Change Happens, but Values Stay the Same - Featuring Scott Shapiro with Europa

Companies have to be adaptable to keep up with the ever changing world, but this doesn't mean their values have to change. 

Scott Cline is joined by Scott Shapiro, Executive Director with Europa, to discuss how Europa is handling the recent changes in the Economic landscape. Scott Shapiro shares how Europa has and will continue to stay true to their foundational values. They also discuss how the iconic line of American Optical and their fashionable State frame collection continue to thrive by being American made in their Chicagoland factory. 

For more information about Europa or to submit questions or topics, please reach out to us at info@acquiosalliance.com! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to Thrive with Confidence. This podcast provides insight into the Aquios Alliance, a buying group that connects private practices with trusted vendors and expert support. We will feature discussion with our vendor partners and optometrist members while we explore topics that will empower your independence.

SPEAKER_01: 0:21

Welcome everybody to another edition of Thrive with Confidence. Today I am joined by a man that I have great respect for and that has done so much for our industry and has been in it quite literally all of his life. So today I'm joined by Scott Shapiro, Executive Director with Europa. Welcome, Scott. Hi, Scott. Thanks for having me. This is so exciting. I've been looking forward to this episode since we talked about recording it. I've had the honor to know you now for about three years since I started with the company, met you shortly after that. And I'll tell you, one of the things that impressed the heck out of me when I first met you, because I honestly, I knew you were with Europa, but didn't know your title or your place with it. And your down-to-earth demeanor, your personality, your ease to connect and talk to was, was, was outstanding. And then I walk away and find out that, you know, you, your importance with, with the company of Europa. And I thought to myself that it blew me away. It was, it was just very impressive as, as to see, you know, there, there are people that get to a level in a company and I think they lose that, that, that realness of, of, of who they are and what they are to, to the industry. And so I, I love that. I love that about you. And I, And I see that in you every single time we get the chance to talk.

SPEAKER_02: 1:47

That is a very, very kind compliment, Scott. And I appreciate that very much. I think maybe part of the... I was born into this position and born into this company. So it is kind of a unique way of coming to it. So maybe... Sometimes, I guess I really am just a normal guy. And so that's how I am. But thank you very much for saying that.

SPEAKER_01: 2:17

Oh, you're welcome. And I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us today. Like I said, I've gotten the chance to get to know you over the years. And I want people that are listening to get to know you. So tell us a little bit more about your history. So being born into the company, just tell us everything about you and your connection. connection with Europa and and how it came to be sure

SPEAKER_02: 2:40

so um you know Europa was a company that was founded by my parents back in 1977 out of a garage in Chicago like all great things. And my parents were, my dad was a salesperson. My mom, my dad went out with six frames in a briefcase and started knocking on doors of independent optometrists in the Chicagoland area. My mom stayed back at the garage and had a little bit of inventory. They were distributors at the time, so they weren't working directly with manufacturers like we do today. And so, And, you know, they just built the business. My uncle, Chris, was their first employee. And, you know, they just always... They were also just kind of regular people that I think had values that they stuck to, even though they didn't write them down like we do today. They wanted to... They were an independent business. They believed in their business. They believed in building relationships. And... They believed in independent optometry and opticianry too. And so there was like this natural kinship. that was like that little kernel that everything started with. And then I think as momentum continued to build and my dad, everything was always about our sales team because again, my dad was a salesperson. So when he was able to write enough business himself and bring out another salesperson and another salesperson, and that's how we grew, that's how the business has grown. I was a child. I take no credit for that. But then when I joined officially in 2010, That was my opportunity to really take that blueprint that had been just organically created and then actually put it down to paper and be like, okay, this is in the fabric of what has actually made us successful. What is it that makes this company special? And then we just tried to double and triple down on that. And that's still what we do today.

