The 20/20 Podcast

During Summer 2025, the Contact Lens Institute (CLI) conducted an extensive survey among Canadian and U.S. residents that indicated substantial opportunity for increased contact lens adoption by Gen Z, as well as identifying purchase drivers that the eye care community can employ to encourage use. The data showed an eight percent difference in Gen Z contact lens wear (35%) compared to Millennials (43%), with Gen X (22%) close to historic norms. The eight-point Gen Z-to-Millennial gap represents considerable unmet upside in patient volumes, practice revenue, and wearer lifestyle benefits.In an attempt to understand how Gen Z may be distinctive from older populations when it comes to choosing a product or service, CLI also asked respondents to indicate the importance of eight values-centered factors in their decision-making, whether for eye care or otherwise. Three values ranked highest across all ages: affordability (85-89%), convenience of purchase (69-73%), and speed to obtain the product (66-71%). A remarkable Gen Z breakout was social responsibility, which influences their decision making substantially more than Gen X.At Vision Expo West this September, a panel of CLI Visionaries including Andrew Bruce, Dr. Jade Coats, and Jennifer Seymour discussed some of these important preliminary findings and what they mean for how practice teams and retailers can shape their communications with current and potential patients alike.About the speakers:Andrew Bruce, LDO, ABOM, NCLEM, FCLSA, is a licensed master optician and contact lens fitting specialist in Vancouver, Washington, and founder of ASB Opticianry Education Services. Jade Coats, OD, FAAO, is a nationally recognized optometrist from Bentonville, Arkansas, with clinical expertise in ocular surface disease, dry eye management, contact lenses, and perioperative care for premium cataract and refractive surgery. Jennifer Seymour, LDO, FCLSA, NCLEM, ABO-AC, AAS, is a Nevada Licensed Dispensing Optician, ABO-AC and NCLE-AC nationally certified. Her passion for fitting contact lenses came during her schooling for licensure, learning how contact lenses change patients’ lives.Learn more about the Contact Lens Institute and its Next Gen data:https://www.contactlensinstitute.org/resources/see-tomorrow/shiftingfocusgenz/Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

IDOC, the largest independently owned alliance of independent optometrists in the United States. In this episode, I chat with Dave Brown who is the CEO & President of IDOC. Since joining IDOC in 2014 and becoming CEO shortly thereafter, Dave has led IDOC through transformative growth–expanding its offerings, deepening member value, and advancing the organization’s mission to help independent optometrists live the practice of their dreams.In this episode, we discuss the big rebrand the organization has just gone through. Dave shares the various resources and services that IDOC provides its members. We also discuss the recent investment that IDOC received investment from Doug and Mary Perkins who are the founders of Specsavers. I took a minute to ask Dave about how this investment will impact the future of IDOC and potentially the future of the profession in the US.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

When we think of implementing a specialty in our clinics, we often think of equipment we need to purchase, whether we have the patient base, and perhaps what type of training is needed. What often gets overlooked is the cost of seeing the patients who fall into the particular specialty.In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Lyerly shares some of the key metrics, costs, and fees that are associated with getting a myopia management practice to become profitable. Some of the key details include:- How to calculate chair cost- Comparing average revenue to revenue from specialty care- How to determine fees for specialty careWe also discuss what US doctors can expect with the introduction of the Stellest myopia management spectacle lenses. Having prescribed this technology to many dozens of children in Canada, Harbir shares his experience with the lens.This episode will help doctors understand what important factors they should evaluate whether they are just starting out in myopia management or looking to elevate their existing myopia practice.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

