Transitions Drivewear now available in High Index 1.67
05/04/2023

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#OpticalIndustry

#TransitionsDrivewear

#PolarizedLenses

#OphthalmicLenses

Eyewear→ Sunwear→ Transitions Drivewear!
Transitions Drivewear is its own unique lens category. Really! There is nothing quite like it. 5 million pairs of Transitions Drivewear lenses have been dispensed, and we are celebrating this with the release of a long awaited and anticipated product: Transitions Drivewear in 1.67 high index material.

It never ceases to amaze me the loyalty and “cult” following that Transitions Drivewear has. Younger Optics makes hundreds of different lenses, but I have never gotten as many “testimonials” regarding any other lens as I have from Transitions Drivewear wearers. My wife, for example, is such a loyal wearer that she will not even step outside without putting on her Transitions Drivewear lenses.

Transitions Drivewear has a specific goal: to improve the driving task. This goal is achieved through the intelligent combination of photochromics, polarization, and the science of vision.

While some may consider Transitions Drivewear to be a “niche” product, when you think about it, drivers are very large niche! Especially in North America, where a majority of us rely on driving to get around.

Make Transitions Drivewear an important part of your product portfolio. I guarantee some of your patients will become Drivewear “cult” followers also.

Please enjoy our new, just released Transitions Drivewear video! If you like it and want your own copy for your eye care practice, send me a message on LinkedIn and be sure to include your work email address.

Transitions Drivewear video 2023

Personalized Customer Service
04/11/2023

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#OpticalIndustry

Where did personalized customer service go? I know, the last couple of years have been rough for all of us. But like Rip Van Winkle, we are all starting to wake up and look around at what’s changed. Now, Rip Van Winkle slept for 20 years and missed the American revolution, but I think that customers everywhere are waking up to realize…personalized customer service has disappeared.
Try calling up a service provider to ask a question, you will find nothing there but recorded messages and long wait queues. Try to call a shipping company to find out where a package is…good luck! For a real kick, try calling a company like Facebook (ahem, “Meta”🙄), and see if you can speak to an actual human being about an issue with your business page. We all know how difficult that would be!
You might expect it to be better within the optical industry. Unfortunately, it’s often not. Consolidation is making our companies bigger, there is high employee turnover, and many staffs have been reduced due to higher costs.
At Younger, we try hard to maintain our personalized customer service, so eye care professionals and labs can reach out to us and speak to an actual *real* person, who is knowledgeable enough to answer your questions and address your specific problems.
One good thing about personalized customer service being so rare, is that people appreciate it so much more when you can deliver it! This may be one of the best ways for your company to stand out from your competition. And when you decide who to buy from, remember to factor in quality of service, not just price!

Who Moved the Optical Cheese
02/24/2023

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#OpticalIndustry

Do you remember “Who Moved My Cheese” by Dr Spencer Johnson? Although this short, simple but insightful book was written more than 20 years ago, I recently re-read it, and it has never been more relevant than it is today, especially with regard to the optical industry. Consolidation at all levels, new players entering the industry such as equity companies, online companies, managed care, retailer— our industry is really changing. Everyone’s optical cheese is moving!
If you’ve never read the book, I suggest you do. If you have, I suggest you re-read it. If your “cheese” isn’t moving, it might very well be moving soon, and you need to be on the lookout for something that makes your company, services, and products different and unique. You need to be willing to do things differently than in the past, and look for new opportunities to grow your business. Maybe it’s a new product or a unique technology— either way, the fact is that everyone’s cheese is being moved, and it’s best to be prepared.

The Lens by David DiLaura
01/30/2023

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#OpticalHistory

#OphthalmicLenses

#OpticalIndustry

At our industry’s heart sits the optical lens. Throughout history, lenses have attracted and fascinated some of the greatest minds in history, many of whom were also opticians!
A great friend of mine, David L DiLaura, recently sent me a monograph he put together on the history of lenses, based on the optical books in his personal collection. It is called “The Lens,” and may be downloaded here:
https://youngeroptics.com/.../The_Lens_by_David_DiLaura.pdf
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did! Thank you, David, for allowing me to share this with an entire industry, built around a single object…the lens!