SPEAKER_01: 4:53

Which is nothing short of impressive to be around as long as you guys have and to have endured the changes. I mean, everybody knows our industry. I mean, there's been 17 things that have changed since we started recording this episode. Scott,

SPEAKER_02: 5:11

I don't know when this is going to actually air or go out, but today we're recording this at April 10th at 312 Central Time. This is a moment of change. I mean, by the time people are listening and watching this podcast, we'll be in a totally different world than we are today. And we're in a different one today than we were two days ago. So before you congratulate us for surviving, just give us a couple more days.

SPEAKER_01: 5:36

Let's make sure we can air this. Is that what you're trying to say? Yeah, right. We have to make some edits. But even so, the fact that you have held on to so strongly that that that core mission, vision, values of what your parents started with. And we're not going to change from that. We're not going to veer from that. We're going to grow with it, but we're not going to veer away from it. And I think too often, companies, as they grow, it's too easy for them to forget. Where did we come from? What were we about? Because we have to conform, if you will, to the ways of the world today.

SPEAKER_02: 6:17

Yeah, so that is an ongoing challenge for us and probably every company that's similar to ours. So we have always been a family business, always an independent company, but there are some real challenges that come with being small. There are also some real advantages that come with being small, right? So when we were small, and we're not big now, we're medium-sized, but when we were small, we had the intimacy And this sort of like rebellious nature that really worked in our favor. So, you know, every single sales rep has my cell phone number. A sales meeting could be, you know, 40 people and we all can go to dinner. And anytime they have a problem, they can call me and I have the answer or Jerry, our president. And there's this intimacy. And then there's this like David and Goliath sort of mentality that we have. As you grow, it's really hard to keep those two things and other factors, too, that are really important that help drive your business when you're small. And so, you know, I mentioned values. You talked about values. Just about five years ago, we tried to... like filter down all of those one word values that we felt really defined who we were. And we wrote those down and we picked 10 of them. My wife said, my wife is our VP of marketing. She said, 10 is way too many. You have to have two to three. I said, no, we're having 10. We've already done a lot of work on this. It's 10. And so- I'm sure most people listening would also say you can't have top 10 values, but we're doing it.

SPEAKER_01: 7:56

I was going to say you can't argue with your wife, but, I mean, that's fine.

SPEAKER_02: 8:01

That's value number one, so I already missed that one. So we wrote those 10 values down, and we talk about them at national sales meetings, and we talk about them whenever we can because that's like our constitution. That's the thing that doesn't change, although the Constitution changes too. Those are the things. We have to accept that we want to grow. We're going to grow. Things are going to change. We can't really control that. The world around us is changing. on a daily basis right now, but our competition's getting stronger, our customers, their needs are changing. We have to change. Can't keep things the way that they always were. That's not an option. But we can stick to these 10 elements and make sure that they are a priority for us as we're making all of our decisions. And that's sort of like the agreement that we have made with our team. So be ready for change. Please try to take change with the best attitude possible and focus on the opportunity and the positives. And then in exchange for that, we will stick to these values. And of course, we ask our team, when they're talking to their customers when they're doing their jobs. They also hopefully are thinking of those values in the way they do business on a daily basis as well.

SPEAKER_01: 9:29

Thank you. Yeah. And

SPEAKER_02: 9:57

uh, you know, again, struggle all the time, but, uh, but it's also been a lot of fun and, um, and I'm, I'm excited about where we're going to go in the future.

SPEAKER_01: 10:06

Yeah. Speak, speaking of, of, of something that has stood the test of time and, and withstood change in, in, in many, many years, American optical, this, this is something that is wow. What, what a special brand. And it's, it's been an American icon for a very long time. Um, it's, it's, It has some very strong ties to history and who we are. Tell us a little bit more about that and where can people see American Optical in history?

