What Would You Be if You Weren’t an ECP?

question:

If you weren’t an ECP, what do you imagine you would be doing for a living?

• Be retired. — Caitlin Neal, San Juan Eye Center, Montrose, CO
• Fireman, law enforcement, or brain surgery. — B.J. Chambers, Carrera Optical, Universal City, Texas
• Aerial photography. — Paul Wilford, Tallahassee Eye Center, Tallahassee, FL
• I would be an esteemed professor. Which is what I am doing three days a week now at 8:00AM. I truly enjoy it, and it gives me a couple hours where I can use my brain differently! — Jim Williams, Eye to Eye Optometry, Mexico, MO
• Human resources management. — Danielle Doniver, Heritage Optical, Detroit, MI
• I was studying for pharmacy in college. Since becoming an optician though, I’ve considered more than a few times becoming an electrician. — Kari Keene, Keene Vision, Rock Hill, SC
• Meteorologist. — Todd Brown, Huseman Eyecare, West Des Moines, IA
• Teacher, public speaker, writer. — Kaleena Ma, MK Vision Center, Forest Hills, NY
• Helicopter pilot. — Will Taylor, Eye 2 Eye Contact (Mobile Unit Dispensary), Northville, MI
• Crime detective. — Jocelyn Mylott, D’Ambrosio Eye Care, Lancaster, MA
• Travel agent! — Terri Brown, The Eye Site, Alva, OK
• Working overseas for Doctors Without Borders. Still might go do that someday. — Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
• Ideally, interior design. — Nikki Griffin, Eyestyles Optical and Boutique, Oakdale, MN
• Living in a van down by the river. — Rialeigh Yoder, Sea Eye Care, Norfolk, VA
• Would love to be a full-time beach bum. — Kristina Jordan, The Eye Site, Mishawaka, IN
• Directing movies. — Rick Rickgauer, Vision Associates, Girard, PA
• I would love to be a librarian! — Morgan DiMaggio, Taylor Eye Care, Carmi, IL
• Real estate? — Douglas Holle, OD, Sunset Eye Care, San Angelo, TX
• I would just be a witch living in the woods. — Kelsey Bredice, A Proper View, Winston Salem, NC
• Housewife! — Deborah Tellez-Peña, Eye Physicians of Austin, Austin, TX
• I’d have a gift shop or thrift shop! That would be so fun! — Jennifer Leuzzi, Mill Creek Optical, Dansville, NY
• Garbage man, many similarities. — Dave Schultz, OD, Urban Optics, San Luis Obispo, CA
• Magician and auctioneer. — Marc Ullman, OD, Academy Vision, Pine Beach, NJ
• Something in the fashion industry. Part of what I find appealing about eyecare is that I have the chance to make people look great! — Amy Frost, Logos Vision, East Brunswick, NJ
• Baking wedding cakes! — Samantha Humes, Clavenna Vision Institute, Birmingham, MI
• Retiring. — Bob Hillman, Fabulous Fanny’s NYC, Burlington, MA
• I would love to say something sexy like architect, but I think more realistically, I would make a great hotelier … who knows, there is still time! — Chris Wheaton, North Optical, Portland, ME
• Antiques dealer. — Jeff Grosekemper, Casa De Oro Eyecare, Spring Valley, CA
• Something in medicine, more than likely an MD. — Mark Perry, OD, Vision Health Institute, Orlando, FL
• Other medical engineer. — Zachary Dirks, OD, St. Peter And Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers, Saint Peter, MN
• Something creative like owning a bakery or writing greeting cards. — Cynthia Sayers, OD, EyeShop Optical Center, Lewis Center, OH
• I would have a PhD and be in academia doing research on gene activation due to different stressors. That’s what I left for optometry school. — Susan Elizondo, OD, Westlake Hills Vision Center, Austin, TX
• I did 21+ years in the Army (active duty and National Guard) and retired when my wife died, so I could take care of the kids. I could have easily done 40 years in if everything turned out different. No regrets, though. — Pablo E. Mercado, Highland Eye Boutique, Atlanta, GA
• Either puppets or criminal investigation. — Angel Miller, Cynthiana Vision Center, Cynthiana, KY
• I’d definitely be a pilot. — Ben Thayil, OD, Lifetime Vision and Eye Care, Miami, FL
• A cop. — Mitchell Kaufman, Marine Park Family Vision, Brooklyn, NY
• Something with helping children or customer service. — Amy Donoho, 20/20 Optical, Fergus Falls, MN
• Marketing … love the game. — Jennifer Yerden, Sights and Shades, Canandaigua, NY
• Merchandising. — Lisa Smith, Precision Eye Care, Vancouver, WA
• When I was young, I wanted to be a Navy nurse and travel the world. As a seventh child, my reasons were the travel, but mostly Navy nurses were given seven outfits, all brand new, and as a seventh child, the hand me downs were only new to me. — Chris Clark, Advanced Eye Care Optical Shoppe, Panama City, FL
• Architect. — Bev Tomas, Holland Family Eyecare, East Stroudsburg, PA
• Surf instructor. — Scott Keating, OD, Vision Trends, Dover, OH
• Farming and raising cattle. — Robert Lootens, Physicians Optical Service, Jefferson City, MO
• Doctor. — Daniel Hsu, 7eye by Panoptx, Ontario, CA
• Product design of some sort. — Travis Lefevre, Krystal Vision, Logan, UT
• Stay at home mom. — Sarah Brozzo, Harrison Eye Care, Harrison, MI
• Acting and stage production. — Alexander Saper, Great Glasses, Houston, TX
• Rock drummer. — Robert M. Easton Jr. OD, FAAO, Oakland Park, FL
• Professional poker player. — Jordan Flitter, Paris West Optical, Baltimore, MD
• I would still run a business because it is challenging and rewarding. Restaurant? — Dierdre Fogle, OD, Eyetopia Eyecare, Littleton, CO
• Something creative! — Pam Peters, Midwest Eye, Downers Grove, IL
• Farming or wildlife management. — Mason Childers, OD, Wiregrass Eyecare of Ozark, Ozark, AL
• Dream: Cowgirl! Reality: hedge fund sales. — Jennifer Stewart, OD, Look New Canaan, New Canaan, CT
• Something in business. I love the business/practice management of optometry. — Diana Canto Sims, Buena Vista Optical, Chicago, IL
• Architect or Think Tank. — Scott Brase, OD, Island Family Eyecare, Bainbridge Island, WA
• I would be in academia doing research if I didn’t become an optometrist. If I were to change careers I would go into tech sales. — Susan Elizondo, OD, Westlake Hills Vision Center, Austin, TX
• A flower shop or coffee shop or bookstore … or maybe all three. — Kyla Skinner, Specs by Kyla, Atascadero, CA
• General surgeon. Don’t have the eye/hand coordination or the arrogance to follow that career path though. — Tom Brillante, OD, Decatur Eye Care, Atlanta, GA
• Project management. — Rialeigh Yoder, Sea Eye Care, Norfolk, VA
• Teaching sociology. — Whitney Head-Potter, Beatty Eyes, Missoula, MT
• Marketing, making funny commercials for iconic Super Bowl ads. — Tory Moore, OD, Dumas Vision Source, Dumas, TX
• I really can’t imagine working in any other industry. It’s such an extremely expansive experience. It’s HUGE, yet so small. — Justin Tenczar, JRT Optical, Troy, NY
• I would be a social worker. I have always had a heart for people. — Ann-Marie Weaver, Optimal Eye Care, Lewis Center, OH
• Painter/gallery owner. — Kathryn Collins, OD, Kissel Eye Care, Lititz, PA