Do you know who Brad Stewart is? Well, if you spend your time on LinkedIn – you’ll undoubtedly have seen him knocking around. From selling his clinic to now supporting other clinics to improve their pricing/presentation process – he shares a lot of thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how private practice can drive more of the right outcomes. I was keen to interview him for the Business of Hearing Podcast to hear his thoughts and understand exactly how more clinics can improve their sales...

If not now, then when?    The industry is changing  Manufacturer owned chains are aggressively acquiring?  There’s mass audiology shortage?  The silent generation is changing into the baby boomers  The market is about to pop.    So, when is the right time to pull the trigger and benefit from this change?    That’s what we’re discussing in episode #100    Want to work with us? https://businessofhearing.com/strategy-session Want to attend my next...

Laurel Christensen is the Chief Audiology Officer of GN Hearing, and one of the most respected hearing aid technology experts on the planet.  In this interview, she shares the trajectory that we’re on, what the next advancement in hearing aid technology will be, and whether OTC has been more, less or as successful as expected.  Enjoy. 

Without a shadow of a doubt, having a bank of Physicians that will constantly refer patients to you is one of the best marketing strategies you can have.   But…mastering this can be challenging, especially as so many Physicians these days refer people to Costco.   So, why is that?   In this super short episode, we put ourselves in the Physicians shoes and take a walk on the why side…  Why Physicians refer to Costco, and why they can still be influenced to refer to private practice.  As...

Imagine your perfect hotel. Weird request, yes, but bear with me... Now imagine your walk up to the entrance of that hotel. What do you see? Chances are you imagined one of two things... The first is an automatic door with no person to let you in, and the second is a manual door that was opened for you by a friendly face in a polished uniform. But which one is best? And that, dear friend, is your introduction to "The Automation Conundrum.” In today’s modern world, we’ve become...

“To have a better business, you need to be a better business owner.”  If you sit with that quote for a second, you might find a couple of things start to happen...  Like, your eyes, they’ll widen.  And your mouth will do that “chewy, side-to-side pout” thing.   But most of all, your mind might make you think “Sh*t.”  If that’s you, then it’s a good thing you’ve stumbled on this episode.   Because the thing is, when it comes growing/improving our businesses, how often...

Let’s talk about the audiologist shortage.  Because, if you’re like the many clinic leaders I speak to, this is a biggie.   The supply/demand is out of whack (more jobs than people)  The wage demands of new and experienced audiologists are eye-watering  And bigger than that, where the hell is the next generation coming from?  Well, I have some thoughts.   Most notably, how we may need to copy some other industries and get creative, or at least be proactive with...

Let’s talk about manufacturer reps.  Specifically, what you should be taking their advice on … and more importantly, what you should NOT.  Well, I’ve just dropped a podcast called “Should You Take Advice from Manufacturer Reps?” Although this may sound like a hit job, let me assure you: we’re incredibly fortunate as an industry to have reps who care so much about our success.   They win when you win.   However, there are decisions in your business that should not be...

The world of Private Practice comes with its many ups and down, and when you’re navigating those choppy waters alone, it can get pretty tough… …but what about if you had a partner to ride those waves alongside you?  This episode of ‘Under the hood’ features business partners Deborah Clark, Au.D and Jane Baxter, Au.D from Pacific Hearing Service in California, as they discuss how they both joined forces to build a thriving audiology practice, and what struggles they’ve faced along the...

Okay – before the angry people come with pitchforks, we’re not suggesting you sell hearing aids for $26,000, at all.    Instead, you’re encouraged to use this question as a thought experiment.     Because if you understand how you *COULD* sell a set of hearing aids for $20,000, plus imagine how desirable you would be to work with you at your standard prices.    And THAT’S the topic of this podcast episode.    Within it, you’ll discover the two most important things to consider...

Hi, I’m Oli, and this is a personal message from me to you, as, if you haven’t already guessed from the title of this episode, this one’s all about my entrepreneurial story...   Now, quick disclaimer before I begin...  This one isn’t about hearing care, so it might be a waste of time for you. I get it.   But, as we're on Episode #91 of the Business of Hearing Podcast, I thought I'd do something different.  You see, I was a 1991 baby. So, I thought I'd use this episode to NOT...

Ever considered the difference between what is a cost and what is an investment?   Today’s episode centers on just that, as Oli shares his real-life advice with a private practice owner in Maryland who is at a crossroads in her business and has one monumental decision to make…  …whether she should hire a new audiologist for $70,000 per annum or not.   If you’re at a similar crossroads yourself, you’ll be glad you found this episode, as Oli explores the fascinating psychology that...

