Future Ear Radio

On this special episode of the podcast, Dave moderates a panel discussion from the Future of Hearing Healthcare Conference 2025 discussing a variety of bills that are being proposed or have recently passed to increase the scope of Audiology within each panelists' state.The panel members are:- Dr. Alicia Spoor (Maryland)- Dr. Kelley Linton (Arkansas)- Dr. Bryan Greenaway (Oregon)- Stephanie Czuhajewski - Executive Director of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA)

Guests: Robert Sweetow, Ph.D. - Co-Inventor/Scientific Advisor and Miles Aron, Ph.D. - Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder Dave is joined on the podcast this week by Robert & Aaron to discuss their company, Neurotone AI, and their flagship Auditory Training platform, LACE AI Pro.

Guests: Brent Jones, CEO & Robert Allen Au.D, Clinical Director of Topple Diagnostics Dave kicks off the 2025 podcasting season by bringing on Brent and Robert to discuss their business, Topple Diagnostics. The conversation encompasses how the business was conceived and built, significant milestones as the business scaled, how they've found product-market-fit, and how they're trying to make vestibular diagnostics more accessible for patients and more affordable for clinics to provide.

Guest: Oli Luke - Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer for Orange & Gray Oli joins Dave on the podcast this week to share his perspective on how to navigate and capitalize on the rapidly changing marketing environment within the hearing healthcare market.

Guests: Ross O'Neill Ph.D (Founding CEO) & Hubert Lim Ph.D (Chief Scientific Officer) of Neuromod Dave is joined by Ross & Hubert to discuss: - The backstory of how Ross & Hubert met and ultimately partnered together on Lenire - Hubert's research and papers he wrote about paired stimulation & Pavlovian conditioning, which included data that identified tongue stimulation combined with sound as a promising direction to pursue - An overview of what exactly tinnitus is and why Lenire presents such a novel approach to treating tinnitus - Other types of synchronous-stimuli approaches that have emerged in other healthcare verticals (i.e. mirror therapy for phantom limb pain) - The challenging process of gaining FDA approval and the clinical trials that were conducted throughout the process - Being featured as the cover story on Nature Communications - The initial roll-out of Lenire, the current state of the provider network, and the real-world data that's being collected and published

Guest: Patrick Lawler - Director of Sales at Cognivue Patrick joins Dave on the podcast this week to share a personal testimonial about the need for better cognitive screenings in healthcare.

Guests: Jen La Borde BC-HIS & Chelsea Walters BC-HIS - Owners of Family Hearing Jen and Chelsea sit down with Dave this week on the podcast to discuss: - Their professional journeys, how they both ended up at Family Hearing, and then eventually partnering together to own and operate the clinic - The process of evaluating the prospect of purchasing and owning a clinic - Partnership - determining who does what, leveraging each other's strengths, and how to maintain a strong partnership when things go sideways with the business - Transitioning from the original owners to Chelsea and Jen and choosing which aspects of the clinic to preserve and which to overhaul - Staffing, cultivating talent and creating paths of upward mobility for employees

Guest: Kelsi Mangrem, Au.D. - Owner of Holland Hearing Center Kelsi joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - Her backstory, route into Audiology, and how she ultimately decided to purchase a private practice to own & operate - Reminiscing on the first year of owning Holland Hearing Center - failing, learning and growing - Methods for growing her network of fellow entrepreneurs and business owners and the benefits of cultivating that type of professional network - The realities of owning and operating a private practice in 2024 - threats and opportunities - Making the decision to remove third party administrator (TPA) plans from her offering - How to differentiate a private practice in 2024 - Leaning into effective, modern digital marketing strategies

Guest: Reuben Zielinski - Co-Founder and Owner of Redux Reuben joins Dave on the podcast this week for an in-person episode to discuss Reuben's professional journey that ultimately led him to designing and developing the Redux Drying System.

