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1st Day of unemployment.

Anything related to matters of the mind

Vas87

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Due to local mandates, I am no longer employable in my profession of 10 years (optometrist). My current situation is I have low 6 figures in savings and a small mortgage, so in no huge need to find income. From previous threads I've started you may see that I've considered opening up my own optometry clinic (out of the question right now) to an automated ping pong place (still an option) to even developing real estate.

I've always wanted my own business yet my mind has been scattered on picking a niche/direction and the comfortable handcuffs of a healthcare salary were too much to overcome.

Having discovered and read @SteveO thread "One Trick Pony" (GOLD! - One Trick Pony) it put things in perspective. To build off what I already know, and yet all I know is to be an eye doc which appears to be a very narrow field. Any tips on overcoming this block?
 
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Antifragile

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The best way to overcome a block is by taking action. You said you wanted to be a RE Developer.
Could you start small? Could you find a small property to fix up and flip? “Fix up” could mean getting a new tenant! A cost of paint etc. Money can be syndicated.
Most of all, lean on your relationships to help you get going.
 

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Take a deep breath first. Give yourself a long moment before you make a decision as to your next direction. Sleep on it. Allow yourself to daydream. You need to give yourself some room to examine your heart. Then you need to look around and figure out what your options are. There is nothing instant about this process. As your shock wears off, you will have clearer thinking.
 

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Due to local mandates, I am no longer employable in my profession of 10 years (optometrist). My current situation is I have low 6 figures in savings and a small mortgage, so in no huge need to find income. From previous threads I've started you may see that I've considered opening up my own optometry clinic (out of the question right now) to an automated ping pong place (still an option) to even developing real estate.

I've always wanted my own business yet my mind has been scattered on picking a niche/direction and the comfortable handcuffs of a healthcare salary were too much to overcome.

Having discovered and read @SteveO thread "One Trick Pony" (GOLD! - One Trick Pony) it put things in perspective. To build off what I already know, and yet all I know is to be an eye doc which appears to be a very narrow field. Any tips on overcoming this block?
I’m with @WJK. Take a deep breath, talk it out with someone you trust, and go for long walks.

I’m also with @Antifragile in that baby steps is the way to move forward. Don’t do anything rash and lose your warchest. Nothing’s so bad you can’t make it worse by going off half-cocked.

How could you build on those skills and experience as an eye doc?

What do eye docs need that you could help them with? What do consumers need eye help with?

Also… is owning your own practice definitely ruled out?
 
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Nodus

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Due to local mandates, I am no longer employable in my profession of 10 years (optometrist). My current situation is I have low 6 figures in savings and a small mortgage, so in no huge need to find income. From previous threads I've started you may see that I've considered opening up my own optometry clinic (out of the question right now) to an automated ping pong place (still an option) to even developing real estate.

I've always wanted my own business yet my mind has been scattered on picking a niche/direction and the comfortable handcuffs of a healthcare salary were too much to overcome.

Having discovered and read @SteveO thread "One Trick Pony" (GOLD! - One Trick Pony) it put things in perspective. To build off what I already know, and yet all I know is to be an eye doc which appears to be a very narrow field. Any tips on overcoming this block?
Hello,

Former Healthcare worker & Healthcare investor here.

May I ask what country are you in? I suggest to stick to your core area of knownledge. For instance do you have connections to manufacturers of optometric devices?

I live in a country where a simple order of prescription RGP contact lens take 2 months to be received and I had to travel to another country just to get Scleral contact lenses for my condition.

There are some things that may be considered "normal" service where you are from but in another part of the world people would pay well for that sort of service. Can you act as a bridge between them?
 

Vas87

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Thank you for your replies and wisdom. I am planning on taking the rest of the month off without hurrying into a new endeavour. It helps that we are in late Spring here in Australia so the weather is becoming really nice to spend outdoors away from news/ media.
Revisiting goals, and forcing to think long-term (10+ years) has been very useful for getting perspective and clarity.
Also, I did try sticking to my field before by creating an app for optometrists to help them fit soft contact lenses easier/quicker, and we got about 25% of the market using it but it failed to monetise.
 

