Sandbox Stories - The Podcast

Dr. Masoud Nafey is a technology expert who brings a wide array of views about how Optometry might utilize the tools at their discretion to best connect with the 21st century health and eye care consumer.  He provides an excellent insight to how we might advance as a profession while the patients advance toward more of a consumerist approach to consuming their eye care.  From a family of Afghan refugees, he has an incredible sense of the importance of education and shares why that has shaped his path in Optometry, following a wandering career of entrepreneurism that started in his youth.  He’s a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Optometry and achieved an MBA to demonstrate his commitment to being a business person as much as a Doctor of Optometry.    The Stories within the Story include: 1:11 The Patient Mindset Story 4:53 The Online Shopper Story 9:22 The Professional Advancement Story 15:32 The Metaverse Story 20:04 The Afghan Refugee Story 28:06 The Athletics Story 31:23 The AI in Eyecare Story 36:03 The Mentorship Story 37:42 The Business Mindedness Story 42:13 The Hope Story   Runtime:  44 min.

Scott Harris Shapiro is a leader in the US optical business, as owner and CEO of Europa Eyewear.  His parents started the business, which his father spoke of as a “people business,” and grew it from the ground up.  Scott has a history of being in the public eye - spending time in his early years as a stand-up comedian and radio personality, from which he learned business insights that he still uses today.  Ultimately his father’s passing brought him back to lead the family business, in which he partnered with his father’s long-time associate and best friend.  This includes the work they did to begin to manufacture eyewear right here in the United States, which is highly unique in the frame industry.  These stories and more are incredibly heart-warming and make this interview an instant classic.   The Stories within the Story include: 0:52 The Europa Eyewear Story 3:48 The Growing Years Story 5:39 The Stand-up Comedian Story 11:07 The Life-Changing Event Story 14:30 The Return to the Business Story 16:43 The Business Diversification Story 20:21 The Family Business Continues Story 24:20 The Family Story 27:26 The Relationships in Optical Story 31:02 The Vision Council Volunteering Story 34:53 The Great Advice Story

Dr. Sherrol Reynolds is full professor at NOVA Southeastern University College of Optometry.  Her perspective about the power of mentorship and its influence on her, and how she now mentors others, is powerful.  Her family emigrated from Jamaica and she grew up in Florida, where she considered becoming a physician but turned toward Optometry partly due to vision loss that hit her aunt.  She is past president of the National Optometric Association and shares insights about the value of that organization to the profession.  She is passionate about retinal care and education, and understands and supports the next generation of Optometrists as they go through their educational process.   The Stories within the Story include: 1:08 The Mentorship Story 7:35 The Immigrant Parents Story 10:40 The Going into Optometry Story 15:40 The Diversity in Optometry Story 22:10 The Optometric Educator Story 27:42 The Today’s Optometry Students Story 31:48 The Today’s Optometric Education Story 36:49 The Social Determinants of Health Story 40:54 The Access to Care Story 45:18 The Caring for Humanity Story 48:48 The Personal Joys Story

Dr. Dori Carlson’s accomplishments in Optometry are stupendous, including a decade-plus of service  to the American Optometric Association which culminated with her serving as the first female President of the AOA.  Dr. Carlson has leveraged the values of her early days along with a commitment to continual personal and professional improvement to become an incredibly important part of the fabric of the profession.   The Stories within the Story include: 1:00 The Hobby Story 4:01 The Family Story 6:05 The Couple Building a Practice Story 12:02 The Growing Up in a Small Town Story 15:26 The Influence into Optometry Story 18:04 The Pacific University Story 22:26 The Volunteerism Story 24:34 The AOA President Story 30:30 The Observation of the Evolution of Education Story 34:49 The Masters in Leadership Story 37:48 The “Not Ready to be Done” Story 42:32 The Combating Apathy Story 50:43 The Story That’s Never Been Told Story 52:42 The Motivator Story

Dr. Steven Lee grew up in Toronto, studied at the University of Waterloo, and attended the Illinois College of Optometry. A self-described “nerdy gadget guy,” he quickly became interested in disruptive technology that might support patients. He co-founded the company, Opternative, that eventually became quite controversial for its direct-to-patient care approach, and has had a career full of entrepreneurial journeys. Learn all of them in this episode! The Stories within the Story include: 1:21 The Influence toward Science Story 2:42 The Toronto Upbringing Story 6:20 The Interest in Optometry Story 9:17 The Early Career Story 9:57 The Opternative Backstory Story 14:52 The Opternative Story 22:46 The Opternative Evolution Story 28:12 The Opternative Controversy Story 31:13 The Opternative Learnings Story 34:42 The Optometry Studyguide Controversy Story 38:19 The Building a Family Story 40:21 The Evolving Businessperson Story 48:27 The Zenni Optical Story 49:53 The Online Optical Scrutiny Story 53:02 The Doctor-Patient Story 56:54 The Entrepreneur Story 58:48 The Patient-Facing Technology Story 1:02:52 The Prospect (or not) of AI Story 1:07:39 The Benevolence Story 1:09:33 The Future of Optometry Story