Happy New Year 2023
01/01/2023

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#OpticalIndustry

I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and to thank everyone who helped make 2022 a very good year for Younger Optics.
I'd like to thank our customers, our suppliers, our partners, all the team members of Younger Optics, and most of all, of course, all the ECPs out there who every day prescribe and trust Younger Optics products.
I know 2022 wasn't an easy year for everyone, but our industry seems to continue to be resilient. Although we may not do as well as other industries in boom times and we don't do as poorly in tough times, over the years, our optical industry has proven to be extraordinarily resilient and vital to the future of of our society.
Everyone needs to see. And remember, in the end, that's what our industry does. It provides people with vision.
I'd also like to thank all my nearly 30,000 followers on social media, especially on LinkedIn, who continue to send me messages and information about our industry.
I really appreciate that and I want you to know I read every single message myself and answer them personally. So thank you very much, I'm looking forward to a good 2023, and I wish all of you a happy new year, and all the best, and look forward to serving you for another year.

David Rips Thanks Optical Industry 2023

Irving Rips 95th birthday
11/29/2022

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#OpticalHistory

Even before he founded Younger Optics, my dad, Irving Rips, embodied the spirit of discovery and innovation that lens makers and opticians have shared for nearly 1000 years. As last week would have been my dad's 95th birthday, I have been thinking a lot about his legacy and the traits he shared with the greatest minds of optical science history.
Like many opticians, Irving Rips loved technology and equipment. He hand-built the first polishing machines at Younger using washing machine motors. This was in the spirit of Galileo and Leeuwenhoek, who made their lenses using any available equipment and tools they could find.
Like many opticians, Irving Rips loved both practical and theoretical optics. Working in his garage, he ground lenses by hand and experimented with various improvements, following in the tradition of the great lens makers Isaac Newton of the 17th Century and Joseph Fraunhofer of the 19th Century.
Like many opticians, Irving Rips loved philosophy, in the spirit of Descartes and Spinoza. I have always tried to understand the historical connection between optics and philosophy, and the best I can come up with is that historically opticians had to stand for hours on end making lenses one at a time in front of grinding and polishing machines. This gave opticians a lot of time to ponder the wonders of light and the meaning of life.
So, over the course of 1000 years of history, the machines and lenses have changed, but the spirit of opticians has not. My dad fit right in. Happy 95th, Dad.

Transitions Drivewear lenses are totally unique
09/22/2022

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#OphthalmicLenses

#PolarizedLenses

#TransitionsDrivewear

#OpticalIndustry

Transitions Drivewear lenses provide a totally unique sunwear experience by intelligently combining photochomics and polarization specifically for the task of driving. Let me show you how it works with this short animation.
First we see the lens in its resting state, which is an olive green color, designed to increase contrast and allow the maximum amount of light to reach the eye in overcast or low light conditions.
Next, behind the windshield of a car, in bright light conditions, the lens reacts to visible light and will change to a copper color. Many people feel a copper color is the best color for driving since it enhances the greens and reds, both very important colors for driving.
Finally, in bright outdoor conditions, the lenses activate to a dark brown for maximum light protection.
Although we refer to Transitions Drivewear lenses as having three distinct “stages”, it is also important to understand that the color is continuously adapting by small degrees to always provide the wearer the right amount of light for each light condition.
And, of course, Transitions Drivewear lenses are always polarized in every condition. Drivewear has almost a “cult” following among opticians who swear by the product and won’t wear anything else while driving or engaging in any outdoor activities. You should become one of them! See our website for more information. https://www.youngeroptics.com/EN/Drivewear

David Rips at Transitions Academy
08/26/2022

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#Events

#OphthalmicLenses

#OpticalIndustry

I was invited to speak at the 2022 Transitions Academy, an international event for optical industry leaders hosted annually by Transitions Optical. I was asked the question “What type of new or high-tech innovation do you see making an impact on the optical industry in the future?”
Well, I think my answer surprised a lot of people. Sure, the expected answer would be something like “smart glasses,” but I think the real answer is that the high level of technology currently used in ophthalmic lenses is really under-appreciated by both the consumer and across our optical industry. Lenses are the world’s highest form of plastics technology, yet so few people within and outside our industry recognize this.
This video might help you to understand the complexity of the “high technology” already used to make every pair of eyeglasses in our industry. It might also help you to feel more comfortable in answering the inevitable question of “Why are my lenses so expensive?” https://youtu.be/9BII3WRuOnw
Thank you to Transitions Optical for the opportunity to appear alongside several highly esteemed members of our optical community.