Guest: Chelsea Treseder, MBA - Cofounder of MyVitalsPro (MVP); VP of Business Development at Pivot Hearing Chelsea joins Dave this week on the podcast to discuss: - Her family's long-rooted history in the hearing healthcare industry (spanning 5 generations!) - The three business ventures her family runs together: Kenwood Hearing, Pivot Hearing, and MyVitalsPro - The realities of working in a family business and the importance of identifying clear roles and responsibilities - Identifying gaps in a market based on deep expertise and building solutions to fill those gaps (i.e. MVP) - What makes MyVitalsPro unique and valuable to a private practice owner - Small businesses being empowered by tools that had previously been limited to enterprises and the macro trend of technology being, "the great equalizer" - The types of trends that Chelsea and her team are noticing within their MVP data (i.e. managed care trends) - How to build a business when you don't have a blueprint or any reference point to take your cues from --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Craig Kasper, Au.D - Founder & Managing Director of NYHD | Institute for Hearing & Balance Craig joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - His backstory and how he got into Audiology, gaining a business background as a consultant, and then returning to Audiology to start a private practice - Craig's process of acquiring business acumen and expertise and then leveraging those skills in a private practice - The importance of actively building relationships with all types of allied medical professionals and being the expert in all things Audiology (not just hearing aids) - Takeaways from the 2024 American Academy of Audiology conference - Dr. Kasper's longtime specialization with tinnitus patients and his initial experience with bimodal neuromodulation tinnitus treatments - Ways the market might adapt to a growing demand for hearing care services with a flat or diminishing supply of Audiologists - Mentorship in Audiology - bridging the generational gap and imparting wisdom from one generation to the next --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Tom Goyne, Au.D. - Owner of Aberdeen Audiology, Adjunct Professor at Salus University, and Founder of Integrative Audiology Tom joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - Tom's backstory, journey into Audiology, and the three hats he wears as private practice owner, professor, and practice management consultant - How the field of Audiology and the broader industry that surrounds it has changed across the past 25 years - What Tom is seeing from his students about the kind of Audiology work that they're seeking post-graduation and how that's shifting from past generations - The growing significance and impact that auditory training and APD work is having within Tom's clinic - What types of new roles and responsibilities the Audiologist will take on into the future and how to set oneself up to capitalize on those changes --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Daniel Romero, Ph.D. - Vestibular Audiologist and Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Daniel joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss some of their main takeaways from the 2024 American Balance Society Conference. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Emilie Joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - Her backstory, personal experience with a loved one's hearing loss and dementia, and the serendipity surrounding her path to Audiology - Entering into a profession and being energized about the direction Audiology is heading (closer to the brain) - "The Big Onion" patient experience and the value of providing a holistic approach - Earning her Au.D. at Nova Southeastern, her mentors, and identifying which facets of Audiology she wanted to focus on - Her residency at Weill Cornell and rounding out her skillset with as much specialty hands-on experience as possible - Endlessly learning and seeking out challenging scenarios to grow from and invest in oneself - Emilie's perspective on personal brand building and how she envisions using social media throughout her career --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Jennifer Micacci, Au.D. - Owner of Best Life Hearing Center Jennifer joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - Her backstory, how she ended up in Audiology, and her path to becoming a practice owner - The noticeable leaps forward that hearing aid technology has taken in the past decade - Some of the major differences between Jennifer's experience working inside an ENT office vs. her own private practice - The rationale behind why she decided on her first location for Best Life Hearing and the considerations that went into expanding to three locations - The challenges that come from scaling a practice and methods to hone new skills (i.e. cultivating leadership skills) - The increasing impact managed care is having on Best Life and some ideas that Jennifer is using to help navigate this challenge (i.e. upskilling Audiology Assistants) - Finding other business owners and entrepreneurs to collaborate with and learn from - Emerging opportunities and additional revenue generators of the future --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Tish Gaffney, Au.D. - Professor of Audiology at Nova Southeastern University & President Elect of the American Academy of Audiology Tish joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - Her backstory, how she ended up in Audiology, and her path to becoming a professor at Nova Southeastern University - Getting involved early in her career with various professional organizations, which she attributes as a major accelerant