Podcasts about Vision Source

Send us a textAbout Dr. Aaron Werner, OD Graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry, following his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather in becoming a doctor of optometry.  He is president of Werner Optometry in San Diego, CA a two-doctor multi-generation optometry practice that provides comprehensive primary eye care services. Aaron is passionate about helping others achieve their full potential and serves as the Senior Director Learning and Development for Vision Source. A native of southern California, Aaron is an avid hiker, runner, enjoys playing soccer, surfing and spending time with his wife, 3 children and grandson.Aaron hosts the Aaron Werner Podcast on EyeCode MediaApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eyecode-media/id1449429774Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/6sGffC4Y3BXFc5pBxvcJNEYouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYyWZ4Y_ub2_akEj2kielFA

"In this episode, Aaron sits down with Bryan and Bradford Manning, co-founders of Two Blind Brothers, for a powerful and heartfelt conversation recorded live at the 2025 Vision Source Exchange in Denver, CO. The brothers share their journey of building a purpose-driven brand rooted in empathy, innovation, and the mission to cure blindness. We talk about the launch of the 2BB eyewear collection in collaboration with L'Amy America, designed to “feel the difference” through quality, comfort, and a tactile experience. The 2BB line is now part of Vision Source's Frame Dream program, an initiative aimed at optimizing board management, improving capture rate, and streamlining optical operations for independent practices. Aaron shares how his own practice is seeing real benefits from the program. If you're interested in the intersection of philanthropy, design, and independent optometry—this one's for you. Two Blind Brothers: https://twoblindbrothers.com/pages/reveal 2BB Frame Line: https://www.lamyamerica.com/catalog/2bb Interested in Vision Source: https://visionsourcenext.com/ Vision Source's Frame Dream program for members: https://insight.visionsource.com/Programs/Frame-Dream ________________________ questions@eyecode-education.com Go to MacuHealth.com and use the coupon code PODCAST2024 at checkout for special discounts Let's Connect! Follow and join the conversation! Instagram: @aaron_werner_vision

Tami Franklin has spent her career in multiple aspects of optometry. She started working in and then managing a private optometry practice in rural America, and now leads staff learning & development for Vision Source. Additionally she is a strong advocate of paraoptometric professional development with the American Optometric Assosication, and is passionate about giving back. Recently Tami volunterred with other paraoptometrics and ODs in Ashville, NC supporting the community affected by hurricane. To learn more about and support the different charities discussed visit the links below: Vision Source Foundation https://visionsource.com/doctors/programs/vision-source-foundation/ Optometry Giving Sight https://givingsight.org/ OneSight https://onesight.essilorluxottica.com/ ________________________ questions@eyecode-education.com   Go to MacuHealth.com and use the coupon code PODCAST2024 at checkout for special discounts Let's Connect! Follow and join the conversation! Instagram: @aaron_werner_vision

Dr. Glenn Ellisor is the Founder and Senior Advisor for Vision Source, a family of 4500 private practice optometrists collaborating to provide quality professional eye care and to support the long-term success of independent optometry. Vision Source clinicians treat an estimated 16 million patients every year.   Before founding Vision Source in 1991, Glenn started three practices in Kingwood, Humble and Cleveland TX. He still practices in the Kingwood location and helps Dr. Amir Khoshnevis determine the strategic direction for the company, while advising and assisting our department leaders in their roles. In recent years he has had two of his children, Wade and Erin, join him in practice.    Links: https://visionsourceinfo.com/           https://visionsource.com/about/ questions@eyecode-education.com      

David Edler recently retired from a successful career working in optometry, starting at Wesley Jessen and then spending most of his time with Vision Source helping independent optometrists achieve their full potential. Over the past 40 years, he worked in sales, customer service, project management, marketing, training, stand-up comedy, storytelling, klezmer musician, neighborhood rock band keyboards, back vocals, recovering trumpet player, marching band enthusiast and youth athletics coach. David, along with his wife Abby, a hand-writing analyst, and their energetic black lab live in the Midwest suburbs. To connect and see how they can help your company or organization visit Edler Communications (https://edlercommunications.weebly.com/) or email: dedlerspeaks@gmail.com Show Sponsors: CooperVision, MacuHealth ------------------------ Let's Connect! Follow and join the conversation! Instagram: @aaron_werner_vision

Dr Mick Kling joins to discuss practice transitions. Mick has bought a number of practices himself and has been involved in over 100 practice transitions in his role as Practice Transition Advisor for Vision Source. Mick, along with Ali Oromchian esq and Dale Fisher, host a practice transition course in Houston, TX on May 20-21. Registration is free, for more information and to register CLICK HERE    Show Sponsors: CooperVision, MacuHealth ------------------------ Let's Connect! Follow and join the conversation! Instagram: @aaron_werner_vision

In this episode, Lisa and Ted discuss:What optometrists do and how they help people enhance their quality of life. Essential skills and qualities for those who will have a long and successful optometrist career Understanding the path from high school to graduate school for optometry.The competitive nature of optometry school and the state-specific regulations aspiring optometrists must navigate. Key Takeaways: Optometrists work with all ages, including infants, to catch any vision issues.Ophthalmology and Optometry have different but equally rigorous requirements. Optometrists work closely with Ophthalmologists for advanced eye care needs.Optometry school is very competitive; strong grades in science courses are important. Consider taking sciences outside of just biology, physics, and chemistry beginning in high school if available.Laws regarding what optometrists can do vary by state, so research where your teen may want to practice. Don't rely on your student's advisor to know everything; students should do their own research.  “If you're planning on doing this, do it because you love it. Optometry is not going to make you rich. Medicine is not going to make you rich. There is never a job they will pay you enough to do. It is about doing it because you care about people, and you want to take care of people.” – Ted McElroy, O.D.About Ted McElroy, O.D.: Ted McElroy, OD, founded his practice, Vision Source Tifton, in 1994 in Tifton, GA. In 2004 he served as the Georgia Optometric Association President and in 2016 as President for SECO International. Ted was the recipient of the 1997 GA Optometric Association's (GOA) Young Optometrist of the Year, the 2005 GOA Optometrist of the Year, the 2009 GOA Bernard Kahn Award Recipient, and the 2022 GOA Georgianne Bearden Excellence in Leadership Award.Ted enjoys speaking to optometric students on the joys of private practice and assisting aspiring practice owners. He has served on the Speaker's Bureaus for Alcon, CibaVision, and VSP and is currently on the Speakers Bureau for Vision Source. He is an administrator for Vision Source and serves on the Administrator Advisory Board. Ted is an author published in Invision and Optometric Management, and has also served on the Optometric Management editorial board. He currently serves SECO International as the Chair for the MedPRO 360 committee, the Business Education Program of SECO International. Ted co-hosts the Eyecode Media Podcast with Drs. Chris Wolfe and Aaron Werner.Episode References:#005 Advice for Students Considering Medicine and Healthcare Careers   https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/podcast/5-healthcare-careers/ Get Lisa's Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career...(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret). https://flourishcoachingco.com/videoConnect with Ted:Website: https://visionsource-tiftonfamilyeyecare.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedmcelroyod/ Connect with Lisa:Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingcoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co

In this live stream, Chris discusses the value of calculators in myopia management. He introduces the podcast sponsors and their role in supporting the podcast. Chris demonstrates a myopia management calculator and explains its limitations. He engages in a Q&A and discussion with Aaron Werner. The live stream concludes with a wrap-up and promotion of the podcast and Vision Source.   VS Exchange -https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA... -------------------------------- For our listeners, use the code 'EYECODEMEDIA22' for 10% off at check out for our Premiere Billing & Coding bundle or our EyeCode Billing & Coding course. Sharpen your billing and coding skills today and leave no money on the table! Show Sponsors: CooperVision MacuHealth EssilorLuxottica

Dr. Kristin O'Brien opened her second cold start practice in Denver, NC where she lives with her husband and 2.5 year old daughter. She is very involved in optometry outside of her practice as an Administrator for Vision Source and the Director of Brand Development & Marketing with iCare Advisors, a cold start consulting company. Dr O'Brien authored an article "What New ODs Want" (https://www.optometricmanagement.com/issues/2023/novdec/business-new-od/) Connect with Dr O'Brien: www.icareadvisors.com www.denvereyecarenc.com www.shampoochesgroomery.com   Join Drs Brianna Rhue, Kyle Klute and Aaron Werner on Wednesday February 21, 2024 @ 4pm CST as they review the book Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. If you don't have the book you can ORDER HERE (https://www.amazon.com/shop/drcontactlens/list/27A7OTQ9UGNIO?linkCode=spc&tag=briannarhuepa-20&domainId=influencer&asc_contentid=amzn1.ideas.27A7OTQ9UGNIO). The episode will be recorded, but to share your questions and comments be sure to join live!Join Drs Brianna Rhue, Kyle Klute and Aaron Werner as they review the book Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. If you don't have the book you can ORDER HERE. The episode will be recorded, but to share your questions and comments be sure to join live! Wednesday February 21, 2024 @ 4pm CST Link to join: https://riverside.fm/studio/awp--live-book-club-buy-back-your-time   ------------------------ Let's Connect! Follow and join the conversation! Instagram: @aaron_werner_vision  

