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Burnout isn’t always a collapse. Sometimes it’s a quiet, confusing boredom that shows up after you’ve “made it” and you can’t figure out why the work feels empty. On Eye Care Leadership Live, we sit down with Dr. Brett Cordes, an ENT surgeon turned physician coach, to trace what burnout really looks like over time and why so many doctors stay stuck in denial until the consequences get loud.

We talk through Dr. Cordes’ own story: a thriving private practice career, the moment fulfillment started slipping, and how burnout contributed to substance dependence, job loss, and a long road through rehabilitation and licensing disruption. From there, we get practical about what he now hears daily from physicians across specialties: the crushing administrative burden, endless EHR charting, prior authorization battles, private equity pressure, and the gut-level distress of moral injury when non-clinicians influence care.

We also unpack the human side of physician burnout: irritability, strained relationships, a shrinking frustration threshold, and the fear of being seen as weak. Dr. Cordes explains why self-awareness radically improves the outlook, why there’s no “easy button,” and how building an identity outside medicine can protect your career and your life. If you’re a physician, practice leader, or healthcare administrator trying to reduce burnout and retain great clinicians, this conversation offers clear language and real-world insight.

Subscribe for more candid healthcare leadership conversations, share this with a colleague who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. What’s the earliest sign of burnout you wish you had taken seriously?

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This episode is brought to you by Seasoned Advice HR, where I help eye care clinics to hire, retain, and manage better — helping you get Better Results Through People. Learn more at seasoned-advice.com.

Contact me directly at mike@seasoned-advice.com

Get my free HR and leadership downloads here: https://www.seasoned-advice.com/signup-for-free-downloads

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We talk with Sarah Duval and Brittany Williams about turning entry-level ophthalmology roles into real careers and building a frontline team that makes your clinic stronger. We share what actually drives staff growth, retention, and confidence when mentorship is limited and the day-to-day feels nonstop.

• career paths from front office and technician roles to leadership positions
• finding mentors and skill-building through ASOA, AAOE, and smaller peer networks
• why certifications like COA and COE raise competence and patient trust
• how to advocate for conference funding and prove ROI back at the practice
• building in-house training when you cannot send everyone to meetings
• reducing turnover by investing in A players and developing B players
• spotting high potential through teamwork, curiosity, and follow-through
• mentoring through presence, opportunity, and five-year plan conversations
• managing across generations by setting clear expectations

Brittney Williams can be reached at bwilliams@vitalinteraction.com

Sarah Duval can be reached at sduval@ascrs.org

If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe to the show on your podcast app and share it with someone who would value the content
I also invite you to subscribe to my HR newsletter for eye care leaders.

You can find information about that at seasoned-advice.com.

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This episode is brought to you by Seasoned Advice HR, where I help eye care clinics to hire, retain, and manage better — helping you get Better Results Through People. Learn more at seasoned-advice.com.

Contact me directly at mike@seasoned-advice.com

Get my free HR and leadership downloads here: https://www.seasoned-advice.com/signup-for-free-downloads

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AI can make HR feel effortless ... right up until it makes a confident suggestion that’s quietly wrong.

I this episode, I walk through how I use AI tools every day for HR documents and research, why that speed is real, and why it can also create real risk when the user doesn’t know what questions to ask. Think of it like a great surgical tool: powerful in the right hands, dangerous in the wrong ones.

We dig into the messy middle where HR lives: employee conflict, terminations, sensitive conversations, and anything with legal exposure. I explain how “90% correct” output can still steer you in the wrong direction, why prompts often leave out the details that matter most, and how to pressure-test AI recommendations before you act. You’ll also hear practical ways to use AI safely, like polishing job descriptions, upgrading interview questions, and drafting what not to say during delicate moments.

Then I share a hands-on tool I’ve been using for hiring: Plaud, a standalone AI note-taker that summarizes interviews so you can stay present with the candidate. We talk cost, how I cross-check notes, why it can’t read tone or character, and the consent and recording expectations you need to think about. Finally, we cover why AI resume screening can miss the best people and where automation shines instead, like faster applicant follow-up, onboarding check-ins, and gathering honest feedback through AI call agents, especially in healthcare and ophthalmology clinics.

If you want a realistic, practical guide to AI in HR, listen now, then subscribe, share this with a hiring manager, and leave a review with your biggest question about using AI at work.

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This episode is brought to you by Seasoned Advice HR, where I help eye care clinics to hire, retain, and manage better — helping you get Better Results Through People. Learn more at seasoned-advice.com.

Contact me directly at mike@seasoned-advice.com

Get my free HR and leadership downloads here: https://www.seasoned-advice.com/signup-for-free-downloads