to her career's growth & establishing her professional network - Her specialization in vestibular diagnostics and the growing interest in the vestibular side of Audiology among young professionals - A brief overview of the trends happening in the nascent field of pediatric vestibular diagnostics - The American Academy of Audiology's (AAA) goals in 2024 and then beyond during her tenure - The intersection of Public Health and Audiology and how Hearing Professionals can "extend themselves" by imparting their institutional knowledge to allied medical professionals --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Dave Fabry, Ph.D. - Chief Hearing Health Officer at Starkey Dr. Fabry sits down with Dave this week to discuss: - His start as an aspiring Veterinarian, which ultimately exposed him to Audiology (training Chinchillas to "perform" an audiogram) - Dave's PhD, time at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Clinical Fellowship at The Mayo Clinic - The ACHIEVE study and Dave's big takeaways as both a clinician and researcher - The emerging use cases for biometric and acoustical data sets that are being captured and logged by Starkey's latest hearing aids - The evolution from machine learning-based applications to deep neural-net based applications for hearing aids - The case for why this is the most exciting time for Audiologists and Hearing Professionals broadly speaking, even with the existing and forthcoming challenges on the horizon - Career advice and words of wisdom from Dr. Fabry --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Lindsey Koble, Au.D. - Owner of Audiology Always Lindsey joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - Her backstory and path toward launching a private practice Audiology clinic, Audiology Always, in 2023 - Lessons learned from externing at an ENT clinic and then working as a hearing aid field rep (Signia) - The value of garnering generalized experience and specialty expertise - The decision to launch her private practice and the preparation involved - How to begin attracting patients - high-level strategies and day-to-day tactics - The evolution of private practice Audiology in today's climate and how to navigate today's challenges/opportunities - The importance of support staff and upskilling staff into handling more and more of the patient load --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Frank Wartinger, Au.D. - Owner/Founder of Earmark Hearing Conservation Frank joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - Frank's backstory as a musician, experiencing tinnitus at an early age, and his eventual pursuit to become an Audiologist - Obtaining his Au.D. from Salus Univerity and some of his mentors along the way - Starting EarMark Hearing Conservation to provide hearing wellness for musicians in the form of healthcare, hearing protection and occupational safety - The importance of educating the musician community on the importance of hearing health so that musicians serve as vocal advocates and ambassadors of hearing healthcare within the music scene - Frank becoming a Course Director with the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) - Extending the knowledge of hearing healthcare to allied medical professionals (i.e. occupational therapists) to dramatically expand the provision of hearing wellness - The role that Frank's podcast, Talking Ears, has on his business - Some of the highs and low, and learned experiences Frank's had over the first few years of his business --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Mike Santucci - Founder and Owner of Sensaphonics & ASI Audio Special Co-Host: A.U. Bankaitis, Ph.D. - Vice President at Oaktree Products Mike joins Dave & A.U. on the podcast this week to discuss: - Mike's backstory into Audiology and the origin story of Sensaphonics - Developing services and products for musicians to help them preserve their hearing while performing - Building Sensaphonics' own earmold lab to ensure the highest level quality - ASI Audio's flagship product, 3DME In-Ear Monitor System, and the profound experience it provides hearing impaired musicians - Sensaphonics' new product, dB Check Pro - a sound level analyzer for musicians to use - The state of music-based Audiology and Sensaphonics' Gold Circle program - How to collectively address and communicate safe audio environments for musicians and fans - The many signed guitars that Mike has donated to the American Academy of Audiology Foundation's Music & Hearing Research Grant Program (and the guitars that A.U. has purchased) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Gabby Merchant, Au.D., Ph.D. - Scientist II & Director of the Translational Auditory Physiology and Perception Laboratory at Boys Town National Research Hospital Gabby joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - Her backstory, obtaining a joint Ph.D. from MIT & Harvard in Speech & Hearing Bioscience, and then acquiring her Au.D. from UMass Amherst - The many mentors Gabby has had along the way, including Susan Voss and Jill de Villiers - How and why she decided to leave her home in New England for Nebraska to join Boys Town National Research Hospital - Her passion and work around wideband tympanometry - The advantages that wideband tympanometry provides clinicians, especially within the pediatric population - What it's like working inside a translational research lab and the many reasons that make Boys Town so special to Gabby --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Nell Rosenberg, M.Ed., M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT - National Director of Teleservices Nell joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - Her backstory, becoming a Speech