Transitions Drivewear Photochromic Science
08/04/2022

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#TransitionsDrivewear

#PolarizedLenses

#OpticalIndustry

#OphthalmicLenses

Successful optical practices know that a big part of business success is matching their patients with the perfect second pair. Though it can be challenging since your patient is already investing in a primary pair, a good opening would be to ask the patient, “What type of sunwear do you use when you’re driving?” Nearly every adult is a driver, and that is the perfect time to introduce the benefits of Transitions® Drivewear® as the sunwear lens specifically designed to optimize the driving experience.
The video explains how Transitions Drivewear lenses perform in different daylight conditions. If you want to see them for yourself, my Younger Optics staff will be at Vision Expo in Las Vegas next month to show you how to talk to your patients about them. Stop by to see us; it will be a great service — to your patients and to the success of your practice. https://youtu.be/xcb_DdtRYa8

Focused inSights 2022
07/07/2022

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#PolarizedLenses

#OphthalmicLenses

#OpticalIndustry

Sunglasses are associated with DRIVING more than any other activity. A recent survey done by The Vision Council shows that 63% of adults wear sunglasses while driving.

Optical professionals may be in the habit of asking about a patient’s outdoor activities, but perhaps we should ask about their driving habits first. Since most of your patients already know about the benefits of sunwear while driving, be sure to tell them about Transitions® Drivewear®, the most advanced sunwear lens ever designed specifically for the driving task. Transitions® Drivewear® lenses are polarized to block blinding glare and continuously adapt to changing daylight conditions behind the wheel and outdoors.

The Vision Council survey should make us feel confident that patients want and need sunwear while driving. Why not offer a product specifically designed to provide the best possible driving experience? To find out more about Transitions® Drivewear® polarized lenses, visit the Younger Optics website: https://www.youngeroptics.com/EN/Drivewear

Transitions Drivewear at Transitions Academy
06/14/2022

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#Events

#OpticalIndustry

#OphthalmicLenses

#TransitionsDrivewear

#PolarizedLenses

If you were lucky enough to attend Transitions Academy in Florida last week, you may have noticed that Transitions Drivewear lenses were receiving a lot of buzz and attention. My team of Transitions Brand Ambassadors were absolutely swarmed with optical professionals trying to catch a glimpse of this beloved sunwear product.
It’s funny, Transitions Drivewear may not be a brand new sunwear lens anymore, but new people are still discovering it and falling in love with it every single day. This reminds me a lot of when a musician from a previous decade makes a popular comeback and suddenly their name is back on the lips of everyone who’s anyone!
I have a "business hack" recommendation for you if you’re looking for a way to increase sunwear sales at your practice: Consider getting your top dispensing staff their own pairs of sunglasses with Transitions Drivewear lenses. I think you’ll find your sunwear sales will miraculously increase as this lens ignites a newfound enthusiasm for talking about their new favorite sunwear lenses: Transitions Drivewear.

David Rips at Transitions Academy 2022
06/03/2022

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#OpticalIndustry

#Events

Today I was very honored to appear as a panelist at the 25th Transitions Academy in Orlando, Florida! It was really great to be able to participate virtually alongside several highly esteemed members of our optical community.
While I was not able to attend in person, I have heard nothing but rave reviews about this yearʼs Academy. Everything was done first-class, as Transitions always does.
One of the questions I was asked was, “What is my favorite Transitions lens?” I told the attendees I have two: Transitions Drivewear when driving and Transitions XTRActive Polarized for everything else. (More on this topic in a later post.)
Once again, Iʼd like to thank Transitions, especially their President Chrystel Barranger, for inviting me to be a part of this great event. And thank you for being such a great partner to Younger Optics and an asset to our industry.

photo credit: John Tambini

Vision Expo East 2022
05/26/2022

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#OpticalIndustry

#Events

I would personally like to thank everyone who traveled to Vision Expo East in NYC and visited the Younger Optics booth, especially those who followed me on LinkedIn. I would also like to thank my team members who worked the Younger booth; which was very active with many visitors. Everyone was in good spirits and enjoyed being out in the world, face to face again! All of the exhibitors and attendees deserve a compliment: congratulations on a successful show!

