Five ways optometry practice owners could be myopic in their ownership journey with Erich Mattei from Akrinos
Release Date: 10/28/2024
Live from NSUOCO: Top 10 Tips for (Financial) Success for Optometrists
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Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! This week's episode is the recording of my presentation at NSUOCO, titled "Top 10 Tips for (Financial) Success for Optometrists." Over the course of the year, I'm privileged to present in front of a variety of optometry schools' private practice clubs and classes. The purpose of the presentation is to help ODs understand the ABCs and 123s of personal finance and how to better understand the business of optometry so that, upon graduation, they are able to make educated and informed decisions about their money. Given that the content and lessons are...
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My Frankenstein practice: how I would assemble the perfect optometry practice
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Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! What would I do if I were starting an optometric practice from the ground up? A listener posed the question—and I went deep. In this episode, I walk through everything from choosing the right location (hint: geography is everything) to building the skills that matter most when you’re just getting started. We cover: Why defining your Ideal Patient Avatar (IPA) is mission-critical The underrated value of sales coaching and communication training Why I’d buy a small-town practice instead of cold-starting in suburbia The non-negotiables...
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Can we PLEASE agree on some numbers (and the KPIs that influence them)??
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Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! In this episode, we tackle the confusion around key financial numbers in your optometric practice and why it’s critical to have a common understanding of their definitions. From gross COLLECTED revenue, cost of goods sold, and net operating income, we explore the most important KPIs that influence your bottom line. Whether you’re looking to grow, improve efficiency, or just understand your business better, this conversation will help you create a clearer, more actionable financial dashboard. We dive into: Why “collections” and...
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An update on Taxes 101: Understanding tax brackets, deductions, and credits for optometric practice owners
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Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! In today’s episode, we’re diving into the details of your tax return—beyond just whether you got a refund. We’ll break down the difference between deductions and credits, how our tax brackets work, why you should focus on Line 24—your total tax paid—instead of Lines 34 or 37, and what Line 38 might be telling you about penalties and interest. We’ll also highlight common areas for errors, clarify how the QBI deduction applies depending on your income level, and walk through important forms like Form 8960 for NIIT cancelation, Form 8889 for...
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The Art of Delegation from a practice owner's perspective with Dr. Ted McElroy, OD
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Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Ted McElroy, OD. Ted and I share in a conversation that's on the heels of a 2 hour CE session I did at SECO 2025, which was titled The Art of Delegation. We talk through why practice owners get stuck on delegation, ways to think about becoming more comfortable delegating, the true cost of NOT delegating, and some NBSs for you to think about around this very important topic. As a reminder, you can get all the information discussed in today’s conversation by visiting our website at and clicking on the Learning...
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The difference between saving vs deferring taxes
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In this episode, we break down the common misconception that tax deferral is the same as tax savings—spoiler alert: it’s not. We discuss how strategies like funding retirement plans, loss harvesting, and depreciation only push taxes into the future, while true tax savings come from tools like QCDs, business deductions, and Roth account growth. We explore when deferring taxes makes sense, and when it might actually cost you more in the long run. As a reminder, you can get all the information discussed in today’s conversation by visiting our website at and clicking on the Learning...
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How practices can benefit using fractional services like a CMO with Daniel Palmer
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Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Daniel Palmer. Daniel joins me back on the show to talk through a growing service and role in small businesses (optometry included), which is the Fractional C*O service. I use the * to depict the fact that this role could be Chief Operating, Marketing, Information/Technology, and yes Financial Officer. We talk about the differences between a consultant and a fractional C*O and how to think about each of those roles in your organization, how a practice can think about if & when they're ready to add that relationship to...
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Making good decisions (and avoiding costly mistakes) when purchasing optometry equipment w/ Rick Norwood
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Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Rick Norwood, founder & President of Norwood Device & Diagnostics. Rick joins me on the show to talk through an often-discussed topic in practice ownership, and that is the responsible purchasing of equipment. We talk through how practice owners should evaluate various suppliers, the cadence and frequency of replacing and upgrading your equipment, and how to avoid purchasing "buyer's remorse" through the process. As a reminder, you can get all the information discussed in today’s conversation by visiting our...
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Edging in-house vs outsourcing: the economics, trade-offs, and data an optometric practice needs to measure with Drs. Jennifer Stewart, OD & Sam Hornberger, OD
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Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guests on today’s show are Drs. Jennifer Stewart & Sam Hornberger, both private practice owners in their respective practices. Sam and Jennifer join me on the show to talk about a topic that admittedly, in over 300 episodes of 20/20 Money, I haven't talked about yet: edging and the decisions around whether to bring edging in-house or continue to outsource it to your lab. We talk through how each of them made the decision to bring edging in-house—Sam making the decision after years of outsourcing it to a lab and Jennifer making the...
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Providing vision therapy profitably and passionately with Dr. Leigha Nielsen, OD
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Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Leigha Nielson, OD FOVDR, founder of in New Braunfels, TX. Leigha joins me on the show to talk about how she's created both a successful practice and a life she loves—personally and professionally—through a vision-therapy focused practice. She talks about her journey as a practice owner under the TSO (Texas State Optical) brand and how she transitioned to her own stand-alone practice and why she made the commitment to to change. She also shares the details about the operations of her practice—from the...
info_outlineWelcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Erich Mattei, founder of Akrinos. In this conversation, Erich and I discuss five specific concepts and ways that optometrists can make prudent business decisions in their practice and reduce the chances of making a strategic wrong decision.
As a reminder, you can get all the information discussed in today’s conversation by visiting our website at integratedpwm.com and clicking on the Learning Center. While there, be sure to subscribe to our monthly “planning life on purpose” newsletter that’s filled with tips and ideas to help you plan your best life, on purpose. You can also set up a Triage conversation to learn a little bit more about how we serve in the capacity of a personal and professional CFO: helping OD practice owners around the country reduce their tax bill, proactively manage cash flow, and make prudent investment decisions both in and out of their practice to ultimately help them live their best life on purpose. Lastly, if you’re interested in learning more about the 20/20 Money Membership, a platform that we created to help ODs become “brilliant at the financial basics,” please check out the link in the show notes of this episode to learn more.
And with that introduction, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Erich Mattei.
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