Language Pathologist, and her path to joining Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech - The importance of parent & caregiver coaching for children 0-3 years old (shout out to Mama Hu Hears' "My Child has Hearing Loss - Now What?) - Addressing the issue of the "zip code lottery" through teleservices - The evolution of Clarke's "T-Visit" teleservices and the types of outcomes they're achieving vs. their in-person outcomes - Clarke's goal of increasing collaboration with Pediatric Audiologists (referring children to Clarke's T-visit services), School systems, and parents to provide optimal care for children __________________________________________________________ Follow Clarke on all of its social channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarkeschools/ (@clarkeschools) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarkeschools/ (@Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech) Twitter: https://twitter.com/clarkeschools (@clarkeschools) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clarke-school-for-hearing-and-speech/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true (@Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Dani Rood, Au.D. - Clinical Trainer at Signia Dani joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: Her backstory and journey toward becoming an Audiologist Her time in Florida spent at Nova Southeastern, Joe Dimaggio Children's Hospital, and the VA The value of diversifying her clinical experiences and work settings Joining Signia as a Clinical Trainer and a "day in the life of Dr. Rood" Empowering Clinicians with "what I wish I would have known when I was in clinic" type of information Educating the next generation by working closely with students and recent graduates entering the workforce --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guests: Amy Trusler, Au.D. & Kristopher Hewitt, H.I.S. - Co-founders of Pacific Audiology Group Amy & Kris join Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - How the two met, the origin story of Pacific Audiology Group, and the path the company is on - Building an educational platform specific to Audiology with the goal of developing high-end content - The learning modules built so far and which modules the company is focusing on next - The methods of content production that the company has developed, including the use of a "RED" camera (same camera used to film the Hobbit!) - The next phase of Pacific Audiology Group - democratizing content production for Audiologists through the company's new, "Learn On" program - Catering to the booming creator economy within Audiology by enabling creators through Pacific Audiology's platform, tools and experience --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Mike Andreozzi - Former CEO & Owner of Beltone New England; Current Beltone Brand Ambassador; President-Elect of the International Hearing Society Mike joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - His backstory, growing up in the family business, and learning through osmosis - Mike's time at Miracle Ear and the early days of hearing health franchising - Optical supplier, Bausch & Lomb, purchase of Miracle Ear in the early 90's and the aftermath of the acquisition - Mike joining Beltone in the early 2000's and scaling his New England franchise from 3 locations to 125 stores across 10 states - The high value Mike placed on fostering a strong company culture and creating a sense of comradery amongst his team - Identifying potential leaders within the staff and focusing on internal talent development - Focusing on all the small details which, in aggregate, matter a lot when developing a five star patient experience - Mike's thoughts on third-party insurance providers, OTC hearing aids, and where the industry is headed in the next 3-5 years --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guests: Liz Fuemmeler, Au.D. - Clinical Product Manager - Balance @ Interacoustics; Podcast Host - A Dose of Dizzy Daniel Romero, Ph.D. - Audiologist & Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences Liz & Daniel join Dave on the podcast this week to discuss: - How the Daniel & Liz met and the backstory of starting their podcast, A Dose of Dizzy - A Dose of Dizzy's "accessible & digestible" podcast format, bridging the research & clinical gap, and catering to niche audiences ("100 true fans") - The surging interest in Vestibular Audiology amongst the next generation of hearing professionals & the long-term viability that vestibular services provide Audiology clinics - Takeaways from the 2023 American Balance Society conference held in February & some of the most exciting innovations taking place within Vestibular Audiology - Podcasting as a way to connect with like-minded individuals from all around your niche/industry --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Lindsey Jorgensen - Professor, Chair, and Clinic Director at University of South Dakota Dr. Lindsey Jorgensen joins Dave on this week's episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast to discuss: - Lindsey's backstory and motivation for pursuing Audiology and her time at The University of Pittsburgh obtaining her Au.D. and Ph.D. - Lindsey's many hats that she wears as clinician, researcher, and professor at the University of South Dakota - Lindsey's work with traumatic brain injuries and combat veterans - The interplay between Neurology and Audiology, and Audiology's significance with regard to dementia - Lindsey's speaking tour around the country about methods used by Hearing Professionals to verify and validate the performance of hearing aids - How Audiologists can differentiate themselves within their market on the basis of holistic