Who takes over a small-town eye care practice when its longtime doctor retires? For Dr. Greg Joyce, that question connects a family legacy with the realities facing the next generation of optometrists.
In Episode 94 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Dr. Greg Joyce, an El Dorado optometrist and partner at Doctors Joyce and Hirsch, to talk about eye care, family business, loss, and investing in the place you call home.
Greg originally planned to study business. A change of direction took him through Butler and the University of Houston College of Optometry before he returned to El Dorado. His father had started practicing there in 1949, and Greg eventually worked alongside both his dad and his brother Roger.
Samuel recalls a battery exploding in his face and a frightening ocular migraine. Greg explains how contact lenses, digitally shaped eyeglass lenses, and practice technology have evolved. The tools keep changing, but the relationship with the patient still matters.
The business conversation gets personal. Greg remembers his father practicing the day before he died, reflects on being the last surviving sibling, and describes settling his brother's estate while keeping the practice moving. He also shares how a letter helped lead to a new practice partnership.
Looking ahead, Greg explains why he sees student debt as a barrier to practice ownership—and why finding someone who wants to buy into a rural practice can be difficult. Retirement involves more than choosing a date when patients are counting on you.
Beyond the office, Greg reflects on his years serving Butler and the YMCA. From a cup of coffee that eases loneliness to programs for cancer survivors and children learning to swim, he describes a YMCA doing much more than providing a place to exercise. Samuel and Greg also revisit BG Stadium, local recreation, and what happens when a community works together.
For practice owners, future healthcare professionals, and anyone who cares about their hometown, this conversation connects a working life with the people it serves.
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