Connection Series: Connecting Members to Leadership Ideas

Girl Bosses: Optical Industry Entrepreneurs

Based on the OWA book selection, #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso, creator/CEO of Nasty Gal, a panel of female entrepreneurs from the optical industry will explore and provide insight into how they decided to run their own business, the challenges they've faced; how they've turned those challenges into opportunities; and how they became Girl Bosses of their own.

Some of the quotes from the book that have inspired the questions for the panelist include:

• "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
• "When your goal is to gain experience, perspective and knowledge, failure is no longer a possibility. Failure is YOUR invention."
• "Things may come to those that wait, but only the things left by those that hustle."

If you've ever thought of being your own "Girl Boss" this event is a must. Even if you are not your own girl boss, you'll walk away with valuable insights that will inspire, inform and educate anyone in business, whether for themselves or others.

Panelists include the following:

Corianna Dotson and Brianna Dotson (Coco and Breezy)		Corinne McCormack (Corinne McCormack, Inc.)		Dr. Ann Rea Miller, OD (Visual Eyes)
	Kristin Ellsworth (Peeps Eyewear)		Jessica Butler (Eye Power Kids Wear)

The OWA greatly appreciates its partnership with International Vision Expo for generously providing event spaces and numerous other considerations for our events.

Launched in 2005 originally as the OWA Professional Optical Women's Workshops (POWW), this popular event has become an OWA "signature series" overseen by the OWA Events Committee. Its goal is to provide forums for OWA members to gather and network while gaining access to information geared toward moving them along their career path. The first Connection Series event — Seeing (Blind) Spots? Men and Women Working Together — was held in September 2014.

Connection Series events will be listed on the OWA Events page, and registration links / additional details for upcoming events can be found here.

Learn more about our most recent events here:

• The RALLY Mentality (2023)
• Be Bold. Be Visible. Be Unstoppable. (2022)
• The White House Doctor (2021)
• The Art of Hello (2020)
• Brave Leadership (2019)
• Earning It (2018)
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) (2017)
• Girl Bosses: Optical Industry Entrepreneurs (2016)
• Getting Four Generations Working Together (2015)
• Seeing (Blind) Spots? Men and Women Working Together (2014)
• The Chopra Center for Wellbeing's "Mindfulness in the Workplace" (2013)
• Taking the Challenge: Eating Healthier . . . On the Job, On the Road, and On the Go (2012)
• Pathways to Success (2011)
• Secrets of The Successful Optical Woman (2010)

Topics for past events include:

• When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Back to Basics!
• The Lost Art of Writing
• Peak Performance — Communicating at Your Highest Level
• Strategies for Dealing with Difficult People
• Leadership Skills for Professional Women
• How to Meet 1500 People at Lunch

For more information on these informative and energizing workshops or to request program topics, please contact our Events Committee Co-Chairs, Courtney Myers at and Beverly Bianes at .