🂮🂷 - hold 'em

The eyes have it

Colorado for the win

[PSA: If you’re experiencing severe dry eye symptoms, stop reading this and go make an appointment with an ophthalmologist.]

I don’t know how or why but I unintentionally have had two CO-based guests in a row. According to this week’s guest, Dr. Lauren Zimski, the reason might be that all the cool people have migrated there. While this may be a tear jerker for you left and right-coasters, don’t break out the tissues just yet. You won’t need them because chances are you have dry eye so the only thing you’ll be doing is half blinking, which you’ll soon discover is the wrong thing to do. So at the risk of having you spend even more time looking at your screen, a known contributor to dry eye, I present to you issue 17. I promise it will be worth it though as you relearn how to blink and get those tear ducts flowing again.

Finally, this week is the mid-season finale of the podcast, which means there will be no new episodes until the summer. Moving Forward will return on Friday, June 21st with episode 471 to kick off the 2024 summer movie series. But fret not as the newsletter will continue chugging along every Friday.

-John

Moving Forward

Episode 470 : Inspiring individuals: Dr. Lauren Zimski (mid-season finale)

Dr. Lauren Zimski could be a modern day superhero. Lauren is a mild mannered science geek on a mission to save humanity, one eye at a time. Outside of work, her alter ego is being a wife, mom to a precocious 11 year old, avid skier, and culture-seeking world traveller. I first met Lauren during a summer abroad at Oxford University. She was studying at Florida State while I had just finished my junior year at Penn. I remember Lauren was pretty badass back then, a loner who loved traveling and adventure. We stayed in touch afterward as she had just gotten an email address. A couple years later, I invited her to be my date for a formal during a summer associateship with a Philly law firm; shortly before she embarked on med school.

Today, Lauren is a self-described “nerdy” ophthalmologist. That’s a fancy way of saying she’s a smart eye doctor. If she’s anything like my ophthalmologist, she enjoys wearing Doc Brown contraptions on her head while flashing lights into your eyes like a 1850s miner. However, Lauren isn’t digging for gold. She’s searching for oil. But we’re not talking about the black goopy stuff in the ground that make barons wealthy or that viscous liquid mechanics pour into your car. So don’t go celebrating your newfound riches just yet. That said, the kind we talk about today is very important. It’s a lubricant that comes from tiny wells located behind our lashes. Next, you should know that most of you reading this have a serious shortage, which tracks given the current state of the economy. The good news is that for once this isn’t caused by inflation. The bad news is that it’s the result of digital work-from-home lifestyles, and a pandemic that kept us at home watching tiger documentaries on Netflix. As you’ll learn on this week’s episode, dry eye has become increasingly pervasive; affecting more young people, and worsening as we get older.

But fear not, Dr. Lauren is here to save the day. In addition to educating us on the doom and gloom of dry eye, she shares how you can start taking better care of the most important lenses you own. And I’m not talking about the ones on your iPhone 15. These are far more complex and sophisticated than anything Apple could come up with. I’m talking about looking at your 👀 s. So check out this week’s episode (there’s an audio-only version for the severely dry-eyed), learn from Dr. Lauren, and hopefully you can look on with greater comfort and clarity.

Watch this week’s episode on Spotify.

The audio-only version is available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, iHeart, CastBox, Pocket Casts, Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor), and Audible.

Some things I learned from and about Lauren on this week’s episode:

• Why she chose to pursue ophthalmology.

• Why dry eye has gotten worse in recent years.

• Ways in which you can combat dry eye.

• Why all the cool people are moving to Colorado.

• What Lauren enjoys doing outside of work.

• Why someone who does surgery on eyeballs for a living was nervous about doing podcast interviews (and how she got over it).

Connect with Dr. Lauren Zimski:

• laurenzimskimd.com

• Instagram

• Facebook

  

A different look at superheroes

Available now at my bookstore on Pangobooks

Hacks

Retrain your eyes to blink again

On this week’s episode, I learned how to blink again, a skill that’s easier than riding a bike but also easier to forget. The following exercise can encourage your oculi to start producing that important rich coating to keep them lubricated. Think of it as taking them to nature’s Jiffy Lube.

1. Close your eyes - all the way (I see you peeking!).

2. Make sure your lids are touching.

3. Hold for three seconds.

4. Slowly open your lids (I’m working on this part) and let there be light.

5. Repeat the above steps 10 times.

6. Repeat the exercise: 10 reps, 3 times a day.

7. Dr. Lauren also recommends Avenova eye wash for gentle eyelid hygiene (amazon affiliate paid link).

[Note: this exercise is not a substitute for medical treatment. If you are experiencing severe dry eye symptoms make an appointment with an ophthalmologist or eye care specialist immediately. If you’re in the Denver area, you can learn more about Dr. Lauren’s practice and make an appointment through her website.]

Weekly quirks (look here! edition)

🙋‍♀️🛒🏪🗄, ⛑🪖🧐📝, 🐧🐧🐧, 2️⃣0️⃣ 📝 ⛷🏂🏔, 📺🎶🌄

• A woman is found living inside a Michigan grocery store rooftop sign, complete with home office setup.

• Students at a Philippine university are required to make their own “anti-cheating” helmets for final exams.

• Groups of penguins passing each other is the best thing you’ll see today.

• 20 interesting facts about Colorado.

• Finally, in celebration of this and last week’s guests, a fan-made opening credits montage of every cast member from the Colorado-set nighttime soap, Dynasty (the OG, not the remake).

Upcoming

Summer is around the corner and so is my next writing and self-publishing class!

Resources

Teach a man to fish, you know the rest (if you don’t, check these out).

• Book a coaching call with me on Clarity.

• Follow me on Goodreads for book recommendations.

• Check out one of my favorite daily newsletters Morning Brew (affiliate referral link).

Books

I wrote most of these so spruce up your home library and look smart in the process.

• The Poshmark Guide for Individuals and Small Businesses (Paperback, Kindle, Audible) 

• The Poshmark Guide for Individuals and Small Businesses (Apple audiobooks)

• The Poshmark Journal for Individuals and Small Businesses

• The Corporate Cliches Adult Coloring Book

• I Am a Professional Metalhead (audiobook) (Audible affiliate link) written by Angelo Spenillo, narrated by John Lim

Support the newsletter and podcast

“What are you selling?!?” -actual quote from a b-school classmate

• Books! Check out my used bookstore on Pangobooks.

• Try out Audible (affiliate paid link).

• Try out Amazon Prime (affiliate paid link)

Affiliate disclosure

Note: Links to Amazon and Audible products are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.