Dec 14, 2025
In this episode, Laurie Barkman is joined by Dr. Brianna Rhue,
optometrist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Dr Contact Lens.
Brianna shares her journey from a private practice owner to a tech
maven, driven by the need to solve a critical "leaky bucket"
problem: doctors losing contact lens sales to online retailers. She
discusses the "entrepreneurial gene", the power of a "chip on your
shoulder", and the lessons learned in building a full-blown tech
platform from scratch.
💬 Quote from Brianna: “You have to get a really thick skin... as an
entrepreneur, you are going to pave roads and you're gonna get
arrows shot at your back. You're gonna get knocked off, you're
gonna get made fun of... And if you don't have that core belief in
yourself of your why, it makes those days really, really hard.”
Key Takeaways:
💡 How the "entrepreneurial gene" is planted by early exposure to
risk and observing the "ups and downs".
👥 Why a "chip on your shoulder," often formed from childhood
experiences, can be essential energy for an entrepreneur.
💰 The steep transition from medicine to tech, and learning a new
language of SaaS, CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), and LTV
(Lifetime Value).
🏦 How Doctor Contact Lens solves the "leaky bucket" problem of
doctors losing recurring revenue to online retailers.
🤝 Brianna's "Three Frogs" method for daily productivity: one joy,
one easy, and one hard task to move the business forward.
🎧 Tune in to Succession Stories to learn how to identify a major
pain point in your industry and build a tech solution to solve
it.
This Show Is Sponsored by The Business Transition Sherpa®
📣 Write a Podcast Review: ratethispodcast.com/successionstories
Connect with Dr. Brianna Rhue: