Carla Mack, OD, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA, shares with Kristin Anderson, OD, FNAP, FAAO, how she cultivated her own leadership style. She embraces continuous learning; is concise in communication and proactive relationship-building; prioritizes patient/customer experience; applies business thinking; and adapts to industry change.

This editorially independent content is sponsored by Astellas. In this episode, Julie Rodman, OD, MS, FAAO, and Carl Danzig, MD, both of Florida, highlight the importance of early detection and referral for geographic atrophy (GA), now that therapies exist. As a retina specialist who wants to see pathology in its early stages, Dr. Danzig says it's rarely too early to refer to a retina specialist to assess. All primary care optometrists should aim to identify GA with fundus autofluoresce...

In this episode, Diane Hilal-Campo, MD, a New Jersey ophthalmologist and founder of Twenty/Twenty Beauty, tells Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, that her goal in creating Twenty/Twenty Beauty was to change the narrative about eye health and beauty products. From seeing patients with dry eye exacerbated by their make up and removers to reading beauty editors' advice that went against good eye hygiene practice, Dr. Campo created a line of cosmetics that are not only eye-safe, but benefic...

Driven by her experience on the front lines of surgery, Anahita Dua, MD, MS, MBA, FACS, founded Healthcare for Action, an organization to train and empower healthcare workers to run for public office. As underfunded systems strain patient care, Dr. Dua argues that those who understand medicine can craft the most effective health policy—and she’s on a mission to send more clinician-candidates into government over the following years.

As a young woman, Jade Coats, OD, FAAO, faced a cancer diagnosis that made her fully aware of the fragility of life. The experience forced her to re-evaluate what matters and led her to prioritize a work/life balance that works for her. This cycle—of being fully present at work and careful self-care and participation in things that bring her joy—allows her to show up to patient care and what is important to her in her private life more completely.

Rachael Wruble, OD, has built a career defined by leadership and community engagement—all while balancing the demands of family life. Her story highlights the value of being proactive in local optometric communities, forming meaningful connections and redefining what success looks like. Through her continued support of young ODs and her advocacy for inclusivity in the field, Dr. Wruble is helping shape a progressive future of optometry.

Co-owner of Econologics Financial Advisors Eric Miller understands the financial burden of optometry school—and he's here to help new ODs manage their debt with confidence. Juggling one or more loans while launching your career can feel daunting, but Miller offers practical, sustainable strategies for managing it all.

Dr. Maples explains how patient feedback—including not feeling rushed, being listened to and receiving clear explanations—inspired her to deconstruct what makes an eye exam feel meaningful. She shares how mindfulness and reflexive listening can help providers build trust, improve outcomes and reduce burnout. The goal, she says, is to help more patients feel seen and heard—even on the busiest clinic days.

Jade Coats, OD, FAAO, of Rogers, Arkansas, wants patients to feel like she's in their corner, inside and outside of the exam room. She's ready with a list of resources to help patients who need some emotional support as caregivers or patients undergoing treatment. Being empathetic, she says, costs her no additional time but creates mountains of goodwill and can contribute to better outcomes.

Interprofessional collaborative practice involves health care providers from different specialties working together beyond traditional referral models. "It's not just referring someone out and saying you're working with them, but actually working with those professions to bring the best outcome for the patient," says Amy Moy, OD, FAAO, CPCO, FNAP. Other fields, particularly in hospital and community health settings, already embrace this model, with professionals coordinating care ...

Julie Poteet, OD, MS, CNS, FONS, says that a new FDA-approved therapy, photobiomodulation, for treating dry aged-related macular degeneration (AMD), could be a game-changer for optometrists and patients. For those with a family history of AMD, the implications of this new therapy are especially important. Genetic predisposition plays a role, but environmental factors can influence whether those genes lead to disease. If research continues to support photobiomodulation’s effectiveness, Dr. Pot...

Brianna Rhue, OD, FAAO, FSLS, wears two hats—practicing optometrist and co-founder of Dr. Contact Lens. In a 23-minute podcast, she reminds both doctors and sales reps that they are the “sharks” in the industry, holding the key to patient relationships. Through The Eye Pitch Book and her “three-frog strategy,” she encourages better communication between vendors and optometrists. The next big boost for a practice, she says, might be in one of those pitches—if people take the time to list...

Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, an internationally recognized expert in eye care, and Tanya Gill, OD, founder of We Love Eyes, discuss cosmetic eye product safety, the downside of false eyelashes and talking eye hygiene with your patients on this episode of WO Voices.

Social determinants of health, collectively, are "all the non-medical elements that shape somebody's daily lives that affect and influence how they experience and access health care," says Amy Roan Moy, OD, FAAO, CPCO, FNAP, an adjunct associate professor of clinical optometry at the New England College of Optometry. In this 19-minute podcast, she reviews ways that optometrists, lawmakers and communities can be better prepared to deliver culturally safe health care by understanding the social...

On a 50th birthday trip to Paris, Dr. Lauretta Justin, founder of CEO of You and Optometry Divas, planned a photo shoot that led to her writing a book about practical yet inspired goal-setting. Listen to her tips here and download the book for more guidance.

Three female ODs spoke at the Women In Optometry Leadership Conference, called "Leadership Unleashed," held during the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, in November 2024. Hear how Jade Coats, OD, FAAO; Essence Johnson, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO; and Mila Ioussifova, OD, CNS, FAAO, FOWNS, have tapped into their inner leader at various times in their careers. Dr. Coats spoke about how she is realizing her professional impact as a young OD; Dr. Johnson talked about th...

In this episode, Kara Foster, OD, of EyeCare for You, in Apex, North Carolina, recounts how she made the decision two years into practice to stop accepting vision and medical insurance payments. Her direct-care model can serve as an illustration of how women ODs can practice creatively and achieve financial independence and balance. Hear more about how she did it.

Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, and Amy Gallant Sullivan, founder of Eyes Are the Story optocosmetics, take a look at the habits that can undermine healthy eyes when it comes to skin care and cosmetics. Listen to their practical tips about replacing cosmetics and what to do and avoid when it comes to beauty products, as well as resources to share.

As the competition for eyewear stays hot, how can opticals rethink the patient experience and their marketing to stay competitive? Liza Amlani, principal and co-founder of Retail Strategy Group, talks about how to promoting individual brands can help a practice create its own brand, as well. Hear her tips for incorporating what successful retail brands do.

Jacquie Bowen, OD, FAAO, who will become president of the American Optometric Association at the next Optometry's Meeting in June 2025 in Minneapolis; and Michele Andrews, OD, VP of marketing and professional affairs at CooperVision, discuss the goals of the Myopia Collective and the Change Agents who are driving change and best strategies in myopia management.