What does it take to grow a cold-start practice into a thriving multi-location empire? On this week’s episode of Optometrists Building Empires, host Ankit Patel sat down with Dr. Brian Samartino and Tyler Mills, co-founders of Premier Eye Associates, to uncover their journey from opening their first doors in 2014 to running three successful locations. From overcoming early cash flow challenges to building a strong culture that attracts top talent, Brian and Tyler share candid lessons learned, including both wins and failures, like a bold neuro lens trial that didn’t pan out. Whether you're thinking about scaling your practice or refining your operations, this episode is packed with practical wisdom.  Takeaways:Start thinking like a big practice early. Even if you're just getting started, approach decisions with a growth mindset. Negotiate like a larger business and build scalable systems from day one.Don’t grow without a solid foundation. Before expanding, make sure you have clear SOPs, strong leadership, and the infrastructure to support multiple locations. Growth without structure leads to burnout.Invest in your culture. Define your core values and live them. A strong culture isn’t just good for morale, it helps attract and retain top-tier talent who believe in your mission.Define roles and stick to them. Use tools like EOS to clearly assign responsibilities and decision-making authority. It’ll minimize conflict and help your team move faster with confidence.Pilot everything before going wide. Whether it's a new treatment, software, or process, test it in one location first. Learn from the rollout, refine it, and scale only what works.Don’t be afraid to fail. Innovation comes with risk. Embrace failure as part of the growth process.Quote of the Show:“ We want to develop leaders, we want to develop people who can be better interpersonally and at work.” Links:Brian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-samartino-36ba221b7/  Tyler’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-mills-864389a0/  Company website: https://www.premiereyedoctors.com/  Brian’s Email: [email protected] Tyler’s email: [email protected] Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Numbers-Straight-Talk-Profits/dp/1608320561 Ways to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5w1H9BBwRXvBSSkexePYxG Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/optometrists-building-empires/id1762685070 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/689a039b-54ce-4f04-b641-66d8640d93d0 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/optometrists-building-empires-5812208 

Ver todos los episodios