Saturday, May 3, 2025

Why I Chose to Share What I Know: Honoring the Optician’s Craft and Elevating the Whole Team

For decades, opticianry was a profession passed down through apprenticeship. If you wanted to become an optician, you didn’t take a shortcut—you studied under a master, learned the science behind optics, perfected your hand skills, and built the ability to guide patients with precision and empathy. It was a craft, and it took time to master.


I was lucky to be shaped by that tradition.


But times have changed.


Today’s optical business no longer supports the apprenticeship model that once defined our field. Practices are under pressure: staff are expensive and hard to find, and the patient expectations keep rising. Meanwhile, the people supporting eye care professionals (ECPs)—from opticians and ophthalmic techs to front desk staff and optical sales teams—are being asked to perform with confidence, speed, and expertise from day one.


That’s why I chose to share what I know.



From Legacy to Leverage



The old model of learning slowly no longer fits the pace or economics of today’s practices. But the need for mastery hasn’t gone away—it’s only become more urgent. My mission is to help scale the wisdom of the apprenticeship model so it can empower entire teams: opticians, techs, receptionists, and everyone in between.


Because patients don’t differentiate between roles—they just want to feel seen, heard, and helped.


When your team is trained well, you don’t just reduce errors.

You reduce friction.

You elevate the experience.



Training Everyone Who Supports the Patient



Historically, only opticians were trained through formal apprenticeships. But today, every team member plays a role in patient care. A poorly handled benefits conversation at the front desk can cause as much frustration as a poor lens recommendation. A rushed pre-test experience can taint the entire visit, even if the exam is flawless.


Patients expect excellence across the board.

So let’s train for that—intentionally, and efficiently.



A New Era of Expectations



Modern patients are juggling more than ever. They’re conditioned by tech giants to expect everything to be fast, cheap, and easy. And thanks to online retailers, many believe they can get “the same thing” elsewhere for less.


What they don’t consider is the trade-off:

– No personalized fitting.

– No expert guidance.

– No problem-solving when something goes wrong.


Yet they still expect the same high quality—without understanding how that quality is achieved.


That’s why training matters. Because our teams are the only ones who can explain the difference between “just glasses” and vision solutions tailored to your life.



Scaling Knowledge, Building Value



By turning decades of optical knowledge into practical, modern training, I’m not just teaching skills—I’m building confidence. Helping practices train smarter. Helping teams speak with authority. Helping the industry hold the line on quality—even as the world speeds up around us.




Because when we train every team member like they matter—because they do—our patients feel it.

And when patients feel it, they stay.

That’s how we honor the past while building the future.