Why I Decided To Join The Optical Women’s Association

March 3, 2022

In light of myself being the current featured member of the Optical Women’s Association, I thought I would share why I decided to become a member. The optical world is very small, yet very large.

I like to always be busy doing something, but simply blogging wasn’t filling up my cup. I wanted to reach more types of people, to learn from them and with them, and provide value where I could.

I was a guest on the OWA Talks podcast (September 2021) prior to becoming a member and the entire process, the “vibe” felt like my people. Here I am now talking with incredible women with whom I have tremendous professional respect for, and we just clicked. Every. Single. Person. I have interacted with, who is an OWA member, has been nothing short of amazing. Imagine an exciting group project where everyone actually does their part. No one has ever made me feel like an outsider or lesser than, despite being simply an optician in a town full of cows.

The nearly a thousand members are of the widest range of women in the industry. This network is full of valuable talent that all strive to raise the bar and keep our industry strong.

There are many Advisory Groups and Committees that members can join. If you’re interested I would recommend reading about each one to see if it would be a good fit. You can join one or two, or all of them, depending on the time you have.

Here are a few other points about what they do:

The OWA hosted a variety of virtual events with a wide range of topics: developing a circle of support, “pillars of fitness”, work cultures, panel discussions, book chats, crafts, and cooking!

The OWA Talks monthly podcast interviews featured a great lineup of industry leaders.
Newly launched, the OWA Connects Blog
Offering a delicious way to connect, the monthly Food for Thought videos and recipes celebrate the traditions and diversity of our members.
Leadership Scholarships were presented to nine deserving women!