Chemistry in the practice: why alignment beats authority with Dr. Todd Cohan, Polly Stearns, & Sadie Blair

Chemistry in the practice: why alignment beats authority with Dr. Todd Cohan, Polly Stearns, & Sadie Blair

From 20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry by Adam Cmejla

March 9, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 383

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of chemistry between the visionary and integrator in a growing private practice.

Recording live from IDOC Connection in Orlando, I sit down with Dr. Todd Cohan, Sadie Blair, and Polly Stearns from Forsight Vision and Midwest Dry Eye Center to talk about the relationship between vision and execution inside a growing private practice. We go into the dynamic between the owner (visionary) and the operations lead (integrator), and why that chemistry matters more than most doctors realize. We discuss leadership cadence, how they structure weekly meetings, how goals are set and tracked, and what it looks like to invest in developing internal talent. We also unpack the real risk and reward of moving a top producer into a leadership role, how they think about KPIs and staff engagement, and the systems they use to keep everyone aligned. If you're thinking about growth, delegation, or strengthening your leadership bench, this episode will give you a practical framework to consider. Resources: Harnessing the power and momentum from optometry meetings with your operations manager: a conversation with Dr. Todd Cohan & Sadie Blair Ted Lasso: "Be curious, not judgemental" Book a Triage call with Adam Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20/20 Money Ultimate…

People in this episode

Host: Adam Cmejla

Guests: Dr. Todd Cohan, Sadie Blair, Polly Stearns

Topics covered

  • private practice growth
  • leadership dynamics
  • staff engagement
  • goal setting
  • internal talent development

Keywords

  • optometry
  • leadership
  • KPI
  • staff engagement
  • private practice
  • goal tracking
  • internal talent

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Forsight Vision, Midwest Dry Eye Center

More episodes of 20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the 20/20 MONEY: The Business of Optometry podcast page.