Every optometrist dreams of running a practice that truly reflects their passion. Few ever rebuild one from scratch to make it happen.

That’s exactly what Dr. Stephanie Woo did.

After years of running three full-scope practices, she sold them all to pursue a vision that challenged everything she’d known about optometry — a specialty-only clinic built entirely around custom contact lenses, concierge-level care, and life-changing patient outcomes.

This week on Power Hour, host Eugene Shatsman sits down with Dr. Stephanie Woo, Optometrist at the Contact Lens Institute of Nevada and Founder of Woo University, who shares how she built a referral network of over 100 doctors, created a high-revenue, low-overhead business model, and continues to inspire the industry through Woo University, her nonprofit delivering free, high-quality CE to thousands of optometrists worldwide.

From Full-Scope to Full Passion

Before launching her specialty practice, Dr. Woo owned and operated three traditional optometry clinics across Arizona and California. But over time, she found herself most energized by her specialty contact lens patients — the cases that challenged her expertise and transformed patients’ lives.

That passion became her blueprint. In 2020, she sold her practices, relocated to Las Vegas, and designed a clinic built entirely around custom scleral and specialty lenses. Each patient receives up to two hours of undivided doctor time, concierge-level attention, and a diagnostic experience that often brings life-changing clarity to those who’ve struggled for years to see clearly.

Today, her practice thrives without the constraints of insurance billing or retail sales. Instead, it focuses on deep clinical impact, a high level of personalization, and an average visit value exceeding $4,000 per patient.

Building a Referral-Driven Practice

One of the most powerful lessons from Dr. Woo’s story is the art of relationship building. She attributes much of her success to showing up in person — literally. When she first moved to Las Vegas, she introduced herself to nearly every optometrist and ophthalmologist in town, creating a collaborative referral network that now fuels her practice.

Today, those early efforts have evolved into a network of more than 100 referring doctors, sustained through thoughtful follow-ups, co-management, and creative events that keep her clinic top of mind.

Woo University: Paying It Forward

In the second half of the conversation, the focus shifts to Dr. Woo’s other passion project — Woo University, her nonprofit education platform.

Founded in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Woo University began as a way to give back during an uncertain time. What started as a single lecture soon exploded into one of optometry’s most impactful online learning platforms. To date, the organization has delivered over 250,000 CE certificates, most of them completely free, in partnership with leading industry sponsors and educators.

The platform’s mission is simple yet powerful: to make continuing education more accessible, more relevant, and more inspiring. Dr. Stephanie Woo’s story is one of focus, courage, and contribution — a reminder that optometry’s greatest success stories are built not just on business growth, but on passion and purpose.

• How to Transition from Traditional to Specialty Practice: The mindset and planning behind building a specialty-only model.
• The Art of Networking and Referrals: How to develop and sustain a 100+ doctor referral network.
• Optimizing Patient Experience: The power of concierge-level care and two-hour appointments.
• Revenue Through Specialization: Why niche services can outperform traditional high-volume models.
• Building Community Through Education: How Woo University is transforming CE accessibility for eye care professionals.

• 00:00 | Introduction
• 03:34 | Dr. Stephanie Woo’s Traditional Practice Background
• 05:15 | The Shift: Building a Specialty-Only Practice Model
• 10:20 | Building a 100+ Doctor Referral Network
• 25:05 | Two-Hour Appointments and Concierge Service
• 30:42 | Integrating Specialty Care Into Traditional Practices
• 44:25 | The Origin Story of The Woo University
• 49:23 | 250,000+ CE Certificates and Growing
• 50:17 | Virtual vs. In-Person CE: When Each Makes Sense
• 54:45 | Industry Partnerships and Maintaining Independence
• 57:32 | How to Access Woo University

Connect with Dr. Stephanie Woo

Dr. Stephanie Woo is the founder of Contact Lens Institute of Nevada — a practice in Las Vegas dedicated entirely to custom contact lenses — and the creator of Woo University, a nonprofit delivering accessible continuing education to thousands of eye-care professionals worldwide. 

A specialist in scleral and custom lens technologies, Dr. Woo holds a Cornea and Contact Lens Residency from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and serves as adjunct faculty at Midwestern University. She is a Fellow of the Scleral Lens Society and the American Academy of Optometry, and has received recognitions including the “Educator of the Year” award from the Nevada Optometric Association.

Through her practice and educational platform, Dr. Woo emphasizes precision-care models over volume-based practice, helping fellow optometrists optimize specialty services, referral networks, and patient outcomes in the ever-evolving field of optometry.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-stephanie-woo/  
• Website: https://www.woou.org/

Connect with Eugene Shatsman (Managing Partner, NSG) 

Website – https://www.eugeneshatsman.com/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugeneshatsman