What if the biggest shift in your practice this year doesn’t come from a new piece of equipment, a new hire, or a new plan — but from the way you train your brain to notice joy? 

In this episode of Power Hour, host Eugene Shatsman is joined by Allegra Cohen (TEDx speaker, author, and Chief Joy Officer of BRAVE LIFE) for a conversation that blends neuroscience, leadership, and everyday happiness in a way that’s deeply relevant to optometrists and practice leaders. 

Eugene first encountered Allegra’s work when they shared a TEDx stage; he watched her talk sitting next to his daughter, and both were completely drawn in by Allegra’s message about micro joys, resilience, and how you can literally train your brain to notice more of what you want in life. That experience led to this episode — an opportunity to bring that same shift in perspective to the Power Hour audience. 

Every optometrist dreams of running a practice that truly reflects their passion. Few ever rebuild one from scratch to make it happen. 

That’s exactly what Dr. Stephanie Woo did. 

After years of running three full-scope practices, she sold them all to pursue a vision that challenged everything she’d known about optometry — a specialty-only clinic built entirely around custom contact lenses, concierge-level care, and life-changing patient outcomes. 

What separates the practices that are growing in 2025 from those falling behind? 

This week on Power Hour, Eugene Shatsman welcomes back Dr. Jason Lake, General Manager of PERC and Opti-Port, for another data-driven conversation every practice owner should hear. 

As one of optometry’s top data experts, Dr. Lake manages one of the largest private-practice datasets in the industry, giving him a unique perspective on what’s really happening behind the numbers.

And this quarter, the data tells a surprising story: while much of the industry saw exam volume drop nearly 5%, many independent practices are reporting high single-digit growth in revenue, with double digit profitability. 

So what are top-performing practices doing differently — and what can others learn from them?