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The million-dollar question in eye care is simple: How do you scale an optometry practice without losing what made it successful in the first place? Jamie Rosin helped grow Rosin Eye Care from four locations to more than 50, but his biggest lessons did not come from expansion alone. They came from mistakes, overlooked opportunities, better questions, and learning how to turn everyday behaviors into repeatable systems.
In this conversation with Dr. Darryl Glover, Jamie Rosin pulls back the curtain on what truly drives optometry practice growth—from coaching teams and improving the patient journey to building stronger partnerships and staying curious enough to keep evolving.
His message is clear: before adding more locations, leaders may need to take a closer look at the opportunity already sitting inside their practice.
Topic Covered:
Build the Eye Care Practice Before Expanding It
Before adding locations, practice owners should understand whether their current business is performing at its full potential.
Rosin learned this by examining the number of patients who completed an eye exam but left without purchasing eyewear or moving into another appropriate service. At first, the focus was on the metric itself. Over time, however, he realized that repeatedly talking about a number does not change it.
The real opportunity was identifying the behaviors behind the results.
By improving the systems already in place within the practice, Rosin said an eight-location business generating approximately $8 million could ultimately operate as a $14 million business. The opportunity was already there; the practice simply was not yet performing at its full potential.
That experience shaped one of his most important lessons about scaling: before opening another location, practice owners should first optimize the one they already have.
Coach the Behaviors That Drive Better Results in Eye Care
Once leaders understand where the opportunities exist, the next step is to identify what the strongest team members are doing differently.
Rosin explained that most practices have significant performance differences between their best and lowest performers. One doctor may deliver a seamless handoff to the optical team, while another struggles. One optician may naturally ask better questions, create stronger connections, or guide patients more effectively.
Instead of simply demanding better numbers, leaders should observe their strongest performers and identify the behaviors that make them successful. Those behaviors can then be coached across the rest of the team.
“If you wanna change behavior, the key ingredient to changing behavior is one thing… Feedback.”
Rosin recommends recognizing positive progress publicly while providing constructive feedback privately. Daily huddles can also reinforce goals, highlight effective behaviors, and keep the team focused on the actions that lead to better outcomes.
Create Patient Experiences People Remember in Eye Care
A patient may visit an optometry practice only once every year or two, while team members repeat the same processes every day. What feels routine to the staff may feel unfamiliar, confusing, or even stressful to the patient.
Rosin shared a simple example of a patient being told to sit in “booth number five” even though the booths were not visibly numbered. To the employee, the instruction made perfect sense. To the patient, it did not.
That moment illustrates why practices must learn to experience their systems through the patient’s eyes.
Rosin explained that how patients are greeted, how the doctor welcomes them, and how the visit ends can have an outsized impact on satisfaction. The goal is not to make every moment extraordinary. It is to identify the moments that matter most and intentionally make them better.
Strong Leaders Stay Close to the Work
Creating consistent behaviors and memorable patient experiences requires leaders who remain connected to daily operations.
Rosin cautioned against managing a practice only through spreadsheets. Financial data matters, but effective leaders also need to understand their people, observe what is happening inside the practice, and recognize where the patient experience may be breaking down.
Strong managers know who is performing well, where team members need support, and what obstacles are preventing the practice from reaching its goals. They also establish clear expectations and define the non-negotiable behaviors that shape the culture.
Curiosity May Be the Ultimate Growth Strategy
For Rosin, sustainable growth also requires leaders to keep learning.
Optometry practice owners should learn from peers who understand eye care, but they should also look outside the profession. Restaurants, hotels, dental practices, and other businesses may offer ideas that can improve communication, service, and the overall patient journey.
The future of optometry practice growth will not be built by a single person with all the answers. It will come from leaders who remain curious, collaborate with others, develop their teams, and continuously improve the systems already in front of them.
Before scaling the number of locations, scale the behaviors, relationships, and patient experiences that made the practice worth growing in the first place.
Want to dive deeper? Jamie Rosin will be expanding on these strategies at the EyeCare Boss Conference, taking place September 18–20 in Cleveland, Ohio. Designed for optometrists and practice leaders, the event will provide practical frameworks for building scalable systems, improving leadership, enhancing the patient experience, and accelerating optometry practice growth. If you’re serious about building or scaling an eye care practice, this is an opportunity to learn directly from one of the profession’s most experienced practice growth experts. Register today!
