How do you grow your practice without losing your culture, or your mind, in the process? Dr. Melissa Tada, optometrist, co-owner of Mountain View Vision, and Director of Professional Development for Vision Source, joins Ankit to share her path from warm-start practice owner to multi-doctor leader. She opens up about building a culture rooted in respect, scaling through strong processes, and the surprising role COVID played in sharpening her business operations. Dr. Tada also discusses the future of optometry, from AI to laser procedures, and how Vision Source supports independent practices through collaboration and shared learning.

Takeaways:

• Let go to grow. You can’t scale if everything depends on you. Train your people well, trust them to deliver, and embrace the discomfort that comes with delegation.
• Culture starts with respect. Skills can be taught, but shared values can’t. Build a culture where staff feel supported and patients feel seen, every patient, every time.
• Use downtime to refine systems. Dr. Tada used her six-week COVID shutdown to overhaul workflows and processes, creating the scalable backbone her practice thrives on today.
• Efficiency beats extravagance. Patients value frictionless experiences over fancy ones. Simplify check-ins, streamline purchases, and make every visit easy.
• Find your network. Joining Vision Source gave Dr. Tada community, mentorship, and access to resources she didn’t have to build alone. Connection accelerates growth.
• Adopt technology early and wisely. From OCTs to AI, innovations are expanding what optometrists can do. Staying curious keeps your practice relevant and competitive.
• Be open to the weird. Growth often starts with saying yes to unexpected opportunities. Stay adaptable and trust your instincts.

Quote of the Show:

• “ As we move forward, there's nothing but good stuff to come. It's a gift to see patients every day and just make a difference every day with them and not just flip the dials.” - Melissa Tada

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-tada-5b2561252/
• Company website: https://mtviewvision.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Book a Meeting with Ankit: https://meetings.hubspot.com/ankit98/optometry-redefined?uuid=e5cd456c-9db4-42c7-b106-2b6e250a6d01
• Optometry Redefined Book: https://www.amazon.com/Optometry-Redefined-Master-Resourcing-Performance/dp/B0FKJTZGJ3/ref=monarch_sidesheet_image

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