20/20 Money is the top podcast for optometrists, private practice owners, and ODs who want to master optometry practice management, financial planning, and long-term business strategy. Hosted by Adam Cmejla, CFP®, the show delivers practical guidance on everything that affects the profitability, growth, and value of your optometry practice.Episodes cover:• Optometry practice management & operations• Financial planning for optometrists• Practice growth strategies & profitability tips• Selling your practice & OD exit planning• Private equity deals in optometry• Hiring, leadership, and team development• Tax planning, cash flow, and retirement readiness• Student loan strategies for ODs• Cold starts, acquisitions, and multi-location scalingWith expert interviews, case studies, and step-by-step breakdowns, you'll learn how to make smarter business decisions, build personal wealth, and create a thriving career inside and outside the exam room.If you're an OD serious about elevatin
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20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry is a business podcast hosted by Adam Cmejla, with 407 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
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Adam Cmejla hosts 20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry, a business show with 407 episodes published.
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Episode #405
Is optometry too focused on specialty services? A discussion with Dr. Kyle Klute
Aug 10, 202658 min
What if the pressure to add specialty services is distracting you from the value already sitting inside your practice? In this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry , Adam is joined by Dr. Kyle Klute for a thought-provoking conversation about specialization, comprehensive eye care, and the growing pressure practice owners may feel to purchase new technology or build a niche service line. Kyle explains why labeling dry eye, myopia management, glaucoma, and other areas as "specialties" can unintentionally allow optometrists to treat them as optional. Instead, he argues that ODs are uniquely trained and positioned to manage a broad range of their patients' eye and vision needs through comprehensive primary eye care. They also discuss why the patient and the clinical protocol should come before the equipment purchase. Rather than buying an expensive device and hoping to create demand, practice owners should first establish consistent diagnostic triggers, treatment protocols, follow-up systems, and a proven flow of patients who would benefit from the technology. The conversation ultimately moves beyond specialty services and into a deeper question: Who are you professionally, and what role do you want to play in your patients' lives? In this episode: Why Kyle believes specialization in optometry may be overrated The difference between comprehensive care and a specialty-service mindset How equipment FOMO can create expensive "doorstops" in a practice Why protocols and patient demand should come before purchasing technology The unique value optometrists provide that other eye care professionals may not How professional identity and confidence influence clinical and business decisions Why understanding your personal strengths can improve leadership and practice culture Next Best Step: Become clear, confident, and capable in your professional identity. Define the role you want to play in your patients' lives before deciding which services, systems, or equipment belong in your practice. Link to Chris Wolfe Episode Optometry Simplified: Kyle's newsletter Review of Optometric Business Article (Specialization is Overrated) The Optometry Success Podcast Enneagram Link to Six Types of Working Genius assessment Have a podcast-related question? Contact our team here ! Resources: Book a Triage call with Adam 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 ————————————————————————————— Please rate and subscribe to 20/20 Money on these platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify ————————————————————————————— For past episodes of 20/20 Money with full companion show notes, please check out our episode archive here!
How successful practice owners actually become wealthy
Aug 3, 202645 min
A profitable practice can create tremendous cash flow—but it does not automatically create personal wealth. In this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry , Adam bridges the gap between running a successful optometry practice and using that success to build lasting financial independence. Drawing on nearly 20 years of working with business owners, he explains why practice size, income, and personal net worth are related—but far less correlated than many owners assume. Adam shares several patterns consistently demonstrated by financially independent practice owners, including intentionally moving excess cash out of the practice, diversifying into multiple income-producing assets, maintaining adequate liquidity, and increasing their investments before expanding their lifestyle. He also addresses one of the biggest financial risks facing practice owners: relying on the eventual sale of the practice as the primary retirement plan. Buyer availability, health changes, burnout, market conditions, taxes, outstanding liabilities, and unrealistic valuation expectations can all disrupt a transition. The wealthiest owners Adam has worked with did not become wealthy when they sold their practices. They became wealthier . The practice sale simply converted one asset into another—it was the whipped cream and cherry on top of the financial sundae, not the sundae itself. In this episode: Why generating cash and deploying cash require different skill sets How excess cash in the practice can create significant opportunity costs The importance of building wealth outside the practice Why net worth and liquidity are not the same thing How lifestyle creep can reduce flexibility inside the business Why practice owners should build income-producing assets The risks of making the practice sale your retirement plan How personal financial pressure can derail practice-sale negotiations Why financial independence should be built before closing day Next Best Step: Ask yourself this question: If your practice were worth 30% less than you expect—or you had to retire five years earlier because of your health—would your financial plan still work? If the answer is no, your practice is not merely part of your retirement plan. It is your retirement plan—and that may be the greatest financial risk you are carrying. Referenced episodes: Are you building wealth...or just feeding the machine?? 