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Also, I did try sticking to my field before by creating an app for optometrists to help them fit soft contact lenses easier/quicker, and we got about 25% of the market using it but it failed to monetise.

You got 25% of the market to use an app you created, and you consider that a failure???
From my perspective, that's a smash success on your first try.

I've failed with much much less to show for it!

Sounds like you've got potential to change the entire industry on your second or third attempts.
 
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eramart

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Well, if you can think of something that a professional optometrist will pay for (preferrably a lot, or monthly), you will have at least some good leads to contact.
 

Andy Black

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woken

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Vas87

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Thanks Andy, I like the idea of adding legs to the current chair rather than building a whole new "chair". It seems quicker and a lot less stressful. Your flowchart (Become a practitioner > become a salesman > become a business owner) was super handy to visualise the steps required.
I've certainly done step 1, and in optometry, sales is a huge aspect so that's certainly a skill I have.
 

eramart

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I did some research on your endeavors and it seems that you will definitely get what you want someday! An app, some collaborations, product attempt and a book with positive reviews ) Keep it up!
 
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CaptainAmerica

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I take this pretty personally, as someone who has relied on optometrists for 40 years. I have ideas, and yes, the potential for lucrative disruption is definitely there. My last pair of glasses cost over $900. I am not yet legally blind without them, but ....

Luxottica can suck it.

Feel free to reach out when you want to bash around some stuff.
 

Vas87

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I take this pretty personally, as someone who has relied on optometrists for 40 years. I have ideas, and yes, the potential for lucrative disruption is definitely there. My last pair of glasses cost over $900. I am not yet legally blind without them, but ....

Luxottica can suck it.

Feel free to reach out when you want to bash around some stuff.
Luxottica is quite the industry behemoth with rights to a huge range of popular brands of glasses, lenses and optometrist clinics. Around 2008 in Australia, they were caught napping by a UK brand called Specsavers who were supremely aggressive in their expansion (100 clinics in their first 100 days - mostly via rebranding independent optometrists).
Would love to hear your ideas!
 

Vas87

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Thought I'd update you all on how the unemployed life is coming along. So far, it's been quite a struggle to get out of the consumer mode and into a producer mindset. I've had plenty of ideas, including:
  • Return to my core field: and revamp my app for optometrists with a website that is community-based, going beyond just being a reference site for contact lens materials, to providing news, offers, content especially for optometrists. I'm curious how to monetize this.
  • Start a watch brand: I've had it in my mind for a while and it is a 24-hour mechanical watch with only an hour hand.
    The watches are designed for the wearer who wants to disconnect from the minute to minute, second to second world of today. Reports, emails, meetings, conferences can all be put on hold to enjoy the present moment: the sublime. I've even contacted a manufacturer to get ideas on costs/ process involved and they threw up a quick design (attached).
  • Accumulate real estate. I've always been against this prior to 2020 because I felt that real estate investment is speculating and profiting off those less fortunate, but that was an incorrect mindset. Plus I see that the majority are mindless drones/sheep and a part of me wants to "fleece" them (this negative mindset/thinking is something I'm working on processing, just with all these 2020 related restrictions I'm a little jaded).

That's the update for now folks. Hope you're having a good start to 2022!
 
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BizyDad

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I'm curious how to monetize this.
So am I. You are an optometrist. What kind of content would you pay for?
Start a watch brand: I've had it in my mind for a while and it is a 24-hour mechanical watch with only an hour hand.
The watches are designed for the wearer who wants to disconnect from the minute to minute, second to second world of today. Reports, emails, meetings, conferences can all be put on hold to enjoy the present moment: the sublime. I've even contacted a manufacturer to get ideas on costs/ process involved and they threw up a quick design (attached)
I would strongly consider buying this watch. I like the style, I like the colors, I like the idea behind it. This may be an obvious comment, but it would have to be a silent watch. DM me a price and a picture of a real one if it gets that far.
 

woken

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Return to my core field: and revamp my app for optometrists with a website that is community-based, going beyond just being a reference site for contact lens materials, to providing news, offers, content especially for optometrists. I'm curious how to monetize this.
I think the majority here would agree that this is your best path for now.
Build on top of what you already know.


All the best
 
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