In today's episode, Aaron reflects on handing over business responsibilities and the challenges of entrusting someone else. He explores the personal attachment and difficulty of seeing others take control. Communication, expectations, and generational dynamics in leadership transition are discussed. Dr. Werner shares a situation where a young employee desired to buy into the company, emphasizing the importance of open conversations in succession planning. Trust is highlighted as vital for leadership handover. Aaron discusses his software company's positive impact on businesses, while Dr. Werner emphasizes transparency, self-awareness, and embracing the perspectives of the younger generation. About Dr. Aaron Werner: Dr Aaron Werner is San Diego native and followed in his father's footsteps in becoming an optometrist and continuing the family's private practice Werner Optometry. Dr Aaron has a passion for helping people improve their vision - in every sense of the word. In addition to taking care of patients, he serves as Sr Director Learning & Development for Vision Source, a national network of over 3000 independently owned and operated optometry practices. He hosts Independent Insights (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-insights/id1656082333), a weekly podcast related to successfully running private optometry practices whose conversations are applicable to all entrepreneurs and small business leaders. HIGHLIGHTS: Aaron shares his experience of handing over responsibilities in his business and the challenges of letting go and entrusting someone else to run the company. The importance of communication, expectations, and generational dynamics in leadership transition is discussed. Dr. Werner reflects on the need for open conversations in succession planning, citing an example of a young employee expressing interest in buying into the company. Trust is emphasized as vital for allowing someone else to take on a leadership role and forge their own path. Aaron highlights the positive impact of his software company compared to his previous focus on sales. Transparency, self-awareness, and acknowledging mistakes as a leader are emphasized. The value of embracing the perspectives of the younger generation in business is discussed, along with understanding different generations. The significance of getting comfortable with discomfort and the value of self-reflection and growth. SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Dr. Aaron Werner at: https://www.instagram.com/aaron_werner_vision/ Listen to his Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-insights/id1656082333   ✅Subscribe to Aaron's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2SL5iGQlGaTEbvsqpG_oIA *Get notified whenever Aaron goes post!  ✅Follow Aaron Clippinger and The AC Method on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theacmethod/ TIME STAMPS 00:00 - Prelude 00:09 - Introduction 01:37 - Today's topic: People tend to stay in their comfort zone because they know it so well 05:14 - Your business is WHO you are 05:45 - You have to walk the walk and learn something new 07:25 - The importance of having something to do in retirement 08:53 - Choosing the RIGHT career 10:59 - Being aggressive and headstrong in his 20s and 30s 13:09 - Getting comfortable in one's station 14:49 - The importance of learning every day 16:12 - One word pep talk in the mirror 18:28 - The benefits of being out of the practice 20:45 - Leading by example 23:07 - The difference between a business owner and a job owner 25:21 - The importance of being transparent 26:17 - Being human and being honest 27:28 - The five love languages 29:10 - Let's take a long vacation and get away 32:15 - Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable 32:47 - There's different pain points for each person 34:34 - Outro 35:07 - END Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this engaging episode of The AC Method, Dr. Aaron Werner takes listeners on a journey through his optometry career. He emphasizes the power of business acumen and risk-taking in an industry often resistant to change. Dr. Werner shares invaluable advice for early-career professionals, illuminating the zigzag path to success and the importance of having meaningful health discussions. The episode explores the distinct concepts of joy and happiness, encouraging listeners to cultivate joy in their work and personal lives. It emphasizes the value of traditional learning methods, even in our digital age, and underscores the essential link between physical wellness and mental well-being. Listen in for Dr. Werner's transformative three-month challenge and learn from failures that have turned into valuable lessons. This episode of The AC Method not only shares insightful stories but aims to nurture a mindset of continual growth and joy. About Dr. Aaron Werner: Dr. Aaron Werner is San Diego native and followed in his father's footsteps in becoming an optometrist and continuing the family's private practice Werner Optometry. Dr. Aaron has a passion for helping people improve their vision - in every sense of the word. In addition to taking care of patients, he serves as Sr Director of Learning & Development for Vision Source, a national network of over 3000 independently owned and operated optometry practices. He hosts Independent Insights (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-insights/id1656082333), a weekly podcast related to successfully running private optometry practices whose conversations are applicable to all entrepreneurs and small business leaders. HIGHLIGHTS: Dr. Aaron Werner's compelling journey into the field of optometry and the successful growth of his family practice in San Diego. The critical role of business acumen and risk-taking in the optometry industry, as emphasized by Dr. Werner. Valuable advice for early-career professionals from Dr. Werner, illuminating the zigzag road to success and the importance of in-depth health discussions. A deep exploration into the distinctions between joy and happiness, with guidance from Dr. Werner on how to cultivate joy in both professional and personal life. Dr. Werner's emphasis on the enduring value of traditional learning methods in our digital age, and strategies for accessing the right information effectively. A unique perspective on the link between physical wellness and mental well-being, featuring Dr. Werner's transformative three-month challenge. Engaging anecdotes of failures that have evolved into valuable lessons, highlighting Dr. Werner's philosophy of nurturing continual growth and joy. — SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Dr. Aaron Werner at: https://www.instagram.com/aaron_werner_vision/ Listen to his Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-insights/id1656082333 ✅Subscribe to Aaron's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2SL5iGQlGaTEbvsqpG_oIA ✅ *Get notified whenever Aaron goes post!  ✅Follow Aaron Clippinger and The AC Method on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theacmethod/ — TIME STAMPS 00:00 - Prelude 00: 09 - Introduction 00:38  - Introduction to Dr. Aaron Werner 03:26 - Learning the Art of Starting a business 06:18 - You are not unique 09:34 - Advice for new graduates 15:34 - You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable 18:01 - The joy of doing something hard 20:57 - How to Achieve Joy 26:05 - Create your own joy 37:03 - END Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the show my friend and fellow podcaster, Dr. Aaron Werner. We talked about current legislative issues that are going on in the profession, ophthalmology vs optometry,  the future of the profession, and a bit about his optometry podcast called Independent Insights from Vision Source.    -------------------------------- To join The Mastermind 3 Month Summer Program, The Total Patient Care Mastermind Workshop we have created is a simple framework to help optometrists serve their patients fully by combining routine and refractive care with advanced medical optometry. This is for a small group of ODs who are ready to deep dive into a program that will help them elevate, streamline, and watch their practice thrive.  For our listeners, use the code 'EYECODEMEDIA22' for 10% off at check out for our Premiere Billing & Coding bundle or our EyeCode Billing & Coding course. Sharpen your billing and coding skills today and leave no money on the table! Show Sponsors: CooperVision MacuHealth EssilorLuxottica    

For more than 25 years, Jim Greenwood served two healthcare services organizations in a variety of roles that included Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and as Chief Executive Officer since 2007.    Most recently, Jim joined Vision Source in January 2013 and subsequently retired in November 2019 after a successful transition of ownership from a private equity firm to Essilor of America. Vision Source is the nation's largest network of private practice optometrists with more than 3,200 locations and 16 million annual patient visits.     Connect with Jim on a phone call at 972-489-4997 To join The Mastermind 3 Month Summer Program, use the code 'SUMMERSESSION' at checkout to lock in pre-sale pricing. The Total Patient Care Mastermind Workshop we have created is a simple framework to help optometrists serve their patients fully by combining routine and refractive care with advanced medical optometry. This is for a small group of ODs who are ready to deep dive into a program that will help them elevate, streamline, and watch their practice thrive.  For our listeners, use the code 'EYECODEMEDIA22' for 10% off at check out for our Premiere Billing & Coding bundle or our EyeCode Billing & Coding course. Sharpen your billing and coding skills today and leave no money on the table! Show Sponsors: CooperVision MacuHealth EssilorLuxottica

Vision Source members Cheryl Chapman, OD, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Cristina De La Pena, OD, of Houston, Texas, are headed for the annual Vision Source meeting, The Exchange, in April. Dr. Chapman has been going for years, while Dr. De La Pena went for the first time in 2022, shortly after joining Vision Source. Both go to learn and exchange ideas - and here they share tips on how they make the most of the meeting, whether it's an attendee's first time or 30th. 

Dr. Mick Kling and Craig Moritz join Evon to talk all about navigating internal optometry practice transitions. They talk about when it makes sense to transition ownership, the steps of the process, due diligence, when lending comes into play, and more. Dr. Kling is the owner of a 2 location practice and is a Practice Management and Transition Advisor for Vision Source. Craig is with Vision Source as well, as the Director of Strategic Partnerships. Both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in optometry practice transitions working with both buyers and sellers. Have questions on anything discussed or want to have topics or questions featured on the show? Send Evon an email at evon@optometrywealth.com.Check out www.optometrywealth.com to get to know more about Evon, his financial planning firm Optometry Wealth Advisors, and how he helps optometrists nationwide. From there, you can schedule a short Intro call to share what's on your mind and learn how Evon helps ODs master their cash flow, build their net worth, and plan purposefully around their money and their practices. Resources mentioned on this episode:Vision Source Transitions ProgramVision Source NextCraig Moritz LinkedInEmail: mkling@visionsource.comEmail: cmoritz@visionsource.comThe Optometry Money Podcast Ep 14: Navigating Financing for Optometry Cold Starts and Practice Acquisitions with David TessierThe Optometry Money Podcast is dedicated to helping optometrists make better decisions around their money, careers, and practices. The show is hosted by Evon Mendrin, CFP®, CSLP®, owner of Optometry Wealth Advisors, a financial planning firm just for optometrists nationwide.

Acquiring a turnkey independent practice has allowed Whitney Territo, OD, and her husband and co-owner John Manard, OD, to focus on growth and enhancing their business skills. Being part of the Vision Source network and using Vision Source NEXT has supported them at every step, she says. Hear her discussion her evolving goals from acquisition, transition and beyond. 

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today's show is Dr. Pete Kehoe, OD. Dr. Kehoe is a fellow of the Academy of Optometry, National Academies of Practice and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry.  He has served the profession in a variety of roles and was president of the American Optometric Association 2008-2009. He is a partner in three private practices in central Illinois and serves Vision Source as an administrator in Illinois since 2000 and a variety of roles as a senior advisor since 2014. Dr. Kehoe served as a non-executive board member of Optos, Plc and currently serves as a consultant in professional development for Transitions Optical, Heru and Optos.   During this episode, we spend the majority of our conversation talking about the importance of planning for the success and succession of your private practice…whether you're 35, 55, 65, or even 75 and the owner of a practice. Pete shares what was successful for him in recruiting and retaining providers that eventually became partners in his practice. We talk through how he financed the buy-in, the emotional component of selling part of one's practice, the compensation structure that has worked well for their partnership, and some of the headwinds and tailwinds he observes in optometry and what practice owners can do about them.   As a reminder, you can get all the information discussed in today's conversation by visiting our website at integratedpwm.com and clicking on the Learning Center. While there, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and you can also set up a 20-30min Triage conversation to learn a little bit more about how we serve in the capacity of a personal and professional CFO: helping OD practice owners around the country reduce their tax bill, proactively manage cash flow, and make prudent investment decisions both in and out of their practice to help them live their best life on purpose. You can also check out any number of additional free resources like our eBooks, blog posts, and on-demand webinars. Lastly, if you're interested in learning more about the upcoming launch of the 20/20 Money Membership, please check out the link in the Resources to learn more about what we have in store for you!  We made the announcement back on episode 200 and are still “cooking in the kitchen;” we'll keep you posted as we have updates around the timeline of the launch and what the model will look like, etc.     And with that introduction, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Pete Kehoe.   Resources: 20/20 Money Community Information   ————————————————————————————— Please rate and subscribe to 20/20 Money on these platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Stitcher  ————————————————————————————— For past episodes of 20/20 Money with full companion show notes, please check out our episode archive here!

