Elizabeth MacDonald, OD, knew early in life that her goal was to have a family. She chose optometry to work in the medical field while still having a work-life balance, and she welcomed her first child less than a year after graduating from Nova Southeastern University in 2006.
MOM FIRST, PRACTICE OWNER LATER
As Dr. MacDonald focused on her career and raising her three children, she put her goal of having her own private practice on the back burner.
She spent the first several years of her career working part time. As her children got older, she joined a private practice, where she gained valuable clinical experience and learned more about the business side of practice ownership.
When her children entered their teenage years, an opportunity to purchase an existing practice presented itself — and then fell through. Dr. MacDonald decided to stop waiting for the “perfect” opportunity. She partnered with iCare Advisors, joined Vision Source and started looking for a location to launch a practice.
DESIGN: A FAMILY MATTER
In 2025, Dr. MacDonald, her husband, Chris, and their son were driving through Lake Mary, Florida, for a lacrosse tournament when they noticed a vacant former chocolate shop in a newly built plaza. The 1,500-square-foot corner suite immediately stood out, with windows on two sides, abundant natural light and neighboring businesses that made it an ideal location for a new practice.
Dr. MacDonald envisioned a space that felt “classic with a modern touch.” To create an open, airy atmosphere, she left the ceiling exposed and had the walls, ceiling and structural elements sprayed white. The trim around the lab, exam lane and pretest room were painted black as an extra pop. Glass shelving in the optical preserves the natural light, while luxury vinyl plank flooring brings warmth to the space.
Her daughter, who has an interest in fashion, helped inspire the office’s navy blue and gold color palette. Navy accents appear throughout the practice, from the custom reception desk and built-in cabinetry to the seating in the reception area and a feature wall in the exam lane. Gold adds sparkle to the space in the logo, light fixtures, chair legs, reception table, mirrors and cabinetry hardware. Quartz countertops on both the reception desk and custom bar-height dispensing table tie the space together, with the dispensing table serving as a statement piece in the optical.
Chris, an art director for EA Sports, designed the ClearVue Eyes logo and continues to assist with the practice’s IT and business needs.
“Chris has been a key player since the beginning of this process,” Dr. MacDonald says. “I couldn’t do this without him.”
Dr. MacDonald’s children—now 19, 16 and 15—still stop by regularly. Her oldest daughter helps at the front desk during summer breaks from the University of Central Florida.
The practice includes two exam lanes, one of which is fully equipped, along with a pretest room, contact lens room and an in-office lab with a lens edger. Dr. MacDonald’s special interests include low vision, myopia management and scleral lenses.
HER TIME TO SHINE
After years of putting her family’s needs first, Dr. MacDonald says this season of life has given her the opportunity to pursue a dream that had been waiting patiently in the wings. Although she now works full time, she says private practice has still provided the flexibility that first drew her to optometry, allowing her to attend appointments, school events and community activities while continuing to grow her practice.
Looking back, her advice to other women considering a cold start is simple.
“Opening a practice will never feel easy,” she says. “Just start as soon as you can. It’s never too late.”
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