SPEAKER_02: 10:36

Yeah, so, well, I'll tell you sort of the whole story as to how it became a part of our family. But, you know, American Optical itself is a company that started all the way back in 1833. So it's America's oldest optical company. brand, optical company. And it is responsible for some of the most important innovations, not just in optical history, but in American and world history. It's so fascinating because if you ever get a chance, so American Optical was headquartered in Southbridge, Massachusetts for over 150 years. And today, the Optical Heritage Museum which I sit on the board of, that is located in Southbridge. And the reason that it's in Southbridge is because that was the home of American Optical. And if you ever get a chance to go visit, it's open to the public. You can make a reservation with my friend Dick Whitney, who basically runs it there. And the history of, there's a lot of history there, obviously, that doesn't, it's not just about American Optical. But as you follow through the timeline of American Optical's history, it's so fascinating because you are also following the timeline of American history. And so it has been so ingrained in, even though a lot of people may not know it, it has been ingrained certainly in our industry history, uh, for so long. Um, it is, and from a fashion perspective, you know, the sunglasses have been worn by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, uh, Malcolm X and his famous, famous eyeglasses, uh, uh, were, uh, AO eyeglasses, uh, JFK famously wore the Saratoga and the original pilot sunglass, which actually I have, this is the original pilot. Um, So this sunglass was the first sunglass ever on the moon. I

SPEAKER_01: 12:33

have those, and they're wildly comfortable. I love those. I love those sunglasses.

SPEAKER_02: 12:39

Yeah, thank you. So worn by the entire Apollo 11 crew. team crew. And when Neil Armstrong took that first step on the moon, he had those sunglasses attached to his uniform. So, so much, again, so much iconography. I won't spend the whole time going over it. But, you know, we had built our factory here in Chicagoland in 2014. And when you build, when you want to make eyewear in the United States or anywhere, you kind of have to first start by deciding what materials you want to use, because To make a pair of plastic glasses like the ones I'm wearing versus a pair of metal frames, that process has almost no overlap. So you can't do both without kind of building two different factories. So we chose to produce acetate when we built our factory and our state collection, which is our luxury eyewear collection that's made in our factory. That was all we were making at the time. And, you know, three, four years into that process, we were only using acetate. So inevitably, the collection was starting to get a little bit generic because there's all the same materials. So we knew we were going to have to incorporate metal manufacturing into our process at one time. And it just so happened that someone from American Optical contacted us and they were interested. Now, at that time, it was a very small company. That huge company that was at one time the biggest optical company in the world had kind of like decreased in size over and over and over again. And all that was left was the eyewear division. And it was a small factory in Southbridge, had maybe eight people in the factory, and they were only producing two styles. But they were producing metal styles. One of them was the OP, and the other was one they called the General. And They contacted us because they wanted to make the Saratoga again, which is an acetate style, but they couldn't because they only made metals, and we only made acetates, so they wanted to know if they could private label, if they could produce the Saratoga in our factory. We went through a number of different meetings and discussions, and ultimately we decided collectively that what would be best is for us just to buy the AOI work company and then bring it in-house in 2019, which is what we did. So today in our facility, and by the way, we have a factory here. We try to tell anytime I get on a stage or get to be on a podcast, like the most important message is always, please come to Chicago and visit our factory. We want as many people as possible to come and see what goes into making a pair of glasses. And you'll learn very quickly all of the handwork that goes into it, why it's so rare for a pair of glasses to be made in the United States and why it costs what it does. anywhere really, because making a pair of glasses is a pretty complex and labor-intensive process. But if you come here, you'll also see we have a mini museum on loan from Southbridge, Massachusetts, from the Optical Heritage Museum, and ours is just totally dedicated to AO. So when we brought that on, as you can imagine, We'd already been in manufacturing for a long time. So this idea of craftsmanship was already something that our team took a lot of pride in. But now the ability to work with this incredible brand with all of this rich history was, I think, really inspiring to especially our marketing team, but also our manufacturers, the craftsmen in the factory, and all of us. And to this day, We've now owned the company for five years. We released an optical collection just two years ago. It's really a point of pride and something that our whole team is really excited about sharing with the world.