Today on the show, I got to talk to Dr. Mike Wallace. Dr. Wallace is a 1986 graduate of Michigan College of Optometry at  Ferris State University. Prior to joining Flushing Vision Clinic in Michigan, he was Clinic Director at TLC Laser Eye Centers . Dr. Wallace currently is serving as the Director of Managed Care Initiatives-Midwest State for Vision Source, North America's premier network of private practice optometrists. We had a great conversation about strategic healthcare initiatives and alliances.  Show Sponsors: CooperVision MacuHealth Get the exact code every time and protect against and audits with AutoCoder at https://eyecodeeducation.com/pages/autocoder

Show Sponsors: CooperVision MacuHealth Get the exact code every time and protect against and audits with AutoCoder at https://eyecodeeducation.com/pages/autocoder Dr. Kurt Steele joined Vision Source of Newport in 1995 and has lived in Newport since 1997.  He has received both the Young Optometrist of the Year and Optometrist of the Year award for the state of Tennessee and has served as president of the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, the East Tennessee Optometric Society, and the Smoky Mountain Optometric Society.  He also served on the board of the Southeastern Council of Optometrists.  Dr. Steele travels extensively across the United States educating other optometric physicians.  Dr. Steele is a big fan of all Tennessee sports teams and is proud to support both Cocke County and Cosby athletics.  When not in the office, Dr. Steele enjoys spending time with his wife (Sacha), playing golf, and traveling.

This week Try Not to Blink  is taking requests.  Jimmy and Roya talk to LoriAnn Bobins, Rockstar Technician at Vision Source 20/20 about her career path and the importance of having a strong team in your practice...SOURCESLoriAnn Bobins: LinkedInVision Source Studio 20/20HOYA training programAOA Staff Training ProgramRenton Technical College Ophthalmic Assistant ProgramHighpoint University PA Program

Show Sponsor: CooperVision Get the exact code every time and protect against and audits with AutoCoder at https://eyecodeeducation.com/pages/autocoder Dr. Amir Khoshnevis is a recognized optometric leader and a passionate advocate for excellence in patient care and experience. Dr. Khoshnevis received his Doctor of Optometry at Pennsylvania College of Optometry and his B.S. in Biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has held appointments and positions with numerous national health care entities. He is the recipient of several awards including 2011 Philanthropist of the Year by Optometry Giving Sight. Amir is the founder of Vision Source Studio 20/20 with two locations in Charlotte, NC. Amir has been a Vision Source Administrator since 2003 and has served as an Advisory Board member and Senior Advisor to the company. In 2018, Dr. Khoshnevis joined the Vision Source leadership team, first as Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, and recently, he was elevated to the role of Chief Medical Officer. He works to advance the practice of optometry and to ensure that the voice and vision of the private practice optometrist continue to guide the network. Vision Source is a family of over 3,300 locally owned optometric practices collaborating to provide quality professional eye care while maintaining the personal relationship between patients and their family eye doctor. Amir is married to Brandee and has three children, Royaa, Reza and Lila. His primary passion is being a father but in his spare time, Amir is a world Thai boxing instructor (Kru) and is a recognized influencer in the automotive industry, working with prestigious companies such as Michelin.

Show Sponsor: CooperVision   I (Ted) first met Mike at a GOA meeting in Hilton Head, SC (GA seldom ever meets in GA for the summer meeting because our beaches are….subpar).  He was a 4th-year optometry student and I was barely out of school for a few years.  Fast forward a few years and our paths crossed again.  This time it was on a trip to Miami Beach for a Vision Source meeting when VS was still very small.  Fast forward even more years and Mike has had his practice catch on fire (both because it is awesome and because an electrical wire literally set the roof on fire), had an SUV go through the wall where his conference room in the office was, buy a lake house at Lake Martin AL (where he, I and the rest of the Lakehouse boys would convene yearly for lots of mischief and reflection), sell his practice to his partner, begin a career in industry with an EHR firm, leave that part of his life to go into teaching optometry students why private practice is the best way to practice optometry, start another private practice, and all the while maintain a great leadership organization LeadershipOD.com.  He has continued to be one of my best friends and one of the bravest people I know, because he is willing to reinvent himself to achieve higher levels of excellence in doing so.  If this episode doesn’t give you at least one good belly laugh, well go back and listen again for the great lessons instead.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my dear friend and idol, Mike Rothschild, a great American. (To my sixth grade English teacher, I apologize for the run-on sentence in the fifth sentence.)   To find out more about the LeadershipOD Executive Retreat click here:  https://www.leadershipod.com/retreat

The world is dealing with a pandemic and our nation is faced with yet another challenge creating division, anger and frustration. We witnessed a man, George Floyd, die on social media. His death was followed by rioting and looting across our nation. These events broke our hearts. Many felt the need to do something. Some marched in protest. Others expressed their feelings on social media.I turned to create OWA's "Food for Thought: Where food breaks down barriers and brings us all to the table." My vision for this platform is to welcome everyone to the table to share and experience our differences in culture, heritage and family traditions through food. As we prepare our food with love to share and nourish one another, our healing can begin.Dr. Beverly Bianes completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego, and in 1991 received her Doctor of Optometry degree from Southern California College of Optometry. She was the recipient of the Bernell Clinical Excellence award. Soon after graduation, she started a private practice in San Diego with her husband, Dr. John Pack and opened a second location two years later. Dr. Bianes was an active board member of the San Diego Optometric Society where she held the position of Professional Affairs for 5 years and was a member of Vision Source for 20 years. She is currently the Director of Charitable Outreach for Total Vision LLC, a private equity company that acquired their practices 2 years ago.Dr. Bianes has a passion for giving back to both her local community as well as to communities abroad. She has participated in several medical mission trips to the Philippines and has provided free exams and glasses to the underserved in her local community. Her efforts have been recognized by community leaders such as Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez and by organizations such as the South County Economic Development Council and the Military Employer Support League. She was featured in "20/20" magazine for providing free services and materials to homeless transitional adult youth. Dr. Bianes joined the OWA in 2019 and is the creator of the new virtual event series known as "Coffee Break…connecting one sip at a time." She is a member of American Optometric Association, the California Optometric Association, and the San Diego County Optometric Society.

We're celebrating the musical legacy of Luther Vandross and raising awareness for diabetes health-related complications (such as vision loss) on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast. Diabetic eye disease, caused by diabetes, is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss. Because of the high risk for eye disease, all people with type 2 diabetes should receive an annual dilated eye exam. A 2019 Vision Source study of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that more than 50% had issues with their vision in the past year, and 34% did not go for a professional eye exam. The major barriers to having an annual eye exam included not thinking they needed one (33%), unsure of where to go (25%), lack of insurance, (22%) and expense (22%). Comprehensive eye exams are key to overall wellness and preserving a high quality of life. In addition to evaluating vision, annual eye exams can detect serious health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, and even cancer. Guests include Andre "Doctor Dre" Brown, Nat Adderley Jr.,  Dr. Khoshnevis, Danny Clay, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.  Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s album, ‘The Night I Fell In Love’ courtesy of SONY Music.

As an optician or eye doctor, you should be establishing your brand in your local community. Instead of promoting a lens brand, make your optical about YOUR brand. People grow emotional connections with small businesses because they provide high levels of customer service and great in-office experiences.    Why would you talk to patients about lens brands and names when they can just go down the street to the next optical and shop on price alone?    Patients don't care what the name of their lens is. They just want to sell really well. Stop confusing patients with detailed lens education, and just reassure patients you are the expert on the subject matter of progressive lenses and they will get your brand.    It’s important you ditch all the phony marketing sales aids the lens vendors give you. The branding and marketing messages on brochures, desk mats, and table tents just confuse your patients. They have no clue what Hoya, Essilor, Zeiss, or Vision Source branding is. The moment you start introducing brands into the equation, your patients get lost.   YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxKglDn1eAM&feature=youtu.be   Connect With Us On Social Media! Facebook Instagram YouTube Join our Facebook Group Text our 24/7 Eyetrepreneur HOTLINE at 913-660-2855. Ask us anything medical, business, or just vent to us.

Show Partner: CooperVision Citations: CooperVision data on file 2015. 95% of wearers who say health is important are willing to pay more for contact lenses that ensure eye health. December 2015 contact lens wearer survey, n=564. Cooper Cost Conversations Mr. Jim Greenwood is the Retired President & Chief Executive Officer of Vision Source®, the largest network of private practice optometrists in North America. Prior to Vision Source, Mr. Greenwood served as CEO for Concentra, a national health care company with more than 1,000 clinicians and 300 locations that delivers a wide range of medical services, including urgent care, occupational medicine, physical therapy, primary care and wellness programs. In addition to his role at Vision Source, Mr. Greenwood serves on the Boards of Directors for Legacy Heart Care, Healthcare Associates of Texas and Concentra. A Baylor University graduate, Mr. Greenwood started his career in healthcare in 1993 when he joined Concentra’s predecessor company as Chief Financial Officer. He is a certified public accountant, serving in the commercial banking industry for seven years after beginning his career in public accounting. He currently serves on the Baylor University Healthcare MBA Program’s Advisory Council.

