OWA Talks Podcast

Are you looking to develop a sustainable career while also achieving balance in your life? Join us for this month's podcast, where we'll discuss the challenges a lot of busy women face in today’s fast-paced world. Discover powerful strategies to shape a more satisfying career and to stay on top of your craft. We'll explore how intentional leadership, networking, and professional development can help you achieve your goals. Make the most of your time and develop a plan that will help you thrive both professionally and personally.

About the guest: Kristen Tischler is an accomplished leader with over 15 years of professional experience. She is currently the Vice President of Global Marketing for Advancing Eyecare, managing many of the most trusted brands in ophthalmic instrumentation.
Kristen began her career working for a prominent ad agency in New York City, building digital marketing programs for companies such as SC Johnson and Zipcar. She went on to hold a series of marketing roles in the financial services sector, including investment banking, financial technology, and wealth management.
Kristen joined the optical industry in 2017 with Lombart Instrument and Innova Medical. Since then, she has successfully integrated several additional leading equipment brands including Marco Ophthalmic, Ophthalmic Instruments, Santinelli International, and others—collectively known as Advancing Eyecare. With a passion for digital marketing, she launched e-commerce, email marketing, paid search, search engine optimization, digital consumer engagement, and lead generation activities across the organization.
As the Vice President of Global Marketing, she now manages an international team supporting ophthalmic equipment brands across the Americas. She is passionate about building performance-based teams and fostering an adaptive culture through collaboration, innovation, and continuous growth. Kristen was named as one of Vision Monday's "Most Influential Women in Optical" in 2022.
She currently lives in Virginia Beach with her husband, Chris, young son, and rescue pup. Kristen spends her free time staying active through Crossfit, running, and sand volleyball competitions. She is a former collegiate and professional athlete, and volunteers year-round for her favorite non-profit supporting the health and wellness of first responders.

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Throughout her career, Sherianne James has worked with household brands, including some of the most recognized brands in the world. As chief marketing officer and senior vice president of Wholesale Marketing at EssilorLuxottica North America, Sherianne works with the most recognized brands in our industry. Join us to learn more about the importance of growing recognized, trusted brands – including your own.

About the guest: Sherianne James is an accomplished leader with over 25 years of marketing experience. She leads EssilorLuxottica's combined commercial marketing efforts across North America, including both its eyewear and lens brands.
Sherianne started her career at Kraft Foods, where she managed several iconic consumer brands such as Kraft Singles. After Kraft, she led the marketing organization of Black & Decker Small Appliances. She came into the optical industry by way of Transitions, leading the marketing organization through the integration with Essilor and eventually becoming CMO of Essilor of America in 2017. Sherianne has been a board member of The Vision Council since 2018 and has been named twice to Vision Monday's "Most Influential Women in Optical" list.

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Alysse Henkel of The Vision Council shares differentiation points on Market inSights from other industry tools. Launched in December, our co-hosts chat the report learnings with Alysse and hear about Vision Council prep ahead of Vision Expo East.

About the guest: Alysse is responsible for establishing data management systems and policies to enable complex analysis of large data sets, developing robust market modeling sources and systems, and communicating relevant insights that can contribute to actionable and strategic business recommendations.
An experienced researcher and evaluator who works with leaders to help them make data-driven decisions, Henkel launched her career at Goodwill Industries International, where she spent 10 years leading efforts to overhaul the organization’s national data collection and reporting systems and creating new opportunities to analyze the impact of the organization’s programs and services. More recently, she was selected as a Data Fellow with the Strategic Data Project at the Center for Education Policy and Research at Harvard University. During the two-year fellowship, she worked with an urban school district to help build their data analysis capacity and improve their data visualization and reporting. 
Henkel holds an undergraduate degree in anthropology, sociology, and German from Lafayette College and a master’s degree in public policy from George Washington University.

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As we launch 2023 Daniel Wakefield, renowned photographer chats reflecting your personal brand in a business profile. Hear the importance of capturing genuine expression to best present the face you show the business world. Daniel also chats thoughts on capturing video content to use in ever-changing marketing needs.