3 financial lessons learned from my grandpa and grandma Have a podcast-related question? Contact our team here ! Resources: Book a Triage call with Adam 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 ————————————————————————————— Please rate and subscribe to 20/20 Money on these platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify ————————————————————————————— For past episodes of 20/20 Money with full companion show notes, please check out our episode archive here! Check out Adam's other podcast! The Optometry Success Podcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4tttng6 Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4tuf0YM
Understanding and setting pricing in your practice that are fair and profitable with Dr. Chris Wolfe, OD (Rewind)
Jul 27, 202651 min
Welcome to this REWIND episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today's show is Dr. Chris Wolfe, OD. Chris joins me on the show to share in a conversation about how ODs can think about pricing the different services provided in the practice and how to frame that conversation with your patients, how ODs can think about researching their pricing on medical procedures, how to think about scheduling in your practice to be as efficient with OD hours as possible, 4 questions to consider asking every pt as it relates to dry eye, the 5 steps needed to introduce change in your practice, and how practice owners can think about setting their fees in relationship to the different 3 rd party payors. And with that introduction, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Chris Wolfe, OD. Resources: Book a Triage call with Adam CodeSafePlus EyeCode Education EyeCode Media Podcast Adam's in-flight conversation with Chris Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice ————————————————————————————— Please rate and subscribe to 20/20 Money on these platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify ————————————————————————————— For past episodes of 20/20 Money with full companion show notes, please check out our episode archive here! Check out Adam's other podcast! The Optometry Success Podcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4tttng6 Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4tuf0YM
What every seller needs to know before selling their practice
Jul 20, 202645 min
A practice sale that should have been the easiest transition imaginable ended before negotiations even began—and the lessons could save you from making the same costly mistake. In this episode, I shares the story of an anonymized internal succession plan that unraveled despite all the ingredients for success: a trusted associate, established patient relationships, and a seller committed to staying through the transition. So what went wrong? Using this real-world case study, I'll share the psychology of selling a practice, why valuations are opinions—not verdicts—and how misunderstanding business value can derail even the most promising transition. Along the way, I'll also tackle one of the most misunderstood metrics in business valuation—EBITDA—and explain why practice owners should be cautious about relying on it when estimating what their practice is worth. Have a podcast-related question? Contact our team here ! Resources: Berkshire YouTube clip: Every time you hear EBITDA, substitute it with "bull***" earnings Book a Triage call with Adam Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice ————————————————————————————— Please rate and subscribe to 20/20 Money on these platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify ————————————————————————————— For past episodes of 20/20 Money with full companion show notes, please check out our episode archive here! Check out Adam's other podcast! The Optometry Success Podcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4tttng6 Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4tuf0YM
Your Practice Doesn't Need More of Your Time — It Needs Better Use of It with Nathan Hayes
Jul 13, 20261h 3m
What if the next level of your practice requires less time in the lane — not more? In this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry, I'm joined again by Nathan Hayes for a wide-ranging conversation about how practice owners should think more intentionally about their most limited resource: time. We pick up where our last conversation left off and explore what it really means to work on the business, not just in it. Nathan and I discuss why growth is not always linear, why some seasons of ownership are meant for building while others are meant for harvesting, and how owners can begin evaluating whether their time is being spent in the highest and best way. We also talk about the importance of getting out of the practice — both for true vacation and intentional planning — and why practice retreats, team alignment, leadership rhythms, and clear delegation can become force multipliers for the business. As always, we close with practical NBSs to help owners audit how they're spending their time and identify the next best step toward building a more intentional practice. Have a podcast-related question? Contact our team here ! Resources: 20/20 Money Episode: Are you building wealth or just feeding the machine? Traction by Gino Wickman Using EOS to Create Clarity and Traction in Your Practice with Tom Restivo Asana Book a Triage call with Adam 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 ————————————————————————————— Please rate and subscribe to 20/20 Money on these platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify ————————————————————————————— For past episodes of 20/20 Money with full companion show notes, please check out our episode archive here! Check out Adam's other podcast! The Optometry Success Podcast Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4tttng6 Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4tuf0YM
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