Hello, and welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guest on today’s show is Dr. Mick Kling, OD.   Mick wears many different hats in the optometry community and spends a good deal of his time talking and consulting with other ODs around the country. In addition to owning Invision Optometry in San Diego, he is also the founder of Impact Leadership, an organization that helps ODs understand their practice’s finances and how to use that information to run a more profitable practice, albeit through maybe a bit more of an “unconventional” approach compared to how your CPA or other consultants would have you look at your practice. Mick provides a unique perspective to the profession of optometry because in addition to participating personally in a number of practice transition transactions, some of which have involved private equity partners, he’s also affiliated with Vision Source and serves in the role of a business coach with Vision Source-affiliated practices to help ODs understand where all the money is going in their practice.   During our conversation, we talk at length about the idea of selling one’s practice and a number of important variable and timelines for doctors to consider. We then discuss the details that a Vision Source franchised practice needs to consider when selling their practice and the pros and cons to selling their practice to another OD (and maintaining their Vision Source franchise agreement) or selling to a private equity firm or other 3rd party and dissolving their franchise affiliation. We also talk about the state of the economy and how the current access of cash has fueled transactions and why it’s important to “plan for the best and prepare for the worst.” We wrap it up with Mick’s answer to my “one question” and a tease about a future topic that we’ll discuss on another episode along with all of Mick’s contact information.   As a reminder, you can get all the information discussed in today’s conversation by visiting our website at integratedpwm.com and clicking on the Learning Center. While there, you can also set up a 15min pre-discovery conversation to learn a little bit more about what it means to work with our firm or check out any number of additional free resources like our eBooks and on-demand webinars.   And with that introduction, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Mick Kling. Impact OD Email Mick Call Mick: 619-379-2560 Vision Source ————————————————————————————— Please rate and subscribe to 20/20 Money on these platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Play Stitcher  ————————————————————————————— For past episodes of 20/20 Money with full companion show notes, please check out our episode archive here!

Millicent Knight, OD, FAAO, FAARM, FNAP Dr. Millicent Knight is Senior Vice President, Customer Development Group, Essilor of America . Herteam aligns Eye Care Professional education, sales force training, and eye care professional relations todeliver on the Essilor mission of improving lives by improving sight. Dr. Knight represents the voice ofthe doctor as a member of the Leadership Team.She has a diverse and extensive background in the eyecare industry, including hospital-basedophthalmology/optometry, owner of two optometric practices (North Shore Eye Center and IntegrativeEye and Wellness Center), and a former member of Vision Source. Prior to Essilor, she was VicePresident of Professional Affairs, North America at Johnson & Johnson Vision, Inc.Dr. Knight is a member of the Illinois Optometric Association (IOA), the American OptometricAssociation (AOA), and the National Optometric Association (NOA), and was awarded Optometrist of theYear by both the IOA and NOA, as well as Young Optometrist of the Year by both Organizations.Dr. Knight holds a Doctor of Optometry degree, and two Bachelor of Science degrees. She has servedon the Board of Trustees for Augustana College and the Illinois College of Optometry, her alma maters,and was awarded Alumnus Professional Achievement Awards. Dr. Knight was awarded the J&JStandards of Leadership Award, twice selected one of Vision Monday’s Most Influential Women inOptical, and a Women in Optometry Theia Award for Leadership recipient. Dr. Knight is a Fellow in theAmerican Academy of Optometry, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Regenerative Medicine, TheNational Academies of Practice, and a Kellogg Leadership Fellow.

Tracey is the Director of Network Development for Vision Source.  She helps doctors evaluate if VS is right for them.

  Dr. O’Brien attended Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Biology with a Vision Science concentration. She went on to complete her Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree at the Michigan College of Optometry (MCO). Dr. O’Brien has additional training in the areas of low vision, pediatrics, specialty contact lenses and working with patients who have a mental or physical handicap. She particularly enjoys getting to know her patients and takes pride in providing exceptional eye care. While in school Dr. O’Brien founded the Michigan Optometric Student Private Practice Association (MOSPPA) and was influential in beginning the Student Optometric Leadership Network (SOLutioN) of which she has served as President, followed by the Executive Director and is now on the Alumni Board. She also spends time on the lecture circuit, speaking about private practice and the business aspects of the profession with Optometric Insights to inspire success in future generations of optometrists. She currently leads the Vision Source MentorOD program with the goal of providing resources to students most interested in private practice. Dr. O’Brien has participated in optometric missions to Guyana and Mexico to provide eye care to the underprivileged and has served nationally on the Vision Council Young Professionals Advisory Committee, Liaison to the Allergan Jumpstart Ambassador Program, is the Past-President of the Colorado Young Professionals Club and current Vision Source Co-Administrator in North Carolina. Dr. O’Brien also works as the Director of Marketing and Analytics for iCare Advisors where she helps others achieve their dreams in opening a private practice from scratch. Dr. O’Brien has earned multiple honors in her short 6 years as an optometrist; early in her career with the Marchon Practice Management Award and the William Feinbloom Low Vision Award and later was named the 2016 International Vision Council Next Generation Innovator. Most notably, Dr. O’Brien was awarded the 2017 Colorado Optometric Association Young OD of the Year. Dr. O’Brien moved to Colorado in 2013 and opened a cold start private practice with her two business partners and the help of many mentors who have guided her along the way. In 2019, Dr. O’Brien relocated to Charlotte, NC and traded mountain views for life on Lake Norman. In her spare time, Dr. O’Brien enjoys spending time with her dogs, boating, and exploring local eateries in Charlotte with her husband, Chris. 

Dr. Brad Byergo received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri­Columbia in 1998. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Missouri­ St. Louis School of Optometry in 2002, where he graduated with highest honors.     Dr. Byergo joined the Midwest Eye Associates team in 2002, and has been the medical director of the practice since 2004. He is a member of the St. Louis Optometric Society, the Missouri Optometric Association, and the American Optometric Association. In 2012, Dr. Byergo and Midwest Eye Associates joined forces with Vision Source, the largest network of independent Optometrists in the country. Dr. Byergo currently serves as the administrator for Vision Source St. Louis. In 2013, he was the recipient of the Vision Source Outstanding Leadership Award.

Dr. Amir Khoshnevis received his Doctor of Optometry at Pennsylvania College of Optometry and his B.S. in Biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Khoshnevis has held appointments and positions with numerous national health care entities. He is the recipient of several awards including 2011 Philanthropist of the Year by Optometry Giving Sight. Dr. Khoshnevis is the founder of Vision Source Studio 20/20 with two locations in Charlotte, NC. Amir has been a Vision Source Administrator since 2003 and has served as an Advisory Board member and Senior Advisor to the company. Recently, Dr. Khoshnevis joined the Vision Source leadership team as Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer where he works to ensure that the voice and vision of the private practice optometrist continue to guide the network.

Jimmy and Roya cover the topic of starting a business from scratch, with Dr. Anith Pillai.SOURCESPECA Buying Alliance Group: https://www.pecaa.com/Vision Source: https://visionsource.com/Evolutionary Eyecare: https://evolutionaryeyecare.com/https://www.ajo.com/article/S0002-9394(19)30054-6/fulltexthttps://www.ajo.com/article/S0002-9394(19)30025-X/fulltext

Today I had a great discussion with my good friend Dr. Aaron Werner.  Aaron is a co-administrator for the San Diego area, but he is also the senior director for professional development at Vision Source.  Aaron ad I go way back to our days on the AOSA Board of Trustees.  We reminisced on those times and the evolution of our professional roles, we also discussed running, cultivating relationships and how to describe chocolate to someone who has never tasted it.   Please enjoy our conversation, and as always, if you want to get the most current episodes, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and give us a 5-star review.  If there is a topic you would like to have discussed, please contact me at cwolfe@visionsource.com 

Doug is the Vision Source co-administrator in Indiana, and he is also a CodeHead for the American Optometric Association.  We discussed common pitfalls that he sees offices making when it comes to billing and coding, as well as common questions he gets as a CodeHead.  I think our discussion on Medical Decision Making is likely the most helpful! Please enjoy our conversation, and as always, if you want to get the most current episodes, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and give us a 5-star review.  If there is a topic or person you would like to hear on the podcast, please email me at cwolfe@visionsource.com  

An in-depth discussion on the future of independent optometry with Amir Khoshnevis, OD, and Pete Kehoe, OD, of Vision Source. Interviewed at the WebMD Studio in New York in March 2019 by Roger Mummert, Content Director for Review of Optometric Business. Topics include how to embrace medical model optometry and refocus your practice on delivering wellness care. Part 3 of a three-part series.

An in-depth discussion on the future of independent optometry with Amir Khoshnevis, OD, and Pete Kehoe, OD, of Vision Source. Interviewed at the WebMD Studio in New York in March 2019 by Roger Mummert, Content Director for Review of Optometric Business. Topics include overcoming competitive barriers to learn from colleagues, growth opportunities in rural, as well as urban and suburban areas, and maximizing full practice value through long-term practice ownership and growth-focused management. Part 2 of a three-part series.

An in-depth discussion on the future of independent optometry with Amir Khoshnevis, OD, and Pete Kehoe, OD, of Vision Source. Interviewed at the WebMD Studio in New York in March 2019 by Roger Mummert, Content Director for Review of Optometric Business. Topics include the high growth record of Vision Source practices versus other practices, and the range of services designed to sustain independent optometric practices.Part 1 of a three-part series.

Today's discussion is with Jessica Stoffel, the director of Managed Vision Care Programs at Vision Source.  We had a great conversation about optimizing our offerings so that patients and our practices can receive the maximum benefits from their benefits!  If you have questions about the Managed Vision Care, please reach out to Jess @ jstoffel@visionsource.com Show Links: Essilor Game Plan Maximizing MVC Plans VS Live Groups (Check out this amazing resource at least once per day!):  Insurance Billing & Coding Maximizing Profitability Office Management Round Table VS Live in general

Today I had a discussion with Dr. David Caban, the Vision Source Director of Managed Care Initiatives for the North East.  David has a long history in our profession of moving the ball forward so patients have access to the breadth of services we provide.  We discussed the evolution of the Vision Source and SNE-PTN Relationship, and how optometry evolves to play a larger role in demonstrable, high quality, cost-efficient health care.

