Editor's note: From looking for an optometry practice for sale to doing a start-up and partnership, here's an excerpt from our joy-filled interview with Dr.s Garza and Pham about the launch of their practice, Blink Boutique Eyecare + Eyewear. Watch the full story here.
How did you get started?
Dr. Garza: We met at a Christmas party when we worked for the same owner but at different locations. About a year and a half later, I got a call from Dr. Pham, saying, Hey, do you have a second to talk? Two weeks later, we're having brunch, and by the end of it we said, “Okay, we're gonna open up a business!” Two years later, we're cutting a ribbon.
Dr. Pham: I took a leap! I wanted to reach out to someone and hopefully find some solace, maybe a connection. And thank goodness we did.
Dr. Garza: We didn't know much about each other except we would get each other's charts and patients. So that's how we would know each other through our work. I felt like she treated patients the way I did, like family.
You get to know a lot about a doctor by looking at their charts. We treated a kid who was struggling in 2020 with decreased vision. When I saw his updated tests, there was an exclamation point on his chart. It’s so abnormal to see that in a chart. I felt like I knew she was cheering for him. And that’s what we are - cheering patients on.
How did you get from brunch to opening day?
Dr. Pham: There were a lot of emails, a lot of documents. I think I made a PowerPoint at one point: Here's My Vision For the Practice. PowerPoint is very old school, but I loved it! And then we were like, alright, well, we have this idea. Let's talk to a lawyer. And then after talking to a lawyer, we're like let's do it.
Some of our clients get nervous; they’re reasonably nervous about taking the risk. How did you push through?
Dr. Pham: I start to think of all the scary things that could happen. But after that, when the other person is still on board with you and still trusting you and taking this huge risk with you then, at that point, you’re family.
On the Search for Space
Dr. Garza: We did have a limitation, which I think looking back on it was a blessing in disguise. Dr. Pham had a non-compete 10 miles from a certain location. I'm not sure that we would have given Georgetown the look that we did if it wasn't for the non-compete. When we met with Macie, she asked us questions and then knew exactly what we were looking for. We didn't even go past round one. We saw this space and just fell in love.
Dr. Pham: The space looked so small on the floor plan. But this worked out well. It’s funny to see how you would think the empty shell would make it look bigger. But not. It looked much smaller when it was an empty shell space. When the walls went up, and, it didn’t even look like the same building - it looks way bigger. If we would have gone bigger, we would have wondered, what are we going to do with all this space? We think bigger is better. And that's not necessarily the case. It was perfect, the way it worked out.
Dr. Garza: We were just really impressed with the kind of data and the information we got whenever we approached Macie. Not only did she take a look at what we wanted, but she also gave us information on demographics in the area. It would be a poor business decision to open up within a mile of another office or someone who is also selling glasses. We're impressed and felt like it was comprehensive data for what we're looking for.
Funny enough, we felt like the data and information that we got, in a way, was what we wanted to give to people. We want it to be very comprehensive as well. It’s almost like Macie did for us, from a real estate point, what we wanted to do for people
Dr. Pham: I remember we had to keep emailing Macie “We can't look yet”. We didn't realize how many steps there were for the legal aspect of it. She was patient and that stood out to us - not just by the data, but obviously, by her personality. It went well with what we were needing.
Dr. Garza: I think we both knew that it was the one whenever we saw the building and that it was across from the historic Monument Cafe. It's so much fun to just walk downtown and get some fresh air. It's such a good location. It's awesome.
There was a delay in our signage but we've seen the numbers increase month over month, which is dramatic, and amazing.
On a Start-Up (vs. Buying an Optometry Practice for Sale)
Dr. Garza: We're very fortunate to be able to open a cold start practice because that gave us access to pick and choose every single piece of equipment. Whereas if we would have bought an optometry practice for sale, a lot of times you can't make those major changes. We got to pick every single item we have.
What is your vision for the practice?
Dr. Garza: Service. Right as you walk through the door, we want you to be part of our family. We're not just going to put you in glasses. We're going to give recommendations that are unique to your prescription. We're not going to write your prescription for glasses, we're going to recommend certain things you can do throughout the day to help reduce that eye relief. We'll talk to you about more of your ocular health system and we have the time to do it.
Dr. Pham: We are time rich. We're focused on you and why you're here. Not only are we your doctor and your eye care provider, but we're also your educators for the things that you don't know and that we think you should know. And that's what makes the difference.
I think the fact that we use higher-end equipment and technology helps us get through the testing faster so that we have more time to explain everything to patients, rather than taking the time on the testing and rushing through the explanation. We're trying to flip that script.
How’s it going?
Dr. Pham: It's been so amazing to watch both of us grow professionally. And we’re also growing together and learning so much about each other and what we what we bring to our practice. I love that we can really show everyone a touch of our personality and everything that is in this office. And we love coming to work here!
