EP47: The Evolution of Independent Optometry and Technology with Tim Thurn

What does it take to build a culture where ordinary people can do exceptional work and what happens when that culture begins to change? In Part 2 of our three-part series, Rod Watkins, former Technical Director and Group General Manager of SOLA, shares how the company kept up with 40% year-on-year growth, the product gap that helped push its owners to sell, and what changed when Pilkington took over. Along the way, Rod paints a picture of the kind of culture that gets ordinary people doin...

Most people in Australian optometry have heard the name SOLA. Fewer know it started life inside a nine-person optometry practice in Adelaide, and even fewer know it briefly ran neck-and-neck with Essilor as the biggest ophthalmic lens manufacturer in the world. In this first instalment of a three-part series, Michael Nasser sits down with Rod Watkins, former Technical Director and Group General Manager of SOLA (Scientific Optical Laboratories of Australia), who joined the company in 1970 an...

Your patients are Googling you before they ever book an appointment, and if they can't find you, they're already questioning whether they can trust you. In this episode, we're joined by Sarah Makris, a former corporate communications executive turned personal branding strategist, who's spent years helping senior executives and professionals build brands that open doors. Sarah shares why personal branding isn't optional anymore, and how showing up authentically, even imperfectly, builds more...

Dry eye doesn’t have to be a highly specialised service requiring expensive technology or a dedicated clinic. Meaningful dry eye care can start with the tools and knowledge you already have and grow with your practice. In this episode, we are joined by Shaina Zheng, clinical optometrist, practice owner and founder of Dry Eye Impact, to explore how to build a practical dry eye service regardless of your resources. Shaina shares her personal experience with dry eye and her approach to identif...

What would you do if you had just 48 hours to decide whether to buy an optometry practice? In this episode, we are joined by Eliza Whiteley, Owner and Optometrist at Whiteley Optometry, to unpack the unexpected opportunity that led her to independent practice. From taking a pay cut to learn alongside an ophthalmologist, to navigating a last-minute practice opportunity, supplier roadblocks, self-doubt and the realities of building a regional practice. During the conversation, Eliza also sh...