Stop Selling Glasses. Start Creating Desire.
It begins with a box of old frames. Jason tells the story of discovering his grandfather’s original frame designs after helping clear out his father’s optical practice — a moment that would eventually lead to one of the most distinctive independent eyewear brands in the world. From three generations of optical history to modern frame innovation, this is a conversation about legacy, courage, customer experience, and why independent opticians must never lose the magic of what makes them different.
Jason shares the story behind Kirk & Kirk, the brand he runs with his wife Karen, and explains why their frames are made from a unique acrylic-based material called K-Lite — designed to give bold, colourful, personality-filled eyewear without the heavy feel.
As Jason explains, the colour may be obvious, but the story is what makes the frame powerful.
“You have to talk about the hundred years of history before they touch the frames.”
This episode goes far beyond eyewear. Garry and Jason dig deep into what independent optics needs to do to survive and thrive in challenging times. They talk honestly about complacency, customer service, staff training, merchandising, the threat from online eyewear, the power of storytelling, and why too many practices are failing to communicate their true value.
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Add Your Heading Text HereIndependent Optics Under Threat: How to Stand Out Before It’s Too Late
he conversation also tackles one of Garry’s favourite subjects: practice experience. From the way the phone is answered, to whether patients are greeted with a smile, to whether the outside of the practice is clean, every detail matters.
Garry puts it simply:
“A smile is an international recognition of welcoming.”
And Jason brings the conversation back to the customer:
“The customer comes first.”
Together, they explore the difficult balance at the heart of optics: it is both healthcare and fashion. A patient comes in for clinical care, but they also leave wearing something on their face every day. The handover from the testing room to the shop floor should feel seamless, confident, and human.
This episode is also a wake-up call for independent opticians.
Jason says:
“The independent optician is really under threat.”
But this is not a negative conversation. It is a practical, passionate, and inspiring one. The message is not that independents are doomed — it is that they must communicate better. They must explain the difference between a £40 frame and a £400 frame. They must train staff. They must display frames with confidence. They must stop assuming the patient understands quality, craft, lens choice, fit, service, and story.
As Garry says in the episode, many practices make the majority of their turnover from glasses, yet they often do not think deeply enough about how those frames are displayed, explained, and sold.
Jason’s advice on merchandising is powerful:
“Display it with confidence.”
He explains that putting 15 or 20 colourful frames on a wall does not create belief. But a strong, coordinated collection, displayed properly, tells the patient and the team that this is something special.
This episode also explores the role of social media and marketing in optics. Jason challenges practices not to create content for the sake of it, while Garry makes the case that if you want younger patients, visibility matters. The key agreement between them is that quality matters. Your marketing must match the type of patient you want to attract.
As Garry says:
“When you’re invisible, you truly are invisible.”
There is a brilliant section on how patients choose practices before they ever walk through the door. Your website, your social media, your displays, your phone manner, your reviews, your windows, your team energy — it all speaks before you do.
Jason and Garry also talk about trade shows, Silmo, 100% Optical, and why the optical industry needs more conversation, more discovery, and more support for independent brands and suppliers.
Jason makes a heartfelt point about the independent sector:
“We’re all facing the same struggles and the same challenges.”
This is what makes the episode so valuable. It is not just about Kirk & Kirk. It is about the future of independent optics. It is about getting the passion back. It is about creating desire. It is about remembering that eyewear can be joyful, emotional, personal, and commercially powerful when it is presented properly.
For any optician, practice owner, dispensing optician, optometrist, optical assistant, frame buyer, or supplier who cares about independent optics, this episode is packed with lessons.
You will learn why:
Great eyewear needs great storytelling.
Staff confidence directly affects frame sales.
Customer experience starts before the patient walks in.
The handover from clinic to dispense must be seamless.
Merchandising is not decoration — it is strategy.
Independent opticians must communicate their value better.
Patients buy emotion, confidence, identity, and trust — not just glasses.
The best practices make people feel something.
How independent opticians can win using social media, marketing, visualisation, merchandising, and pop-up frames?
his is a conversation about frames, but really it is a conversation about standards.
It is about caring enough to clean the window, answer the phone properly, train the team, tell the story, explain the difference, and help the patient choose something that makes them feel like the best version of themselves.
Because, as Jason says:
“When people are wearing something that gives them pleasure, not just something they can see through, they want more.”
This is a must-listen episode for anyone who believes independent optics still has something special to offer — and wants to make sure patients understand it too. Opticians are driven by clinical excellence, but we must never forget the storytelling. We must never forget how a new frame makes somebody feel, whether that be seeing six-six or it feeling so comfortable and not slipping. Others, even strangers stopping us in the street and asking where we got them from