SPEAKER_01: 16:47

As you should be. And I'm going to echo a message that you said about the visit to the factory. And I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to do this and spend some time with your team. And it was... It was amazing. I mean, I've been in the industry now for 14 years and to see the, not even the work, but the love. And I know that sounds cheesy, but the love that goes into creating and making each frame was mind blowing to me. I mean, to see there's a young lady that works in your factory and she was sitting there at a table and she was hand screwing into each pair of glasses. And I'm like, wait a minute, this is a human being. This isn't just some huge machine that's just pumping things. I mean, this is a human being that is putting her heart and soul into each and every frame that is produced there. It was such a cool experience.

SPEAKER_02: 17:47

Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. And I tell people all the time, you know, when a patient comes in, if you're an optician or optometrist, a patient comes into your office, they have no idea what goes into making a frame. And they probably heard from 60 Minutes or some other source about how eyeglasses are too expensive and there's some monopoly in the industry and that's why this is a big racket and you pay too much for glasses. They have no idea what goes into that. And most opticians don't know either because they've never had a chance to see in firsthand what you just described. But if, you know, I say if there was some machine that spit these things out 100 at a time and they were easy to make, we wouldn't go all the way to China or Asia to have that done. We would just have that machine here and spit them out here. It would save everybody a lot of time and effort, especially now. But it doesn't. We say for every step, there's about 50 steps that go into making a pair of acetate frames. For every step, There's also a counter step that has to be done by hand. So you can automate it as much as you want, which we do. Of course, we have we have one of the most state of the art factories in the world. And most of that process that we can automate, we do because you have to. But even still, half of the work has to be done by hand. And and that's what you know, and that and it's that handwork that differentiates, you know, a cheap. pair of glasses from a high quality pair of glasses. It's that extra touch, that extra passion that you talked about, really spending the time and the effort, especially in polishing, to make a pair of glasses beautiful.

SPEAKER_01: 19:26

And don't get me started with that interview that you brought up and the information, the misinformation that gets put out into the world. I get fired up and those who are close to me have had to listen many times about those rants and getting upset about the fact that that's not our industry. That is not what we are and what we offer. And it's not all just the same thing. garbage that's being pumped out there. And I'm glad that you brought that up too, because it leads me into another point I wanted to talk about, especially when you look at American Optical and you look at what it has given us. You mentioned the sunglasses and the styles that were worn by JFK and Malcolm X and Bob Dylan. And there's something that people who are outside of our industry, unfortunately, if you were to ask them about those styles and they're going to equate them to another company that's out there and another well-known brand because there's some similarities, but it's not them. And I think education of, well, first our staff, so our opticians and our doctors, everybody should know education is important, but then to educate the patient on the difference between a brand because people will say, I got to have brand Y because everybody knows brand Y. Well, my response to that is brand Y is only what it is because people have talked about it. They say that we have an opportunity to make American, not state, all of these brands elevated to that level. Why aren't we? So my question to you is what's the best way for practices to share that education?

