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Switching Things Up Sometimes Requires a Great Big Swing

AFTER LAST MONTH’S emotional missive, let’s keep this month’s note more lighthearted, shall we? It is, after all, our creativity issue and though some of the greatest artists of all time have been their most prolific during periods of emotional turmoil — think Picasso’s Blue Period and basically every song Fiona Apple has ever written — personally, nothing kills my creativity more than stress or sadness.

Luckily, this issue sees us ushering in spring, a season I have always found uplifting and rife with creative inspiration. Longer days, warmer weather, blooming flowers, and lush greens just get my creative juices flowing … and boy, do I need it after a winter that seemed to go on forever while simultaneously barely giving me a second to pause and relax. If you too need a little jolt to get your imagination going again be sure to check out our Big Story on page 30. It is bursting with ways to tap your inner muse and make your creative process more intentional.

Thanks to Earth Day this month, April is also often devoted to ecological issues, and we too are doing our part with two pages of trends that pay homage to the environment, both literally and figuratively. Sheena has pulled together some gorgeous eyeglasses inspired by nature on page 24 and sunglasses on page 25 that prove you don’t have to sacrifice style for sustainability.

And it would be remiss of me if I did not shout out our gorgeous cover model for this issue. Kayla Ashlee — who founded Spexy with her partner in business and life Dr. Rook Torres in 2017 — has been writing our Sales column (page 45 this issue) since January 2022. It is thanks to a little creative thinking and some chutzpah from Rook that we have what has turned into one of our team’s favorite covers of all time. It just goes to show sometimes you need to take those big swings.

I hope after reading this issue you come up with some great new idea you’re excited about. So, tell me, what audacious … creative … big swing will you take to switch things up this month?

Best wishes for your business,

Five Smart Tips From This Issue

Few things in optical require the sort of creative problem-solving skills that providing personalized lenses does. We’ve got the latest options. (Better Vision, page 28)
Tired of managed vision care plans and losing patients to online retailers? So was this Missouri practice, so they did something about it while bolstering client loyalty. (Best of the Best, page 41)
What if we told you a $15 investment could double your business revenue? (Columns, page 44)
When it comes to branded merch, your creativity knows no bounds. Wine bags, doggy sweaters, frisbees? Yes, please. (Benchmarks, page 46)
Being creative doesn’t always pay off… in fact, sometimes it backfires. We have those who survived to tell the tale. (Buzz Session, page 48)

Deirdre Carroll

Having built a career in service journalism, Dee has been covering the eyecare industry for over a decade. As editor-in-chief of INVISION Magazine, she is passionate about telling independent ECPs stories and can be reached directly at dee@invisionmag.com.