Optical on Main Street

Indies Celebrate Healthy Vision Month Online and in the Office

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, May 25, 2023 8:30 AM NEW YORK—May is Healthy Vision Month, 30 days set aside by the Centers for disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Eye Institute (NEI) to promote the importance of taking care of the eyes—from annual, comprehensive eye exams to everyday habits that will protect eye health. Through its Vision Heath Initiative, the CDC has made a number of resources available for free to all, including information about the basics of eye health, prevention and risk management and more. Infographics are also available for download, which can be posted online or in the office.

Miami-Based Indies Celebrate Race Week With Ray-Ban, Ferrari and Formula 1

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, May 11, 2023 8:30 AM MIAMI—For the first weekend in May, Miami turned into the racing capital of the world. The Formula 1 World Championship descended on the south Florida city, bringing thousands of racing fans to the Magic City. Sports Business Journal reported an attendance of over 90,000 for the race on Sunday, May 7, with about 90,000 attending qualifying sessions on Saturday, and about 89,000 at practice sessions on Friday, too. In addition to racing fans, the Grand Prix brought celebrities galore to Miami: Tom Cruise, Shakira, Patrick Mahomes, Vin Diesel, J Balvin, Maluma, Queen Latifah, the Williams sisters, Roger Federer, and so many more strutted through the Formula 1 paddock.

[Partner Post] Video: Once-in-a-Lifetime F1 Experience With Ray-Ban x Scuderia Ferrari

By Staff
Thursday, May 11, 2023 8:28 AM Watch now! Ray-Ban brought their Ferrari partnership to life for independent practices in Miami ahead of last weekend’s Grand Prix at an exclusive event. Complete with once-in-a-lifetime immersive brand experiences and the opportunity to elevate the Ray-Ban x Ferrari presence in their practice, customers were treated to a day that prepared them to meet consumer demand for all things F1 around the race. Learn more and get the limited-edition Ray-Ban x Scuderia Ferrari collection in your practice by visiting My.EssilorLuxottica.com today!

Why Indie OD Tommasina Sideris Loves Independent Eyewear and Creative Frames

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, April 27, 2023 2:30 PM LITCHFIELD, Conn.—Tommasina Sideris, OD, owner/operator of Eyes On Litchfield in Litchfield, Connecticut, makes no secret of her love for independent, creative and unexpected eyewear. In fact, she only sells independent designs in her own practice, acting as a champion for the unique, exciting and often cutting edge world of eyewear design. Here, in a special feature for Jobson’s Independent Strong, Dr. Sideris discusses her passion for independent eyewear, her decision to keep her practice independent and her journey to Italy to design her own independent eyewear. 

Georgetown Optician Steps Into the Future With ‘Adventures in A-EYE’

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 8:30 AM WASHINGTON, D.C.—There is a lot of talk about products, ideas and innovations that sit at “intersections,” forging new worlds by bridging the gap between two markets. But no matter what, nothing new could ever occupy that intersection between science and style the way eyewear does. Fashion, health and technology are the pillars of good eyewear—and sometimes it can feel like our industry deserves more credit for finding that perfect balance when creating truly good eyewear. For Georgetown Optician in Washington, D.C., the rise of AI technology provided the perfect canvas to showcase that vital intersection, while reflecting the retail’s own pioneering spirit.

Indies Head to New York for Vision Expo East

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, March 23, 2023 8:30 AM NEW YORK—Last week, thousands of members of the optical community arrived at New York City's Javits Center to attend Vision Expo East 2023. From some of the biggest companies in the world to mom-and-pop shops in small towns, Vision Expo offered something for everyone—and indies were well represented at this year’s show. Here, we’re taking a look at social media to see how Vision Expo East shaped up for some of the visiting independent ECPs.

Celebrating International Women’s Day

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, March 9, 2023 2:45 PM NEW YORK—On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, billions of people around the world took the time to celebrate International Women’s Day in their own way. First officially recognized by the UN in 1977, International Women’s Day recognizes the achievements and struggles of all women around the world. From protests to parties and everything in between, there are countless ways to celebrate and honor International Women’s Day. This week, we’re taking a look at how the optical community honored women this International Women’s Day.