Dr. Linda Casser has had a career of service — to three Colleges of Optometry, the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, the American Academy of Optometry, the American Optometric Association, and the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry.  Her career concluded with being granted Professor Emerita status in August 2022 from Salus University Pennsylvania College of Optometry.  She’s an author, mentor, and industry leader, and someone I consider having established the bedrock foundation for modern Optometry.  Dr. Casser has always championed the powerful, positive impact of women in Optometry.   Her many stories weave together to demonstrate her commitment to patient safety, advancement of the profession of Optometry, and a steadfast view that Optometric education should continue to advance to best serve the patient.  Whether it’s hearing about her being part of one of Optometry’s first residency programs, or her role in leadership of the Indiana Optometric Association, or her efforts to lead interprofessional health care education programs, Dr. Casser has been a part of incredible teams that advanced eye care.   In this episode, you will hear about her long and winding road from graduation from IU in 1978, to PCO, back to IU, to Pacific University, and then back to PCO.  She shares insights about some of her colleagues with whom she partnered in various endeavors, a list that is truly a “who’s who” of Optometry.  Dr. Casser is certainly one of those!  As a current member of the AOA Optometric Historical Society Committee, this set of stories are truly a series of important steps in the advancement of the profession, as influenced so positively by her involvement.   The Stories within The Story Include: 1:09  The Retired but Contributing Story 2:29  The NBEO Story 7:15  The Advancing Education Story 9:53  The Upbringing Story 11:47  The Path Into Optometry Story 18:09  The Early Optometry Residency Story 23:56  The Start in Academics at PCO Story 28:01  The Headed Back to IU Story 31:00  The Pacific Story 32:56  The Advancing PCO/Salus Story 41:59  The Academy Story 45:49  The Indiana Volunteerism Story 48:51  The ASCO Story 52:37  The Mentorship Story   Runtime:  1 hr 1 min

A 1993 graduate of NECO, Dr. Alan Glazier has spent a career in Optometry as an entrepreneur.  He worked in his dad’s practice in his early days along with many other roles that found him starting businesses.  He learned business insights along the way, and credits his height for his accomplishments.  He self-taught to become a marketing expert, which led him to become the founder of the most prolific online community for Optometry, called ODs on Facebook.  He’s an inventor, but also knows that failure is part of the road.  Dr. Glazier built a fantastic private practice, and also went through a sale to Private Equity while also doing business development for the buyer, Keplr, giving him an incredible context of its impact on the profession.  His Optometry and personal and family stories are inspiring and worth a listen!   The Stories within the Story: 1:16  The Metal Detector Story 4:03  The Family (and Dog) Story 5:11  The Growing Up Story 7:00  The Family of Optometrists Story 8:08  The Early Career Story 10:49  The OD Business Acumen Story 12:44  The Height Story 14:05  The Online Community Story 20:27  The FluoreSCENE Media Story 22:02  The Inventiveness Story 25:56  The NECO Passion Story 29:18  The Hope for the Profession’s Future Story 31:08  The Private Equity Story 34:49  The Israel Story 36:44  The Bernie Cohen Story 38:04  The Phish Story 39:00  The Influencers Story 42:38  The Presbyopia Theory Story 46:02  The Managing Reviews Story 49:07  The Organized Optometry Story 51:05  The Challenge of the Future Story 53:45  The No One Knows This Story 54:29  The Appreciation Story

Raised on a rural farm in Maryland, Ed Buffington learned the lessons of hard work.  These lessons translated into a tremendous career in the eye care industry, where he was the founder of OfficeMate software and today serves as CEO of GPN Technologies, the company that brings the EDGEPro data dashboard to eye care professionals.  In March 2024, he was honored by Prevent Blindness as the 2024 “Person of Vision” in recognition of his incredible contributions.   Ed’s many stories cover his start as a contact lens rep, as well as the efforts to bring OfficeMate to the industry.  He is a proud husband, father, and grandfather, and speaks about how important that part of his life is.  Equally important is the positive influence he has had on the many people that have worked with and for him.    The Stories within the Story: 1:14  The Building Friendships Story 2:31  The Growing Up on the Farm Story 4:31  The “Charlie” Story 7:30  The Plan to be an Educator Story 9:54  The Marriage and Family Story 10:25  The Salesperson Story 12:06  The Getting into the Eye Care Industry Story 14:14  The Creating OfficeMate Story 20:34  The Adding the EHR Story 24:40  The Marchon Partnership Story 26:29  The VSP Partnership Story 28:40  The GPN Data Story 31:15  The Mentors Story 36:40  The “Person of Vision” Story 40:57  The GPN VISIONS Story 42:23  The Incredible Teams Story   Runtime:  46 min

