We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Normanie McKenzie Ricks a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Normanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Growing up I knew that I always wanted to work in the medical field. I started out wanting to be a nurse, but once I found out that I may have to give shots to babies, I said “no way!” I don’t have the heart to make babies cry. I was a student-athlete in high school and college; that is how I was introduced to the field of Rehab Science. I decided to become an Occupational Therapist because OTs help people become their best selves! We work on getting a person’s body and mind back to normal so that they can return to an independent life. I served as an active duty Naval Officer and provided Occupational Therapy to service members after they suffered orthopedic and neurological injuries. An Optometrist took me under his wing and taught me vision therapy so that I could help those whose vision was affected by Traumatic Brain Injuries and Concussions. I worked with some of the pioneers in the field of neurology. I was lucky enough to be trained by those who INVENTED the actual protocols. Because I am a “servant leader” by nature, I joined The Lions Club and began to advocate for the blind and visually impaired through local and global initiatives. I also travel internationally and provide instruction for educators at their schools for the blind and developmentally disabled. My personal passion for the field hits very close to home. As a third grader my very own daughter was diagnosed with a vision disorder which caused her to struggle with standardized assessments. After vision therapy, she started to read above grade level and scored at the ninth-grade level on her writing assessments as a fifth grader! She is the one who convinced me to start my own business so that I could help others who may be struggling in silence.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I provide a service known as “vision therapy.” Individuals may have difficulty with eyesight after a stroke, concussion, brain injury, or they may be born with a developmental condition that affects their eyes. I help individuals with disorders such as ADHD, Aspergers, autism spectrum disorders, hemispheric imbalance, sensory disorders, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. I provide rehabilitation solutions and adaptive strategies to help my clients achieve optimal performance in all areas of their lives (work, school, driving, sports, self-care, household management). There are so many issues of the eye that eyeglasses do not correct! This is a little-known fact.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I keep in touch with all of my past clients. I receive Christmas photos every year from the individuals I have helped! I love getting success stories from my clients who went from struggling high school students who are now honors students in college!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have been an occupational therapist for 15 years. I have worked on neurological, orthopedic and developmental cases. The more experience I gained over the course of my career, the more I realized how much vision was being overlooked in the rehabilitation process. Vision is involved in every area of an individual’s life. 80% of the brain is visual! Therefore I had to pivot from being a general occupational therapist to focusing more on being a vision therapist.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.achievevisioncenter.com
• Instagram: @achievevisioncenter
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AchieveVisionCenter/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanie-mckenzie-ricks-9782b0153/
• Youtube: Achieve Vision Center
• Other: https://youtube.com/shorts/cE2dOuGUpvQ?feature=share (Youtube link)

Image Credits
photocred: Jordanviision