About the guest: Daniel Wakefield, Owner/Photographer of Top-Tier Headshots, started life in Canada but lived in several areas in the U.S. growing up. Daniel and his wife Bethany moved to south Florida in 2015, and it was there that his passion for wildlife photography was born. Daniel's wildlife work has been published in several books and magazines, and he has won awards in several prestigious wildlife photography competitions, including Top 100 in Audubon Bird Photography, 2018, and Top 15 in Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year, 2020.
Daniel is renowned for his skill in photographing people and capturing genuine expression. Early in his photographic journey, Daniel recognized that people often have very forced expressions when you tell them to "smile." However, when the photographer can get people to relax in front of the camera, not only do they enjoy the experience more, they also come away with images that showcase their genuine expressions.
This interest in capturing genuine expression was heightened when Daniel began training with Peter Hurley and his Headshot crew. Peter is widely considered to be the best headshot photographer in the world, and learning from him took Daniel's headshot photography to the next level. Daniel is an Associate Photographer of Peter Hurley and a two-time Headshot of the Week winner. In July 2022, Daniel Wakefield opened his brand-new commercial studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Daniel lives in Deerfield Beach, Florida with Bethany and their four beautiful children.

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Sara Osculati, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that has helped Thélios become a major luxury player in the  eyewear market. Thélios is the eyewear expert within LVMH Group (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), World leader in Luxury with a portfolio of over 75 luxury brands.

Hear Sara talk through her vision of a bright future as Thélios successfully builds on their story in the U.S. market. Sara also shares her best advice for the ladies of the OWA.

Sara Osculati a graduate of Bocconi University in Milan has been working in the Eyewear industry for almost 20 years. Ms. Osculati has held various leadership positions managing large teams, including Eyewear Department Director for Dior from 2012 – 2017. As head of the Dior Eyewear department, Sara’s achievements placed eyewear among the central categories in the Maison’s strategy, federating all stakeholders from Creative Direction to Retail, on the importance of this category as a powerful tool in Business Development. 

As Chief Brand & Product Officer for Thélios since 2017, Ms. Osculati is counted among the founding members of Thélios. Along with the co-founders, she built up the company from scratch, bringing in her unique expertise in the luxury eyewear industry. Sara has responsibility for a large team composed of brand management, design, communication, retail management and product development. Additionally, Sara oversees the partnerships with all the Maisons in Thélios

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As one of 2021’s Most Influential Women in Optical, Dr. Valerie Sheety-Pilon has a rich heritage and background with Optometry and Ophthalmology. Dr. Val joins OWA Talks to chat elevating eye exams and strategic initiatives she is working on with VSP and the industry.

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Amy Hendrick is the Business Development Manager for GPN Technologies and EDGEPro. Her 15 years experience in the optical industry began at a LASIK surgery center, where she found passion in educating patients on the surgery process, easing their fears and facilitating their life changing surgery. She went on to work in a private practice for 8 years, learning the business and filling almost every role at some point during her tenure. She found joy in educating patients about their eye health, giving personalized care, and making them feel seen and heard. This experience led to her current position with GPN Technologies, where she helps doctors and practice managers clearly understand their business trends and areas of opportunity to increase revenue. In her downtime, Amy enjoys the Virginia Beach coastline with her family and two beloved doggies. 

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Ashley Mills is CEO of The Vision Council, the industry association serving as a global voice for eyewear and eyecare that represents companies in diverse segments of the optical industry. Mills will discuss The Vision Council’s efforts to foster a sense of strong community within the industry, curate opportunities for members to connect and forge new relationships and ultimately, promote industry growth.

Additionally, as co-owner of Vision Expo, The Vision Council is busy preparing for Vision Expo West, taking place September 14-17.  Mills will share what to look forward to in 

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Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to rethink how we work together, and how our behaviors and actions have an impact on others. Bidisha will share her personal story on how developing and leveraging soft skills are crucial for a positive and collaborative work environment.

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