Libsyn Directory

A simple introduction to AI for optometry practice owners: a practical conversation with Dr. Mick Kling

Release Date: 07/06/2026

When success quietly creates too much risk

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

You may feel diversified while quietly becoming more dependent on the exact same sources of wealth. In this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry, I explore concentration risk from two angles that practice owners often don’t connect: what’s happening inside an investment portfolio and what’s happening on their personal balance sheet as their practice becomes more valuable. We start with the S&P 500. Because the index is market-cap weighted, the companies that perform best naturally become larger portions of the index. Today, . That doesn’t make the S&P 500 a bad...

Does your optometry practice even need a front desk anymore?

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

What if one of the most familiar parts of your optometry practice is also one of the things most overdue for a rethink? This week’s episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry is a little different. After a few updates on what’s ahead for the podcast—including upcoming guests, a potential optometry-owner ski meetup at Copper Mountain before IDOC Connection 2027, and an opening in the OD Masterminds Founders Club—I’m sharing an episode from another project that some listeners may not yet have discovered: The Optometry Success Podcast. The Optometry Success Podcast...

The 401(k) rules have changed. Has your retirement plan?

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

If your practice has been using the same retirement plan for years simply because “it works,” you may be leaving valuable planning opportunities on the table. On this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry, I’m joined by Jared Porter, co-founder of 401GO, for a practical conversation about how much the qualified retirement plan landscape has changed—and why optometric practice owners should periodically reevaluate whether their current plan still fits their business. We discuss why SIMPLE IRAs may no longer be as “simple” or advantageous as many owners assume, how...

Why your optometry marketing isn't working with Jeremy Bono from IDOC Marketing

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

Your next patient may already be looking for an optometrist—and choosing someone else before you ever know they existed. On this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry, I’m joined by Jeremy Bono, Director of Optometry Marketing Services at IDOC, for a wide-ranging conversation about what effective marketing actually looks like inside an optometry practice. We start with a bigger question: does the public really understand what an optometrist does—and, more importantly, why they should regularly see one? From there, Jeremy and I explore why simply saying that you provide...

Is optometry too focused on specialty services? A discussion with Dr. Kyle Klute

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

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...

How successful practice owners actually become wealthy

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

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,...

Understanding and setting pricing in your practice that are fair and profitable with Dr. Chris Wolfe, OD (Rewind)

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

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...

What every seller needs to know before selling their practice

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

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...

Your Practice Doesn’t Need More of Your Time — It Needs Better Use of It with Nathan Hayes

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

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...

A simple introduction to AI for optometry practice owners: a practical conversation with Dr. Mick Kling

20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

AI can feel overwhelming, overhyped, and impossible to keep up with — especially when every conversation seems to swing between “this changes everything” and “this is all just noise.” In this episode of 20/20 Money, I’m joined once again by Dr. Mick Kling for a practical conversation about where AI is actually useful for practice owners right now — without the doom-and-gloom, hype, or technical jargon. Mick shares how he’s been thoughtfully experimenting with AI inside his own workflows to improve efficiency, analyze practice financials, model business decisions, and...

More Episodes

Mick shares how he’s been thoughtfully experimenting with AI inside his own workflows to improve efficiency, analyze practice financials, model business decisions, and simplify strategic planning. More importantly, we discuss how practice owners can start using these tools in approachable, low-risk ways without needing to become programmers, coders, or “tech people.”

We also discuss:

Why AI should be viewed more as an assistant than a replacement
The biggest mistakes owners make when using AI tools
How Mick built AI-powered financial analysis tools without coding experience
The “LENS” framework for creating better prompts and better outputs
Practical ways to use AI for business planning, associate hiring decisions, and cash flow analysis
Why dashboards and reporting may evolve dramatically over the next few years
The importance of human connection in a profession increasingly influenced by technology
How to begin experimenting with AI without getting completely overwhelmed by it

As always, we close the conversation with practical NBSs (Next Best Steps) for listeners who want to begin thoughtfully integrating AI into their practice and business workflows.

Have a podcast-related question? Contact our team here!

Resources:

Previous episode with Mick about adding an associate OD in the practice (I think we did one on this topic??)

Check out Wispr Flow (voice dictation software)

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
—————————————————————————————