Location, location, location. We’ve all heard it before: the geographical placement of your business is paramount to its success, as is understanding the demographics surrounding your dispensary. You’re a hot young OD or optician starting out in the business, or you’ve just arrived in a new city—you need to figure out the right place to put down your roots and establish an optometric dynasty that will reign supreme. How many of us have ever considered re-location, though?

It feels like I’m seeing a lot of news coverage about the measles outbreak these days, and instead of spending time being worried about that, I decided to think about something way more pleasant and also equally contagious: fun! I spend a lot of time in airports and I like to watch and notice people’s habits. Human behavior is on full display during the boarding process. Normally I like to watch the gate agent call out which zone is currently boarding and see how many people nudged in front of others to get to the front of the line to board the plane.

Opticians are by nature a compilation of many parts, we are a little bit physics, a little bit fashion, a little bit psychologist, and a little bit tactile genius. We listen, analyze, find solutions, order, fabricate, verify, and adjust eyewear and so many, many more things on a daily basis. And as if we didn’t already have enough on our plates, I’m going to add one more task; storyteller. Why, you might ask? Because this single task might just be the thing that makes what we do so much more valuable to our patients.

Last month, Deborah Kotob, 20/20 Magazine Director of Education, attended the Opticians Association of America State Leadership Conference in Memphis. There, Deb announced Jobson Pro to Pro as the OAA media partner. For more than 90 years, the OAA has been dedicated to the advancement of the American optician. From their Mission Statement, “the OAA is the collective voice of the opticianry industry.