You know those people who seem to master every chapter of their career evolution — effortlessly moving from launching a tech startup to leading a multi-location optometry empire? Dr. Henry Reis is one of them. But don’t be fooled by the accolades — his path was anything but effortless. In this deep-dive interview, we pull back the curtain on Dr. Reis’s remarkable journey, uncovering the power of reinvention, the grit behind a groundbreaking AI startup, and the secrets to building an optometry practice that truly puts patients first. Get ready to be inspired, challenged, and maybe even nudged to step outside your own comfort zone.Connect with Harbir:InstagramLinkedInYouTubeLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Elevating the patient journey is about more than just good care — it’s about crafting a seamless experience from the first online search to post-visit follow-up. Dr. Wes McCann, owner of Doctors Vision Group, shares practical strategies for optimizing every touchpoint in an optometry practice, from streamlining intake and cross-training staff to refining handovers between doctors and opticians. With insights on marketing, clinic flow, patient communication, and even community engagement, he reveals how intentional design of the patient journey can reduce bottlenecks, increase efficiency, and build stronger patient relationships. This conversation offers a roadmap for practitioners ready to transform patient care into a complete, memorable experience.Connect with Harbir:InstagramLinkedInYouTubeLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Specialty eyecare is one of the fastest-growing opportunities in optometry — and two trailblazers are showing how to make it your own. In this live interview, Dr. Ying Zhao shares how she turned a personal passion for myopia management into a thriving specialty practice, while Dr. Janice Luk reveals how she built expertise in dry eye and beauty-related ocular conditions by stepping outside her comfort zone. Together they discuss overcoming imposter syndrome, collaborating with other industries, leveraging social media to attract patients, and building a specialty that elevates optometry beyond refractions. Whether you’re a new graduate or a seasoned clinician, their insights will help you carve your own path into specialty care.Connect with Harbir:InstagramLinkedInYouTubeLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Business ownership in optometry can feel like a leap of faith—but it’s also one of the most rewarding paths a new graduate can take. In this live event, Dr. Michelle Mann and Dr. Sara Kirby share their contrasting journeys—one building a cold-start practice from the ground up, the other buying into an established clinic—and reveal the real-world lessons behind financing, staffing, equipment investment, adaptability, and finding joy in the process. Their insights demystify practice ownership, showing how passion, preparation, and the right partnerships can help you build a thriving business and a fulfilling career.Connect with Harbir:InstagramLinkedInYouTubeLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

In the latest episode in the Scope Optimization series on The 20/20 Podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Mark Eltis who is the President of the College of Optometrists of Ontario, a Director of the ABO, and well-renowned speaker/educator in the industry.In the episode, Dr. Mark Eltis touches on variety of topics related scope modernization including:Optimizing scope is in the best interest of the publicOptometrists are already equipped with the tools to perform many advanced proceduresHis experience with completing the Advanced Procedures Program at the University of WaterlooWhy he believes it is an exciting time to be in optometryWatch/listen to previous episodes in the Scope Optimization Series:https://aboutmyeyes.com/scope-expansion/Stay tuned for more episodes in the series.Big thanks to the CAO for giving us the space to record these episodes during the Biennial Congress in Halifax this summer.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

From escaping Vietnam as a child to changing patients lives in his clinic, Dr. Vi Tu Banh has had some of the most unique life and work experiences you could imagine.In this episode, Dr. Banh shares the stories of how his family was rescued from a deserted island in the Pacific by a few generous citizens in Canada and how that has shaped his mission to help a billion people.Dr. Banh has been doing some incredible work helping patients who have been suffering from concussion, vertigo, and many other neurological conditions that have caused vision issues but applying prism and tints in unique ways.Why (and how) do tiny amounts of prism change the way the brain works? How does color affect our emotion and ability to process information? How can we apply these methods in our own offices?These are all questions that we explore in this lively conversationPurchase 12 Elephants and Dragon:https://a.co/d/88TIfxQLearn more about Dr. Banh:https://uxbridgeoptometry.com/Register for Dr. Banh and Peddle's Prism Prescribing course:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HxXz5Tu8YadQUJUGeHHruSJVoFcTZ5y5/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108690642443164677922&rtpof=true&sd=trueLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

To fully master your craft, you have to put the work in – and there is no such thing as overnight success. Harbir Sian chats with Dr. Julian Prosia, dry eye specialist and CEO/co-founder of Ophthalogix Canada, who emphasizes the need to spend “10,000 hours” to truly become a trusted expert in the medical field. He stresses the importance of continued education and collaboration for the optometric community to better serve their patients and communities. Dr. Julian also breaks down how to use amniotic membranes to treat dry eye and other related diseases while prioritizing accessibility and cost-effectiveness.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

