Good, fast, cheap: why you probably can’t have all three
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
Release Date: 10/05/2026
Good, fast, cheap: why you probably can’t have all three
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
The most expensive professional service may not be the one with the highest price—it may be the one you mistakenly thought was a great deal. In this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry, I explore the familiar idea of “good, fast, and cheap: pick two” and applies it to the professional services optometric practice owners rely on every day. It’s easy to compare prices. It’s much harder to compare value—especially when you’re hiring an attorney, financial advisor, consultant, accountant, IT provider, or other professional precisely because they possess...
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The problems success doesn't solve
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
What does it really take to build and lead a successful multi-location optometry practice? In this episode of 20/20 Money, I’m joined by Dr. Andy Yaryan, Dr. Jeni Kohn, and Dr. Patrick Curran, three experienced practice owners who offer an honest look at what is happening beneath the surface of a growing practice. We discuss the challenges that remain even after achieving visible success, including rising expenses, staffing and culture, shrinking margins, associate recruitment, and the danger of becoming complacent. We also explore how each owner evaluates investments in the practice,...
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Before you write the check, prove the problem first
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
The most expensive mistake in your practice might be solving a problem you never proved existed. Dr. Jen Stewart joins me back on the show for a conversation about making better decisions before writing the check. Inspired by we explore why practice owners should test assumptions, gather evidence, and understand what success actually looks like before committing significant money or resources to a decision. One idea kept resurfacing throughout our conversation: more isn’t better; better is better. Before you hire another employee, buy another piece of equipment, or sign...
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Building the perfect portfolio when you own a practice
20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry
The investments you own may be perfectly reasonable—and still be completely wrong for you. In this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry, I’m joined again by Peter Lazaroff, Chief Investment Officer at Plancorp and author of , for a conversation about what actually makes an investment portfolio “perfect.” We discuss why portfolio construction has to begin with the investor rather than the investments, why simplicity is valuable but shouldn’t become an ideology, and how to evaluate whether added complexity is actually solving an important problem. Peter...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
info_outlineThe most expensive professional service may not be the one with the highest price—it may be the one you mistakenly thought was a great deal.
In this episode of 20/20 Money: The Business of Optometry, I explore the familiar idea of “good, fast, and cheap: pick two” and applies it to the professional services optometric practice owners rely on every day.
It’s easy to compare prices. It’s much harder to compare value—especially when you’re hiring an attorney, financial advisor, consultant, accountant, IT provider, or other professional precisely because they possess expertise you don’t.
That’s the paradox: the reason you need the professional may also be the reason you’re not qualified to judge the quality of their work.
I discusses why dramatically lower pricing shouldn’t automatically be viewed as either a red flag or a great deal, why practice owners should instead ask how the economics of the provider’s business model work, and what may be exchanged for a lower price. He also shares practical ways to pressure-test professional advice without becoming an expert yourself, including asking what alternatives were considered, where a recommendation could go wrong, how work is reviewed, and when a second opinion may make sense.
Because price is what shows up on the invoice. Cost is what the decision ultimately takes out of your pocket—and your calendar.
NBS: Choose one high-consequence professional relationship in your personal or professional life and pressure-test it. Ask what alternatives were considered, what could cause the recommendation to fail, how the work is reviewed, and whether the stakes justify getting a second qualified set of eyes. You don’t need to become the expert—you need to become a better buyer of expertise.
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The Optometry Success Podcast
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