Michael Steinkrauss is the Associate Director of Transformation at the Southern New England Practice Transformation Network.  We spoke about how our Vision Source offices have been able to show CMS the value of the services and what this means for the future.  We also discussed interoperability, alternative payment models and the unique position both locally and nationally that Vision Source practices are in to continue to grow in the future. Enjoy!

Dr. Pete Kehoe is a past president of the AOA, practice owner and Vision Source member.  We discuss challenges and opportunities for our profession, strategies for being effective leaders of our practices and time management among many other things.  This discussion is broken down into 2 parts.     

Part 2: Dr. Pete Kehoe is a past president of the AOA, practice owner and Vision Source member.  We discuss challenges and opportunities for our profession, strategies for being effective leaders of our practices and time management among many other things.  This discussion is broken down into 2 parts. 

Pamela Lowe, OD, FAAO, of Niles, Illinois, discusses the three essential pillars to a successful practice and professional life: advocacy, education and practice management.

How Fiona Robertson travelled the world on a shoestring, discovering her life path as she went. Plus the best travel food ever!Hi everybody, I'm Barbara Fernandez, the Rocking Raw Chef, here with my Clean Food, Dirty Stories: one to entertain, the other to inspire.I help people stamp out stress, depression and fatigue over at RockingRawChef.com, and today's title is:Adventure was my missing nutrientIn addition to this story, at the end of this episode I'll share with you the best travel food I know. It's not only packed with nutrients and easy to carry everywhere, but it's also the best food to help eliminate parasites from the body.OK enough hints from me, let's get on with the story.I am super excited to be joined here today for our story by Fiona Robertson, the Body Whisperer, who helps people understand who they want to be. Fiona has travelled all over the world and has some amazing adventures to share with us which I think you will find very inspirational.So Fiona, welcome to the Clean Food, Dirty Stories podcast!Fiona: Yeah, thank you very much for having me. Thanks for inviting me. Nice to meet you here finally, face to face.Me: Yes, exactly! Cause we've known each other for a while, right? But it's been like an internet based...Fiona: An internet-based friendship, yeah, I know (laughs).Fiona's storyMe: Super! So I know that you've got, you've had quite a lot of adventures, but I think you mentioned that your taste for adventure perhaps came from your childhood. Is that right? You said you felt quite different as a child, can you maybe explain why?Fiona: Yeah, 4 years old we went to South Africa to live as a family. We kind of grew up with no shoes. So basically just kind of playing with lizards and centipedes and understanding all about nature and just wanting to be outside climbing trees, being a tomboy.A different way to grow upIt was just a different way for me to grow up. And when we moved back to the UK, I realized I was just different. I wanted to be outside playing in different ways and not playing giggly, schoolgirl games.Me: So how old were you when you moved back to the UK?Fiona: I was nine. Yeah, nine, nine and a half, something like that. Just kind of old enough, over the formative years, you know, that I'd really got a different country and kind of life under my skin. You know, I'd learnt Afrikans, I'd learned there was another language, I'd learnt there were different things going on. We were in South Africa at the time of apartheid as well, so you get a lot of different experiences, you know? We travelled there too on holiday of course.You see, I didn't think it was different, but it is, you're in a game park for a holiday and there's cheetas walking in the car park. It's exciting! And that's what my story's about, I didn't realize that adventure was so under my skin.Into the militaryMe: And so you said that you signed up to work with American Express in the military, is that right?Fiona: Yeah, one of my first jobs when I finished college and school and everything, I didn't want to go on to be an interior designer. That was my dream. But when they mentioned to me that it was four years foundational course and then I could specialize, I was like, “You've got to be kidding me! I can't sit still for that long! I've gotta be out there doing something!”I was interested in travel and so I got a job with American Express and it was on the American Air Force bases in the UK. So I started in High Wyckham and I was basically doing their travel tickets, their military travel tickets, then I ended up going and reliefing on the other different air force bases. So Greenham Common, Huntingdon, the ones in East Anglia, and just travelling around and doing that. Going and doing my travel, my specialist travel stuff for the American air force base.A different worldIt was cool because you walk into a different world. You go on the American an air force base and that land is owned by America. They have their happy hour, they have their bowling alleys, they have their shops, they have their own ways and cultures of doing things.Me: Wow. That just strikes me as really weird, you know? Like I've never, I mean even though I've lived in the UK for quite a while now. I've never been on any of the bases, and so part of me always just thinks, 'you're not contributing to the local economy', you know.Fiona: Oh they are, they don't all live on base, they live outside. But that was when I was nineteen, I started working on the American air force bases.The perfect job in travelLooking back now I just think what a perfect job for me. Working in travel and on an American air force base, you know?Me: So you organized travel for them, is that right?Fiona: I organized travel for them and basically with the old Prestel sets and the old ABC travel guide books we found air flights and all that kind of stuff. So I took all my exams for APTA travel. After that I went on to do incentive travel and after that I went on to sort of venue finding. Anything to do with people and traveling and moving. But incentive travel was very interesting, I liked that too.Me: What's incentive travel?Fiona: Imagine that you've got top salesmen and saleswomen and they're given an incentive. If they're the top team in the whole company in the whole of the country, then they get sent to some glorious destination and everything's paid for. So we used to organize all that, you know? With the ground agents and meals and restaurants. Down to exactly what kind of napkins would be on the table. It was like organizing a big wedding every few months, you know? Everything from the chauffeurs to the taxis to the kind of color-coordinating the flowers, everything.Import, export and video camerasMe: And then you went into a very different kind of business, right? With video cameras or something?Fiona: Yeah, I had another job in between time working for actually Ocean Pacific and I was on the export desk there. And I used to do all the certificates of export, and that was interesting for me. Because other people couldn't understand what these guys were saying, and I was just able to tune into what maybe the Greeks or the Spanish or the...You know, they were speaking pidgin English and wanting to be understood and then I was able to tune in somehow to what they were actually trying to tell me.And then I went on selling military cameras into industry, and again I worked with a lot of people from all over the world. So I listened to their languages and I listened to their accents and I understood about their culturesMe: So what happened when you wanted to go travelling? Because you said that at one point you had this business and then you sold it, is that right?Fiona: Yeah, from running the company I was working with I then set myself up for myself and found all my own clients and things and did that for two or three years. And I woke up one morning and thought 'God do I want to be doing this in five years' time? No! Two years? No!'Time to go travellingMe: So was there any specific incident that prompted this decision? Or was it literally from one day to the next waking up and going 'I don't want to do this'?Fiona: I thought that the company that I'd set up was my baby. I'd been with this other guy who was in the same industry though he ran a different company. So when we split up I think that was probably one of the kick up the backsides. I just said, “No, this is my baby, I want to hang onto this baby, this company” because Vision Source was my baby.But then when I woke up in the morning I just went, 'oh my God what am I doing? Do I really want to be doing this?' And when it was such a loud, resounding 'no', I couldn't not listen to that. I really had to think, 'no I'm just not going to be satisfied, it's going to kill me if I stay in this office and do this'. Even though it was doing really, really well.I managed to find somebody who was interested in selling, I sold the company to them. I rented my house out and I just took a rucksack and started travelling around the world.Me: So then how did you start? I think you said you bought an around the world ticket or something? I'm asking because, you know, if there's somebody listening who thinks 'oh I'd really like to travel around the world', I think some people wouldn't even know where to start, you know?A pink-haired rebel going round the worldFiona: Yeah, I was thirty-nine, I dyed my hair pink. Me: That's hilarious!Fiona: I was like wanting to be rebellious. Most people when they see the photographs kind of say, “Were you fifteen then?” and I say “No, thirty-nine, dyed my hair pink”. And I had my rucksack, a friend just said, you know, grab a rucksack. You buy a ticket that goes one direction around the world, and you can't go backwards so you always find a destination that forwards. And I think I didn't go that off the grid really. Thinking about it in retrospect it was fairly obvious.South Africa I started because that's where I've still got family living. Then, you know, Thailand, Singapore, Fiji, Cook, New Zealand, Australia and America. I really did not want that to end. That was just...no way.Me: But I think at the beginning I mean I imagine you would have had a decent amount of money to do that from the sale of your business, right? At some point did the money run out? I ask because you said that at one point you were just very trusting and that you thought, 'OK how can I just go to this new place with no money and nowhere to stay?'Fiona: I didn't...the business wasn't sold until I came back from my travels. They owed me the money. They were supposed to be selling my cameras and selling everything while I was away, and they just basically didn't. So I had to sort of deal with things until I came back. And my house that was rented only rented for a few months rather than for the whole year. So yes.Me: Wow.How travelling can be cheaper than staying at homeFiona: In fact it's cheaper to travel around the world than it is to live in a house and try and support yourself.Me: Whoa, you're kidding! Really?Fiona: No, I mean you stay in backpackers. You've got no material needs, you've got your shorts, your t-shirts, your toothbrush, you bring everything back to real, real basics. So you've got a book, you finish a book, you swap it for another book. It's just cheap. You stay in youth hostels, you meet fantastic people. Some of them obviously an awful lot younger than I was at the time. I was thirty-nine, they were all on their first out of university experience, they were travelling the world finding out who they were. And I didn't do that till later, but...Then you've also got different generations who decide to do it. But staying in youth hostels, they're pretty much...they're a good crowd of people. And when I really kind of left my rucksack in the first place, I locked it up, I tied it up, I did all the things that I thought I had to do. And then I walked out of the youth hostel and I went, 'no, damnit, I'm gonna go back and I'm gonna unlock everything. We're all in the same boat, we're all from different countries, we're all in the same boat. I've been travelling on an open-sided bus in a tent, on ants' nests and all the rest of it. This is not gonna be a problem for me'.A successful mental mindsetSo mental mindset: “I' am not gonna have any problems with anybody touching any of my stuff. I got nothing they want to steal, we're all in the same boat, we've all got like...” We had our old CD players, we didn't have mobile phones and those kind of things then.Me: That's true, yeah.Fiona: And I carried my passport and my money and my tickets with me in a little bumbag as we had then. Everybody was in the same boat and if you're that open and trusting and you believe you're OK, this is very much the work that I do now too funnily enough, but if you have that vibration running through you, you'll be OK. If you have the vibration running through you like...People before I left wanted to say to me, “Oh my God! Really? You're going to this country? Well don't let anybody put anything in your bag” and “don't put your bag out of your sight” and really all their fears they were trying to put onto me before I left.But if you have this kind of like 'Do you know what? We're all in the same boat, we're all wanting to be experiencing travel and different places and different people and food and...Me: Yeah. So then...Wow! I'm still reeling actually from the previous thing you said about it being cheaper to, you know, travel the world and stay all over the place than to stay in one place, you know. I'm going to be thinking about that for a while!On to Reiki trainingBut I know that you said that at some point you started just like doing things for people to kind of pay your way, right?Fiona: Yeah, it wasn't so much to pay my way but it was just to experiment. During my travels I decided that I would finish off my Reiki. That was a funny story as well.So I'd been travelling, I ended up in Cape Town and I decided to go for Reiki because I enjoyed Reiki. And this guy gave me Reiki and I was completely knocked out. When I sort of came round, he said, “Oh something came to me when I was doing your Reiki. If you're interested in pursuing, maybe finishing off your masters or something like that to do with Reiki, I know a very good woman. She lives in Prince Albert.”And he told me where that was and I thought 'well that's kind of up from where my dad lives on the wilderness in South Africa, I could go and see Valentine and have some time with her'.So I thought about it for a while and I rang, and I rang, and I rang, and I remember writing in my journal, “Bloody hell! This woman is impossible to get hold of!”Changing your thought patternsI scrubbed that out and I put “This woman is easy to get hold of”. I did have a phone, beg your pardon, one of the first kind of Nokia phones. She rang me. So imagine – I'd been saying all this time, 'this woman is really hard to get hold of'.Me: Yeah, and of course she was then.Fiona: Just by scrubbing out that whole thought pattern and changing my thought pattern, I'd actually said 'this woman's gonna be...and she's really easy to get hold of'. My phone then rang and she rang me to say, “Great, I've had your messages. When can you come?”Me: Super! Wow!Travelling with the flowFiona: So I was on this roll when I was travelling of trying to be this very open, flowing person who wanted to experience how easy and safe the world was. Rocking up in an airport like in Australia, I hadn't got any Australian dollars, I hadn't got anywhere to stay. It was kind of one o'clock in the morning when we landed. I wanted to find out how easy it was just by allowing myself to feel easy.Me: And so what happened in that Australian airport at one in the morning?Fiona: Oh God it couldn't have been easier! They are so set up. Maybe in another country it would have been harder.So you arrive in the airport and most people had somewhere to stay and they were being picked up by people. I walked in and I thought, 'oh a cash machine, fine, pop my card in, get cash out, that's easy'. By the cash machine there's a desk there, a welcome desk, there's brochures everywhere for youth hostels and everything. And I thought, 'I wonder if I ring them now if anybody would be on the desk, or if I should have to sleep in the airport'. Which I had done before.And so I rang and somebody said, “Yeah, yeah, no problem, we can come and pick you up, we'll see if there's anybody else coming this way. We'll be there in about an hour”. And they were. Super polite, super easy. Picked up my bags, picked me up, took me to the youth hostel in Perth. Got me a room and that was it.Don't plan too much in advanceMe: Wow. So generally you found that that's the way it worked, right? With the trusting and that it would be easy and things just kind of like fell into place?Fiona: I was told before I left by a girlfriend of mine also called Fiona. She said to me, “Don't book too much up in advance because so many things are changing the whole time. Try not to plan too much because if you plan, you're planning out what the universe might have to deliver to you. Something more fun, something more exciting.”Me: Oh yeah, that makes total sense.Fiona: So don't plan too much. I kind of took it from the other point of view, that I'm a planner, I'm a scheduler, I'm a bulldozer. I'll make things happen. And I was really trying to be experiencing from a different perspective. This was my opportunity to really experience that to live in the flow.And that's really what I want to try and do in my everyday life as a mom now as well. Be more open and understanding and intuitive to...'OK so why did that happen then? Why are they ill?' So this is what brought me...OK raw food kind of came in there as well, but it really brought me to sort of try and interpret what I was being shown.And if you happen to get arrested...Me: Yeah. So did you have moments when you were travelling when the flow just stopped? And you started to feel fear or you were just like 'Oh this isn't working” or... If you did, how did you get back into flow?Fiona: Yeah, I'm trying to think about it. I got complacent, I was in Thailand and I stayed longer than I should so I was kind of arrested when I left.Me: Oh my God, you were arrested!Fiona: Yeah, because I'd overstayed my visa. You're only allowed to stay there a certain length of time so when I left, I just handed in my passport. And they pulled me off to this room and they really interrogated me and I'm just like, 'I was just kind of complacent and I didn't really think about it' and “Well I'm leaving now so just let me go!” (laughs)Me: And so what happened? Did they let you go?Fiona: They let me go, but they made me wait it out. I think I missed that flight so I had to get another one or something. Yeah, they wanted to really make a point there that you can't be complacent. So I thought OK... I wasn't really in charge of looking at my dates in that respect.When you have to push a littleAnother time was when I was in Australia. I was coming down the west coast of Australia and it became a bit of a rush. So I knew that my visa ended at a certain date, I had to be in Sydney so that I could get my flight to New Zealand. The people I was travelling with were under no speed whatsoever. So I realized then 'I have to do something, I have to move this forward faster'. Then I became out of the flow and I was very proactive into getting things moving. And I don't know what would have happened if I'd just bummed along, I don't know.Me: Well yeah but I mean, but then you...that was kind of necessary, right?Fiona: Yeah.A Thailand detox adventureMe: Sometimes you have to do that right? And then you said that at one point you said you kind of discovered raw food and detox and you started coaching girls on your travels?Fiona: I did, that was really fun.Me: How did that happen?Fiona: I was in Thailand and I'd done Thai massage, Thai cooking. And I'd said to the girl that I'd met when I was travelling...I said “God, you know we need to be doing something that we would never, ever dream about doing when we went home”. She said, “Yeah I agree, we need to do something that's kind of off the wall”. I said, “Exactly!”I walked into this bar just to order a water and there was a leaflet on the desk that said The Sanctuary. And it was for detoxing. So I took the flyer and I said, “This really, really hits me! Let's go and try this!” I spoke to the guy behind the bar and he said it's a really cool place in Koh Pang Yang.That's where we went and did detoxing, and they had a fantastic raw restaurant. I'd never experienced raw food before. So we did the detox and I learned what I could from Moon, who was the guy who ran the place and the time. I looked at these menus of these foods and of course your tastebuds change when you do a detox. This was a full detox, colon cleanse, doing enemas, coffee enemas and everything else. Met some fantastic people, had some great conversations, we slept a lot.Simple food for radiant resultsWe met all sorts of shamans, all sorts of stuff. And then I realized afterwards that myself and my friend, our bodies had completely changed, our body temperature had changed.In about three weeks after that, we went for two weeks to another island and we did absolutely nothing. We just ate very, very simply, just raw food. So tomatoes and everything. The restaurants there were very confused. We didn't want the Thai food, we just said, “Basic, plain plate of