patient care --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guest: Sarah McAlexander, Au.D. - Pediatric Audiologist at Texas Hearing Institute Dr. Sarah McAlexander joins Dave on this week's episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast to discuss: - Sarah's backstory and motivation for pursuing her Audiology doctoral degree through Vanderbilt - Sarah's immersion into the world of pediatric audiology and newborn hearing screenings - Sarah's research around "loss-to-follow up rates" in newborn screenings that she presented at the Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) conference - Completing to Cochlear Implant Training course and seeking out ways to gain specialty expertise in all different areas of Audiology - Building rapport and engaging with potential mentors and professional colleagues who you can collaborate with - The realities of one's professional journey, moving from one job to another, and garnering a variety of experience along the way --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/futureear/message

Guests: Nichole Kingham, Au.D & Joe Furness - Founders of Audiology Academy Dr. Nichole Kingham and Joe Furness join Dave on this week's episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast to discuss: - What Audiology Academy is and the backstory of how Nichole and Joe built the business and platform - The first phase of the business and the initial learning module around Audiology Assistants - The critical need for support roles within the hearing health setting, and the types of day-to-day tasks that can be delegated to support roles - Phase two of Audiology Academy becoming a platform for other Audiologists and hearing professionals to layer their expert training modules on - The types of courses available within Audiology Academy today and the types of modules that will be added soon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Ali Vega, Au.D. - Owner of Complete Hearing & Balance Topic: Private Practice Audiology, Serendipity, and Saying Yes Dr. Ali Vega joins Dave on this week's episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast to discuss: - Her backstory, motivation for pursuing Audiology, and experience owning a private practice in the Pacific Northwest - Audiology's transition from a master's level degree to a doctoral level degree & Ali being in one of the first cohorts of doctoral-level Audiologists in 2001 - Recognizing serendipitous occasions and being willing to say "yes" to risk taking - "Accidental" entrepreneurialism and the willingness to never stop learning - Figuring out what aspects of your business that you want to own (i.e. Ali's love for Radio advertising), and outsourcing the rest to vetted partners - Adding a balance offering by partnering with the American Institute of Balance - Ali's experience scaling her practice from one location to three --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Rachel Magann Faivre, Au.D. - Owner of Ash Audiology Topic: Entrepreneurism in Audiology Dr. Rachel Magann Faivre joins Dave on this week's episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast to discuss: Her backstory, motivation for pursuing Audiology, and her professional journey thus far Entrepreneurship and business planning in Audiology Specific tips on how to actively network in your local community and grow your professional network The importance of constantly getting out of your comfort zone in order to expand your comfort zone Rachel's motivation for starting her own private practice, Ash Audiology Why a mobile-first private practice was conducive to Rachel's lifestyle How Rachel's business planning process worked with specific planning tactics How she got her first patient and continues to grow her practice --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Lori Zitelli, Au.D. - Managing Audiologist at University Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Topic: Maximizing the Audiologist's Reach & Impact Dr. Lori Zitelli joins Dave on this week's episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast to discuss: Lori's backstory, Pittsburgh roots and motivation for pursuing Audiology Lori's mentor, Dr. Catherine Palmer, and the various projects that the two have developed together Interventional Audiology and the benefits of "enlisting" other medical professionals to be advocates for hearing healthcare Way to utilize non-custom amplification solutions and how these type of solutions can maximize the Audiologist's impact Lori's passion for tinnitus, the ups-and-downs with treating patients with tinnitus, and helping to usher in the next cohort of Audiologists specializing in tinnitus therapy through the course she teaches at UPMC How Lori is incorporating telehealth with her patients and how the pandemic has shifted her thinking of how telehealth can be used within Audiology UPMC's upcoming plans revolving around mobile Audiology --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Brandi Smiley, Au.D. - Owner of Onsite Mobile Audiology Topic: Building a Mobile Audiology Clinic from Scratch Dr. Brandi Smiley joins Dave for this week's episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast to discuss: Her backstory, motivation to become an Audiologist, and professional journey as an Audiologist Her time working at the VA and within the Educational Audiology setting The pandemic serving as the catalyst to starting her Mobile Audiology Clinic, Onsite Audiology Why mobile Audiology? Creating a "Tiny Home" specifically designed to be a mobile clinic Providing Audiological services to some of the most impoverished parts of Georgia How she established her initial patient base and is expanding her business The value to