SPEAKER_02: 21:15

Let me first start by saying that, you know, The vast majority of that responsibility has to fall on us, right? On the company, on the brand. No doubt about it. You know, especially today, I know that so many of our customers are dealing with staffing issues. It's harder to keep people. So you can train them. We can train them. You know, hopefully. They are being trained at their offices. But if they're not going to be there for more than a year or two years, which we just know, I mean, let's face it, that's the world we live in. And I'm not sure we're ever going back. It just puts more onus on companies like ours in order to make sure that that message is clear, easily and concisely told. And then ideally... When the patient walks in the door, they've already heard or have some kind of attachment or connection to that brand. Now, all that being said, the dispenser still has a huge opportunity to be a part of that process. And I think it's a matter of– it's really a matter of desire, right? Like one of the things that I think– you mentioned that a lot of the– history of American Optical might be confused with other companies or another company. To me, one of the things that's so exciting about this brand is that sort of misunderstanding, that ability, that opportunity to educate the average person about something they think they might know about. But here, I have some information that you don't have. And for me, You know, the best opticians, the best dispensers and even optometrists, too, that I know are ones who love not just to tell stories and to work with their patients. Of course, that's true, but love educating them, love a story, love to tell a story that maybe their patient or their customer doesn't know. And so but that's not true for everybody. Right. Like, I mean, everybody. There are opticians, obviously, and dispensers throughout the country that it's just a job for them. They want to go to whatever's easiest, and that's okay, too. But for us, you know, we're not a big enough company that we have to sell every single customer in the country. We want to work with those offices where there are opticians and, again, dispensers that have that level of enthusiasm where if you tell them something, you educate them something, about something, they want to share that with their patients. And I talk to people all the time, Scott, I'm sure you're familiar with the sort of person I'm talking about too, where they want that challenge. And by the way, that sort of attitude keeps patients coming back to them, right? Like most optometrists that I work with that I know they have a very loyal group of patients that come to them. But there are also opticians and dispensers that have loyal patients that want to work with them. And what draws, I think, so often draws them is because they have valuable storytelling, valuable information to share with those patients, not just like, you know this, here it is, right? That doesn't create trust. That doesn't create like that stickiness, right? So those are the types of environments that we're trying to work with because the reality is there is no way that our advertising budget is going to be able to compete with the advertising budget of our biggest competitors. We know that. So our business has always been about developing relationships with our customers, with optometrists and opticians, and then hopefully inspiring them one way or another, either through our brands or just through who we are, inspiring them to to then share that feeling with their patients and their customers. And so that's what we do, right? And I think, thankfully, we've been able to find enough offices and customers that want to be a part of that in order to make our company successful. And we think there's going to be a lot more. So that's what we work towards.

SPEAKER_01: 25:33

There's no doubt that there's going to be a lot more because I don't know anybody that wouldn't want to be ignited by the passion that you guys have for the industry and what we're doing. And I think there aren't enough people out there that are looking at this, number one, that are looking at this as a career, not a job, but that are looking at this as an opportunity to build something special when it comes to that relationship with a patient. And I talk to opticians and dispensers and frame stylists all the time and I challenge them. I say, I want you to build the level of relationship with your patients that they're coming back for you. I want, and doctors kind of scallop me when I say this, but I want people coming back. I want to say, oh, you know what? Seeing the doctor and getting my exam, that's a byproduct of me coming here. I have to get that in order to get to Scott and be able to find out what's the latest and greatest and what's the new story that he has for me. Because those brands have, something, but they don't have a story. And, and, and I think that that's truly what sets us apart from everybody else out there.

SPEAKER_02: 26:44

Yeah. I couldn't, I couldn't agree more. And, uh, you know, that, I mean, that, that is, uh, that's sort of, uh, for, for our company, you know, we, we have been obsessed with independent brands from the very beginning and, and, uh, and that's what we're going to continue to do. We, we love that level of storytelling and, And we love that being a part of that discovery, right? So again, you think you know something, but let me tell you something that maybe is a surprise to you and you're going to walk out of here with some knowledge you didn't have before.

SPEAKER_01: 27:16

There's nothing that makes me happier than when I'm wearing one of your guys' frames and somebody says, you know, I love the frame you're wearing. And to me, it's not just a thank you. It's a thank you. Let me tell you about this. And to be able to share and to be able to say, you know, I got to step foot in the place that makes these. I got to meet and shake hands with people who created this frame. that's a whole nother level because what I'm wearing is, yes, it's a medical device that I can't see without, but it's so much more than that. And when I get to share that with other people, now they're like, oh, wait a minute. I don't get to say that about my online frame or my frame that I got from this big box.

