I am Dr. Essence Johnson, wife, mother and poptometrist.
I love a pop of something in my life. Whether it’s as simple as my smile or eye wear, jewelry to shoes or the way live my life, I look for excitements daily.
I never shy away from a pop of color (electric purple, royal blue, chartreuse or hot pink anyone?!), print (sequins and leopard prints are neutrals for me) or a statement piece.
Against my father’s desires, I wore leopard print shoes with my black suit to my residency interview. This was initially unintentional as I forgot to pack my interview shoes and had to find something in my little sisters collection. But from that day forward a new standard was born, and I wear a memorable piece anywhere I go.
I love to stand apart from the crowd and not afraid to take on the unpopular opinion (ENFJ). I embrace my quirks and know how to make them fashionable, marketable and profitable. It’s modern freakonomics- you shouldn’t expect anything less from an Essence.
I love spreading “EYE”wareness of my profession and making optometry popular and accessible.
To be a double minority in a minority profession is definitely a triple threat. I am a black female optometrist. Let me type that again:
I AM A BLACK FEMALE OPTOMETRIST
and way too often we are an afterthought. Not even a second thought, but an afterthought; meaning we are forgotten. But that is going to change because I am putting the POP back into optometry.
A former aficionado of all things reality tv, I live my life somewhere between Philippians 2:3 and 2 Chainz, “ask me what I do and who I do it for.” I love seeing eye care depicted directly and indirectly in the media, can sing the lyrics to any top 100 song (ask my husband about our first date), have no problem emoting beneath my face mask thanks to 24 seasons of ANTM (Hey Tyra!) and own and watched all 8 seasons of House M.D. to study for my national board exams. In addition to pop accessories and making optometry popular, I also love pop culture.
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