adding new services, such as APD therapy, to her offering Giving back and being a mentor to the next generation --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Jason Leyendecker, Au.D. - Owner of Audiology Concepts Topic: Successfully Scaling an Audiology Private Practice Dr. Jason Leyendecker joins Dave for this week's episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast to discuss: His backstory and professional journey as an Audiologist The decision to go into private practice Taking over an existing private practice clinic and the challenges associated with it Scaling a private practice to seven locations Expanding into new services while scaling the practice to broaden the prospective patient pool Focusing on leadership development and some of the specific tactics that Jason has used to become a better leader The importance of hiring and retaining good workers and sharing some different ideas to be more successful in hiring --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Blake Cadwell - Owner & Founder of www.Soundly.com Topic: Redesigning the Start of the Hearing Health Journey Blake joins Dave this week on the podcast to discuss: His backstory and personal experience wearing hearing aids The motivation for creating www.soundly.com and the goal of the website Widespread mask usage during the pandemic serving as a catalyst to people realizing how dependent they are on lip reading The sheer pervasiveness of hearing loss and why it's not fully in the mainstream's zeitgeist The potential upside of consumers being exposed to hearing health functionality in their consumer earbuds The importance of the hearing health professional in the OTC era Soundly.com's intention to be a starting point for consumers to research their potential options and do their diligence --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Kathleen Wallace, AuD - Owner of Kathleen Wallace, AuD; Head of Provider Education at Tuned; Adjunct Professor at CUNY Topic: Building the Hearing Healthcare Practice of the Future Kathleen joins Dave for the return of the podcast to discuss her new private practice and the motivation to start it. The two discuss: - Starting a private practice in 2022 and modern day considerations - The maturation of Mobile Audiology and TeleAudiology - Kathleen's time at CUNY and some of her key mentors and influences - Online content creation, personal brand building and combatting imposter phenomenon - Building an online "content" resume to attract in-person opportunities - Using social media to effectively generate new business --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

For episode 100, Dave sits down with 15 past guests to get a sense of what's on each of their radars and what's exciting about their area of focus. Guests: Andy Bellavia Liz Fuemmeler, AuD Amyn Amlani, Ph.D. Angela Alexander, AuD Brian Taylor, AuD Ashley Hughes, AuD Brent Edwards, Ph.D. Kat Penno, AuD Bret Kinsella Natalie Phillips, AuD Geoff Cooling Ryan Kraudel Jill Davis, AuD Karl Strom Grace Sturdivant, AuD --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Madison Levine, Founder & Owner of Levine Hearing; Board Certified Hearing Instrument Specialist (BC-HIS) Topic: Endlessly Optimizing the Hearing Health Patient Experience Madison joins Dave this week to share her story of launching and growing a thriving independent hearing health private practice. Madison details why she started her private practice, some of the major milestones across the first seven years, and how she has been increasingly upping the standard of care within her clinic.  The two discuss some of the key considerations when starting and growing a private practice, such as how to find your first patient, as well as how Madison is differentiating her practice in her market by leveraging new services and offerings.  As a BC-HIS, Madison shares her perspective of how Audiologists and Hearing Instrument Specialists can collaborate with one another to provide a strong collective offering to prospective patients.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Christina Coppola, AuD - Vestibular Audiologist at the American Institute of Balance Topic: Designing the American Institute of Balance's MatchMe Program Christina joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss her backstory, motivation for entering into Audiology, why she gravitated toward the vestibular side of the profession, her residency at the American Institute of Balance, and how she helped to design & implement AIB's new "MatchMe" Program where the AIB helps to train students in clinical vestibular audiology and connect students with AIB Centers of Specialty Care for the student's externship. The two discuss the advantages for young Audiologists entering the field to gain specialty experience and how the AIB is helping to foster and facilitate that experience. In addition, the two discuss why MatchMe is so advantageous for existing practices who might be interested in obtaining young talent that specializes in vestibular audiology and are unsure where to locate said talent. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Nancy M. Williams - President of Auditory Insight Topic: Creating Market Development in Hearing Healthcare Nancy joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss a variety of topics including her personal story of living with hearing loss, her journey and motivation for starting Auditory Insight, and some of the key takeaways from some of Auditory Insight's recent research notes. Much of the conversation revolves around the longstanding and pervasive stigma associated with hearing loss, and Nancy shares some sources of inspiration that the hearing health industry might look toward for ideas on how to effectively combat this major obstacle that impedes so many from treating their hearing loss. Transcript: here References: 1. Ebrahimi-Madiseh article reference: https://journals.lww.com/ear-hearing/Abstract/2020/11000/What_Influences_Decision_Making_for_Cochlear.30.aspx 2.Expressed Barriers reference: 5 Balachandra S, Tolisano AM, Qazi S, Hunter JB. Self-Identified Patient Barriers to Pursuit of Cochlear Implantation. Otol Neurotol. 