BACK IN JANUARY, we invited a handful of optical business owners to join our Get Uncomfortable challenge — each pledging to tackle one “big scary thing” outside their professional comfort zone in 2025. Nearly a year later, we checked in to see how they fared. The results weren’t always neat or linear — and for our money, that’s what makes an exercise like this valuable.
For some, bold plans evolved into smarter strategies. For others, what looked like a detour turned out to be the more sustainable route. Here’s how four participants adapted some brave plans to meet real world conditions and found that progress rarely unfolds the way you expect it to.
The Lesson in the Pivot
Susan Elizondo, OD
Bright Side Optical , Austin, TX
Dr. Susan Elizondo’s “big scary” challenge began with a plan to use AI-driven cold leads to double her growth. She signed up for an expensive automated outreach service — then realized its impersonal tone didn’t fit her boutique’s high-touch style. “I became an expert in how to post ads on Facebook and use that complicated system and all the nuances of it,” she said. The steep learning curve paid off: When she later hired a marketing company, she was able to spot flaws in their work, fix them quickly, and run more efficient campaigns.
Her advice: “First evaluate if it aligns with your long-term goals for the practice.” If it does, “Go all in. You can’t just halfway do it and then say it failed.” Even misfires, she added, “are always a learning opportunity for both me and my team.”
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A Win in Spirit
Kari Keene, LDO
Keene Vision, Rock Hill, SC
Kari Keene set out to attend biweekly networking events for women business owners — a big step for someone uneasy in groups. She stuck with it until her spouse’s new job left her without a car on meeting days.
“I realize I could have asked someone from the group for a ride,” she said, “but I am also responsible for getting our little ones after school each day and absolutely cannot miss the bus.”
Despite the setback, she still calls it progress. “I am upset that I wasn’t able to follow through on this commitment,” she said, “but as a result of what I was able to attend … I have contact with local like-minded women whom I can consult with, and I am more comfortable putting myself out there with strangers.”
Finding Her Voice
Cynthia Sayers, OD
EyeShop Optical, Lewis Center, OH
Dr. Cynthia Sayers’ goal was to implement employee reviews, but that evolved into addressing staff issues directly and promptly, not annually. “We have a small staff, so I’ve made the point to bring things up as they happen versus waiting for ‘review’ times, which helps to nip things in the bud,” she said.
She found those talks strengthened her practice. “I learned that staff is very receptive to constructive criticism and appreciate feedback and goal setting,” she said. The group now has informal check-ins and “formal staff meetings, usually monthly, where we sort of touch base and review some of the basics as well as monthly revenue goals.”
Profit in Plan B
Kaleena Ma
MK Vision Center, New York, NY
Kaleena Ma had planned to drop an unprofitable insurance plan. But after crunching the numbers, her team realized keeping it — strategically — could boost business.
“We decided to hold off on not accepting Spectera because we did an analysis of how much we get back and what kind of frames we were providing,” she said. “Our competitors do not take these customers, so it was to our advantage to take this plan.”
The move paid off with about 30% more new clients. “It is OK to still accept insurance and still be profitable because of where we are,” Ma said. “My goals have definitely evolved, and part of being competitive here is to accept what others do not and find a way around the profitability aspect.”
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