A 46-Year Journey from Tumbleweeds to Triumph

When I launched my cold-start practice in 1979, I mailed out 10,000 announcements. The result? One patient. The silence in those early days was deafening—tumbleweeds might as well have rolled through the reception area.

But I pressed on.

I believed that exceptional care would carve out space for me, even in a competitive market. For me, private practice wasn’t just a business—it was about cultivating lasting relationships. My strategy was simple: deliver top-tier care, embrace new technologies, stay current, and connect deeply with every patient.

Decades later, I can say with confidence: it worked. It worked really well. And if I were starting over today, I’d take the same path.

My relationship with VSP Vision began when it was still California Vision Services (CVS). I joined just after the provider directory went to print—so for three months, no VSP patients knew I existed. Then came Q1 of 1980. My name was published—and the calls started pouring in.

VSP saved my bacon. They put patients in my chair then, and they still do today.

VSP’s support has always gone far beyond patient flow—each business line continues to play a vital role in my practice’s growth. VSP Premier Edge boosts visibility and enhances the patient experience. PECAA fosters community, education, and shared revenue. Marchon and Altair offer stylish, affordable frames, while Unity lenses—our clinical favorite—reflect VSP’s commitment to quality. These partnerships have helped shape a thriving, patient-centered practice that continues to evolve. 

At the core is VSP’s unwavering mission: bring patients into private practices. For 70 years, VSP has stood by independent optometry—founded and governed by optometrists and consistently focused on supporting providers like me. That support has been instrumental to my growth and longevity, helping me thrive while staying true to my values. 

I recently came across the letter I wrote when applying to optometry school, articulating my desire to build lasting relationships through exceptional vision care. It was heartfelt—maybe even a little sappy—but the words still ring true. As Eye See It, that early idealism has shaped my nearly fifty-year journey in private practice, rooted in clinical curiosity and meaningful connection. Like a tree grown from a single seed, my practice has branched into a thriving canopy of referrals and enduring bonds. 

When people ask if I’m ready to retire, I tell them I already have—this is what retirement looks like when you love what you do. And when I do eventually step away, I hope my legacy reflects lives changed for the better, nurtured by the same passion that inspired that letter all those years ago.