is back with Kim Carson to discuss improving communication, accountability, and workflow systems in optical practices. Michele explores patient communication during lab errors, tracking job delays, and reducing remake rates through better processes. She also covers lab flexibility, prescription accuracy, and how optician education and training improve overall practice performance.

    Part 2: Taking Ownership of Your Optical Boutique

  8. Jun 17

    Part 1: Taking Ownership of Your Optical Boutique

    Michele Self is the Program Facilitator at Cleinman Performance Partners, a consulting firm that helps independent optometry practices improve operations, strengthen teams, and grow sustainably. She facilitates FrameWorks, Cleinman’s peer-to-peer program for opticians, where she guides discussions, shares optical best practices, and helps teams improve performance, patient care, and profitability. Michele is also the Owner of A Spectacular Gaze LLC, which provides on-site optician training and inventory management for private practices. In this episode…A successful optical boutique depends on more than stylish frames or strong sales. Small operational details shape patient trust, profitability, and the practice’s reputation. When mistakes happen, how can a team use them to improve instead of repeating the same problems? Optician educator and optical practice consultant Michele Self explains that the answer starts with tracking remakes and understanding what they reveal. Remakes are not just isolated errors; they can point to issues with lab work, doctor changes, product warranties, staff training, or how products are explained to patients. Michele emphasizes that practices should review remake data consistently, categorize errors accurately, and approach mistakes with kindness rather than blame. With the right systems in place, practices can reduce costly errors, strengthen patient confidence, and make smarter decisions about staff education and product offerings. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Kim Carson chats with Michele Self, Program Facilitator at Cleinman Performance Partners, about taking ownership of your optical boutique through smarter remake tracking. Michele explains why remakes affect success, how to identify training opportunities, and what product warranties reveal. She also touches on patient education, staff accountability, and protecting the practice’s reputation.

    Part 1: Taking Ownership of Your Optical Boutique
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About

Owning and running a private optometry practice is challenging—but help is here! The Cleinman Connect Podcast offers valuable insights from independent optometrists/practice owners, practice managers, and industry experts. Each episode features top performers or industry experts who share their success strategies for navigating common business and operational hurdles to grow and enhance practices. From marketing tips and team management to succession planning and financial strategies, our experienced guests provide actionable advice tailored to private optometry practices. Tune in for a new episode on the 1st Wednesday of each month and stay ahead of the curve! Subscribe to the Cleinman Connect Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Whether you're an established owner or manager, or just starting out, this podcast is a valuable resource for practice growth and professional development.

Information

  • Creator
    Cleinman Performance Partners
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    75
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Cleinman Performance Partners
  • Show Website
    Cleinman Connect Podcast

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