When Sharon Decker first founded Eye Designs of Westchester in 1984, she was a 24-year-old optician living in Queens, cutting her teeth at high-end optical storefronts in Manhattan. After falling in love with the quaint suburban charm of Scarsdale, she moved to Westchester with a vision of merging these two worlds—bringing the bold, innovative eyeglass fashions of the city. Forty years and two more locations in Armonk and Mamaroneck later, Eye Designs’ founding tagline, “Manhattan Styles, Westchester Convenience,” still rings true. We spoke with Decker, who now co-owns the business with her son, Harris, about the successes, challenges, and lessons Eye Designs has faced over the years—and how they manage to keep moving forward.
When you first opened Eye Designs 40 years ago, were there any initial struggles or growing pains?
As a very young female optician starting out, it was a challenge to get people to trust me with their eye care needs. Many people doubted that I could do it. I knew about eyeglasses and lenses from working at an optical store in the city, but I was relatively inexperienced in running a business. Everyone from family to my accountant advised against it, but my passion and enthusiasm for eyewear showed. My customers learned how much I enjoy helping them choose the perfect frame and lenses to suit their style and tastes. This was the beginning of Eye Designs, and now it’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years.
How has Eye Designs changed throughout the past 40 years? What were the challenges you’ve had to overcome to keep going?
We’ve been through it all. Every few years there’s been something that challenged the optical industry as a whole. We’ve always maintained our quality standards through every disruption—from contact lenses to LASIK to brands like LensCrafters and Warby Parker. We continued to keep with our quality standards, and our customers have continued to enjoy our commitment to always carrying eyewear that helps us stand apart.
How did the idea of Harris coming on the team come about? How is working with each other?
Never in my wildest dreams did I think my son Harris wanted to join me and become a New York State licensed optician. He was a musician and sports enthusiast, so I never even imagined that he would end up in the optical world. But, to my pleasant surprise, he started doing some social media for the stores, and started to really enjoy working and helping me, not only with marketing but also in helping customers. It was actually perfect timing, because he brought a younger and fresher mindset to running the store. At first, it was hard to let go of some of my responsibilities, but now, about 10 years into our working together, we decided it was time to make him a partner of Eye Designs. His knowledge and expertise are helping to bring the store to a whole new level.
“We’ve been through it all. Every few years there’s been something that challenged the optical industry as a whole.”
—SHARON DECKER
What have you done throughout the past 40 years to keep your business thriving? Any strategies or methods that you learned really work?
The biggest thing that has helped us stand apart over the years is our amazing team, that are not only passionate about optics and lenses but have a great sense of style. We’ve had some of the best opticians, frame stylists, and doctors working for us over the years and right now, as we enter our 41st year, our staff is bigger than ever. Each member of the crew rocks funky glasses, inspiring our customers to push their own boundaries.
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