During the recent Canadian Association of Optometrists Congress in Halifax, I had the opportunity to speak with outgoing President Dr. Martin Spiro and incoming President Dr. Allison Scott about how the CAO supports its members across the country.From organizing meetings such as the Optometric Leaders Forum, to leading the charge to develop a national strategy around eyecare, to negotiating better reimbursements with insurance providers... there is a long list of ways that our national association serves Canadian optometrists and moves the profession forward.Learn more about the CAO's iniatives:https://opto.ca/policyLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

the human brain. Dr. Bryce Appelbaum, founder and CEO of VisionFirst, explains how focusing on the eye-brain connection can lead to innovative vision and eyesight treatments and improvements. Joining Harbir Sian, he explains which vision therapies and training programs offer positive results – and which ones are actually doing more harm than good to your eyes. He breaks down why eye patching is bad, why pencil pushups are good, and how to be wary of bad health advice shared all over social media. Dr. Bryce also talks about his ScreenFit program that aims to minimize the damage of digital devices on vision and promote healthy visual habits for extended screen use.Take the free online vision assessment: www.myvisionfirst.com/quizTry ScreenFit for Free: www.screenfit.com/preview5 Steps to Better Vision - Free guide: www.screenfit.com/5-proven-secrets-to-relieve-eye-strainShop for Your Vision: shop.myvisionfirst.comLearn more about MyVisionFirst at www.myvisionfirst.comLearn more about ScreenFit at www.screenfit.com/Social Media LinksInstagram: @drbryceappelbaumYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@drbryceappelbaumFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/myvisionfirstoptometryLinked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bryce-appelbaum/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.bryceappelbaumLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

How would you like to build your practice and develop a culture to a place that the growth of the business perpetuates even if you are not seeing patients yourself?Sounds too good to be true?Dr. Kiran Ramesh is a multi-practice owner, renowned speaker, business coach, and more.In this episode, Dr. Ramesh shares how she built her first practice to a point that she could step away and use her business savvy to buy and develop more businesses both inside and outside of eyecare.Dr. Ramesh shares her four pillars for building a thriving business:Make time to work on your businessDevelop an A TeamCreate a winning cultureUnderstand KPIs and create incentivesDr. Ramesh has developed a course called Owner to CEO to help share these concepts in greater depth. Learn more about the course:https://ownertoceo.podia.com/owner-to-ceo-masterclassConnect with Dr. Ramesh: kiran@kiranramesh.caIf you like the show be sure to REVIEW, COMMENT, and SHARE!

As optometrist's we are providing advanced care and performing procedure far beyond simply vision correction on a daily basis. From disease detection and management, to treating various conditions, to digging foreign bodies out of eyes... we know that more than someone who asks "which is better, 1 or 2?" However, since we are doing these things on a daily basis, we often forget how remarkable they are. But sharing these stories with our friends, family, the public, etc is how we can help change the narrative about optometry in the public's eyes.Dr. Shiv Sharma co-chair of the BC Doctors of Optometry Government Relation Committee, which is tasked with discussing scope modernization with government officials and other stake holders. He has also been an integral part of the conversations relating to government reimbursement in the past. In this short episode, Dr. Sharma shares his thoughts on how ODs can all work towards our goals of scope modernization... and it's not the same "speak to your MLAs" pitch that we've all been hearing.Be sure to check out all of the conversations in the Scope Optimization series.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