SPEAKER_02: 28:01

I think, again, when we say independent brands, of course, We're talking mostly about brands that are not licensed from other industries. And, you know, again, you talked about how, you know, offices feel like they have to have certain brands in their office. I'm the last person who's going to say that's not true, right? I completely understand why having brands that people are automatically familiar with is powerful and valuable. And I support that completely. But I think that... And by the way, every one of those brands, at least the good ones, they have a rich history behind them as well. But I think more often than not, by the time that brand makes it into an optometry office, those stories are not being told, right? It's basically being used as a crutch a lot of the time, maybe not all the time. But it's like, you know, again, it's like it's an easy, hey, you know this brand. You're comfortable with it. It has credibility to you. I don't have to do anything about it. And again, I get that. It's cool. But I think it's very difficult to get that sort of richness and that storytelling in what is basically a borrowed brand by the time it makes it to that optometry office, where our brands are optically native. We like to use that phrase, optically native. They're born here in our industries for our customers, for their patients. And I think that's a lot more fun, but that's what I do. That's my part of the business.

SPEAKER_01: 29:32

That's fantastic. So, okay, Europa, it's the largest independent manufacturer of eyewear in America. That is such a cool thing to be able to say. That doesn't make it, by the

SPEAKER_02: 29:45

way, Scott, that doesn't mean that it's big.

SPEAKER_01: 29:48

It

SPEAKER_02: 29:48

just means it's the biggest. Right. It's like, you know, being the tallest short person.

SPEAKER_01: 29:53

Right. Yeah. Hey, Kendall, we know one of those people, don't we? So when we look at this, there's a big T word that's on everybody's minds right now. And who knows where it's going to be when this airs. But given the fact of where you guys sit here in America, this is where things are being made. I'd love to get your insights on this topic and how you feel like it's affecting our industry.

SPEAKER_02: 30:24

Yeah. So, I mean, again, as we stand right now on April 10th, there's 145% tariff being levied to products that are made in China. There's currently no tariff or a 10% tariff on everything else. But just a few days ago, there was like a 40% or 50% tariff on just about any country that you could actually import eyewear from outside of Europe. So, So we don't have enough time to cover all of this, but I'll just say, I mean, you know, those those types of tariffs, if we're going to talk about 50 percent tariffs coming from any other country and then 150 percent coming from China, you know, there's just no way around it. That is going to do serious damage to our industry. It's going to raise prices significantly. And everybody is going to feel the effects of that, including and especially the patient. So, you know, I'm not taking a political position on it, but it's not good for our industry. That's 100% sure. And I'm saying that as a U.S. manufacturer, right, as somebody who has already done what... federal government is asking companies to do. We made this investment and have made it over the course of the last 10 years. So we are the type of company that theoretically would be in the position to benefit from this. And even I'm telling you that it's not good for our industry. And it's probably not good for our company either. All that being said, we have invested significantly in an American manufacturing facility. And so we do feel like we are well positioned to not just weather this storm, but really to take advantage of it as well. And so one of the things, we had our national sales meeting started the day after Trump was in the Rose Garden with that chart, right, with all the countries. So couldn't not talk about that with our team. And we made the declaration that day. We decided we sort of huddled right before the meeting, said, hey, can we do this? Did some back of the napkin math. And we made the declaration that American optical will not be raising its prices at all in 2025. Wow. You know, the reality is that and I've been following some of the chatter online. You know, of course, this is in our industry. This is a really important topic, as it is in just about any other. So I follow opticians on Facebook and some of the other groups. And, you know, people are quick to point out that. No eyewear is really made from top to bottom here in the United States. You saw our factory. You know that certain components, certain materials still have to be imported. Not really any way around that. And so we get tariffed on those. And as a matter of fact, at one point, when the tariffs first came out four years ago, eyewear was a part of only the third generation to be tariffed. So there was a significant period of time where there was no tariff on eyewear, but there was a tariff on our raw materials. So for some of our brands, like Scott Harris is imported, for those brands, we were paying no tariff. But for our American-made brands, where we were doing everything the federal government was asking us to, we were paying a tariff on the raw materials while the importers were paying nothing. So that's the sort of like bizarre side effects of some of these attempts. But today, we do have to pay tariffs on those raw materials. But the cost of making things in the United States does not come from the raw materials. The raw materials end up being a very small fraction of the overall cost of the eyewear. Because it all goes into U.S. labor, which is a very high-cost labor force, obviously. So we're willing and able to absorb that extra cost, those tariffs that we're going to pay on that raw material, because, you know, what are we all about, right? It's about partnering with independent eye care professionals. We know, because we've already heard it, All of our customers are asking their vendors, are you going to raise prices? Are you going to raise prices? What are you going to do about the prices? If we're going to do our small part to say, hey, we're in a very good position here. We're going to absorb those costs. And you don't have to worry about a price increase for us, at least for our American optical collection. And so that's a really cool message for us to be able to share, you know, while there's a lot of uncertainty and some chaos going on.

