Making These Merchandising Mistakes is Costing You Tens of Thousands of Dollars: An Optical Conversation with Kayla Ashlee
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
Release Date: 05/25/2026
Why some dry eye practices thrive--and others quietly fail with Dr. Chris Wolfe
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
What if the biggest mistake practice owners make with dry eye isn’t buying the wrong technology… but building their entire strategy around the technology itself? In this episode of 20/20 Money, I’m joined once again by Dr. Chris Wolfe for a fascinating conversation around dry eye, specialty services, patient communication, and the dangerous trap of becoming “device-centric” instead of patient-centric. Chris shares a candid behind-the-scenes perspective on what he’s observed from practices across the country when it comes to implementing dry eye services and expensive...
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Implementing a profitable Medicaid practice into your local school district: a convo with Dr. Ryan Hansen
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
What if serving Medicaid patients wasn’t a drain on your practice… but one of the most efficient and fulfilling business models in optometry? In this episode of 20/20 Money, I’m joined by Dr. Ryan Hansen to discuss a truly unique model he’s built inside a public school district that provides eye care exclusively to children on Medicaid — while still creating a financially viable and highly efficient practice structure. Ryan shares how he operates a school-based satellite clinic inside the Rockford public school system, why the traditional “either/or” mindset around...
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A blueprint for scaling your practice (while having a life in the process): unpacking Eyecare B.O.S.S. with Eugene Shatsman
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
Why do so many optometric practices hit a ceiling in their practice? We know it's not because the owner isn’t working hard enough, so what is it? It's because the business was never designed to scale in the first place. Eugene Shatsman joins me back on the show to talk about the ceiling practice owners inevitably hit in their practice—and a system he's created to help owners break through it. In our conversation, we discuss the systems and frameworks behind building a more intentional, scalable practice, including the five operational pillars Eugene believes every successful practice must...
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Are you building wealth...or just feeding the machine?? A conversation with Nathan Hayes on investing capital in your practice
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
What if one of the biggest financial mistakes practice owners make is confusing “spending money in the practice” with actually investing in it? In this episode, I’m joined once again by Nathan Hayes for a thoughtful and nuanced conversation around reinvesting in your practice, opportunity cost, and the hidden tradeoffs owners often overlook when deciding what to do with excess cash flow. We explore the mindset many owners have that every dollar spent on equipment, technology, or expansion automatically creates enterprise value — and why that assumption can quietly create...
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Making These Merchandising Mistakes is Costing You Tens of Thousands of Dollars: An Optical Conversation with Kayla Ashlee
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
Most optometric practice owners have no idea how much money they’re quietly losing in their optical simply because of merchandising, layout, and the conversations happening—or not happening—between staff and patients. Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry. My guest on today’s show is Kayla Ashlee. Kayla joins me on the show to talk about the subtle but incredibly powerful levers that influence buying behavior inside the dispensary and why the difference between a thriving optical and an average one often has less to do with pricing and more to do with...
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Practice financing decoded: what owners need to know now about how banks think about deals
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
Thinking about buying or expanding a practice, but nervous about debt, banks, or making an expensive mistake? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Mike Smith of Bank of America to demystify the lending process for optometrists. We break down what banks actually look for in a borrower, how student loans and cash reserves really factor in, why tax returns matter more than stories, and the common traps buyers and sellers fall into when financing a deal. If utilizing OPM, other peoples' money like a bank's, is on your radar (now or in the future), this conversation can save you time,...
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How great practice owners build teams that stay and perform
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
What if the biggest threat to your practice isn’t reimbursement, competition, or overhead—but the way you hire, lead, and retain people? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Mike Dixon, president of Hoops, for a conversation every practice owner needs to hear. We unpack why staffing issues feel so hard, why most owners were never trained to lead, and how the right systems can turn your team from your biggest headache into your greatest competitive advantage. If you’ve ever said, “I just can’t find good people,” this episode may challenge the way you think about the real...
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Don't make these financial and business mistakes! (the talk I give at every optometry school's private practice club)
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
The financial decisions you make early in your career can shape the next several decades—and most people don’t realize it until much later. On this episode, I’m sharing a presentation I recently gave to students at the Indiana University School of Optometry on the timeless financial and business lessons every optometrist should understand. I discuss the power of compounding, how to think about saving priorities, student loans, disability and life insurance, and why your income is your greatest wealth-building tool. I also cover important concepts on the business side of optometry,...
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Using EOS to Create Clarity and Traction in Your Practice with Tom Restivo
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
Ever wonder if, when, or how to build stronger operations within your practice? In this episode, I sit down with Tom Restivo to unpack EOS and what it looks like to build a stronger operational foundation inside an optometric practice. Tom shares his experience leading a rapidly growing eye care organization through expansion, complexity, and the pressures that eventually exposed where systems were missing. We talk about why growth without structure creates avoidable friction, how core values shape hiring and leadership decisions, and why vision has to be more than a vague idea if you want...
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How a Limiting Mindset Can Cost Practice Owners More Than They Realize with Dr. Steve Vargo
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
In this episode I sit down with Dr. Steve Vargo to unpack a mindset that many practice owners quietly wrestle with: the belief that there is no longer money to be made in the basics of optometry. We start with a real question from a practice owner who feels discouraged by stagnant reimbursements and declining capture rates, and use it as a springboard to discuss the deeper issue underneath it all: communication. Steve explains why successful practices are not necessarily dependent on adding new cash pay services, but instead on improving how doctors listen, communicate, and guide...
info_outlineMost optometric practice owners have no idea how much money they’re quietly losing in their optical simply because of merchandising, layout, and the conversations happening—or not happening—between staff and patients.
Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry. My guest on today’s show is Kayla Ashlee. Kayla joins me on the show to talk about the subtle but incredibly powerful levers that influence buying behavior inside the dispensary and why the difference between a thriving optical and an average one often has less to do with pricing and more to do with psychology, presentation, and process.
In our conversation, we discuss the difference between optician-led versus patient-led frame selections, why many owners underestimate the power of suggestion in the optical, and how practices may be unintentionally leaving revenue on the table simply through the way eyeware is presented.. We also talk about practical merchandising strategies that can materially influence capture rate and optical performance without adding more patients to the schedule.
Resources:
MassGeneral cafeteria experiment
"You will read this first" image
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20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass
Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice
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