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Sandbox Stories are delivered to the eye care industry by Dr. Scott Jens, whose career as a Doctor of Optometry, then Software Founder/CEO, has led him to create "The Sandbox" - a playful, thoughtful executive business coaching service. Through Sandbox Stories, Dr. Jens aims to give anyone involved in eye care a provocative, insightful review of perspectives of, and people in, the industry.
Episodes

Monday Jul 10, 2023
Sandbox Story - Interview of Dr. John Potter
Monday Jul 10, 2023
Monday Jul 10, 2023
Dr. John Potter is a true treasure to the profession. A graduate of the Indiana University School of Optometry, he has been at the forefront of every major evolutionary step in Optometry over the last fifty years. After all of his time in Optometry, he used his intellectual basis to move into an entirely different career as an educator - now serving as clinical associate professor of dispute resolution and conflict management at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
The Stories within the Story include:
1:20 The Gradeschool Essay Story
2:50 The IU Story
3:53 The IU Legends Story
5:18 The Dr. Irv Borish Story
9:06 The Mentor Story
11:45 The Push to Education Story
13:30 The Naval Optometry Story
19:55 The Treatment of a Foreign Body Story
22:36 The Dr. Henry Peters “Diagnosis” Story
34:40 The Therapeutics Story
36:07 The Dr. David Sullins Story
39:36 The Laser Vision Treatment Story
55:00 The Patient Advocacy Services Story
59:00 The Conflict Resolution Career Story
1:09:26 The 1990’s Eye Exam Assessment Story
1:13:51 The Caring for Others Story
Run time: 1 hr 17 min

Wednesday May 31, 2023
Sandbox Story - Interview of Dr. Vince Brandys
Wednesday May 31, 2023
Wednesday May 31, 2023
Dr. Vince Brandys has translated a Chicago upbringing in a family that served the community into a career in Optometry that has included deep involvement in professional advocacy. His words of encouragement to his colleagues to step up their support of the profession are to be heard by all.

Monday Mar 27, 2023
Monday Mar 27, 2023
In semi-retirement, I built a spec home in Orlando to get away from Wisconsin's winters. In this Sandbox Story, you'll get perspective of how my experiences taught me something about how optometry might better manage its business to focus on the expectations of its customers.
Run time: 7 min 30 sec

Saturday Feb 11, 2023
Sandbox Story - Interview of Dr. Araba Otoo
Saturday Feb 11, 2023
Saturday Feb 11, 2023
Dr. Araba Otoo received the 2022 Student of the Year Award from the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA.) She has started her practice career in a residency in the VA system, and is motivated to drive a global ocular wellness mindset into the profession. As a child in Ghana, she malingered to get glasses when she was very young. Her impressionable mind was pushed toward eyecare due to seeing her parents experience eye issues. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Optometry and she also has an MPH from the University of Illinois - Chicago, all as a result of a journey that found her involved in a cancer research lab when her family moved to Chicago. Her story involves a lot of surprises that did not turn out as she had planned.
The Stories within the Story include:
0:58 The Ghana Story
2:34 The Love of Cooking Story
3:59 The Malingerer Story
8:32 The Family’s Eyecare Story
14:45 The Chicago Story
36:11 The Not My Way Story
37:02 The AOSA Student of the Year Story
44:05 The Optometry as Public Health Story
49:29 The Future Story
Runtime: 54 min.

Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
Sandbox Story - Interview with Jay Binkowitz
Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
Jay Binkowitz has used deep business acumen to drive a number of differentiated businesses into the eye care industry. His path into the optical business led to building the most powerful data dashboard in the industry, EDGEPro.
The Stories within the Story include:
1:01 The Upbringing Story
5:45 The Hustle Story
8:30 The Optical Story
14:28 The Software Story
22:08 The Consolidator Story
26:14 The Charity Story
30:19 The Best Advice Story
Runtime: 35 min.

