Sandbox Stories - The Podcast

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.

Dr. Sue Cotter is faculty at the Southern California College of Optometry, on the Board of the American Academy of Optometry, and co-chair of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group of the NIH. This Sandbox Story covers her views on optometric education as well as gives insights on her life's joys. The Stories Within the Story Include: 0:58 The PMMA Lenses Story 3:44 The Educator Story 8:56 The Education Advancement Story 10:43 The SCCO Story 12:12 The Research Story 15:11 The Residency Story 19:30 The Travel Story 22:14 The AAO Story 24:22 The Impact Story 25:14 The Book Story 26:48 The Advice Story Runtime: 30 min.

From humble beginnings in Montana, to becoming a preeminent ophthalmologist on the new frontier of dry eye management, Dr. Laura Periman’s many stories are incredibly motivational. And as a human, rarely will you hear someone who is has as much empathy for others. The Stories within the Story include: 1:24 The Montana Story 3:50 The Motivation Story 6:48 The Medicine Story 9:29 The Insurance Story 12:44 The Instagram Story 13:30 The Pacific Northwest Story 14:05 The Sense of Home Story 15:19 The Survivor Story 18:17 The Working Together Story 22:16 The Innovations Story 25:58 The Cosmetics Story 29:55 The Communicator Story 33:18 The Volunteering Story 35:17 The Writing Story 39:46 The Clinical Advice Story 42:55 The Life’s Joy Story Special Links: https://dryeyemaster.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Collective-Carmen-Julia-Spoonemore/dp/1736972901 https://maraisreview.com/pull-tides/ https://maraisreview.com/second-bloom/

This Sandbox Story is an interview of some of the leaders of the Optical Women’s Association, OWA. Guests include Deb Bulken, Janelle Pauli, and Dr. Lorie Lippiatt. Despite their long-standing history, they are a “best-kept secret” in the industry, and they deserve to be well-known and supported because of their powerful impact. To join OWA: https://www.opticalwomen.com/join.asp To contribute: https://www.opticalwomen.com/individual-contributors.asp The Stories within the Story include: 1:47 The Value of the OWA Story 6:13 The Mentor Story 12:29 The Passion Story 14:05 The Origin Story 19:10 The Mission Story 20:16 The OWA Deliverables Story 28:54 The Support Story 32:22 The Member Experience Story 39:40 The Best Advice Story

Dr. Janene Sims is on Faculty at the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Optometry. She works with the Community Eyecare Initiative, an outreach service of the School, and has a tremendous commitment to humanity. The Stories within the Story include: 1:00 The Farming Story 8:22 The Eyecare Motivation Story 10:00 The Advanced Education Story 11:47 The Community Support Story 14:20 The UAB Community Eyecare Team Story 17:03 The Recognition Story 18:01 The Communication Story 19:18 The EyeCare4Justice Story 24:06 The Singing Story 25:23 The Recruitment Story

This short Sandbox Story sends a message of thanks for life's many inspirations. Included is a wish for us to take control of our lives from the negative effects of social media. Happy Thanksgiving!

In this Sandbox Story perspective piece, I review the key takeaways from the book, “Why We Sleep”, by Matthew Walker, PhD.