Becoming an Optician: Ric Peralta, BS, ABOC
What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? Like teaching this is a field where the successful members are driven by a desire to help people. If you have a passion for improving others’ lives, then it’s a perfect place for you and the industry will be richer with you in it. Why should anyone get certified/licensed? I worked in the business for almost 30 years before getting my license. It creates a level
Becoming an Optician: Carissa Dunphy, ABOC
What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? For me, hands-on training was invaluable. Fortunately, while I was learning I worked in an office that had a wide variety of patients so I had real life examples of things I had to learn. It was much easier to learn the concept and how it was applied when I could see it in the lens or know the case from beginning to end. If you lack
Virtual Event for Aspiring Opticians
What’s next in your career journey? Hosted by Professor Shan Khan of Seneca College School of Opticians and Shelley Logan, Ontario Regional Sales for WestGroupe and OWA Canadian Membership Lead, this special event will feature an expert panel of industry professionals discussing post-graduation opportunities for a career in the optical industry. Registration Deadline: Monday, April 4, 2022 Read more about the event and RSVP here by emailing the host Optician Life After Graduation – Student Virtual Event Wednesday, April 6, 2022, 9:00 AM – 10:00
April 2022 Social Media Planner
We’re moving into quarter two! Keep up on your posts, I’ll help you along the way! Download the April social media planner to take out the guesswork of what to post. Content ideas can be used on any platform, especially Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Once you subscribe you’ll be able to download or print the April planner. You will also be emailed when future month’s planners are available.
Becoming An Optician Series
See a need, fill a need… One thing I have seen over and over again is people asking where to get optical knowledge. It’s simple to show you where you can get the information but truly learning is different. If you take a step back, everybody started somewhere and we all have taken different paths that got us to where we are today. I thought I would take advantage of the platform and readership I have built and share others’
Why I Decided To Join The Optical Women’s Association
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
March 2022 Social Media Planner
It’s the last month of the quarter, are you still keeping up with your social media posts? Download the March social media planner to take out the guesswork of what to post. Content ideas can be used on any platform, especially Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Once you subscribe you’ll be able to download or print the March planner. You will also be emailed when future month’s planners are available.
Be Included In My Monthly Column
A few months back I took over a column in INVISION Magazine called REAL DEAL. The concept is super cool and not like a typical column in any magazine. I write a scenarios that are inspired by true stories but are changed to sharpen the dilemmas involved. This story gets sent out by email and readers are asked to respond with their solutions to the said problem. The peer-sourced opinions/solutions are then collected and then later published with the original
February 2022 Social Media Planner
Keep 2022 going great by regularly posting on social media! Download the February social media planner to take out the guesswork of what to post. Content ideas can be used on any platform, especially Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Once you subscribe you’ll be able to download or print the February planner. You will also be emailed when future month’s planners are available.
Carissa on Cover of Latest ROWT Magazine
If you have not yet heard of ROWT Magazine, let me introduce you! ROWT stands for Reps and Opticians Working Together. It is a newer industry publication, this being the third issue. All of the content is written by opticians or reps, and all relating to our places within the industry. ROWT was founded by, you guessed it, a rep and an optician 🙂 I am honored to be on the cover of this third issue, and I also have
T-Shirt Collaboration with EyeLoveLifeDesigns
I’ve teamed up with Dr. Nickell, who runs her own Etsy shop, EyeLoveLifeDesigns, to bring you this custom shirt that I designed! The shirt is available in: 10 colors 6 sizes $20.99 – $22.99 Get the shirt in your fav color here: EyeLoveLifeDesigns x OpticianNow Shirt
January 2022 Social Media Planner
Start the new year out right by upping your social media game! Download the January social media planner to take out the guesswork of what to post. Content ideas can be used on any platform, especially Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Once you subscribe you’ll be able to download or print the January planner. You will also be emailed when future month’s planners are available.
December 2021 Social Media Planner
Take the guesswork out of what to post! Whether you post daily, weekly or sporadically, this social media planner has prompts every day for a whole month! Content ideas can be used on any platform, especially Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Once you subscribe you’ll be able to download or print the December planner. You will also be emailed when future month’s planners are available.