Monday Aug 08, 2022
Sandbox Story - Interview of Lynn Lawrence
Monday Aug 08, 2022
Monday Aug 08, 2022
Lynn Lawrence is a career Optometric Technician, starting that role as part of a thirty-plus year career in the Air Force, and has built a consulting business for the eye care industry which teaches leadership. His commitment to the profession is to drive advancement through learning, certification, and thoughtful leadership.
The Stories within the Story Include:
1:08 The St. Louis Upbringing Story
3:38 The Family Military Service Story
6:20 The Deployment Story
10:49 The Ophthalmic Technician Story
14:52 The AOA Certification Story
21:23 The Mental Health Story
25:11 The Leadership Consultant Story
30:27 The Faith and Joy Story
32:45 The Best Advice Story
Runtime: 34 min.

Monday Jun 06, 2022
Sandbox Story - Interview of Dr. Bob Layman
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Dr. Bob Layman has been the AOA President from June 2021 through June 2022. This interview is the first one done with a sitting President of the AOA, and some of his best views are shared about how optometry must be politically thoughtful and mindful to stay successful. Most importantly, Bob’s true humility and drive toward service shines through.
The Stories within the Story Include:
1:16 The Toledo Story
2:43 The Mental Health Story
5:11 The Path to Optometry Story
8:23 The OSU Optometry Story
9:33 The Optometry Volunteerism Story
11:01 The Optometry Practice Story
12:22 The Optometric Association Story
15:18 The Optometry Advocacy Story
17:08 The AOA Presidency Story
20:14 The Family Story
21:14 The Scoutmaster Story
22:46 The AOA Leadership Institute Story
24:26 The Car Nut Story
25:22 The Best Advice Story

Monday May 09, 2022
Sandbox Story - Interview of Dr. NateLighthizer
Monday May 09, 2022
Monday May 09, 2022
A North Dakotan, Dr. Nate Lighthizer has an incredible story about how he grew up doing fishing trips with his family, as well as participating in sports as a kid. After graduating from Pacific University College of Optometry, he advanced his career to his current position on faculty at Northeastern State University College of Optometry in Tallequah, OK. Dr. Lighthizer has had a tremendous impact on the profession by leading national courses on advanced optometric procedures, and his many Stories give motivation to all of us to continue to pursue higher levels of patient care.
The Stories behind the Story include:
0:56 The North Dakotan Story
1:47 The Family Story
2:52 The Power of Athletics Story
4:07 The Canadian Fishing Story
5:40 The Influence to Optometry Story
6:47 The Pacific Education Story
10:08 The Path to Being an Educator Story
11:48 The State Legislative Process Story
14:24 The Cherokee Nation Relationship Story
16:50 The Advancement of an OD’s Mind Story
18:20 The Football Fandom Story
19:23 The Vicarious Pilot Story
20:18 The Optometry Lecturer Story
22:55 The Optometry Applicants Story
24:50 The Best Advice Story

Wednesday Mar 16, 2022
Sandbox Story - Interview of Lex Hendrix
Wednesday Mar 16, 2022
Wednesday Mar 16, 2022
Simply put, Lex is a deeply caring human being. I've never met anyone, young or old, who is as able to connect with others as Lex does. He's autistic, transgender, and loving. This Sandbox Story has life lessons in it for every one of us.
The Stories within the Story include:
1:11 The Disney College Program Story
3:33 The Kentucky Upbringing Story
5:05 The Being Autistic Story
9:12 The Power of Identity-First Language Story
14:36 The Transgender Person Story
21:49 The Future Educator Story
24:07 The Mister Rogers Story
29:42 The #LoveLikeLex Story
Runtime: 43 min.

Thursday Feb 10, 2022
Sandbox Story - Interview of Dr. Sue Cotter
Thursday Feb 10, 2022
Thursday Feb 10, 2022
Dr. Sue Cotter is faculty at the Southern California College of Optometry, on the Board of the American Academy of Optometry, and co-chair of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group of the NIH. This Sandbox Story covers her views on optometric education as well as gives insights on her life's joys.
The Stories Within the Story Include:
0:58 The PMMA Lenses Story
3:44 The Educator Story
8:56 The Education Advancement Story
10:43 The SCCO Story
12:12 The Research Story
15:11 The Residency Story
19:30 The Travel Story
22:14 The AAO Story
24:22 The Impact Story
25:14 The Book Story
26:48 The Advice Story
Runtime: 30 min.