It was during the summer of 1970 in Kuwait, while working in my uncle’s optical shop that I first had the opportunity of gaining know-how of the optical world.
My uncle’s iron-clad rules stirred my zeal to pursuing an optical vocation and working hands-on from scratch to build a business I could never have realised I would achieve. I was in my teens back then, a time when the contact lens business, a neophyte in the field, was a nuisance in the local and regional optical market. I recall how it was burdened with the stigma of people’s assumption that its introduction into the market could spell the end of the eyeglasses business. That of course was not the case. My uncle’s shop displayed a motley assortment of optical products, as well as, cameras, binoculars, and whatnot. The staff was a powerhouse of professionals hailing from various countries across the globe.
It was about the same time I could be found with my nose stuck in any article that came to hand about contact lenses. The vehicle for those articles was the leading, UK-based, weekly magazine for eye care professionals, Optician. My uncle was subscribed to Optician and he used to drop copies of the magazine to the shop’s branches. I was fascinated by the magazine launched in 1891, it was an A-1 publication brimming with vital clinical and business information for colleagues in the profession, as well as, distance learning education for practitioners.
Each one of us revelled at being able to upgrade our knowledge through the comprehensive articles featuring the latest optical developments delivered weekly direct from London.
I took the opportunity of skimming through the pages of the magazine and read some of the articles even though I hardly understood what was written. It was then I had a eureka moment that marked the beginning of my relationship with publishing for the optical industry. I looked up the address of the magazine, bookmarked its writers, and made myself a promise that I would one day contact them.
Bandor in Kuwait
My uncle discovered my newly-awakened passion and lent me a hand by making me write product promotional campaigns and product instructions for starters.
I opened my very own optical shop in Kuwait after leaving my work and finishing my optical studies in Europe. Amid my success in the business, establishing numerous branches and all, I decided to start-off a publication, a career-changing move borne out of the courage and inspiration I fostered from reading Optician. Hence, the birth of Eyezone magazine.
It was a call for a challenge, despite the fact that the project was by then taking its mere baby steps and the market had not matured yet. But it nevertheless reaped success, now, after 13 years, flourishing in both the print and digital realms with Eyezone magazine, and stretching out networks online through Eyezone Business and Eyezone Optiguide.
Bandor on the international press circuit today
I must say that I took the initiative and I am thankful that Optician opened this door of opportunities for me and gave me confidence to serve the optical industry with vital information shared with its professional advocates. Indeed, I shall continue to run Eyezone’s publications looking up to Optician, at the same time, striving to match its standards.
Has Optician inspired you during your career? If so, we’d like to hear from you – opticianeditor@markallengroup.com.