tomatoes, that's all we want”. So we learned how to say that and we were doing that. We radically shifted some weight and we radically...our bodies changed and our whole energy was completely different. I was like, 'geez I like this! I get this! I feel awesome, I feel radiant!' We were just having so much fun!The coaching beginsMe: So then you started coaching girls? To help them...Fiona: Yeah then in the next place I went to I met some young girls. And a couple of them had said, “We're on our last leg”. They were kind of going the other way around the world. And one of them had kind of said, “You know, I'm a nurse and I left that because I wanted to find myself, I wanted to find out what I really wanted to do. And here I am on the last leg of my journey and I don't think I've found myself at all!”Magical questionsI said, “Oh, OK”. So I just started asking her some questions, and I set her some tasks for the evening. I said, “What do you want to do?” And she said, “I've got no idea!” I set her some tasks for example, I think one of them was 'a hundred and one things that make you happy'. How easy. And setting out what her perfect day would include. They were two of the simplest tasks that I thought that she might actually do or might actually enjoy doing.And the next morning when we were kind of...She was leaving and I was just having breakfast. And she was like, “Oh my God!” She said, “I totally get what I wish I'd known before. I know what it is that I want, I know what makes me happy, I know this and I know that and I know the other” and I was like 'oh my God'. And then just other conversations, it just seemed to be natural for me that when I was speaking to somebody...Not telling them what they should do, but kind of like, 'have you ever thought about what it is you'd like to do? What it is...Who you'd like to be, what you'd like to wear? How you'd like to sound, speak? Do you enjoy singing? Dancing? What is it?' All the different things that make you who you want to be.Me: Wow.Fiona: It came from that, really. Just having conversations. Nothing structured, but just allowing people to find out for themselves what they liked about life, about being alive.Finding a travel partnerMe: And then at one point you met your Dutch partner, right? How did that happen?Fiona: Yes, we met in Australia and we just started travelling together. We were going the same route together. Very interesting conversations. He allowed me to be very profound and very deep. And I found something new about myself as well, which normally I would not have had those kind of conversations with people. In a very deep, delving, wondering, curious, inquisitive, wanting to know more. So that was kind of refreshing and probably why we stuck together for so long because we allowed each other to have those kind of conversations. And I found myself a different kind of person. That I didn't agree with everything that he said, or I had an opinion. I found my strength from having those kind of conversations too, I'd had a strong interior. And I found that I knew what I wanted, let's put it that way.Back home and pregnantMe: I know at some point your trip around the world ended. And then you were...you were back at home feeling sad, right? But then you were...you started travelling again when you were three months pregnant, is that right?Fiona: (laughs) Yeah, I got back to my house in Oxford. We stayed there for a while and I'm just like, 'God, I don't want to be here because I'm gonna end up doing what I used to do and I don't want to do that'. The world's a bigger place, you know?So I was three months pregnant, I was age 40, and I said “Right, that's it. We're gonna take a caravan, and we're gonna find somewhere that makes my heart melt. That really fills my heart, that makes me feel fulfilled”.Me: Wow, what did your partner say? Was he surprised? Or was he like 'yup'...Fiona: He was cool for that, he's now back in Holland, he's not here with me in France. He couldn't make it work for himself. But that's OK. So that was it. He said, 'yeah, great! Let's have an adventure'.An adventure to find your ideal homeWe took a caravan and basically I had a tick list of the things that we wanted. So what would you want if you had everything you could possibly imagine? You'd want the sea and you'd want the mountains. And you'd want the outdoor life because South Africa's under my skin. I'd have the plants in the garden, hibiscus plants and palm trees. It would be very green.So we started travelling, you know, down the coastal route of France, and kind of 'does this place? No. This place doesn't feel good. Does this place?' And “How will you know when you find it?” he used to keep saying. “I'll just know, I'll just know”.Me: And so how long were you travelling before you found it? Because most people wouldn't leave when they were three months pregnant, right? Cause they'd be thinking about 'oh my God'...No tests, no scansFiona: I didn't have any tests, I didn't have any scans, I didn't have anything. And I was huge, I had like a huge baseball, like a beach ball stuck out in front of me. My son ended up being five kilos, he was a big boy. But I was a very happy mom, and I was just really, really happy being pregnant and travelling.Me: And so where was he born? Was he born before...Fiona: He was born in Holland. So we stayed here, we found the place, we found Biarritz Saint Jean De Luz. And I imagined us living here what it would be like. We both had tears in our eyes and it just felt so homely, we had left and we'd come back. And when we came back it felt like we'd come home. So it was all feeling-based.Me: Yeah, I'm the same, I'm very feeling-based so I can totally relate to that.No French, no job, no baby knowledge...Fiona: And so then we found the house and then we went back to Holland. We had Micah in Holland, we lived in a holiday home for two months. Micah was my eldest who's now twelve. He was one month old when we moved back here. I knew nothing about babies, I knew zip! Nothing! Nada! I had his sister who helped me go shopping and all the rest of it. And I was breastfeeding and I thought, 'Well what else do I need to know?' I probably sound like such a hippy!Then we came here, we didn't speak French, we didn't have a job, we had a house, a big house. And we had a baby, and my big dog, he was with us as well, Milo. I sometimes wonder how I managed but I used to speak to my spirit animal and for some reason she used to guide me through and make me feel very comfortable and very safe. And that's how I did it.Me: Wow. And then...well, you speak French now, right?Fiona: I don't think I could ever call myself a good speaking French person. I do my best.Me: Well yeah but you make the effort, right? You do what you can, right?Fiona: Oh yeah, I make myself understood. And even funnily enough when we first moved here he would say to me, “What did they say?” I'd say, “I couldn't repeat it, I don't know what they said. But I know it's OK. And we need to do this, this and this”. It was just like an infusion.Me: Yeah, well like it was when you heard people speaking with different accents before, right? That's cool.Fiona: So I was here on an adventure.The world can come to youMe: Well and I know that you said that you kind of had the world come to you, right? Fiona: Correct, correct.Me: So what happened there?Fiona: What a great thing.Me: And how did you start that, actually?Fiona: My partner at the time was trying to work in Holland and travel. And I just said, “This isn't working, let me have a go”. I'd just had my second baby and he'd just stopped breastfeeding. And I opened up Retreat Biarritz, which is basically a detox retreat. I was running it from home, we had two studios that we'd built. People were staying in the studios and I was basically doing for them what I'd learnt to do when I was in the Sanctuary.So basically they're doing three day fast, colon cleanse, learning all about raw food. We did raw food kitchen. Then I used to take them hiking in the mountains, I used to take them to the beach, I took them to the hammam. We took them to the local markets. Just so that they could have a holiday experience while they were here.Me: That's fantastic, that's really great. Wow. So do you still...what do you do now? I know you do a lot of things, but do you still run the retreats now?Detox retreatsFiona: I still run the retreats for small groups of people. Sometimes individuals come, and again from all around the world. I mean I've had ladies from Greece, America, Australia, Russia. And they just find me, God knows how they find me. They come and they go, “I'd really like to come and work with you”. And I'm like, “OK do you just want a detox? I can just do a straight detox for you”.But at some point always the conversation comes up. They're in an old story or they're stuck, you know? 'I used to have a body like this' and 'I don't understand why my body does this'. And then the body whispering seems to sort of come in, and we have that intuitively guided conversation that helps them understand more about their body.Me: So then how does the body whispering work? Can you give us just sort of like a short, I don't know, a little brief idea?How body whispering worksFiona: Oooh, yeah, how does it work! Goodness me! Basically a lot of the ladies who come, they are stuck in a particular story. There's something that they haven't digested emotionally. It could be that they're feeling anger, but then I kind of go beyond that, what's under that. And if you're feeling anger or resentment and things, often what I'm feeling is that people are feeling very disconnected. They're not feeling any connection to other people, but they're not feeling safe.So one of the main things I do is I help them to feel what it feels like to feel safe. And most people, they have no idea what their safe place feels like. When they can discover what their safe place feels like, you've almost got something to back into when things don't feel comfortable for you. When the shit's hitting the fan or you're at a dinner table or there's a conversation going on that you're not feeling comfortable with, you can kind of go, 'hang on a second, where am I?'Tuning into your bodyZone in – some people might call it being centered or whatever, but you zone in and tune into yourself. You get out of your thinking, analyzing, bulldozing head and you get into your body. So you reconnect with your body and you go, 'wow, there I am'.And it's like 'OK so what's kicking off at the moment? Does it have anything to do with me?' And your body is able to kind of respond to you when you understand how your body works. Your body would kind of say to you, “It's got nothing to do with you”.But you can pick up who it is in the room that's really got the energy, the strongest energy in the room that's affecting you. And you can say, 'OK so if that's the person, has what they've got going on got anything to do with me? No. Back off'. You can back off, you can get back in your own energy.How most of us calm our nervesWhat I found was I used to overeat. When I was in the company of my ex particularly. He had a very chaotic mind unless he was focused, he was ultra, ultra focused, but otherwise he was chaotic. Very argumentative, a devil's advocate. But when he was kicking off, I would find that I would overeat because I wanted to shut that off. Me: Oh wow, OK.Fiona: And I calmed down my nerves... The best and the quickest way to calm down your nerves when you're stressed is for a lot of people to eat. When we don't feel safe, we eat. And our body is protecting us by having the chemical reaction that goes on, the hormones that are released in the body, they lay down fat. That's the body protecting itself. Basically the adrenaline and everything that's going on...There are toxins that run through our body, and I didn't realize how overvigilant I was because of my childhood. Certain things that happened there. I didn't realize how overvigilant I was and how aware I was of feeling empathically what was going on around me. So my only way to control that was food.Discovering how you really feelThat doesn't really tell you what body whispering is. Body whispering for me, when I'm on a call with somebody, if I'm talking to them, I'm tuning in to them. So I can teach them how they feel. Basically ninety-nine percent of anybody who's around doesn't have a clue how they feel. They think, 'oh God that doesn't feel nice' but they automatically go into the thing that makes them feel better which is eating. Or drinking, or smoking, or shopping or whatever it is. I concentrate purely with people to do with food.So basically I can connect in with them and I'm saying “OK how do you feel about that situation?” And they go into their heads and they start describing it in mental ways. I'm like “OK fine, now bring yourself into your body because you're mentally describing and giving me mental feedback. Bring it back from your body. What are you feeling in your body?” And often they'll pick something up but I'm able to help them hone in to what the feeling really is so that they can recognize it the next time.Me: Yeah, I get it, you're teaching people basically how to...Fiona: Read their bodies.Me: Read their bodies, yeah. That's very cool.Fiona: And also what's happening to me is that when I'm reading their body... Even over Skype, it doesn't have to be live, even over Skype. I can say, “OK so I'm picking up...So a thought came to me, I've just been asked to ask you this question. What does this got to do with that?” or “Would this resonate with you?” So I'm allowing myself to be open that I'm picking up something for them.A body scan offerMe: Wow. And so I know that you have something pretty cool going on at the moment which is a body scan offer I think. Do you want to say something about that?Fiona: Yeah, I offer people if they're interested to find out what the undercurrent is that's going on through their body. So basically I help people understand the undercurrent that's going on. There's nothing more responsive to your thoughts than your body.That being said, if you don't know what you're thinking, then how can you possibly change your thoughts? So often people are saying mantras or they're saying positive thoughts. But the undercurrent that goes on behind that is often very subconscious. I call it on a soul level, when you have total disbelief on that ever happening for you. It could be to do with money, but I talk to people about their bodies.How it worksSo what I ask people to do if they're really interested is they can come forward and they can have a body scan. I can have half an hour with them, I ask them some questions. They're very kind of open, big questions that allow me to see where they're coming from. And for example what makes them really happy or really sad, and then I can gauge what's going on. I can gauge their stress levels, and I can feed back to them what's going on and what's the most likely reason things are not working for them. Even if they've been dieting and detoxing and exercising for years. But there's something going on in their bodies that they haven't allowed themselves to let go of. They're still hanging onto something and it's hanging onto their body.Me: And so if people want to know more about that, where's the best place for them to find you and to look at that offer?Where to find FionaFiona: OK I have my website which is fionarobertson dot co. And I don't know how we can do that, but...Me: Well I'll link to things in the show notes anyway.Fiona: Yeah, I'll send you a link to the body scan so that people can come through and they can test out the body scan. Basically have a very happy-go-lucky conversation with me. And yeah, just find out a little bit more about who you are and what your body's asking for, funnily enough. What she needs, what she wants and what she's lacking the most. And it's not nutrients on a vitamin and mineral scale, it's nutrients of other descriptions.Me: Wow super, OK. And is that a free consultation, or...?Fiona: Yeah.Me: OK. I thought so, I just wanted to make sure I said it because some people, that's...they'll want to know that. And then, yeah, hopefully...Well I'm sure that there'll be a lot of people interested in that because I mean I just think that's fascinating!Well thank you so much Fiona for being here to share your story!Fiona: Oh, thanks!Shed your baggageMe: It's been quite a...it's certainly given me a lot to think about around... Well around world travel, really, because I love travelling and I have travelled quite a bit. But I'm gearing up to do some more in the future with not very much baggage at all, so that's...Fiona: Oh, so nice to get rid of your baggage! And what a nice analogy as well, get rid of all your baggage!Me: Yup, all kinds of baggage! (laughs)So thank you so much for that inspiration. It's been really great to talk to you!Fiona: Thank you so much for inviting me, thank you so much.Me: You're very welcome, thank you, have a super, super day!The best travel foodRight, so fantastic! I hope you enjoyed that story. And I mentioned at the beginning of this episode that I'd share with you the best travel food that I know. And that food is...dates!Dates are an amazing food. They're easily portable, you can just pop some into a bag and put them in your suitcase. You can even carry them on a plane with you – at least as of today you can still do that. Properties of datesNow in terms of properties of dates, the first thing about dates is that they are amazing for the digestive system. This is because they are one of the best foods for getting rid of parasites. They basically bind onto and then help sweep away all kinds of nasty stuff: parasites, heavy metals, bad bacteria, viruses, fungus and especially Candida. And if you've got a tendency to constipation, dates can help there too.In addition, contrary to what you might think as they're very sweet, they're excellent for helping to balance blood sugar. The fruit sugar that they contain also helps feed the muscles and refuel the brain – so they're a great brain food too. As well as a great food for sport.And if you often feel stressed, dates can help you there as well. They contain almost 70 bioactive minerals that support the adrenals as they work to help us face various life challenges. On top of that, they've got a huge amount of amino acids which elevates their levels of potassium which in turn helps stop formation of excess lactic acid. Another good reason why they're really good for sport, as well as anti-stress.They're also said to be abundant in anti-cancer properties, particularly for abdominal cancer.And because dates are so high in nutrition, they can help with weight control. For example, some Muslims eat dates with water to break a fast before they eat anything else and one benefit to that is that it helps avoid overeating at that first meal which I think is really cool.Why dates are the best travel foodAnother very cool thing about dates is that if like Fiona you want to go on a travelling adventure and you're not quite sure about how you'll find food, some people say that a wrapped up date in your pocket or in your bag can act like a good luck travel charm. It can ensure you'll always find something to eat. Of course yes you can always eat the date itself, but some say that this little fruit can help you find more than that.For those who want to know what exact nutrients dates contain, well there are a lot. But the ones I'll mention here in addition to potassium are calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium and zinc, as well as vitamin K, vitamin A, thiamin, niacin and riboflavin. It's got loads of stuff.How to eat datesAs to how to eat dates, well you just grab a handful, right? Be sure though to remove the pit inside first please, we don't want an impromptu trip to the dentist. And just 4 to 6 dates a day can give you excellent benefits.They're also one of the key ingredients in many recipes for things like energy balls. So for example you can blitz some dates in a food processor with some nuts and maybe a bit of dried coconut for an instant snack. And if you'd like more recipes where you can indulge in their sweetness, I'll post the link to my 5-Minute Desserts recipe ebook below the show notes for this episode. Which brings us to the end of this week's story! I hope you enjoyed it!And if you've got a crazy, true story to share (and you'd like to know what food could have saved the day or enhanced your particular situation), I'd love to hear from you! If you enjoy my stories and want to hear more, join us and subscribe! I share one crazy yet true story a week. And if you've got any questions, just pop them in the comments! And if you're listening on iTunes, do give me a review, that would be awesome.I hope you have an amazing day, thank you so much for being here with me to share in my Clean Food, Dirty Stories. Bye for now!RESOURCESLink to 5-Minute Desserts and other recipe ebooks: https://rockingrawchef.com/5-minute-recipes/Article on dates including links to studies and other articles: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-dates.htmlFiona's website: www.fionarobertson.coFor your free Body Scan session, book a time with Fiona here: https://fionarobertson.acuityscheduling.com/Fiona's bioFiona Robertson, Author, Creator of the Home Detox Box, Retreat Biarritz, and a Body Whisperer intuitive holistic coach - supporting women as they release, reset and re connect with their bodies. I assist the body to consciously re constructing itself from the inside out, releasing the emotions and stress that cause the body to hold onto weight and create digestive and long lasting physical symptoms.