Dr. Ann Hoscheit is owner of EyeBridge Consulting Associates, after a long career in which she built two separate iconic eye care practices. She’s a graduate of the University of Houston College of Optometry. Dr. Hoscheit has been a trailblazer in women’s leadership in Optometry. She finds true joy and prosperity in Optometry, and through these many stories she hopes that her colleagues will also. The Stories within the Story include: 1:11 The Midwestern Upbringing Story 3:29 The Mom’s Example Story 4:55 The Inspiration from Matthew Story 6:36 The Getting into Optometry Story 8:39 The Incredible Husband Story 10:36 The Harold Varner III Story 11:15 The Novel Practice Model Story 15:15 The Women-Centered Practice Story 20:58 The Power of Mentorship Story 22:18 The Sale to Private Equity Story 25:10 The Specialty Center of Excellence Story 30:42 The Integrative Medicine Story 35:54 The Industry Supporter Story 41:18 The Eye Care Equates to Quality of Life Story 43:26 The Power of Influence Story 46:28 The Future of Optometry Education Story 52:34 The Reassurance Story

An Ohio guy who thought he would remain there forever, Dr. Rick Weisbarth became an internationally respected Doctor of Optometry who supported the profession through his role in professional relations for Alcon Laboratories (and formerly CIBA VISION) as well as a lecturer on a variety of contact lens topics.  He graduated from The Ohio State University College of Optometry and became connected with friends with whom he would provide career-long support of the American Academy of Optometry.  One of his unique contributions was involvement in the National Academies of Practice, which is a multidisciplinary group working to support each other’s approach to caring for patients.  Dr. Weisbarth has been a leader since his days in the optometry fraternity at OSU, and that has carried through to his retirement during which time he has helped advance the Alcon Children’s Vision Center in Fort Worth, TX.  His many stories are compelling because he consistently challenged himself to move out of his comfort zone, and the lessons that come from his experiences can be of value to all.  And - it’s very important for the audience to know that Dr. Weisbarth was put on the spot when talking about mentors, so if he didn’t mention you, please forgive him!   The Stories within the Story include: 1:08  The Cleveland Upbringing Story 2:58  The Advice Story 4:07  The Introduction to Eye Care Story 6:42  The OSU Optometry Story 9:40  The Leadership Journey Story 11:04  The Early Career Story 16:56  The Contact Lens Industry Story 20:23  The International Lecturer Story 22:01  The Industry Support Story 27:04  The Optometrist Insight Story 29:11  The Commitment to the Academy Story 32:50  The Volunteering Advice Story 35:50  The Lifelong Learning Story 37:55  The Mentor Story 40:12  The National Academies of Practice Story 44:35  The Alcon Children’s Vision Clinic Story 52:42  The Hobbies Story 54:05  The Family Story   Run time:  57 min

Scott shares four pearls to building and enjoying a life well-lived, which is aspirational and to which we will be judged by others some day in the future

Dr. John Potter is a true treasure to the profession. A graduate of the Indiana University School of Optometry, he has been at the forefront of every major evolutionary step in Optometry over the last fifty years. After all of his time in Optometry, he used his intellectual basis to move into an entirely different career as an educator - now serving as clinical associate professor of dispute resolution and conflict management at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The Stories within the Story include: 1:20 The Gradeschool Essay Story 2:50 The IU Story 3:53 The IU Legends Story 5:18 The Dr. Irv Borish Story 9:06 The Mentor Story 11:45 The Push to Education Story 13:30 The Naval Optometry Story 19:55 The Treatment of a Foreign Body Story 22:36 The Dr. Henry Peters “Diagnosis” Story 34:40 The Therapeutics Story 36:07 The Dr. David Sullins Story 39:36 The Laser Vision Treatment Story 55:00 The Patient Advocacy Services Story 59:00 The Conflict Resolution Career Story 1:09:26 The 1990’s Eye Exam Assessment Story 1:13:51 The Caring for Others Story   Run time: 1 hr 17 min

Dr. Vince Brandys has translated a Chicago upbringing in a family that served the community into a career in Optometry that has included deep involvement in professional advocacy. His words of encouragement to his colleagues to step up their support of the profession are to be heard by all.

