A young optometrist has her sights set on growing dual practices in her hometown of Kingsville.
Dr. Abby Jakob opened EYES Dr. Abby Jakob Optometrist in 2018 followed by BRIGHT Eye Spa + Medical Aesthetics in 2023. She focuses not only on healthy eyesight for her patients, but overall eye aesthetics with treatments available at the medical spa next door.
Jakob left her home in Kingsville to begin her career by attending Dalhousie University in Halifax, where she completeda bachelor of science in kinesiology.She went on from there to the Illinois College of Optometry. It was an exciting time for the young student studying abroad at one of the top optometry schools. The inspiration to start her very own practice upon graduation came early in her education. “Dr. Richard Kattouf was one of the speakers at my first day of orientation at the Chicago College of Optometry, and he stressed the importance of private practice and that it’s private practice that is pushing optometry forward, allowing optometrists to practice the way they want, to the full scope of practice,” said Jakob.
Her drive, work ethic and that first meeting with Dr. Kattouf set the stage for her future successes. Jakob proudly accepted the honour of Colleague of the Year, as voted by her peers and she graduated with the highest honours in 2014 and never looked back.
After leaving Chicago, it was time to return to Canada.The decision to return to Kingsville was based on her positive upbringing in her hometown. Jakob knew that Kingsville would be the ideal place to work and start a family.
Jakob chose a location nestled among other thriving businesses along Main Street in the bustling community. This white painted brick building looks far different today than from its formerlife as the town’s main fire hall. Jakob saw the importance of honouring the heritage of the building. Even though it had been remodeled to suit businesses in the past, she sought to have the building listed as a heritage site in the town in 2018. Today, there is a heritage plaque honouring the firefighters and a historical photo in the office. Many patients have remarked over the years their memories of the building as it stood before.
In the early years of Jakob’s practice, she hired Dr. Kattouf as a consultant. His tutelage proved to be an immense help to ensure her practice thrived. As the practice grew, she noted that many patients required treatments for eye conditions such as chronic dry eye.The opening of the medical spa was a natural progression as many eye conditions aretreated using medical spa technology.
Today, Jakob is the proud owner of two thriving practices that sit side-by-side at 30 Main Street E in Kingsville. She works steadily as an optometrist in her EYES office with two additional doctors on staff, while a dedicated team of ocular hygienists and a nurse practitioner provide eye and skin treatments at BRIGHT.
As her businesses continued to grow, Jakob recognized the importance of tapping into available resources. Jakob spoke of her relationship with the Digital Service Squad advisors at the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre, which providesone-on-one assistanceto Windsor-Essex businesses participatingin the Digital Main Street (DMS) program.
“I received two Digital Main Street grants which have helped me implement new strategies into my office that I may not have otherwise been inclined to because of the extra costs.”
The Digital Service Squad connected Jakob to grant funding and valuable resources such digital marketing training and 360-degree photos of the businesses to be used online. Jakob used the grant to support her website and digital marketing goals. “I’m sure it has helped my visibility and ranking on Google (having 360-degree photos) and there are so many things that DMS has brought to my attention. I appreciate all that DMS does, and the amount of information is endless.”
Jakob’s investment into her business is paying off. Sheand her team have wonnumerous awards and have garnered positive reviews from patients.
Jakob was most recently awarded Gold in Best Optometrist and Best Optical in Windsor’s Community Votes 2023. “… we work as a team, and I don’t feel like any of the awards are just because of me. I think I set a good example for my team though. It makes them proud to work as hard as I do.”
Jakob attributes her success to not only her compassion and drive, but to her trusted team. “I think of my staff members and associate doctors as my teammates. I think it’s so important to listen to my patients and make them feel heard/cared for;I’ve always tried to do the same for my team, which helps us reach goals and provide an excellent experience for our patients.”
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