What first interested you in optometry?
Phil Walling, OD, the assistant golf coach in college, encouraged me to apply to optometry school, clearly seeing that playing golf was not in my professional future. I thought about my own eyes and remember going to the eye doctor for red eyes all the time when I was younger—I was that patient who slept in contacts and developed corneal ulcers.
I applied and got into Michigan College of Optometry without having any idea what to expect. Never in a million years did I expect to love what I do. I enjoy seeing patients every day and helping them above and beyond their eye care needs.
What did you learn during your tenure as past president of the North Carolina Optometric Society?
Many 2020–2021 optometric society past presidents I speak with all nod and call ourselves “the COVID group.” All the goals that were set as president-elect quickly had to change and adapt to the new economic culture. I think learning to adapt to change and accommodate quickly made the year successful.
Dr. Wruble and her husband on a ski adventure.
What are the pros and cons of co-owning multiple practices?
How do you maintain a good work-life balance?
I love every minute of co-owning. There’s always someone around to bounce ideas off of and set goals with. There’s never a question of who is doing more work, as we each have our defined roles and areas in which we excel. I can schedule time away and truly shut off the cell phone, knowing that I have an amazing partner and team of staff managing the offices.
How is working with your husband? Do you have advice for others thinking about doing the same with their partner or spouse?
Brad and I rarely see patients at the same clinic at the same time. In fact, when we were in school together, we discussed how we should not work with each other. We spent our first 7 years working in separate clinics and owning separate optometry businesses. I really think that practicing apart for so many years and learning how each other works, managing patients, working with staff, and setting our own personal life and work goals has made it possible for us to operate these businesses together. It is very rewarding and challenging at the same time. I would recommend it to others if they allow themselves time to find out who they are first.
I would say try not to take work home, but I am a workaholic, and Brad is great about helping me turn it off at the dinner table.
What is the best professional advice you’ve received?
Take care of the patient and the patient will take care of you. I’ve learned early on that it’s all about the care of patients and putting them first.
What’s your inspiration behind your Instagram account?
I think Instagram is fun. I take questions that colleagues and students ask me and turn them into posts. I love being able to mentor students and young grads, especially because I have made mistakes along the way.
What do your daughters think about you and your husband’s careers?
My oldest daughter Lucy tells everyone she is going to be an eye doctor when she grows up. My youngest daughter Lily thinks being a dentist would be “way more cool.” Our girls have grown up in our clinics. When Brad was building a private practice and renovating it from the ground up on his own, Lucy was 1 year old and Lily was a newborn. We spent many days and late nights there. Now, opening a new practice, we put the girls to work cleaning and organizing. I think it teaches them to live by our motto: Work hard, play hard.
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