Celebrating International Women’s Day with LASIK MD’s Marketing directors

We’re proud to say that our Marketing department is not only well-represented by women but also largely run by women as well. To celebrate International Women’s Day this year, we decided to speak to two of our female Marketing directors about their careers and what this special day means to them.

Who they are:
Jessica Lukian Papineau (JLP, above left), Director of Brand and Communications
Lisa-Marie Loo (LML, above right), Director of Optometric Partnerships

How did you get into marketing?

JLP: Such a long story but I started off in film and from that passion for communications and art, I wound up in Marketing. It’s definitely a field and career that I have a ton of passion for. I said passion twice which I hate doing but I can’t find another word to better describe the sentiment!

LML: After having worked in retail for the majority of my teenage and young adult years, I was interested in how consumers were reached and then retained by companies or organizations. As a result, I enrolled at John Molson School of Business (Concordia University) in the BCOMM program, with a major in Marketing.

What interested you in LASIK MD and the vision correction industry?

JLP: I loved the fact that LASIK MD was a Montreal-based company that grew from one clinic to a huge, national brand; that was a big appeal – the local success story. And from a marketing perspective, I really liked the challenge of working for a product that is a one-time purchase.

LML: LASIK MD’s Marketing department was still in its infancy 13 years ago and had a position open for a Media Coordinator. Having just finished university not long before, this piqued my interest. In parallel, I had also been wearing glasses since the age of 8 (a good 17 years by that point) and very clearly identified with LASIK MD’s mission, vision and target demographic.

What do you like about your job?

JLP: I love that I get to make a positive impact in people’s lives. And that I work with really interesting, smart and passionate people.

LML: I’d have to say the fact that I get to work with so many driven, hard-working and collaborative people in a given day. Don’t get me wrong, the fact that we are helping people become aware of the options available to them in terms of vision correction (something I identify with and have benefited from), hits home every day. But the exceptional team that we have and the way we all work together makes this job that much more exciting and appreciated.

What does it mean to be a woman in 2020?

JLP: I think that women today have the job to promote equality, to stand up for and champion other women and to really be the change that we want to see in the world in regards not just to gender rights but toward everything like social justice issues, the environment, inclusiveness. Being a woman in 2020 means being powerful and effecting change.

LML: Good question. I think 2020 is an exciting time for women, especially in my experience. We have so many options available to us professionally and personally. I dare say, sometimes it feels as though there are so many options that it makes choosing our next move that much more difficult. Like, why can’t we do it all? Or, can we? Of course, this varies from woman to woman and I speak for myself, but I feel blessed and proud to be a woman, living this life, every day. And I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Who was your female role model growing up? Why?

JLP: I don’t think I had one when I was a kid. But I remember my dad coming home from a work trip in Seattle when I was in my early teens and he brought me a Rosie the Riveter t-shirt; I just loved it. It was oversized and I used to wear it to school a lot. In my late teens I loved Ani DiFranco and in college I got into Rachel Carson, Naomi Klein and all those badass women that were speaking out.

LML: I’d love to say someone of historic importance but let’s be honest, in my most formative years (high school), it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer; not Sarah Michelle Gellar or Kristy Swanson, but the character that they portrayed. She was tough. She took what life handed her, even though it threw her for a loop, challenged who she was and what she knew and forced her to effectively start over. She did what she had to and she did it with pride – doing what she believed in. She challenged all of the norms - those of you who have watched this series know what I am talking about. And, she did it with style. So what she stands for meant a lot to me.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is “An equal world is an enabled world.” What do you think of that?

JLP: I think it goes back to what being a woman is for me in 2020 – standing up for and championing other women and everything else that needs an overhaul. When we do that, we make the world a better place and a world that has people that are empowered and living their full potential.

LML: Makes sense. Give everyone a fair and fighting chance and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what can be accomplished.