Part 2: Taking Ownership of Your Optical Boutique

Part 2: Taking Ownership of Your Optical Boutique

Michele Self is the Program Facilitator at Cleinman, a consulting firm that helps independent optometry practices improve operations, strengthen teams, and grow sustainably. She facilitates FrameWorks, Cleinman’s peer-to-peer program for opticians, where she guides discussions, shares optical best practices, and helps teams improve performance, patient care, and profitability. Michele is also the Owner of A Spectacular Gaze LLC, which provides on-site optician training and inventory management for private practices. IN THIS EPISODE… In optical practices, small operational gaps can quietly shape the entire patient experience, often surfacing only when trust is already strained. Delays in communication, unclear job status, and inconsistent coordination can all build unnoticed over time. So what actually keeps these breakdowns from happening in the first place? Michele Self, an opticianry and optical operations expert, points to ownership, communication, and system visibility as the foundation of stronger performance. Rather than reacting to lab issues after the fact, she stresses proactively contacting patients when problems arise to preserve trust. Michele also emphasizes daily tracking of lab jobs to catch delays early and reduce risk beyond standard turnaround expectations, while noting that many remakes stem from preventable fitting or measurement errors. Her core message centers on building consistent systems that stop issues before they reach the patient. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Michele Self, Program Facilitator at Cleinman, is back with Kim Carson to discuss improving communication, accountability, and workflow systems in optical practices. Michele explores patient communication during lab errors, tracking job delays, and reducing remake rates through better processes. She also covers lab flexibility, prescription accuracy, and how optician education and training improve overall practice performance.

Part 1: Taking Ownership of Your Optical Boutique

Michele Self is the Program Facilitator at Cleinman Performance Partners, a consulting firm that helps independent optometry practices improve operations, strengthen teams, and grow sustainably. She facilitates FrameWorks, Cleinman’s peer-to-peer program for opticians, where she guides discussions, shares optical best practices, and helps teams improve performance, patient care, and profitability. Michele is also the Owner of A Spectacular Gaze LLC, which provides on-site optician training and inventory management for private practices. IN THIS EPISODE… A successful optical boutique depends on more than stylish frames or strong sales. Small operational details shape patient trust, profitability, and the practice’s reputation. When mistakes happen, how can a team use them to improve instead of repeating the same problems? Optician educator and optical practice consultant Michele Self explains that the answer starts with tracking remakes and understanding what they reveal. Remakes are not just isolated errors; they can point to issues with lab work, doctor changes, product warranties, staff training, or how products are explained to patients. Michele emphasizes that practices should review remake data consistently, categorize errors accurately, and approach mistakes with kindness rather than blame. With the right systems in place, practices can reduce costly errors, strengthen patient confidence, and make smarter decisions about staff education and product offerings. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Kim Carson chats with Michele Self, Program Facilitator at Cleinman Performance Partners, about taking ownership of your optical boutique through smarter remake tracking. Michele explains why remakes affect success, how to identify training opportunities, and what product warranties reveal. She also touches on patient education, staff accountability, and protecting the practice’s reputation.

Adding up the Pieces of Your Practice’s Financial Puzzle

Annelies Calnan is the Director of Practice Transitions at Cleinman Performance Partners, a consulting firm that specializes in supporting optometry practices with business growth, ownership transitions, and strategic decision-making. As a CPA with over eight years of experience in healthcare transactions — primarily within optometry — Annelies guides clients through financial analysis, valuations, and deal negotiations, helping practice owners confidently navigate milestones from hiring associates to executing complex exits. IN THIS EPISODE… Some practices seem profitable on the surface, yet struggle when it comes to producing cash flow. Deciphering the numbers that grow profitability in your practice can feel overwhelming at first — so how should you begin? The first step, according to Annelies Calnan, a CPA with extensive experience in healthcare transactions, is to look beyond gross revenue. She explains that EBITDA — earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization — shows the operational profit a practice generates if a third party were running it. By removing owner-specific expenses and one-time costs, this metric reveals the true efficiency and financial health of a practice, helping owners make smarter, more informed decisions. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Kim Carson is joined by Annelies Calnan, Director of Practice Transitions at Cleinman Performance Partners, to discuss decoding practice profitability. Annelies explores how EBITDA offers a clearer picture than revenue alone, why balance sheets matter, and common financial blind spots. She also shares tips on preparing to understand your own numbers and confidently manage your practice’s growth.

Practical and Tested: Paid Digital Marketing for Any Budget

Eleanor Knight is the Senior Digital Marketing Strategist at Marketing4ECPs, a digital marketing agency that provides tailored marketing solutions for eye care professionals. With a management degree focused on marketing from the University of Lethbridge, she brings experience from agency, platform, and in-house roles. Eleanor specializes in paid media strategy, audience targeting, and campaign testing, helping eye care practices make smarter decisions across search, social, display, and geolocation advertising. IN THIS EPISODE… Paid digital marketing works best when it is treated less like a guessing game and more like a series of smart, measured choices. When every budget has limits, how do practices know where to invest and what to test? The answer is to align strategy with goals and let the data guide the next move. According to Eleanor Knight, a communications-minded marketing strategist with experience across agency, platform, and in-house roles, paid search often sits closest to driving action and conversions, while display, geolocation, and paid social help build awareness and consideration. She explains that stronger results come from sharper structure, like grouping keywords more thoughtfully, tailoring ad copy to match search intent, and testing one variable at a time, so even small-budget campaigns can produce useful insights. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Kim Carson is joined by Eleanor Knight, Senior Digital Marketing Strategist at Marketing4ECPs, to discuss practical paid digital marketing for any budget. Eleanor covers how paid search, display, geolocation, and social channels fit within the marketing funnel, how audience targeting has evolved, and why testing one variable at a time can make a big difference. She also shares how a display campaign delivered 97 bonus conversions.

Fueling Success Through Peer-to-Peer Conversations

David Spisak is the Director of Peer-to-Peer Programming at Cleinman Performance Partners, a trusted business partner for independent optometry practices for over 35 years. With leadership experience across optometric, orthopedic, urology, and dental group practice operations, David brings an innovative, results-focused approach to healthcare teams. At Cleinman, he helps connect practice owners with shared insight, practical strategies, and trusted support to strengthen teams, foster accountability, and drive sustainable growth. IN THIS EPISODE… Building a successful practice takes more than good instincts and clear goals. When decisions get complex and ownership feels isolating, what helps leaders keep moving forward with confidence? For David Spisak, the key lies in commitment, the right team, and a circle of support that understands the realities of practice ownership. He explains that peer-to-peer conversations work best when members bring an abundance mindset, a willingness to learn, and the generosity to share what has worked and what has not. That combination creates more than a meeting group; it builds a trusted team where practice owners can grow through honest conversation, shared experience, and practical accountability. In this episode of the Cleinman Connect Podcast, Kim Carson is joined by David Spisak, Director of Peer-to-Peer Programming at Cleinman Performance Partners, to discuss how peer-to-peer groups help practice owners grow. David shares insights on what makes practices stand out, how Cleinman matches members for better outcomes, and why vulnerability matters. He also talks about innovation and what practice owners can look forward to next.