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
Release Date: 07/27/2026
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,...
info_outline20/20 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...
info_outline20/20 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...
info_outline20/20 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...
info_outline20/20 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...
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What if the biggest reason patients aren’t buying glasses from your practice… is the experience you’ve unintentionally created around optical? In this episode of 20/20 Money, I’m joined once again by Dr. Jennifer Stewart for a candid and energetic conversation around the subtle — and sometimes overlooked — ways practice owners can dramatically improve optical sales without feeling “salesy.” Jen shares how she’s intentionally built an optical-forward patient experience that turns eyewear into something patients genuinely get excited about, why most practices unknowingly...
info_outline20/20 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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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...
info_outline20/20 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...
info_outline20/20 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...
info_outlineWelcome 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 3rd party payors.
And with that introduction, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Chris Wolfe, OD.
Resources:
Adam’s in-flight conversation with Chris
Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit
20/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass
Check out Adam's book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice
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The Optometry Success Podcast
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