EP55: Starting from Zero: How to Establish a Greenfield Optometry Practice - Part 1 with Alisha Shastri

EP57: The Shift Business Growth: Start with the End in Mind with Jenny Stilwell

What separates practices that continue to grow from those that reach a plateau? In this episode, we are joined by Jenny Stilwell, strategy advisor, business mentor, and author of The 7% Club, to share the leadership and business strategies that help founders build businesses with lasting value. Throughout the conversation, Jenny explores why business value extends far beyond revenue, how systems and delegation strengthen a practice, and why every business owner should start with the end in mind, even if selling isn't part of their plan. If you're looking to build a practice that's more profitable, more resilient, and less dependent on you, this episode will challenge the way you think about growth and leadership. All the other links and resources mentioned in this episode can be found at  https://www.thefocusedview.com.au [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/episode/episode-57-the-shift-business-growth-start-with-the-end-in-mind-with-jenny-stilwell] Want more support beyond this episode?  Access our free resource collection here: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources] Key Topics with Timestamps: 3:11 - Jenny's background and journey from CEO to business advisor 5:28 - Starting a business with the end in mind 8:21 - Building a business that doesn't rely on the founder 12:03 - The reason why business owners struggle to sell 15:18 - What buyers really look for during acquisition 21:18 - Strategic advantage for specialisation 22:47 - Shifting from founder perspective to acquirer perspective 24:55 - Why profit matters more than revenue 28:20 - Activities that should be done consistently to keep the business saleable 30:33 - Hidden financial blind spots 32:53 - Why do businesses plateau 35:23 - Making the shift from founder to CEO 37:44 - The "Dance of Trust" concept 42:25 - Recruiting and building an A-team 46:33 - What separates businesses that grow beyond $2 million 48:16 - Three questions every business owner should ask 50:51 - Final advice and closing thoughts Learn More About Us: Website: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/ [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/] Email: info@thefocusedview.com.au [info@thefocusedview.com.au] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/ [https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview [https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview] Send us your thoughts about the episode [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320651/fan_mail/new] Thank you for joining us in this episode of The Focused View Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a 5-Star rating, and leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify to help us reach even more eye care professionals and build a community of innovation and see new opportunities within the optical industry. Talk with you next time!

EP56: Starting Young: Building a Team, Finding your Niche, and Growing with Purpose with Alisha Shastri - Part 2

How early is too early to start and build an independent practice? Alisha Shastri’s journey proves that with the right mindset, people, and purpose, it might be much sooner than you think.  In part 2 of our conversation with Alisha Shastri, Optometrist Director and co-founder of iOptical, we dive deeper into the realities of building an independent practice from the ground up as a young optometrist. From overcoming financial barriers and recruiting the right team to developing a thriving niche in paediatric eye care.  Throughout the conversation, Alisha highlights the power of partnership, the importance of community, and why young optometrists shouldn’t wait 10 or 15 years before pursuing ownership. She also shares the positive mindset behind her career success while balancing her personal life and how she gives back through The Glasses for Kids program.  All the other links and resources mentioned in this episode can be found at   https://www.thefocusedview.com.au [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/episode/episode-56-starting-young-building-a-team-finding-your-niche-and-growing-with-purpose-with-alish]  Want more support beyond this episode?  Access our free resource collection here: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources] Key Topics with Timestamps:  2:44 - The challenges of opening a practice as young optometrists  5:34 - Researching the market and understanding the local community  7:21 - Building a successful partnership  11:46 - How partnership roles changed as the business grew  13:28 - Recruiting the right team and building culture  17:26 - Empowering dispensers as the eyes and ears of the practice  19:41 - Why dispensers are often undervalued  22:25 - Alisha discovering her passion for paediatric eye care  24:12 - Creating a child-friendly patient experience in the practice  27:50 - The power of community and word-of-mouth  30:36 - Balancing patient care with the commercial part of the business  33:23 - Giving back through the Glasses for Kids program  38:00 - Collaboration, networking, and industry support  41:43 - Alisha’s mindset in her career and business  45:45 - Advice for students and early-career optometrists  50:38 - What Alisha wishes she knew earlier  Learn More About Us:  Website: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/ [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/]  Email: info@thefocusedview.com.au [info@thefocusedview.com.au]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/ [https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/]  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview [https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview]  Send us your thoughts about the episode [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320651/fan_mail/new] Thank you for joining us in this episode of The Focused View Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a 5-Star rating, and leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify to help us reach even more eye care professionals and build a community of innovation and see new opportunities within the optical industry. Talk with you next time!

EP55: Starting from Zero: How to Establish a Greenfield Optometry Practice - Part 1 with Alisha Shastri

