After leadership coach Ellen Steinlein’s keynote at the 2024 Women’s Leadership Conference, three female ODs shared how they tapped into their inner leader.
DR. JADE COATS
Jade Coats, OD, FAAO, discussed how losing her brother and facing her own medical diagnosis transformed her outlook. Motivated by the question, “What do I have to lose?” she channeled those experiences into pursuing professional and personal goals, including “asking for what I want. If I was going to have a legacy at all, I had to create it,” she shared.
Since graduating from Southern College of Optometry less than a decade ago, she’s become a board member of the Intrepid Eye Society and the Arkansas Optometric Association.
DR. ESSENCE JOHNSON
Essence Johnson, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, talked about how meeting a Black female optometrist at a career fair inspired her to enter the profession. “In her, I saw a reflection of what I could be,” she said. “A leader in a field where people who looked like me were few and far between.”
She concluded saying, “Unleashing your leadership isn’t just about stepping into your own power—it’s about creating a ripple effect that touches the lives of others. It’s about paying it forward so that the next generation can stand on your shoulders, dream bigger and lead even stronger.
DR. MILA IOUSSIFOVA
Mila Ioussifova, OD, CNS, FAAO, FOWNS, discussed all the times she’s leaned into her own passion to see something through. First, she tried out for and earned a spot on her college rugby team despite being petite. Later, she pursued her dream of opening her own practice with a dry eye specialty despite hearing from colleagues and consultants alike that it was too risky and too niche.
Since then, she’s built a thriving practice by not being afraid to take risks. While it’s easy to stay in one’s comfort zone, she encouraged people to make the leap. “The growth we want, both as leaders and as doctors, is never found in safety,” she said. She’s lived that goal by returning to school at age 40 with two young children to gain certification as a nutrition specialist.
The Leadership Conference took place during the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, in November 2024.
