Welcome to The Ultimate O.D. podcast with host, optometrist and practice owner, Dr. Nick Lillie. Join us weekly as Dr. Lillie brings the real talk with hard won wisdom and levity on all things Optometry such as practice management, practice specialties, business tips, and more all from his own personal experience!
The Secret to Getting Your Optometry Team Excited About Growth | E318 Highlights from this episode: The Secret to Getting Your Optometry Team Excited About Growth (00:52) Closing Thought: The real prize of achieving a goal (22:05) I’ve been thinking a lot about what it really means to have a vision for your practice—and I’ve realized that keeping that vision in my head isn’t enough. In this…
Why Confidence Comes After Action, Not Before | E317 Highlights from this episode: Why Confidence Comes After Action, Not Before (00:41) Closing Thought: Resiliency (27:22) The longer I own a practice, the more I realize that growth has less to do with finding better strategies and more to do with becoming a better leader. In this episode, I’m sharing why confidence is built through action, how…
Why Your Optometry Practice Feels Stuck (And How to Move Forward) | E316 Highlights from this episode: Why Your Optometry Practice Feels Stuck (And How to Move Forward) (00:49) Closing Thought: Old Habits vs. New Standards (20:01) One of the hardest lessons I’m learning as a practice owner is that the decisions that got me here aren’t always the ones that will get me where I want to go next. In…
Belief Before Ability: The Leadership Secret Every Optometry Practice Owner Needs | E315 Highlights from this episode: Belief Before Ability: The Leadership Secret Every Optometry Practice Owner Needs (00:42) Closing Thought: Keep the Friction (20:20) One of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve had as a practice owner is realizing that people don’t become exceptional because of their skills—they become…
How to Create Teams That Believe in the Mission | E314 Highlights from this episode: How to Create Teams That Believe in the Mission (00:36) Closing Thought: Privilege (14:42) One of the biggest leadership lessons I’ve learned is that having a vision isn’t enough—your team has to believe it too. In this episode, I’m sharing what I took away from studying Disney CEO Bob Iger, why culture is built…
The Identity Crisis Every Growing Practice Owner Faces | E313 Highlights from this episode: The Identity Crisis Every Growing Practice Owner Faces (00:49) Closing Thought: Risk Not, Have Not (19:48) As my practice continues to grow, I’ve realized the hardest part isn’t adding another doctor—it’s letting go of the identity that got me here in the first place. In this episode, I’m sharing the…
The CEO's Greatest ROI: Their Thoughts | E312 Highlights from this episode: The CEO's Greatest ROI: Their Thoughts (01:11) Closing Thought: The story of two monks (24:59) One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a practice owner is realizing that my value isn’t measured by how many patients I see—it’s measured by the quality of the decisions I make for the business. In this episode, I’m sharing…
What the Best Mentors Taught Me About Leadership and Life | E311 Highlights from this episode: What the Best Mentors Taught Me About Leadership and Life (00:54) Closing Thought: What we're praised for in public, we pay for in private (21:27) Training a new associate has reminded me just how much of who I am today came from the mentors, colleagues, and leaders who invested in me long before I knew…
The First Thing I Teach A New Associate (And It’s Not Clinical) | E310 Highlights from this episode: The First Thing I Teach A New Associate (And It’s Not Clinical) (00:58) Closing Thought: What Only Time Can Teach (15:21) When I’m training a new associate, I’m not starting with dry eye, myopia, or advanced disease management—I’m starting with communication, connection, and the fundamentals that…
The Leadership Test that Nobody Talks About | E309 Highlights from this episode: The Leadership Test that Nobody Talks About (01:00) Closing Thought: Keep it + Multiply it! (28:02) Hiring an associate taught me something I wasn’t expecting: great leadership isn’t about creating copies of yourself—it’s about helping other people become the best version of themselves. In this episode, I’m sharing…