Aging GreatFULLy welcomes popular returning guest,Scott Schachter, O.D. for Sensible Summertime Sight-Saver Solutions!A lifetime of eye care can make all the difference in your life enrichment and experience...and Dr. Scott Schachter will offer tips and enlightenment to help us ensure we are doing everything we can to preserve our precious peeps! Spring is here with summer on the horizon and we'll be taking in the sights and participating in outdoor sports and activities. Scott will get us ready & prepared, for summer and LIFE! Scott Schachter, OD, founded the private practice Advanced Eyecare and the Eyewear Gallery Optometry in Pismo Beach, California, where he specializes in contact lens and dry eye treatment and diagnosis. Dr. Schachter graduated from the Southern California College of Optometry. He currently serves as Administrator, California Central Coast Area for Vision Source, where he led this Vision Source region from its inception to having 28 thriving practices.Dr. Schachter is an Adjunct Clinical Professor at Marshall B. Ketchum University, Fullerton, California. He has presented scientific posters and published articles in peer-review scientific journals such as Optometry and Vision Science Journal, and has authored numerous articles in vision trade publications. A Bausch & Lomb Contact Lens Expert and a CORE speaker and Key Opinion Leader for Allergan, Dr. Schachter speaks widely across the United States. You can learn more about Dr. Schachter via YouTube at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9PNrhRKYNq4rKR-wPPUIEwHe will share with us his professional practices to take care of our precious vision for life...so don't turn a blind eye to this show with Dr. Scott Schachter! ​