Younger highlighted its main lens brands, including NuPolar, Camber, Trilogy, and of course its full line of Transitions lenses, including the new Transitions XTRActive Polarized and Transitions XTRActive New Generation lenses. We also showed off our NuPolar Mirrors, NuPolar High Index, and the upcoming NuPolar 1.74!

I wish I could have attended this year, but I am sure going to be there for Vision Expo West in Las Vegas September 14-17th. See you then, and thank you for your support of Younger Optics.

NuPolar is now available in High Index 1.74
05/23/2022

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#NuPolar

#OphthalmicLenses

#PolarizedLenses

#OpticalIndustry

When NuPolar polarized lenses were introduced in 1995, polarized lenses were less than 1% of Rx lens sales in the US, and they were only available in one material – CR-39 Hard Resin.
Boy, how things have changed! Polarized lenses are now close to 10% in the US, and that share should continue to climb with the introduction of a product we have all been waiting for – NuPolar 1.74. This product release is very timely, because the fastest growing segment of lens materials is high index, particularly 1.74. NuPolar 1.74 lenses offer all of the well-known benefits of the NuPolar brand, such as color uniformity, heat stability, wide Rx range, consistent curve control, true gray and true brown colors, superb adhesion and of course, high polarization efficiency! Now eye care practices can deliver all of these benefits to their higher prescription patients in a very thin, attractive, ultra-high-index lens.
Check the polarized sales at your eye care business, and if you are not at 10% or above, NuPolar 1.74 lenses may be just the product to help you climb to the next level. Believe me, the higher you climb with polarized sales, the better the view, for both your patients and your bottom line.

Polarization and Digital Displays
04/25/2022

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#OpticalIndustry

#PolarizedLenses

#OphthalmicLenses

#NuPolar

Our lives have become more and more reliant on digital displays, including our phones, tablets, watches and car dashboards. In the past, some LCD displays were difficult to see with polarized lenses, because these screens contained polarized films aligned conversely to the polarized films in sunglasses.

Boy, have times changed over the years! Display manufacturers have eliminated this problem by realigning the film used in their instruments. This is a great development! Now that this problem is rapidly disappearing, we can enjoy the enormous benefits of polarized lenses without downsides, and optical professionals can enthusiastically recommend polarized lenses without worrying about this issue of the past.

Recently, Younger Europe made a great video discussing this, and I am happy to share it below! Just one less thing to worry about when prescribing and wearing NuPolar polarized lenses!

Charlie Munger of Berkshire Hathaway
03/29/2022

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#OpticalIndustry

Those of you who read my posts regularly know that one of my heroes is Charlie Munger of Berkshire Hathaway. Charlie celebrated his 98th Birthday on Jan 1st and is still going strong.

His wisdom is just so deep and insightful over a huge range of subjects. I have had the pleasure of speaking with Charlie on informal occasions several times, and he is no less impressive in person than in public.

Here are some of my favorite Charlie quotations. There is wisdom in these for all of us. Happy Birthday, Charlie Munger!!

“Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant.”
“The best way to get what you want in life is to deserve what you want.”
“People calculate too much and think too little.”
“Those who keep learning will keep rising in life.”
“As Samuel Johnson said famously, ‘I can give you an argument, but I can’t give you an understanding.’”
“You don’t have to be brilliant, only a little bit wiser than the other guys, on average, for a long, long time.”
“I can’t give you a formulaic approach, because I don’t use one. If you want a formula, you should go back to graduate school. They’ll give you lots of formulas that won’t work.”
“In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time — none, zero. My children laugh at me. They think I’m a book with a couple of legs sticking out.”