You’re a hearing care expert, not a recruitment expert, so no wonder you’re left pulling your hair out every time you need to find a new soul to fill your front of desk role.   What’s more, you go through all of the sluggish rigmarole of CV-sifting, interviewing and onboarding, just for that person to decide they’re going to go elsewhere.   Aggh!   But…what if there was a way to ensure you’re hiring the right person first time? One that WANTS to work for you, who will treat your...

Here’s a sobering thought: Right now, you have TWO businesses.  You have the business that you’re running today and you have the business that you’re building for the future. Now, where most people blend them firmly into one, there’s actually quite a big problem with that… …because today’s business is obscenely busy and leaves very little room for building tomorrow’s business. You’re head down squirreling away at the day-to-day, and before you know it, BOOM. 12 months has gone by and...

One glass of great bourbon vs. 10 glasses of terrible bourbon?  One wonderful husband/wife vs. 100 terrible one-night stands? We all know that quality always trumps quantity.  Yet when it comes to our websites and marketing, many of us fall into the trap of focusing entirely on quantity.  In this episode, we identify the number one way you can avoid that, in turn creating a website with only quality in mind, which acts as a magnet to attract the right kind of people to your clinic and as...

I want to share a question with you. If you’re like me, it will deliver you clarity and transparency on the immediate actions that you should take to accelerate the growth of your clinic.   But first, let’s talk about the entrepreneurial mist.   As business owners, we all have a huge flaw.    We’re so emotionally close to our businesses that we often struggle to see the wood for the trees, it’s hard to identify solutions to challenges, and often our ability to make proactive...

There’s a difference between a business owner and an entrepreneur.   Where the former is usually focused on the here and now, working in the business to bring in an income, the latter is a forward-thinker, constantly strategizing ways to make the business run without them.   And that forward-thinking, strategic entrepreneur is exactly who joins Nancy in this inspiring next episode of ‘Under the Hood’.   Lori Lovato from Sound Audiology is someone who, despite the ever-mounting...

We all know the story of David vs. Goliath.   It’s the empowering tale of brain over brawn proving big doesn’t always mean better. However…in order for that to be the rule and not the exception, something drastic needs to happen.    …And that’s exactly where we’re at in the hearing care industry right now, as what we’re seeing is a slow evolution (which is now becoming a revolution) of mass consolidation, whereby big chains are gobbling up small, independent clinics.   It’s...

If, as an independent private practice owner, you make your margins selling hearing aids, then you’ll be glad you found this podcast today, because times are changing, and you need to stay ahead of the curve…  In short, due to aggressive mass consolidation efforts from manufacturers, where their greedy take-over of small clinics means they have the power to control the hearing aid market, as an independent clinic owner, selling hearing aids will no longer be a profitable option for you.  ...

How to Find $100,000 Hidden in Plain Sight  (Within Your Clinic) There is a massive chance that if your clinic is doing north of $750,000 in revenue, then it is relatively simple to find an extra $100,000 that’s hiding in plain sight…you just need to know where to look.     So, where are these extra dollars hiding?  Well, you’re in luck, as in this podcast, I’ll share the two key places where you can start collecting extra dollars, and let me tell you this, neither of them relies...

In this episode, Nancy is joined by fellow private practice owner, John Chakan from Berkeley Hearing Center CA, as they take a deep dive into this “special kind of crazy” and discuss exactly what it takes to become a successful private practice owner.

In this podcast, Oli identifies the three key ways you can attract younger patients to your clinic. Simple, smart, and total common sense, you’ll be annoyed if you didn’t put them into practice sooner.  

Have you ever wondered if there’s a secret to great marketing?    Well, the secret is in the word itself.     The secret is: the MARKET.     Understand your market and you’ll understand how to market to them.     More specifically, understand the ‘5 stages of awareness’ and you’ll understand that is the beginning, middle and end of every single marketing effort ever.     It’s a very simple methodology, but it’s by far the most important, as it’ll allow...

Ever read a podcast summary that’s basically one huge rant?   Get ready for it, because here it is…    The amount of marketing manipulation and trickery used by some hearing care clinics to hoodwink patients into believing they’re legit is shocking.   Sorry, did I say shocking? I meant APPALLING.    In this episode, I call out this bad practise and expose the 3 shi**y things slimy clinics are doing right now, and why they must stop.  I know you’re with me on this.   ...

In this episode, Oli shares his outsider observations and takes a look at two ways that are seen as somewhat normal within the hearing healthcare industry, but when you think about them, they can be counterintuitive to increasing your profits as a hearing healthcare business.