Thinking of starting an independent practice from scratch? In this episode, we are joined by Alisha Shastri, Optometrist Director  and co-founder of iOptical [https://www.ioptical.net.au/], to share her journey from new graduate to practice owner and the lessons she learned building a greenfield optometry practice from the ground up. Alisha shares how working in rural South Australia accelerated her clinical career growth, how she realised within six months of practice that traditional employment wasn't her long-term path, and how a simple conversation with her future business partner, Ebru, evolved into a thriving independent optometry business. From the realities of practice ownership, choosing the right location, building business skills as a healthcare professional, overcoming self-doubt, to creating a patient experience aligned with their vision. This episode offers real-world insight into launching a greenfield practice and building a successful career in independent eye care. Whether you're an optometry student, recent graduate, independent optometrist, or aspiring practice owner, this episode is a must-listen episode for you! All the links and resources mentioned in this episode can be found at  https://www.thefocusedview.com.au [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/episode/episode-55-starting-from-zero-how-to-establish-a-greenfield-optometry-practice-from-the-ground-up] Want more support beyond this episode?  Access our free resource collection here: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources] Key Topics with Timestamps: 3:00 - How Alisha Shastri discovered optometry as a career 6:26 - First optometry role after graduation during Covid 8:50 - Lessons from practising in a rural community 10:00 - First thoughts about practice ownership 15:09 - Meeting business partner Ebru and discussing ownership 17:19 - The importance of family support 18:52 - Addressing hesitations and fears around business ownership 22:47 - Exploring whether to buy in practice or greenfield ownership 27:56 - Building a vision from the ground up 30:27 - The community response after opening 32:43 - Choosing Greenvale and conducting location research 35:30 - Specific factors to consider in practice location scouting Learn More About Us: Website: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/ [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/] Email: info@thefocusedview.com.au LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/ [https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview [https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview] Send us your thoughts about the episode [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320651/fan_mail/new] Thank you for joining us in this episode of The Focused View Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a 5-Star rating, and leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify to help us reach even more eye care professionals and build a community of innovation and see new opportunities within the optical industry. Talk with you next time!

EP54: Building Operational Leverage: What Independent Optometry Can Learn from Scaled Practice Models with Ankit Patel

What happens when an industrial engineer steps into the world of independent optometry?  In this episode, we are joined by Ankit Patel, founder of My Business Care Team [https://mybcat.com/], and the host of the Optometrists Building Empire [https://mybcat.com/resources/podcast/] podcast. Ankit shares how independent practices can create operational leverage, improve patient experiences, and scale sustainably without losing the personal touch that makes independent optometry so valuable. Drawing on his experience owning and managing multiple private practices in the United States, Ankit shares practical insights on centralising operations, identifying bottlenecks, measuring performance, building accountability, and creating systems that enable teams to deliver world-class patient experiences consistently. Whether you're a practice owner, manager, optometrist, or emerging leader, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to help you work smarter, strengthen your team, and build a more resilient practice. All the other links and resources mentioned in this episode can be found at  https://www.thefocusedview.com.au [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/episode/episode-54-building-operational-leverage-what-independent-optometry-can-learn-from-scaled-practic] Want more support beyond this episode?  Access our free resource collection here: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources] Key Topics with Timestamps: 3:04 - From Industrial Engineering to Optometry 4:40 - Providing patient with high-touch experience & centralisation 8:28 - Challenging parts of scaling a practice 13:57 - Using "First Pass Yield" to identify operational friction 17:53 - Why multitasking is hurting practice performance 19:10 - Accountability systems that drive results 21:11 - The CARE values framework 23:40 - Understanding operational inefficiencies and improving it 27:27 - Build a practice that is not competing with the corporate 29:22 - Simplifying product offerings for easy communication and to build trust 30:49 - Metrics beyond revenue and conversion rates 36:02 - What separates high-performing practices 42:26 - Common mistakes practice owners make 43:35 - How to start incorporating the business mentality in your practice 46:49 - Advice for young optometrists and future practice owners 48:40 - The biggest lesson from Ankit's journey Learn More About Us: Website: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/ [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/] Email: info@thefocusedview.com.au LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/ [https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview [https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview] Send us your thoughts about the episode [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320651/fan_mail/new] Thank you for joining us in this episode of The Focused View Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a 5-Star rating, and leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify to help us reach even more eye care professionals and build a community of innovation and see new opportunities within the optical industry. Talk with you next time!

EP53: 42 Years in Eye Care - George Nasser on The Story Behind Building Opticare

One bold decision that changed the course of independent optometry in Australia today. In part 1 of this 3-part series, we are joined by George Nasser, Founder and Director at Opticare, to share the lessons, risks, and industry changes that established his 42-year journey. From identifying major gaps in the optical industry in the early 1980s to challenging long-standing industry norms and making bold decisions that ultimately broke a major company’s 25-year hold on a government optical contract, George’s story is a powerful example of how persistence, innovation, and an openness to question the status quo can help shape an entire industry. All the other links and resources mentioned in this episode can be found at  https://www.thefocusedview.com.au [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/episode/episode-53-41-years-in-eye-care-george-nasser-on-the-story-behind-building-opticare] Want more support beyond this episode?  Access our free resource collection here: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/resources] Key Topics with Timestamps: 4:13 - George’s early life and why he switched from architecture to optometry 5:54 - Family influence and entrepreneurial upbringing 8:48 - Developing leadership  from becoming a school captain 10:33 - The “curtain rule” in optometry practices 13:32 - Opening his first practice after graduating 17:35 - Something needed to change in the government optical system 22:48 - Building a statewide independent optometry network 25:42 - The conclusion of the first government tender 27:24 - The creation of Opticare 29:09 - What Opticare looks like in 1984 31:40 - Lessons about persistence and business 33:32 - Building the first Opticare team and its challenges 37:50 - Optometry then vs now 41:40 - The rise of multinational corporations in Australia 46:02 - Attempting to unite independent laboratories 48:55 - The spirit of Opticare 50:20 - The lecture that transformed Opticare’s future vision Learn More About Us: Website: https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/ [https://www.thefocusedview.com.au/] Email: info@thefocusedview.com.au LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-focused-view] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/ [https://www.instagram.com/thefocusedview/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview [https://www.facebook.com/thefocusedview] Send us your thoughts about the episode [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320651/fan_mail/new] Thank you for joining us in this episode of The Focused View Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a 5-Star rating, and leave a review on Apple Podcast and Spotify to help us reach even more eye care professionals and build a community of innovation and see new opportunities within the optical industry. Talk with you next time!