SPEAKER_01: 35:20

And I think that that's an important message for people to hear because there is a lot of unknowns that are going on. And with the unknown does spark fear. And unfortunately, fear can create other negative reactions. And I think it's important for everybody to know and to hear. Even though we don't know what's going on and what's going to happen, our industry is... extremely stable. Everybody has to see. And I think the important thing to know is that our practices have options and they have choices. Things like your amazing company that are not only doing what it takes to keep people independent and afloat, but to protect them, especially during times like this. So I think that that's an important message that I want to make sure everybody knows that you can, it might take a little research, it might take some asking some questions, but it's okay. We will be all right. And there are options out there for you. A hundred

SPEAKER_02: 36:25

percent. That's absolutely right. And, you know, and you're right. We have been a very resilient business, both Europa and our industry as a whole. And I have no doubt that, you know, obviously we'll make it through this. You know, I will say there are some small companies that if they're looking at, because what happens is when you, you know, you may, we have orders in, And I'm sure most of our competitors are like this too. We have orders in that go all the way to like the end of the year. So those orders are placed from all over the world. If when they come in to the US, if we have to pay 50% or more on top of what we've already paid, again, not concerned about our company, but if for a small company, How are they going to pay$400,000,$500,000, a million dollars out of their cash flow in order to get that stuff into the United States? I am concerned that some of those small companies are going to face some real issues just in terms of their cash flow. And of course, they need to bring that product in. Otherwise, they have no business. So that's a real concern that I have. You know what? I work very closely with the Vision Council, so I wear sort of two different hats. I have one that is all about Europa and making sure that we're in a position to succeed, but I have another where I do have genuine concerns for everyone in our industry and all the members of the Vision Council. So that's something we're going to have to watch very closely.

SPEAKER_01: 38:07

So speaking of the Vision Council, I know that you have an opportunity in ways that people can get involved. Tell us a little bit more about that.

SPEAKER_02: 38:18

Well, so for two years, I was the chairman of the board, the Vision Council, and I just rolled off. Jamie Rosen from Rosen Optical is now the chair. And then for two years after you're the chair, you're the immediate past chair, and you become the chairman of the the chairperson of the nominating committee. So that nominating committee is responsible for bringing other people on to either the board of directors or to other committees. So yeah, this is my opportunity to say, I have been, I mean, I really can't overstate this. My experience with the vision council, I've served on that board now for about eight years. My experience with the vision council has been so very rewarding. I've devoted a lot of my time and effort towards that Because I think it's really important and it's indicative of how I feel about this industry as a whole. But it has given me so much more than I have given it. And so if anybody who's listening to this today has some interest in sort of following that path and getting involved with Vision Council, Vision Council is co-owner of Vision Expo. So we're very involved in planning that and making sure that that's an event that's meaningful to our industry and to our members. But we're also involved in working on Capitol Hill to make sure that certain policies and laws, like tariffs, are considering the best interests of companies in our industry and our patients. And so there's a lot of great work that the Vision Council does, and I sort of right now am responsible for bringing new people on. So if anybody has any interest in being a part of that organization, my email is open and available.

