AS A JOURNALIST, I’m trained in the Five Ws — Who, What, When, Where, Why. Without the answers to all of them, no story is considered truly complete. But as a human, an American, a woman, I think a more important question is: “Why not?”
We’re often plagued by a lot of doubt. We think we won’t be able, or can’t, or shouldn’t and often those fears and excuses aren’t even real. Or maybe they are but what’s the worst that would happen if you did it anyway?
Take Dr. Deepak Gupta. He always wanted to make movies, but decided optometry would be a more responsible career choice. But when a pandemic shut down his business, that desire reared its head again and he thought, why not? Read about how he’s making his dream happen on page 44.
Then there is our Big Story on page 30. I fully 100 percent recognize that corporate optometry is not in INVISION’s wheelhouse. I have no doubt that many of you will be angry we wrote about it … Okay, maybe more annoyed, after all we’re a magazine, not the government. There is already too much division in our industry. Corporate optometry is attracting more and more ODs, and not just new grads, established ODs are heeding the call. Don’t you want to know why? I did, so I thought, why not?
Even columnist Will Burdeaux posits “Why Not?” when it comes to selling blue light protection in our recent special edition, Blue Note (see it here: invisionmag.com/BlueNote).
On another note, it was incredibly gratifying to see how many of you said you turn to INVISION when you are creatively stuck (Buzz Session, page 50) but I didn’t include those responses in print. Usually, I am all for tooting our own horn but there were so many other great ideas and frankly, when we’re stuck we turn to you guys!
Lastly, we all know times are tough, but I was so inspired by the fact that you guys still easily came up with so many things to be grateful for that I had a special guest pop in for Sanity Files (page 58) and get in the spirit. I figured “Why not?” After all, I make the rules here.
And you make the rules for you. So next time someone tells you no, or you can’t, or you shouldn’t … or worse, you tell yourself … ask why not? Then go and do it.
Five Smart Tips From This Issue
- With large gathering limitations in many states, Black Friday stands to look very different this year. Small Business Saturday could clean up. You ready? (Calendar, page 16)
- Snellen chart paraphernalia for daaaays. (Eye Pro Gear, page 28)
- The whole “influencer” thing and their power to elevate a brand is super confusing and murky. One ECP figured it out for the rest of us. (Best of the Best, page 42)
- Steal from Peter to pay Paul. Take the last 15 minutes of every day to get ready for the next one. (Tip Sheet, page 43)
- Good customer service can be as simple as using a patient’s name. (Columns, page 46)