In semi-retirement, I built a spec home in Orlando to get away from Wisconsin's winters.  In this Sandbox Story, you'll get perspective of how my experiences taught me something about how optometry might better manage its business to focus on the expectations of its customers.   Run time:  7 min 30 sec

Dr. Araba Otoo received the 2022 Student of the Year Award from the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA.)   She has started her practice career in a residency in the VA system, and is motivated to drive a global ocular wellness mindset into the profession.  As a child in Ghana, she malingered to get glasses when she was very young.  Her impressionable mind was pushed toward eyecare due to seeing her parents experience eye issues.  She is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Optometry and she also has an MPH from the University of Illinois - Chicago, all as a result of a journey that found her involved in a cancer research lab when her family moved to Chicago.  Her story involves a lot of surprises that did not turn out as she had planned.   The Stories within the Story include: 0:58  The Ghana Story 2:34  The Love of Cooking Story 3:59  The Malingerer Story 8:32  The Family’s Eyecare Story 14:45  The Chicago Story 36:11  The Not My Way Story 37:02  The AOSA Student of the Year Story 44:05  The Optometry as Public Health Story 49:29  The Future Story   Runtime:  54 min.

Jay Binkowitz has used deep business acumen to drive a number of differentiated businesses into the eye care industry.   His path into the optical business led to building the most powerful data dashboard in the industry, EDGEPro.   The Stories within the Story include: 1:01  The Upbringing Story 5:45  The Hustle Story 8:30  The Optical Story 14:28  The Software Story 22:08  The Consolidator Story 26:14  The Charity Story 30:19  The Best Advice Story   Runtime:  35 min.

Lynn Lawrence is a career Optometric Technician, starting that role as part of a thirty-plus year career in the Air Force, and has built a consulting business for the eye care industry which teaches leadership.  His commitment to the profession is to drive advancement through learning, certification, and thoughtful leadership. The Stories within the Story Include: 1:08  The St. Louis Upbringing Story 3:38  The Family Military Service Story 6:20  The Deployment Story 10:49  The Ophthalmic Technician Story 14:52  The AOA Certification Story 21:23  The Mental Health Story 25:11  The Leadership Consultant Story 30:27  The Faith and Joy Story 32:45  The Best Advice Story   Runtime:  34 min.

Dr. Bob Layman has been the AOA President from June 2021 through June 2022.   This interview is the first one done with a sitting President of the AOA, and some of his best views are shared about how optometry must be politically thoughtful and mindful to stay successful.  Most importantly, Bob’s true humility and drive toward service shines through.   The Stories within the Story Include: 1:16  The Toledo Story 2:43  The Mental Health Story 5:11  The Path to Optometry Story 8:23  The OSU Optometry Story 9:33  The Optometry Volunteerism Story 11:01  The Optometry Practice Story 12:22  The Optometric Association Story 15:18  The Optometry Advocacy Story 17:08  The AOA Presidency Story 20:14  The Family Story 21:14  The Scoutmaster Story 22:46  The AOA Leadership Institute Story 24:26  The Car Nut Story 25:22  The Best Advice Story

A North Dakotan, Dr. Nate Lighthizer has an incredible story about how he grew up doing fishing trips with his family, as well as participating in sports as a kid.  After graduating from Pacific University College of Optometry, he advanced his career to his current position on faculty at Northeastern State University College of Optometry in Tallequah, OK.  Dr. Lighthizer has had a tremendous impact on the profession by leading national courses on advanced optometric procedures, and his many Stories give motivation to all of us to continue to pursue higher levels of patient care.   The Stories behind the Story include: 0:56  The North Dakotan Story 1:47  The Family Story 2:52  The Power of Athletics Story 4:07  The Canadian Fishing Story 5:40  The Influence to Optometry Story 6:47  The Pacific Education Story 10:08  The Path to Being an Educator Story 11:48  The State Legislative Process Story 14:24  The Cherokee Nation Relationship Story 16:50 The Advancement of an OD’s Mind Story 18:20  The Football Fandom Story 19:23 The Vicarious Pilot Story 20:18  The Optometry Lecturer Story 22:55  The Optometry Applicants Story 24:50  The Best Advice Story

Simply put, Lex is a deeply caring human being.  I've never met anyone, young or old, who is as able to connect with others as Lex does.  He's autistic, transgender, and loving.  This Sandbox Story has life lessons in it for every one of us.   The Stories within the Story include: 1:11  The Disney College Program Story 3:33  The Kentucky Upbringing Story 5:05  The Being Autistic Story 9:12  The Power of Identity-First Language Story 14:36  The Transgender Person Story 21:49  The Future Educator Story 24:07  The Mister Rogers Story 29:42  The #LoveLikeLex Story   Runtime:  43 min.