Optometrists Building Empires

Dr. Nick Lillie cold-started Family Vision Optical in Allendale, Michigan straight out of school in 2011. For years everything ran through him. Then came the realization that changed everything: "My biggest obstacle was myself. I was the bottleneck." Once he got out of his own way, the practice more than doubled its revenue.

Nick and Ankit go deep on the identity shift from clinician to CEO: redefining self-worth when your schedule is no longer the scoreboard, protecting thinking time (Nick blocks Fridays to work ON the business), the no-paycheck weeks after doubling his space and staff, and building a culture on core values he actually hires, fires, and coaches against. Plus: the weekly operating rhythm (leadership email, daily huddles, KPI scorecard, department one-on-ones), advice to his younger self, and the story of a 5'4" Division II running back that explains what makes him tick.

Lines worth the price of admission:
- "It's not me that's special. It's the environment, the system, and the culture we created."
- "Our most valuable time as CEO isn't seeing patients. It's taking the time to think: where do I want to go?"
- "Failure and success are on the same road. Failure just has an earlier exit."
- "The person you are right now has to die for the new person to be born."

Connect with Dr. Nick Lillie:
- Podcast, Optometry: The Ultimate O.D. - https://theultimateod.com
- Rejuvenation Dry Eye Center - https://therdec.com
- Family Vision Optical - Allendale, Michigan

Want Ankit to look at your practice? Book a call and grab a free copy of Optometry Redefined: https://meetings.hubspot.com/ankit98/optometry-redefined

Optometrists Building Empires - https://buildingempires.live

Show Notes

Dr. Nick Lillie cold-started Family Vision Optical in Allendale, Michigan right out of school in 2011. For years everything ran through him, until he faced the truth that changed everything: he was the bottleneck. In this episode, Nick and Ankit dig into the identity shift from doctor-who-does-everything to CEO, the no-paycheck weeks behind the growth story, hiring on core values, and the weekly operating rhythm that more than doubled his revenue.

What is Optometrists Building Empires?

Welcome to Optometrists Building Empires! Each week, host Ankit Patel, explores the journey of practice ownership and leadership in optometry with some of the top minds in his field. This show is sponsored by My Business Care Team: We help increase revenue, reduce costs, and reduce staffing headaches. Let's build your empire together!