My name is Ashley Glass and I am an Expert Optician at Envision Eyecare here in Asheville, NC. I want to share my story with you as to how I came to find this incredible opportunity. Why is this so important to me? There are so many people today that are “unhappy” with their “jobs”. I was one of them. Some people do something about it, and some just settle for where they are. Here is my story of how, not settling for what was in front of me and actually taking a chance, landed me in my dream career.

About 5 months ago, I turned 28 and really took a look at my professional life. I knew that I was widely skilled in many areas but wasn’t fulfilled with the job I was working. And yes I said “job” not “career”. In life’s circumstances, I learned early on the difference between a job and a career. I know that with a career I would feel a little more stable. I wanted to wake up everyday and change lives. I wanted to be able to be myself and not just another robot.  In fact, I was REALLY unhappy and knew my daily routine had to change. I knew that I had to find my career and couldn’t continue to just work at a “job”.

To share my story completely and how this transformation began I have to jump back to a little over 2 years ago: I was living in Virginia. I was born and raised in a small town in south western Virginia. I grew up on a farm and loved the mountains. I woke up one day and looked around and realized the town I had grown up in could no longer offer me what I wanted out of life. So what did I do? I packed my little car and moved to the first place I ever said I would live; Charleston, SC. It’s a beautiful place. I was excited to start over and to begin a new journey in my life.

I jumped right into what I thought was going to be my career in the car business. Thinking back now, my whole family had worked in the car industry at some point so I figured this was a good start to my future. I realized quickly that communication and professionalism were extremely important to me. When I found that those attributes started to lack, it made me start doubting some of my choices. What I thought was going to be a “career”, resulted in a “job” that I was not happy working. I did not want to go to work anymore and, in addition, did not even feel comfortable talking to my superiors. I didn’t want to live in such a beautiful place, just to be limited by a job that was not living up to my expectations.

That’s when I heard about an opportunity to come work for Envision Eyecare. I had never pictured myself working in the medical field, but something about the opportunity was very intriguing. Becoming an optician sounded like the answer to all of my desires and professional dreams. I had always had a passion for fashion and a craving to change people’s lives every day. After interviewing with Dr. Golson and his associate, Mark Hinton, I knew I had finally found my answer.

Then there was THE question: Could I really leave the beach to go back to the mountains? I had moved to Charleston for the sole purpose of the beach.  I had visited Asheville several times the year before. Katie, one of the opticians already at Envision Eyecare, and I have been friends since college. In my few visits to see her, I started to fall in love with this tiny town. I started falling in love with local restaurants, the people, and the unlimited adventuring that Asheville offers. I even remember saying one time that “if I decide to move from Charleston, Asheville would be where I would go”. So I once again loaded up my little car, attached it to the back of U-Haul and made the journey to Asheville, NC.

From my very first day at Envision Eyecare I was astounded. The team members were all so kind, approachable, and just made everyday a joy to be at the office. My doubts about communication and professionalism were diminished from the very first day. I wake up every day and am eager to get to work. I get to change people’s lives everyday through their sight. When I go home at the end of every day, I know that I made a difference. I am excited and proud to work with such talented people; people who could challenge me on a daily basis to become a better person, and not just professionally, but personally as well. I can not tell you how nice it is to have superiors that respect and support me the way they do at Envision. I am truly thankful to the team for helping my transition to a new city and a new career to be so rewarding.

I hope that by sharing my story that it will help others realize that they don’t have to settle for less. After a little hard work and taking a few chances, you really can have it all in the career of your dreams. I look forward to my story continuing and growing with the amazing eye care practice that is Envision Eyecare.

Ashley Glass, Expert Optician