In the previous episode, we spoke with Dr. Petar Prpic about how he built his specialty lens clinic (Prpic Eyecare). In that discussion, Dr. Prpic touched on some of the challenges he faced in his journey to developing his expertise in the realm of specialty contact lenses. In the second part of this discussion, we dive deeper into one of the most common challenges that all ECPs face (not just specialty lens providers); higher order aberrations (HOAs). In this episode, we discuss what the difference is between regular aberrations and HOAs. How does a patient who is suffering from HOAs present? What are their symptoms and complaints? And, ultimately, how can we help these patients who can't seem to get the resolution (literally and figuratively) that I looking for? This episode is sponsored by Ovitz. Learn more about the Ovitz xwave Aberrometer at www.Ovitz.usLove the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Whether you specialize in dry eyes, myopia management, or specialty contact lenses, the journey can be quite similar. From the magical moments when you help a struggling patient to those seemingly-endless visits when the treatment doesn't seem to be working... every clinician who leans into some type of specialty care has experienced the highs and lows.In part one of this two part series, Dr. Petar Prpic shares his journey into specialty contact lenses and how he and his brother (Dr. Ivan Prpic) have built their relatively new clinic into a successful practice.In this episode, Dr. Prpic discusses the different types of specialty lenses he fits, how metrics have been important to his success, and why collaboration between colleagues is important for our patients and our profession.Stay tuned for part two of this series, where Dr. Prpic discusses some of the more advanced specialty lenses technologies that are available, including correcting higher order aberrations, to help serve our patients better.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Dr. Madan is the immediate Past President for BC Doctors of Optometry and the Chair of the Government and Professional Affairs Committee. She completed a residency in ocular disease at the Eye Center of Texas in Houston and is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. In addition to all of this, Dr. Madan currently practices in an MD/OD setting, where she provides advanced services such as treating glaucoma and offering PRP eye drops to dry eye patients. All of this makes her the perfect guest to continue our series on scope optimization.In the first episode in this series of short interviews, we spoke with Dr. Cedrick Mah to understand how his experience with advanced procedures in Oklahoma can help us understand why scope advancement is important in Canada.In this episode we continue our conversation on scope with Dr. Madan by asking what the future of optometry looks like. What should primary care optometrist expect their job to look like? Why should we be asking for scope modernization?Keep the conversation about scope optimization going by sharing these interviews with our colleagues. Send in your thoughts and comments to help us improve these discussions so we can continue to elevate our profession.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

How comfortable are you recommending high end products to your patients? Whether its contact lenses, boutique frames, or ophthalmic lenses, recommending the best-in-class to patients has long been a challenge for many ECPs. But why? And, more importantly, how can we overcome this hurdle?In this episode, I chat with Dr. Pavan Avinashi who is the owner of Hollyburn Eye Clinic in North Vancouver. Over the last 22 years, Dr. Avinashi has built Hollyburn into the type of clinic many ODs aspire to run: a 6-lane, modern practice with 7 ODs, a dedicated aesthetics spa, and a reputation for offering the best options in eyewear.So, how did Dr. Avinashi build his practice to this level? Today, he shares his top three recommendations for business owners who aspire to offer the best to their patients.Big thanks to Hoya Vision Care Canada for their support of this episode.Learn more about Hoya and their premium lens offering:https://www.hoyavision.com/en-ca/vision-products/Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

Dr. Cedrick Mah graduated from Waterloo in 2022. He then completed his residency in Oklahoma. Cedrick is a Fellow of the American Association of Optometry, a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry, and newly crowned Young Optometrist of the Year by the BC Doctors of Optometry.In this episode, we discuss Dr. Mah's experiences practicing to the fullest scope within optometry. Through his recent training and experience, Cedrick has been able to prescribe medications, order blood tests, and perform various advanced procedures for many patients. Coming back to Vancouver, the discrepancy in scope is abundantly clear. From reducing wait times to reducing healthcare costs and redundancies, Dr. Mah shares why and how advancing scope will benefit our profession and, most importantly, benefit our patients. Big thanks to the BCDO for giving us the space to record these interviews during the annual conference in May 2025.Stay tuned for more of these short episodes on scope optimization on The 20/20 podcast. We will be sharing thoughts from optometrists from across Canada who have varied and extensive experience in the matter of scope optimization. Let's all get on board and help our profession continue to grow!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/

It is not often that we have the opportunity to witness the launch of a whole new class of soft contact lens. But today, we have the unique opportunity to explore CooperVision’s MyDay Energys®. Joining Harbir Sian to talk about the first and only daily disposable lens in the industry to offer DigitalBoost™ technology are Dr. Nathalie Trottier and Dr. Evelyn Lo. Together, they explore how this lens combines innovative aspheric design and material technology to deal with eye dryness and fatigue due to digital device use. They also discuss how the MyDay Energys® contact lenses can provide comfort to its users and offer visual endurance.Big thanks to CooperVision for supporting this episode.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review & share! http://www.aboutmyeyes.com/podcast/