2021;42(10S):S26-S32. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000003376 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guests: D'Anne Rudden, AuD; Susan Sheehy, AuD; Maura Chippendale, AuD; Yasmin Battat, AuD; Mary Thorpe, AuD Topic: Hearing the Call: Recapping a Life-Changing Humanitarian Trip to Jordan This week on the Future Ear Radio podcast, Dave sits down with five inspiring Audiologists to breakdown their recent mission trip to the country of Jordan, where these five women + a number of others provided hearing health services for some of the most underserved people in the world. During the episode, they discuss: Expectations leading into the trip and post-trip takeaways What the days were like and the direct impact they made on the refugees that they served The efficacy that "putting a hand up, not out" has on combatting burn out The surprising amount of collaboration across the AuDs that were there Learning from the people they served and the culture that they were embedded in Imparting knowledge on the students that they were working with, so as to create continuity with their mission --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: AU Bankaitis, PhD - Audiologist; Vice President, Oaktree Products Topic: Imposter Phenomenon, The Samuel F. Lybarger Award, and Owning Your Success AU joins Dave on the podcast for the first in-person episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast. AU shares her Audiology career journey, some of the major influences on her career trajectory and milestones along the way, and her recent Samuel F. Lybarger award (awarded to an individual who has made important contributions to research, engineering, or other technological achievements within the field of audiology). Throughout the conversation, AU discusses her struggles with imposter phenomenon. She details what imposter phenomenon is, how she has worked through it using a variety of different methods, and the importance of owning her own success. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Liz Fuemmeler, AuD - Vestibular and Concussion Audiologist at Hearing and Balance Specialists of Kansas City; Co-host of "A Dose of Dizzy" Podcast Topic: Vestibular Audiology, Specialization, and the Motivation to Never Stop Learning Liz joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss her work in vestibular audiology across the past few years after receiving her AuD. At Liz's clinic, she has helped to implement a concussion protocol and discusses this emerging new facet of science and Audiology's role within it. Liz shares the role that Audiologists play with regards to concussions, why Audiologists are uniquely positioned to help diagnose concussions, and how it helps to broaden the scope of Audiology. In addition, Liz and Dave discuss the topic of personal brand building and the ways in which Liz has always challenged herself to grow professionally and the dividends that those efforts have paid. The two chat about podcasting, being a young professional in the Hearing Health industry, and the motivation to never stop pushing yourself to keep learning. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Grace Sturdivant - Audiologist and Founder of OtoPro Technologies Topic: OtoPro: A Fresh Take on the Business of Hearing Conservation Grace joins Dave on the podcast this week to share the story of how she built her company, OtoPro Technologies, and the path she took to success. OtoPro represents an innovative business model and brand built entirely around hearing conservation. As Grace describes, OtoPro is designed to provide individuals with custom hearing protection for all types of lifestyles ranging from hunting, construction, industrial work, motorcycling and so on. The two discuss how her business model works, the network of hearing professionals that she uses to help facilitate the earmold impressions, her success building her brand, the rapid growth of OtoPro, and her upcoming appearance on Steve Rinella's Meat Eater podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Michelle Hu, AuD - Pediatric Audiologist and Founder of "Mama Hu Hears" Topic: Building the "Mama Hu Hears" Brand Michelle joins Dave on the podcast this week to share her backstory and how she developed her popular, "Mama Hu Hears" online persona. Michelle's Mama Hu Hears Instagram page has garnered roughly 10,000 followers, and serves as a medium for Michelle to communicate ways she navigates her own DHH journey, as well as a forum for her to impart wisdom as a hard of hearing mother and Pediatric Audiologist. The two discuss using social media effectively to generate a more outsized impact, the most common questions and feedback that Michelle receives on her social channels, Michelle's experience of being fit with a cochlear implant 15 years ago, and some of her takeaways of life before and after her implant. