(PRESS RELEASE) NORWALK, CT — Fresh direction. Free spirits. What attracts eye health practitioners to their field? In October 2019, two organizations that both serve those professionals across the U.S. joined forces to launch Dream it. Do it. Share it. to answer that question and encourage them to tell their personal stories.
IDOC, a 3,000-strong member organization of independent eye health practitioners, teamed up with contact lens manufacturer CooperVision to create the Dream it. Do it. Share it. campaign. Together, the organizations sought out professionals who had uplifting stories to share about their lives and their work. A production team captured those stories. Now, they’re part of a growing playlist of short stories at idoc.coopervision.com.
“The goal of the campaign is simple: to celebrate our optometrists by providing a platform to share what inspired them to join the profession,” said Dave Brown, president and CEO of IDOC. “Everyone comes to this business differently. We’re here to ask, ‘What’s your story?’ because every story is important.”
One of the first contributors to the campaign, Dr. Jennifer Stewart, optometrist and partner at Norwalk Eye Care in Norwalk, Conn., describes in her video how she found a way to combine her love of sports with her passion for her profession. Another early contributor, Dr. Andrew Neukirch, optometrist and owner of Carillon Vision Care in Glenview, Ill., tells how optometry represented a new life direction for him.
Their stories have surprises—which make them all the more engaging. And as IDOC members, these dedicated practitioners can conjure memories from others about how they started out in the business.
“When IDOC approached me about being part of this project, I couldn’t wait to see where it would go,” said Dr. Andrew Neukirch, OD. “I’ve heard from other ODs that they not only loved my personal story but decided to contribute their own.”
That’s the kind of collegial experience IDOC seeks to cultivate in its members, who they serve year-round with practice-building benefits and collaboration vital to independent practitioners. It’s also the kind of partnership the group values in its work with CooperVision.
“CooperVision loves to support independent practices, and this project was a perfect fit for us,” Evan Schwarz, manager, corporate accounts, CooperVision. “And the fresh stories keep coming. Every optometrist is a unique source of inspiration. That’s something we want to amplify with IDOC.”
Dream it. Do it. Share it. is currently running across social media, all of which points to the heart of the initiative at idoc.coopervision.com, a public-facing site where the stories can be viewed.