OWA's second Unplugged Retreat was held in Charleston, SC, at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, and was sponsored by Bausch + Lomb and Zyloware. Attendance was deliberately held to about 35 OWA members, and the purpose of the retreat was to provide an opportunity to "unplug", connect, recharge, relax, and be truly present in the moment, while also laying the groundwork for future retreat planning.
Under the leadership of Connection & Enrichment Committee members Kathy Cruz, Dr. Beverly Bianes, Mary Lanning Jones, Linda Laube, Debbie Myres, and committee chairs Susan Ludwick and Janna Neal, the weekend greatly exceeded all expectations!
The retreat began late Friday afternoon with a welcome reception, followed by an in-person Fireside Chat, complete with s'mores. Saturday highlights included yoga/Pilates, a "favorite things" icebreaker, an OWA Reads book discussion, and a very special bonding event that brought members together through shared experiences and personal stories. A Sunday walk and breakfast wrap-up concluded the weekend gathering. Attendees went home feeling enriched, inspired, transformed, and very grateful to have been part of this incredible experience!
A big thank you also goes out to the companies who provided wonderful mementos of this extraordinary weekend to all attendees: Bausch + Lomb, Claudia Alan, ClearVision, Lafont, Silhouette, Tura, Visual Inspirations, and Zyloware.
You may click on any photograph to download a high-resolution version. And be sure to check out what some of the attendees had to say!
This OWA Unplugged retreat was a transformative and empowering experience, providing a much-needed space for rejuvenation, reflection, and bonding new friends in our industry.
The OWA Unplugged retreat was an amazing weekend defined by women supporting women, bonding and personal growth. In just three short days, I was able to make what I hope to be life-long connections with women of all ages and backgrounds. While we share love for the optical industry, we took away the business aspect and found community in our shared life experiences.
I absolutely loved every moment of the OWA Unplugged Retreat! It was a wonderful, intimate opportunity to connect with other women in the optical industry, share our stories and challenges, celebrate our successes, and show support for one another.
Meeting the women at the retreat has truly impacted my heart. The beauty, vulnerability, strength and trust shared so quickly was nothing I have experienced. I cherish each and every moment being unplugged.
The support and relationships you walk away from these events with is mind blowing.
The OWA Retreat was the time I needed to both pause and strategize to sharpen my own skills and priorities to be better in my personal and professional life. I was running at such a fast pace prior to the retreat, and due to purposely taking the time for the retreat, I am in a much better place to give my time to my colleagues and network. I would remind all women in optometry to make sure you are supporting yourself. The OWA Retreat, all the networking, the new connections, the discussions are vital to me being a better version of myself. I will purposely make time to better myself on a regular/strategic basis going forward. Thanks OWA!
I know how much work goes into every detail of these types of events and it is truly remarkable how much dedication the committee has.
So fortunate to have the OWA and the UnPlugged! Retreat where I was able to make meaningful connections with other women in the industry.
