shutterstock_2300345713

Brilliance in Balance (Women in Optometry)

Dr. Jennifer Stewart has mastered the art of work-life balance while making groundbreaking strides in optometry and sports vision

Being able to pursue a career you love is remarkable, but achieving a healthy work-life balance takes it to another level. Dr. Jennifer Stewart, the latest optometrist featured in our Women in Optometry series, has successfully achieved both goals and more in her career.

Have you ever thought about those rare moments in life when one little event or a chance encounter ends up having a profound influence on the course of your life? These little random moments are what make life worth living, proving that life isn’t predetermined and we don’t have to conform to societal roles.

For Dr. Jennifer Stewart, the founder of Look New Canaan (New Canaan, Connecticut, USA) and a prominent figure in the American sports vision industry, one such chance encounter led to an exceptional career.

A chance encounter leads to a stellar career

Dr. Stewart is internationally recognized as a speaker, writer, consultant, and educator. She also serves as the editor of Independent Strong and is an adjunct assistant professor at the New England College of Optometry (NECO). Her private practice and professional career all trace back to one serendipitous encounter.

“I was pre-med in college and was having trouble deciding what career I wanted to pursue. I looked at veterinary medicine, physical therapy, medical school, chiropractic school, but not optometry! A chance encounter with my next-door neighbor (who was my OD) turned into an opportunity to shadow him—and the rest is history,” shared Dr. Stewart.

“I then started at NECO in 2003 and absolutely loved optometry school! The coursework was rigorous but I had amazing professors and classmates and really enjoyed learning,” she continued. “At that moment, it seemed to take forever, but I felt well prepared and excited to start seeing patients once I graduated!”

Optometry is an incredible, wonderful field for women. “I have been so fortunate in my private practice to build a business that supports me financially, professionally, and personally,” Dr. Stewart enthused. “Women can feel pulled in many directions, especially as mothers, and we don’t often get the flexibility other careers have. That’s why building a private practice that is focused on the work-life balance has been so powerful.”

Empowerment through balance

The search for finding the ideal work-life balance is something that challenges many women in optometry. While the field is close to achieving gender equality overall, cultural expectations still predominantly favor a male-centered definition of the ideal work-life balance in wider society.

However, Dr. Stewart has been able to achieve this. According to her, the key is finding the right optometric specialty

A self-confessed sports fanatic, Dr. Steward realized that there wasn’t much support for people like herself who wanted to specialize in sports vision. Highlighting her rolled-up sleeves and can-do attitude, she dedicated herself to developing sports optometry as a specialized field. An old adage, ‘If you love your job, you never have to work again,’ is something that Dr. Stewart exemplifies.

“I have always been and still am an athlete, so I was always interested in finding a way to combine my love of sports with a profession,” she said. “I was excited to learn about the field of sports vision as a first-year student at NECO. I was also the co-founder of the NECO Performance Vision Club, which has now grown significantly.”

After optometry school, Dr. Stewart kept her interest in sports vision but was busy learning to see patients. Then she joined her former practice as an associate and, eventually, partner. “But I always had put sports vision on the back burner,” she added. “And in 2015, I decided it was time to start Performance 20/20, my sports vision practice.”

Over the years, Dr. Stewart’s involvement in sports vision has also evolved, keeping it both fun and interesting. “I’m no longer working with athletes in person but I have developed a comprehensive online sports vision practice for optometrists, teach a sports vision course at NECO, and continue to advocate and promote the field,” she shared.

An incredible field, an exciting future

Her ability to strike the ideal worklife balance has allowed Dr. Stewart to focus on another passion of hers: Public speaking. While she loves discussing her work in sportsfocused optometry, Dr. Stewart is also passionate about speaking on day-to-day operations, optical success, contact lens sales, practice management, and other related topics. No matter the subject or particular engagement, she retains the same goal: Making a positive change among her audience.

“I always hope that attendees leave with one pearl of wisdom or are inspired to make one change after hearing me speak. If you’ve ever been to one of my presentations, you know I love to give homework! For me, it’s not enough just to provide information. I want attendees to have real, concrete steps and action items for when they get back to their practices,” Dr. Stewart enthused.

Attitudes like Dr. Stewart’s highlight the bright future for optometry, both for herself and the broader field. At 43 years old, she has already received considerable recognition from her peers, including the Emerging Leader Award from the OWA, the GameChanger Award from Eyecare Business, and the Theia Award for Innovation from Women in Optometry.

New Look Canaan, her newly opened boutique optical studio, is performing very well. Her enthusiasm for both her current accomplishments and her future plans is palpable.

“I opened Look New Canaan in February 2024, so I look forward to seeing what we are capable of! I am excited to continue providing advisory and consulting work through my firm, OD Perspectives, and while I may be traveling a bit less this year, I never know what events I’ll be at, especially if they are located at Disney World,” she enthused.

Optometry continues to be such an incredibly rewarding field and is always evolving. “Women have such an opportunity to carve out the career we want, and that brings us joy and purpose. My best advice for those looking to enter optometry school is to do it and don’t look back,” concluded Dr. Stewart.

KUDOS   WIO   Dr. Jennifer Stewart

Dr. Jennifer Stewart, OD

is an optometrist, internationally recognized speaker, writer, consultant, and entrepreneur. She is the founder and chief vision officer of Look New Canaan, a boutique private practice in New Canaan, CT, USA. She helps optometrists and organizations with operations, sales success, practice management, and sales team training through her advisory and consulting firm, OD Perspectives. Dr. Stewart is the co-founder and chief vision officer for Performance 20/20, which provides services for sports and performance vision training. She serves on the Executive Board of the International Sports Vision Association and provides consulting for sports vision practitioners around the world.

[Email: jen.stewart@perform2020.com]

 

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments