Professional Development

6 Steps to Become a Chief Vision Officer

By Jennifer L. Stewart, OD

Sept. 23, 2020

Being a practice leader means something different to every optometrist. For me, when it came time to launch my sports vision practice, it meant taking the lead, not only in day-to-day operations, but in envisioning the practice’s future. Here is why I am a “chief vision officer,” and not a “president” or “CEO.”

Seize a Vision for How You Want to Serve Patients
Sports vision has always been my passion, and bringing this to life was my “vision.” My role is the “ideas” person at Performance 20/20. I am always thinking of ways to improve and adapt!

Keep Your Focus on Continuous Improvement
At Performance 20/20, one of my main duties is thinking of ways to continuously evolve, change and adapt. I spend time networking with coaches, parents and other athletic and health-care professionals. I am the point person for communicating with parents and athletes.

I also work to advise and educate industry professionals in the field of sports and performance vision through consulting, speaking, writing and as an Advisory Board Member for the International Sports Vision Association.

Work ON the Practice, Not Just IN It
I make time to schedule the work that needs to be done. I am a list person (on paper), so I make a list throughout the week of things that need to be done, people who I need to speak with and other tasks. I make sure everything on my list gets crossed off. I need to shut my home office door and give myself uninterrupted time to work–even this spring and summer when my family was home.

Scheduling time for yourself is important, and a must! I schedule my workouts as well – there are times that I need to be by myself to get work done, and to keep myself motivated.

Keep Your Perspective Fresh
Having a great group of colleagues who are interested in sports vision and have different types of practices keeps it fun. The field is constantly evolving, and the technology that continues to evolve makes the field exciting.

I was fortunate to present at the International Sports Vision Conference in February 2020, and it was such a fantastic event. There were sports vision practitioners from all over the world, in different settings and with different interests. Presenting to them, fielding their questions and spending time chatting in between classes and at the exhibit hall was a great way to meet other people who have similar interests. I always find attending conferences and meetings to be refreshing, exciting and motivating!

Use Your Creativity & Imagination
When we started Performance 20/20, there were few, if any, standalone sports vision practices. We didn’t want to incorporate sports vision training into a traditional optometry office, but instead open a high-tech, niche training facility that was different than anything out there. We invested early on in the newest sports vision technology that was available, often being the first handful of practices in the country to use the equipment.

We decided to make a large investment into the training facility to start, and add as we went along. We also started from scratch in our reputation. Few, if any people have an idea what sports vision is or why it is important for their sport. We were creative in contacting coaches and parents, hosting demo days, presenting to camps and groups, setting up clinics for teams, and working with other health-care providers. Part of the fun of a niche practice is being able to write your own story- there is no right or wrong way to do anything! And if something doesn’t go as planned, make a change and continue. It is all a learning experience.

As a sports vision consultant, I work with optometrists and other professionals to build the sports vision practice of their dreams. Everyone’s dreams are different. What works/worked for me doesn’t always mean it is the right path for someone else. And other settings, locations and business opportunities may have options that wouldn’t have been possible for us.

Take a Collaborative Approach
Performance 20/20 is a collaboration of my dreams and vision and my husband’s planning and operations experience. We share the management of our team, dividing recruitment, training and management. I tend to spend more time on the training–why are we doing this? How does it work? How can we adapt training programs and exercises to different athletes and sports?

I approach our training from a vision science perspective, and give our staff the basics in why we are here and my thought process. I bring the visual background, while our trainers bring the sports and training background. Our programs are a collaboration between all of us to blend science and sports and customize plans to different athletes.

When we started Performance 20/20, we found a great location inside a hockey facility. However, I had zero experience or knowledge of hockey. Our first hire was a hockey goalie coach whom I met while Performance 20/20 was still a dream. I shared with him my vision, goals and ideas, and he shared how he thought our training could help hockey players, especially goalies. He was with us before day one and was great to bounce ideas off about equipment, coaches, training programs and other aspects of our new practice.

No business person is an island; especially in a niche practice. Sharing ideas, visions and blending different experiences really can help a business be more successful.

Jennifer Stewart, OD, is a partner in Norwalk Eye Care in Norwalk, Conn. She also is founder and chief vision officer of Performance 20/20, a sports vision training center in Stamford, Conn. To contact her: jen.stewart@perform2020.com 

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