David Rips, President & CEO of Younger Optics

Choosing the Right Business Partner
03/10/2022

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#FreeFormLenses

Choosing the Right Business Partner May be Your Most Important Business Decision
In business, it is tough to go it alone. Having a great partner can make it infinitely easier for your business to succeed and prosper. The trick is finding the right one, since nothing can be worse for your business than having the wrong business partner!
In choosing a business partner, I looked for the following characteristics:
• Flawless honesty & integrity. If they don’t possess these traits, nothing else matters, no matter how talented.
• A different skill set than you have. For example, if you excel in sales and marketing, choose a partner who specializes in operations.
• A different approach to problem-solving. Get a partner who sees the world differently than you do. A different perspective really helps.
• The same fundamental principals. While it’s nice to see the world differently, you want to agree on fundamental ideas, such as what you hope the business to accomplish, and how to get there.
• Should be “Love at First Sight”. You should just “click” with the right partner and be able to finish each other sentences. It took me about five minutes to choose my partner at Younger Optics, Tom Balch, and the only thing I can’t figure out is what took me so long! 😄
I’m sure there are many more things to add to the list, but you get the idea. The business world is full of great partner combinations, like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. It makes success so much easier! It’s tough to go it alone.

Camber - No progressive lens is more advanced
02/18/2022

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#CamberLenses

#OpticalIndustry

As a lens maker, it's been fascinating to see technology change rapidly, especially over the last 10 years. One of the most interesting things to happen is the new technologies laboratories use to create free-form digital lenses. A lot of people thought free-form lenses would be the end of lens making as a craft, and that the lens itself wouldn't be as important as it once was. Quite the opposite is true. The incredible precision that goes into the design, calculation, and manufacturing of these lenses in wholesale laboratories has made the quality of the lens blank even more important. Camber lenses are among the most precise and advanced that we have ever made at Younger Optics. They are built with a special shape, like that of an elephant’s trunk, to become steeper toward the bottom. This gives the wearer the ideal base curve for each viewing area in a progressive lens. When combined with the latest technology calculations from IOT, and advanced measurements from a professional optician, Camber lens blanks are used to create completed progressive lenses that are of the very highest quality. Of course, Younger Optics manufactures Camber lens blanks in all kinds of materials and treatments because that’s what lens makers really love to do.

Every Business needs many “MOATS”
02/02/2022

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#OpticalIndustry

Successful businesses, although they may seem large and powerful, are remarkably vulnerable things. One only has to look at the list of top corporations from 50 years ago to see GE, IBM, US Steel, auto manufacturers, oil companies, all of which, at the time, appeared invulnerable. Exxon, the most valuable company 50 years ago, ranks 22 now. All the rest are much lower. Business history is filled with “Roman candles” whose “moats proved illusionary and were soon too easily crossed by the competition.” Regardless of the size of your company, you need to constantly be building “moats” that provide an extra buffer of protection against your competitors. These can include Brand, Reputation, Patents, Technical Know-How, Degree of Difficulty, Superb Service. The list is endless and ever-changing. Low cost won't typically do it, as there is always someone who will do it cheaper. Price is a very weak moat. Since 1992 when I took over Younger Optics, “moat building” has been one of my preoccupations. Nearly everything we do is to strengthen those areas of the business that strengthen our moat. When making business choices, try ranking your alternatives by how much each one builds your company’s “moat.” Every business, large or small, can do this. Although the “moat building” materials will be different, the concept is always the same. Your business will thank you for it.

Thanks to everyone out there for their support
12/31/2021

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#FreeFormLenses

#CamberLenses

For my last post of 2021, I would just like to use this opportunity to thank everyone out there for their support of Younger Optics. Younger is closing the most successful year in its history, thanks to all of our customers worldwide, and to all of the eye care professionals throughout the world who have dispensed Younger’s products. In addition, I would also like to thank all of the people who have been active on my social media posts. It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me to talk to so many of you out there in the optical industry. I appreciate the feedback, and I’m happy that so many of you enjoy my posts about Younger, about products, about the history of our industry, general business, and anything else that I feel like sharing! I’m planning to continue in 2022 and beyond. Happy Holidays, and I wish all of you a great 2022!

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