For now, Rob is combining his entrepreneurial endeavors with his current job: he continues to work at Axel four days a week and spends one day a week launching his own practice in Voorburg. Rob’s path to becoming an ocularist began somewhere completely different. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and then started working in an office. “But after three months, I already knew: this just isn’t what I want.” He got into a conversation with Axel, whom he’d known since elementary school. During that conversation, Axel asked a simple question: “What do you actually want?” Rob didn’t have to think long about that. He said, “Actually, I want to do something with my hands and work with people.” Axel invited him to stop by sometime. “That was twenty years ago,” Rob says with a laugh. “Actually, that’s where it all started.”
Time and Attention
Rob has to think for a moment when we ask him about his perspective on his profession. For him, the answer lies primarily in time and attention. “I really like not having my schedule too full, so I can truly take the time for people. Because no two clients are the same. For many people, a visit to an ocularist is more than just a technical appointment. They’ve been told they’re going to lose something or that they’re sick. For most, that’s a traumatic experience.”
That vision is also reflected in his approach. People usually come in in the morning. “Around 10:00 a.m., I examine and measure everything. Between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m., we fit the prosthesis and check: does the image in my head match what I see?” After that, the prosthesis is colored and picked up at the end of the day. In between, there’s plenty of time to chat with each other.”
Rugby Fanatic
In addition to his active professional life, Rob is also a busy bee in his free time. He lives with his wife and is the father of a fourteen-year-old daughter. Sports play a major role in his free time. “For years, I was very involved with a rugby club here in The Hague,” he says. Rob played there himself for a long time and also provided training and coaching. “I really enjoyed doing that.” However, he had to scale back his involvement last year. “When my own practice became a reality, I said, ‘I can’t do that anymore.’ The rugby club simply took up too much time. It’s not just two practices and a game. You’re working on it six days a week.” It felt almost like a second job, but also like much more than that. “It’s really like a second family to me. I still really enjoy going there.”
Rob spends his free time differently now, but he certainly isn’t sitting around doing nothing. “Besides my job, I still enjoy staying active,” he says. “A little paddleboarding, working out, and running.”
Free Inspection
“People can always come to me for a free, no-obligation checkup,” says Rob. “They don’t have to pay anything for it.” Anyone who has questions about their current prosthesis or wants to know what improvements might be possible is also welcome. “More information about Rob’s practice can be found at www.ocularist.nl”