SPEAKER_01: 40:05

Very nice. Very nice. Well, Scott, nobody gets to get out of here without me asking my favorite question, because, you know, as you know, I'm extremely passionate about private practice and empowering people's independence. I want to know what do you enjoy most about working with private practices and the doctors that own them?

SPEAKER_02: 40:27

Oh, man. So my favorite, my favorite Well, I love working with our team, with our sales team particularly, but when I look at my job as a whole, that kind of has to be number one. But one B is, when I can, attending events like yours that happen once a year. where I get a chance to meet independent ODs. And I'm especially thankful when they bring their staff because I think education of staff is so important and giving them that experience, especially if there's travel involved, makes it more expensive. But man, I know what it does to sort of the loyalty and professional experience of that staff when they get to attend an event like yours. Same thing with Expo. So being able to meet with people like that face-to-face, on the occasion that I get to get up on stage and maybe give a presentation. I love to do that. And, you know, I think there's something special about particularly doctor alliance groups like yours, because we have, we share so many of the same values. Like our company, absolutely cornerstone to the success of our company is the success of independent optometry. And we've known that for a very long time. You know, we are not, again, our advertising budget is not robust. And so, but we have to pick and choose which organizations we're going to support and where we're going to spend those dollars. And to us, partnering with a group like Acquios is a real no-brainer because what you're trying to do to help those independent offices succeed and remain independent is so very important to the lifeblood of our business. And we think it's what's best for our industry and for patients ultimately. So, you know, attending events like those, and again, being able to sort of tell our story and explain to those members, those ODs, why we're here, why we decided to partner with Acquios. That is one of the things, you know, this didn't really exist 20 years ago. These types of opportunities and groups like yours. So we were really early in trying to partner with groups like yours very early on. And it's been a really wonderful part of my career personally to be able to interact and sort of represent our company to groups like yours.

SPEAKER_01: 43:01

Well, you, you, you guys know how much we love, you know, having the opportunity to work with you and you've been such a huge support of ours and, and, you know, having you guys join us for empowerment 25 was, was such an amazing thing. It was, it was our first time there and to have you be a part of it was, was special to us. And we look forward to seeing you guys at empowerment 26 and we might need to look to get you up on, on, on stage next year. Listen,

SPEAKER_02: 43:25

just let me know. I'm, I don't really have too much to do. So just give me like a few days beforehand. Yeah, you show up. Yeah, and I'll show up. I love a good excuse. Where is it going to be next year?

SPEAKER_01: 43:37

It'll be right here in Kansas City again. So everybody had such a great time here and enjoyed some delicious barbecue and some good family fun. That's what I'm talking about. So you take

SPEAKER_02: 43:47

me to that place that you told me I would never have heard of. Yeah, you go. Brobex. Brobex. Yeah, there you go. Dude, it's a commitment, Scott. We're going to

SPEAKER_01: 43:57

Brobex. All right. I love it. I love it. We're going to make that happen. So, well, Scott, you've been so gracious with your time today. And I can't tell you how appreciative that we are that you joined us here today. And if anybody wants to learn more about Europa, you want to get an opportunity to go and see the factory, which once again, I highly urge everybody to do, please reach out to us at info at AquiosAlliance.com. That's info at A-C-Q-U-I-O-S-A-L-I-O-S. We'll be happy to get you in touch with Scott and the team. Scott, once again, thank you so much. And we appreciate you being a vendor partner and helping our practices empower their independence.

SPEAKER_02: 44:39

Thanks, Scott. Thanks for doing the good work that you guys do. I'll see you in Kansas City.

SPEAKER_01: 44:43

I look forward to it.