Optometrists Mandy Huynh and Sheila Lam, both 27, opened their practice, Eye Definition in Wolli Creek Sydney, two years ago. In discussion with mivision, they reflected on how a friendship at university turned into a business partnership, and how their complementary skills have been essential to their success.

MANDY

When Sheila and I first met during our optometry studies, we instantly clicked. We did our placement in the US together and realised we got along quite well. What’s interesting about our partnership is how our professional experiences complemented each other before we opened Eye Definition. I worked in independent practices and gained expertise in orthokeratology, while Sheila worked at Specsavers and learned about efficient systems and workflows. We essentially swapped experiences and brought different strengths to the table.

I always wanted to practise in a way that’s best for our patients, and I knew having our own practice was the ideal path. There’s immense satisfaction when patients tell us, “You’re the best optometrist I’ve ever seen. You’ve actually taken the time to explain what’s happening. It doesn’t feel like I’m just here for a sale.” That’s exactly why we started this practice – to create that space where patient care comes first.

The anxiety of starting a business was certainly there, but I’d been thinking about it for so long that I knew what I was getting into. I had backup plans if things didn’t work out, but I also knew that if I reached 40 without having opened this practice, I would’ve regretted it forever. The scariest part was taking that initial step.

What makes our partnership work is that our values align perfectly, which makes decision making much easier. We both prioritise our health, our patients, and our staff, so most decisions come naturally. Sheila has exceptional creativity in marketing and is an excellent problem solver. She’s incredibly thoughtful and always thinking about the next step.

Of course, we’ve had our challenges. We initially set an ambitious goal of “five practices in five years”, but we’ve learned to take things one step at a time. Communication was sometimes difficult at the beginning, especially when we were working together seven days a week and were exhausted. We learned that sustainability is crucial – our time and energy aren’t infinite.

I genuinely don’t think I could have opened this practice if it wasn’t for Sheila. I appreciate her ambition, and our similar values have enabled us to make the practice work as well as it does. We’re not concerned about the growth of corporate optometry because we offer something different. Corporates have their value, we have ours, and there’s room for everyone in this industry.

SHEILA

Mandy and I both wanted to practise in a way that’s best for patients, and we thought having our own practice was the way to achieve that. For me, opening a practice was certainly a risk, but I felt that if you don’t try, how would you know? It’s incredibly rewarding to work hard and see your practice bloom. Patients come in, they see you, and over time they become your friends.

When we started looking for locations, we explored several areas recommended by Kelvin Bartholomeuz at ProVision before settling on Wolli Creek. Some of the deciding factors were the friendly community, nice bakeries, and significant pedestrian traffic. Even now, two years in, people walk past and say, “I didn’t know there was an optometrist here!”.

Our special interest areas have really helped us differentiate ourselves from other optometrists. We both do advanced contact lenses, orthokeratology, and myopia control. Mandy also has a special interest in behavioural optometry and vision training, while I work part time as a professional service consultant for a contact lens company (Menicon), planning educational events and troubleshooting orthokeratology issues. This keeps us at the cutting edge of our field, which patients really value.

Working as partners has been incredibly beneficial. When one of us feels demotivated because something didn’t work out, the other can suggest alternative approaches. It’s a backand-forth partnership where we’re constantly learning together and picking each other up. If someone’s feeling down, the other person lifts them up.

The business side has been a steep learning curve. They teach you how to be an optometrist at university, but not how to run a business. We’ve had to figure out everything from negotiating leases and working with solicitors, to designing the practice space and pricing lenses. It was a lot of hard work for two 25-year-olds who were supposed to be enjoying their youth!

What’s helped us succeed is our transparency with each other. We established from the beginning that everything would be split 50-50, and we always let each other know about expenses. Because we’re business partners and friends, not spouses, we’ve established clear boundaries to avoid issues down the road.

Being surrounded by fellow optometrists in the Young Optometrist committee has also helped – they’ve given me confidence and provided support in pursuing an independent practice.

Mandy is exceptionally good with technical problems and always willing to listen. When we have different perspectives, we always sit down and communicate. Communication is a key factor in our success – without it, misunderstandings would arise, and things wouldn’t work well. We care for each other and ensure we’re both well rested, putting that above making money.

I think what I’m most proud of is finding such a good business partner and friend. That’s quite hard to come by. Before we opened, many people warned us that partnerships often don’t work out – that we might not be friends anymore and could cease the partnership within a year or two. We understood the risk but trusted each other enough to know we wouldn’t put each other in that position.