We Wanted to Know the Most Hard Core Eyecare Thing You’ve Done

question:

What is the most hard-core eyecare thing you’ve done?

• I have named my plants after frame lines/lenses, etc. — Stephanie Plagge, Primary Vision Care, Mount Vernon, OH
• My nickname is Spec. — Dorothy Reynolds, Eyes on Fairfield, Fairfield
• VOSH trips to Central and South America. — Robert Lootens, Physicians Optical Service, Jefferson City, MO
• I have several eye related tattoos, including semi-matching eye tattoos with my staff. — Maggie Campbell, Eyes on Trade, Winston Salem, NC
• I drove a Geo Prizm. — Angel Miller, Cynthiana Vision Center, Cynthiana, KY
• I named my blog Glassesgirl. — Amy Frost, Logos Vision, East Brunswick, NJ
• I named my optical store VIEWTOPIA. — Abe Zami, Viewtopia NYC, Brooklyn, NY
• Started my own business! — Kyla Skinner, Specs by Kyla, Atascadero, CA
• Got BFF tattoos of glasses in NYC at VEE this year! Also, staying in the industry for over a decade. — Kelsey Bredice, A Proper View, Winston Salem, NC
• Way back in the day, I did a character name Tex Specs and went to grade schools to introduce eyeglasses. — Rick Rickgauer, Vision Associates, Girard, PA
• Doing these surveys every month! — Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
• Won the Paraoptometric of the Year award from the AOA. — Melanie Jenkins, Spring Hill Eyecare, Spring Hill, TN
• Trained my husband the recognize frames and whether there is AR on glasses. — Lisa Smith, Precision Eye Care, Vancouver, WA
• The most hardcore this is … stayed in optics for over 20 years! — Rigo Lopez, Gilman & Vorster Optometry, Indio, CA
• Nothing hardcore but do seem to be surrounded by eyecare no matter where we travel! — Pam Peters, Midwest Eye, Downers Grove, IL
• Check out opticals on almost every vacation and road trip. — Marcia Emerson, Kenneth D. Boltz, OD, Dublin, OH
• Enticed my son into going to optometry school and have a bathroom that is all eyeglass decor. — Amie Robinson, Spring Hill Eyecare, Spring Hill, TN
• Personalized license plate. — Jeffery Lackey, JJ’s Discount Eyewear, Oneonta, AL
• Total immersion at VEE. All in with swag and QR code scans. — Steven Neely, Nittany Eye Associates, State College, PA
• I celebrated 40 years in eyecare in 2020. Got an eye glass stemmed wine glass where the bubbles actually say 2020. — Karen Michaelson, Kare Consulting/ I Wear By K, Wyoming, MN
• Went to learn frame making in Jura. — Kevin Count, Corner Optical, Glenview, IL
• I took my optical tool kit to my Army deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Got a challenge coin (a very well-respected token of appreciation from military leaders) from a general because I fixed his glasses. — Pablo E. Mercado, Highland Eye Boutique, Atlanta, GA
• This may not be exciting, but I would say only “hard-core” opticians will take the time to use a screw extractor to get a broken screw out. Yep, that’s me…and to be doing this after 40+ years. — Pam Housley, Texas State Optical of Nederland, Port Arthur, TX
• Got a tattoo of a pair of glasses on my wrist. — Keontae Murray, Bella Lee, Royal Oak, MD
• Opened my own practice. — John Bruening, Geauga Vision Group, Middlefield, OH
• Got married in 2020. We were going to have a small wedding anyways. My husband is great and fully understood. — Jennifer Yerden, Sights and Shades, Canandaigua, NY
• Eyeball themed patches on my jacket. — Matt Combs, Physicians Optical, McMinnville, OR
• I donate all my “last year” current frames to charity. I try to only have two to three pair on hand along with a great pair of sunnies. Not hard core but fulfilling. — Chris Clark, Advanced Eye Care Optical Shoppe, Panama City, FL
• I just buy jewelry and clothing with eyeglasses on them. — Amy Donoho, 20/20 Optical, Fergus Falls, MN
• License plate: I DOCTOR. — Mark Perry, OD, Vision Health Institute, Orlando, FL
• Nothing hard core yet but a tattoo of a phoropter or lensometer sounds like a great idea. — Sohini Patel, OD, See You Eyecare, Orlando, FL
• I have my logo/colors in most places in my life. Stickers on the car, walls painted in my house. I literally live my brand. — Cynthia Sayers, OD, Eyeshop Optical Center, Lewis Center, OH
• I named my dog Gucci. — Robert M. Easton Jr. OD, Oakland Park, FL
• Not sure in terms of “hard core” but I think I only have missed maybe seven days of work due to illness in 16 years…and five of that was for COVID. — Zachary Dirks, OD, St. Peter And Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers, Saint Peter, MN
• I have thought about a tattoo, but mostly just buying anything with an eyeball on it! — Shannon Crouse, Terry D. Moehnke, OD, Fort Dodge, IA
• Everything I own has glasses. My purse, my backpack, the artwork in my home, my jewelry, everything. — Jami Kulpinski, Eye Clinic of Wisconsin, Wausau, WI