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Shadi Chakoutahi - Founder of Staffing Proxy Topic: A Recruiter's Perspective on the Current State of the Hearing Health Industry Shadi joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss the current labor market within the hearing health industry and some key insights that can be gleaned from her perspective. The two discuss the changing nature of employee expectations, which has been altered by the pandemic, as well as what it means to be an, "employer of choice." On the flip side, the two chat about the prospects within the industry for those entering into the hearing health labor force or moving from one industry job to another. Shadi shares her unique perspective as someone who frequently speaks with a wide variety of employers and prospective employees in every facet of the hearing health industry. In addition, Shadi shares some of the areas that concern her with the current state of the hearing health labor pool, as well as some reasons to be optimistic about the way that the hearing health industry is evolving. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Erik Sorenson - Co-Founder of HearWorks Title: Understanding the Battle Being Waged Outside of the Hearing Health Clinic Erik joins Dave on the podcast this week to share his backstory of his days owning and operating an ad agency, the path that led him to the world of hearing health, the key learnings of owning seven brick & mortar clinics, and the genesis of how and why HearWorks was created. The two discuss how today's hearing health patient journey begins outside of the clinic and talk through various patient acquisition and retention strategies that are becoming increasingly relevant in today's hearing health market. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Amyn Amlani, PhD - President of Otolithic Consulting Topic: Enhancing the Hearing Professional's Value Proposition Dr. Amlani joins Dave on the podcast this week to discuss the current state of the hearing professional's value proposition and ways that the value prop can ultimately be elevated by the provider. The two discuss how and why this era of hearing health is different from eras in the past, the increasing demand of hearing-related services, and how hearing professionals should be preparing and positioning themselves to capture said demand. Amyn and Dave talk about how the ways both retail and medical hearing health settings are evolving and where some of the key opportunities might lie for professionals into the future. Toward the end of the discussion, Amyn shares his thoughts on the growing labor shortage of hearing professionals and some of the ways that the hearing health industry will need to solve the equation of how to serve an increasing amount of demand with a dwindling pool of labor. Transcript: here --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Joe Sakumura, AuD - Director of Centers of Specialty Care at The American Institute of Balance Topic: The Case for Becoming an American Institute of Balance Center of Specialty Care Joe joins Dave on the podcast to kick off a new year of audio and hearing health-related discussions. During this conversation, Joe shares why he believes Audiologists should consider implementing a suite of vestibular service offerings into their clinic, and explains how The American Institute of Balance (AIB) can support Audiologists to implement, monetize and run their vestibular offering through AIB's Center of Specialty Care (CSC) program. The two discuss all of the details of the AIB's CSC program, including the process of getting set up, as well as managing the day-to-day operations. Joe also shares some of the success stories that hearing practices are having post-CSC implementation and how including a robust and comprehensive vestibular offering is allowing Audiologists to differentiate their clinics and elevate their standing with allied medical professionals. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Kane Simms - Founder of VUX World Topic: The State of Conversational AI Heading into 2022 For the last podcast of 2021, Kane Simms joins Dave to provide the listeners with an update on everything that's currently transpiring within the conversational AI space and where Kane believes the technology is moving toward in 2022. As Dave mentions at the beginning of the conversation, the reason that conversational AI is relevance to the world of hearing healthcare is because of the increasing feasibility of utilizing conversational AI with one's hearing device (hearing aids or hearables). So, it's important to stay up-to-date on the core technology and understand the current roadblocks that need to be navigated to make this all a reality. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message

Guest: Jill Davis, AuD - Doctor of Audiology and Owner of Victory Hearing & Balance Topic: Successfully Implementing Cognivue into a Private Practice Jill joins Dave on the podcast this week to share the backstory of why she decided to implement Cognivue's computerized cognitive screener in her Audiology clinic, and some of the major takeaways from the process of doing so. She describes the process of implementing the device, how she positions it within the patient's visit, the battery of other tests and evaluations that she pairs it with, and how she educates her patients on the results. As the two discuss, Jill is able to formulate a much more wholistic understanding of what the patient is experiencing and is able to tailor her treatment plans more appropriately. As Jill mentions, one of the biggest advantages that she's seen with implementing Cognivue into her clinic is that it has quite dramatically helped to increase her physician patient referrals. Considerably more patients are coming through Jill's doors via their primary care doctor's recommendation. As has been the theme on the podcast this year, Cognivue provides Audiologists with yet another unique way to differentiate and elevate their services to stand out from the competition. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/futureear/message