Eyecare and Makeup Make a Perfect Pair With Ophthalmologist-Founded twenty/twenty beauty

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, March 2, 2023 8:30 AM NEW YORK—Diane Hilal-Campo, MD, knew she wanted to be an ophthalmologist from a young age—but she had no idea that she wanted to be the founder of a makeup brand called twenty/twenty beauty. Her father, neuroradiologist Sadek Hilal, MD, influenced her desire to enter the medical field in some way, but, as she tells VM, “it was as a young girl, when I first visited ophthalmologist Dr. Stephen Trokel, one of the inventors of the excimer laser that is used to perform Lasik, that I became fascinated by ocular health. He prescribed me my first pair of glasses, and being able to see the beauty of the world with such clarity changed my life.”

EyeXam Optometry Brings State-of-the Art Eyecare, Aesthetic Care and Luxury Eyewear to Southern California’s Upscale Newport Beach

By Marge Axelrad
Thursday, February 23, 2023 8:30 AM NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—A leading optometric innovator has brought several elevated eyecare and patient experience concepts to her newest location in Southern California. Nikki Iravani, OD, the founder and CEO of eyeXam Optometry in Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara, Calif. opened a bright, bold second luxury practice in the Crystal Cove Shopping Center in upscale Newport Beach in Orange County last fall.

Ringing in the Lunar New Year With Indies

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 8:30 AM NEW YORK—On January 22, billions of people around the world celebrated the Lunar New Year, saying goodbye to the Year of the Tiger and ringing in the Year of the Rabbit. The holiday, which is celebrated by about 2 billion people worldwide, will last until February 5 in some countries—a full cycle from one new moon to the next full moon, USA Today reported.

ECPs Spread Education This Glaucoma Awareness Month

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 7:30 AM NEW YORK—Now that the new year is fully in swing and people are back to work, it’s time for ECPs everywhere to remind patients about scheduling their annual eye exam for 2023. January just so happens to be Glaucoma Awareness Month at Prevent Blindness, too—providing the perfect reason to bring up the importance of eye exams. Via the CDC, Prevent Blindness reports that about three million Americans have glaucoma, which is also the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. For many, the “sneak thief of sight” is a scary concept—but patients can keep their eye health in check with their annual eye exam, and there’s no better time than now to remind them about that.

Indies Celebrate the Holidays With Parties, Gift Exchanges and Opti-Fun

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, December 29, 2022 8:30 AM NEW YORK—The holiday season is full of social events, from family gatherings to Friends-Mas to, of course, the world holiday party. No matter what you celebrate this time of year and no matter what your line of work, an office holiday party is a special chance to spend time with your colleagues without discussing work or feeling deadline-induced stress. Instead, it’s a few hours to enjoy some holiday treats and get to know your co-workers in a new way—let’s face it, we spend almost as much time with our co-workers as we do our family and friends.

Indies Encourage Giving the Gift of Sight This December

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 3:00 PM NEW YORK—For many of us, a sizable chunk of December is dedicated to gifting: giving gifts, receiving gifts, brainstorming gifts and even returning gifts. When we think about gifts in December, we often think about material things such as clothes, tech and food, but this year, ECPs everywhere are encouraging patients to expand their idea of what a gift can be and instead give the gift of sight this December. What it means to give the gift of sight can range from monetarily supporting sight-saving nonprofits to purchasing a pair of eyewear for someone you love—what matters is the impact.

This November, Diabetes Awareness Takes Center Stage for Indies

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Tuesday, November 22, 2022 8:30 AM NEW YORK—On October 31, President Biden released a statement declaring November 2022 as National Diabetes Month. In the statement, the President said, “Over 10 percent of Americans have Type 1, Type 2, or gestational diabetes, and tens of millions more remain at risk of developing this chronic condition… I call upon all Americans, school systems, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, health care providers, research institutions, and other interested groups to join in activities that raise diabetes awareness and help prevent, treat and manage this disease.”

Indies Remind Patients That It’s Time to 'Use It or Lose It'

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Monday, November 14, 2022 8:30 AM NEW YORK—We’re hurtling toward the end of the year, which means, of course, that we’re firmly in the “use it or lose it” season for HSA/FSA benefits. This time of year is often a busy season for everyone—from the holidays to wrapping up work for the year—and it’s easy for things to fall through the cracks or get pushed off until sometime in the new year. As 2022 begins to wrap up, independent ECPs across the country are taking a moment to remind patients to use up their HSA/FSA benefits, encouraging them to schedule their annual appointment or pick out a new pair of frames before these benefits expire.