Aging GreatFULLy welcomes popular returning guest,Scott Schachter, O.D. for Sensible Summertime Sight-Saver Solutions!A lifetime of eye care can make all the difference in your life enrichment and experience...and Dr. Scott Schachter will offer tips and enlightenment to help us ensure we are doing everything we can to preserve our precious peeps! Spring is here with summer on the horizon and we'll be taking in the sights and participating in outdoor sports and activities. Scott will get us ready & prepared, for summer and LIFE! Scott Schachter, OD, founded the private practice Advanced Eyecare and the Eyewear Gallery Optometry in Pismo Beach, California, where he specializes in contact lens and dry eye treatment and diagnosis. Dr. Schachter graduated from the Southern California College of Optometry. He currently serves as Administrator, California Central Coast Area for Vision Source, where he led this Vision Source region from its inception to having 28 thriving practices.Dr. Schachter is an Adjunct Clinical Professor at Marshall B. Ketchum University, Fullerton, California. He has presented scientific posters and published articles in peer-review scientific journals such as Optometry and Vision Science Journal, and has authored numerous articles in vision trade publications. A Bausch & Lomb Contact Lens Expert and a CORE speaker and Key Opinion Leader for Allergan, Dr. Schachter speaks widely across the United States. You can learn more about Dr. Schachter via YouTube at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9PNrhRKYNq4rKR-wPPUIEwHe will share with us his professional practices to take care of our precious vision for life...so don't turn a blind eye to this show with Dr. Scott Schachter! ​

Scott Schachter, OD, founded the private practice Advanced Eyecare and the Eyewear Gallery Optometry in Pismo Beach, California, where he specializes in contact lens and dry eye treatment and diagnosis. Dr. Schachter graduated from the Southern California College of Optometry. He currently serves as Administrator, California Central Coast Area for Vision Source, where he led this Vision Source region from its inception to having 28 thriving practices.Dr. Schachter is an Adjunct Clinical Professor at Marshall B. Ketchum University, Fullerton, California. He has presented scientific posters and published articles in peer-review scientific journals such as Optometry and Vision Science Journal, and has authored numerous articles in vision trade publications. A Bausch & Lomb Contact Lens Expert and a CORE speaker and Key Opinion Leader for Allergan, Dr. Schachter speaks widely across the United States. You can learn more about Dr. Schachter via YouTube at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9PNrhRKYNq4rKR-wPPUIEwIt is with great delight to have Scott as a guest on Aging GreatFULLy so that we can better understand how a healty life impacts healthy eyes! He will share with us his professional practices to take care of our precious vision so don't turn a blind eye to this show, "Eyesight and "In"Sight with Dr. Scott Schachter!"

Live from the Vision Source Exchange in San Antonio, TX. Listen in and join the discussion about where we've been, and more importantly, where we're headed – and how you should prepare for what may lie ahead. Joining us are key industry executives from Vision Source as well as some members, old and new, to give their different perspectives.

Hear why doctors should join an alliance, and specifically, why they should join one of the six alliances on this episode (Block Business Group, IDOC, PECAA, PERC, PRIMA and Vision Source). Is it just about who has the best price on a box of contact lenses, or is there more to it now? Is inclusion in a changing healthcare system a function of joining the “right” group or are they all the same? What about live meetings and camaraderie? Is that important? With six choices, which group – if any – is best for YOUR practice?

Listen in as we broadcast LIVE from the Vision Source Exchange in Phoenix, Arizona.  Joining the show are Vision Source Execs who share their thoughts about where the industry is headed and why joining a doctor alliance is so critical.  They also talk about what's new at Vision Source.  

We're broadcasting live from the Vision Source exchange talking to the CEO and President, Jim Greenwood about healthcare reform and doctor alliances.  Also joining the show are Dr. Bobby Christensen, VP of clinical strategies.

Glenn Ellisor, OD the founder of Vision Source and Walt West, OD join The Power Hour! Vision Source is optometry's oldest and biggest doctor alliance.  With thousands of members, what makes Vision Source special and why do doctors join?  Why not just join a buying group or negotiate pricing deals on your own?  Why not just attend trade shows and local meetings for education and camaraderie? Hear what Glen and Walt predict for the future of the industry and why they think doctors will struggle if they do NOT join an alliance.  Tune in to next weeks' show for some thought provoking discussion!