{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Optometrists Building Empires","title":"Built Together: How Relationships, Systems, and Grit Created Three Thriving Practices - #096","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2480,"description":"Can the relationships you built in optometry school lay the groundwork for the businesses you'd build decades later?In this special panel episode of Optometrists Building Empires, host Ankit Patel sits down with three accomplished optometrists who graduated together from Indiana University in 2008 and went on to build thriving practices across the country. Dr. Patrick Curran of Johnson Curran Optometry Centers, Dr. Jeni Kohn of Moses Eye Care, and Dr. Andy Yaryan of Yaryan Eye Care Center brings their combined decades of experience to an honest, wide-ranging conversation about structure, leadership, financial literacy, staffing, and the unspoken value of having people in your corner who want you to win.From navigating the financial crisis right out of school to managing Medicaid-heavy practices, building team cultures that stick, and staying ahead of reimbursement challenges, this panel pulls no punches. They share what surprised them, what humbled them, and what they'd tell any optometrist who's trying to grow something meaningful.Takeaways:Structure is what allows growth to scale without chaos. Having the right systems and the right people in the right seats is what separates practices that grow intentionally from those that stall under their own weight.Mentorship and peer relationships aren't soft skills, they're growth strategies. Leaning on people who've already been through it shortens the learning curve and gives you honest feedback that generic resources can't provide.Financial literacy isn't optional for practice owners. Understanding P&Ls, cash flow, reimbursement trends, and inflation-adjusted metrics is the difference between working hard and actually building wealth.What you tolerate, you endorse. Avoiding hard conversations with staff doesn't make problems smaller, it makes them more expensive. Addressing issues quickly, clearly, and consistently protects your culture and your A players.Culture isn't an accident, it's a decision. Confidence,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/YL2_iApAQKMNenVMuJU6VxjEqr2JuXxMbz-e8njM13g/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83N2Jh/YWIyNmE5MGNiZTA3/YTRhZDQ2Nzc2OTUw/YzQyOS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}