Opto Holiday Gift Guide
I’ve gathered my most favorite people in the eyecare industry who have products that make fantastic gift ideas! Eye Love Life Designs is my most favorite optical shop with a wide variety of the most creative eye themed gifts! Eye Power Kids offers a variety of clever hand painted and 3-D printed optical gift ideas. OpticalGifts.com finds all of the best optical gifts on Amazon and curates them all on the one website! The Octician (an Optician) illustrates
November 2021 Social Media Planner
Whether you post daily, weekly or sporadically, this social media planner has prompts every day for a whole month! Take the guesswork out of what to post! Content ideas can be used on any platform, especially Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Once you subscribe you’ll be able to download or print the November planner. You will also be emailed when future month’s planners are available.
New Optician & Frame Rep Magazine
Reps and Opticians Working Together (ROWT) The backstory: One idea and a blossoming friendship turned into a waterfall of brainstorming when Mikki who is a frame rep, and Chelsea, who is the owner of her own online independent frame company met on Instagram in late winter 2020. Mikki began her career transition from Certified Ophthalmic Assistant to Territory Sales Frame Rep in July 2020 with no background in sales, just a love for eyes. Coming into a new career in the
Optical Women Assoc. Podcast Guest
I was very fortunate to have been a guest on OWA Talks, the monthly podcast for the Optical Women’s Association. As a longtime listener of the podcast and member of the OWA, I was excited to share my experiences with their listeners. Listen to the episode Find out more about the Optical Women’s Association
October 2021 Social Media Planner
Take the guesswork out of what to post! Whether you post daily, weekly or sporadically, this social media planner has prompts every day for a whole month! Content ideas can be used on any platform, especially Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Once you subscribe you’ll be able to download or print the October planner. You will also be emailed when future month’s planners are available.
My Experience Creating a CE Course
After I created my first CE course I was reflecting on all of the things I had learned during the process… not to mention all of the content I had come up with to put into the course. I came up with so many great things that I thought it would be a great idea to share with others! Take a look at the process and what I learned by reading my article at Women in Optometry.
September 2021 Social Media Planner
Whether you post daily, weekly or sporadically, this social media planner has prompts every day for a whole month! Take the guesswork out of what to post! Content ideas can be used on any platform, especially Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Once you subscribe you’ll be able to download or print the September planner. You will also be emailed when future month’s planners are available.
Win These ABO & NCLE / NACOR Study Guides
Modern Optician is giving away his Eyeglass Dispensing Study Guide AND Contact Lens Study Guide AND Cheat Sheets so you can study to prepare for the ABO / NCLE / NACOR exams! The contest runs through 7/31/2021. You can enter here on Instagram or on Facebook – or on both to increase your odds!
Take My New ABO CE, For Free!
I’ve been working on an ABO CE for a while now, and it is finally complete and ready for you to take! If you want to see more CE’s, visit the Continuing Education page. Take Optician Now’s free ABO CE here Course Authored By: Carissa Dunphy, ABOC, FNAO. This course is supported by an unrestricted education grant from Shamir (Optical Industry Ltd.)
Join in on Project #MyFavoriteGlasses
I’m starting a project for all of the Instagrammer’s out there. This will be a collaborative effort for those in the Optical industry to share their own favorite glasses. The photos will be gathered and shared as collections industry wide. Here is how you can participate: Take a look through the gallery of submissions that were published in INVISION Magazine: Eyecare Pros Show Off Their Absolute Favorite Glasses More coming soon so check back!
Get Updates by Email
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Interview: Northwest Frame Repair
Northwest Frame Repair is THE go-to for any kind of frame repair or re-finishing. In an online setting, anytime frame repair advice is sought, these guys are ALWAYS recommended. I personally use NFR for repairs at my office that need to be sent out, and I would recommend them to anyone. Tiffany not only does exceptional work, but she’s also an Optician so she truly understands the logistics behind what she’s doing. Take a look at some of the things