20/20 Money Episode #284 – Dr. Jennifer Stewart’s “tepid” start optometry practice: the power of vision & intentionality, the importance of an ideal patient avatar, and reconciling business risk with a conservative personality

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Jennifer Stewart, OD. 

Jen joins me on the show today to talk through her journey launching her tepid start practice, Look New Canaan. I’ve had Jen on the show multiple times in the past, and this was admittedly one of my more enjoyable conversations with a podcast guest. Maybe it’s because it was live, or maybe it’s because Jen’s passion for this profession is so, well…passionate. But we hit on so many amazing and pointed topics that I would challenge any listener to NOT find at least one actionable or impactful idea, strategy, or concept. We talk about the interesting dichotomy that exists between the risk that’s needed to start a business from scratch and the generally conservative nature of ODs—and how she’s been able to so successfully reconcile those two opposed forces. 

And just one additional point to clarify that I don’t think we made explicitly clear later in the conversation: Jen does see medical patients, it’s just cash pay. She doesn’t take medical insurance…but she does see patients for medical reasons on a cash pay basis. People will think that “she doesn’t do medical” because she doesn’t do medical insurance…she does medical, it’s just cash pay. 

As a reminder, you can get all the information discussed in today’s conversation by visiting our website at integratedpwm.com and clicking on the Learning Center. While there, be sure to subscribe to our monthly “planning life on purpose” newsletter that’s filled with tips and ideas to help you plan your best life, on purpose. You can also set up a Triage conversation to learn a little bit more about how we serve in the capacity of a personal and professional CFO: helping OD practice owners around the country reduce their tax bill, proactively manage cash flow, and make prudent investment decisions both in and out of their practice to ultimately help them live their best life on purpose. You can also check out any number of additional free resources like our eBooks, blog posts, and on-demand webinars. Lastly, if you’re interested in learning more about the upcoming launch of the 20/20 Money Membership, please check out the link in the Resources to learn more about what we have in store for you! 

And with that introduction, I hope you enjoy my conversation with 

Resources: 

20/20 Money Community Information 

Jeremy Ciano interviews 

Kyle & Chris 20/20 Money Takeover 

Three River Optical 

IDOC 

Derek Sivers CD Baby Story 

Look New Canaan