I have heard it said many times that the Optical Industry is a lifetime job, once you are in it you never leave it. There is something to be said about that as I do not know many people who have left and not come back! Plus it is impossible to get away from them! I just made a quick trip to visit with Dana Weeks of Optical Services International (OSI) for the weekend. We were brainstorming about the importance of keeping some independence in the industry and the challenges that the independent optical lab and retailer face. OSI and its members work with independent eyecare professionals with the goal of mutual growth and continued independence. Buying groups such as OSI and Vision West (VWI) are an essential resource for this independence to continue.
While wandering around a store in Naples we spotted a great looking frame on a man in the same store, he kind of looked familiar! I was interested in his eyewear though so asked him about his eyeglasses, Dana on hearing his voice said “You are Richard Golden” and of course she was right. He was there with his wife Shelley Golden and they were both wearing their line See Eyewear. Here they are wearing See Eyewear glasses looking much more eyewear stylish than most:
You never know who you are going to run into, a day later changing planes in Dallas, I spy Raanan Naftalovich from Shamir on his way back to San Diego so we manage to sit next to each other and spend the next couple of hours talking optical, we tried to talk about other stuff but we kept getting back to optical, so maybe if you are in the Optical industry it is just like the Eagles sing in Hotel California, “You can check out but you can never leave….”
