Dan Scott is The Eyewear Stylist, helping people find bespoke frames that reflect their individual stories. He is a qualified dispensing optician and a trained personal stylist.
What do you start with every day?
I love my coffee, so if I’m in my studio in Media City, Salford, I’ll pick up a drink from one of the coffee shops. But when you are freelance every day is different, so I might be up at 5.30am for a 6.30am networking meeting. All my business comes through networking. Or I might have a zoom call about judging some industry awards.
What do you love about your job?
The look on people’s faces when I show them what’s possible. I love finding out about all these crazy things; you can use an app to turn the spectacles you are wearing into sunglasses with just a click. I love the creativity. I’m getting glasses made out of vinyl records; I created one pair from AC/DC’s Back in Black. I can completely personalise frames to my clients; one pair are made out of coffee beans and actually smell of coffee. I enjoy learning about all these weird and wonderful things, then seeing my client’s eyes light up when I tell them what I can do. I did an event in London last week with wedding dress designers: people don’t want to wear the same glasses that they wear in the office on their wedding day.
What are the challenges?
Building awareness. People don’t realise this stuff exists so as a one-person business I have to find ways to generate interest, with media coverage and marketing as well as networking. Working for yourself means it’s hard to pin down a schedule; I might work until midnight. There’s no boss telling me what to do when, so I have to make sure everything is in my to do list and my diary.
What do you do to wrap up the day and prepare for the next one?
I look in my diary to double check where I have to be and what I have to do tomorrow. I might be visiting a client, seeing people in the studio, placing orders with suppliers or working on my social media. I’ve never wanted to have a nine to five job. Switching off from work is a challenge, it’s so tempting just to go and check Instagram or tiktok.
Find out more about Dan at https://theeyewearstylist.co.uk/
[…] Eyewear stylist Dan […]
[…] Dispensing opticians also play an important role in advising and dispensing low vision aids to people who are partially sighted as well as advising on and dispensing to children. They may also fit and provide aftercare for contact lenses after undergoing further specialist training. They can go onto take up career opportunities in business and practice management, or concentrate on styling. […]