Standing Out From The Crowd

On Sunday 4th and Monday 5th July, Erin had the privilege of speaking at Independents Day 2026 at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham - an event dedicated to celebrating independent optical practices and the people who continue to push our industry forward.

This year’s theme, "Stand Out From The Crowd", couldn't have felt more relevant.

For many independent practices, the challenge isn't simply attracting new clients - it's creating an experience that people remember, talk about and want to return to. That was a common thread running throughout the event, with speakers sharing their own unique approaches to building businesses that feel authentic, memorable and genuinely different.

Sharing Colour Analysis with the Optical Industry

One of the highlights of the weekend was Erin delivering her very first CPD session, "Colour Analysis in Practice".

The session explored how personalised colour analysis can be incorporated into the optical journey to enhance both the client experience and the eyewear selection process. Rather than simply asking what someone likes, colour analysis helps uncover what truly complements an individual's natural colouring, giving practitioners another valuable tool to help clients feel confident in their eyewear choices.

It was wonderful to see so many optical professionals embracing the concept, asking thoughtful questions and considering how colour could become part of the service they offer within their own practices. Watching conversations continue long after the session had finished was incredibly rewarding and highlighted just how much appetite there is for offering clients something beyond the traditional dispensing experience.

More Than Just Colour

To round off the event, Erin was invited to join the closing discussion panel centred around the weekend's theme of "Standing Out From The Crowd".

Alongside a fantastic group of inspiring professionals from across the optical industry, the conversation explored how each individual/business has found its own way to become memorable, build stronger relationships with clients and create something genuinely distinctive.

For us, standing out has never been about doing just one thing differently.

Yes, colour analysis has become a significant part of what we offer, allowing us to help clients choose eyewear that truly complements them. But it's only one piece of a much bigger picture.

It's the carefully considered design of our boutique that immediately feels different from a traditional optical practice. It's travelling across Europe to source independent eyewear collections that are rarely seen elsewhere. It's taking the time to understand someone's personality and lifestyle before recommending a frame. It's creating a relaxed, welcoming environment where appointments feel more like a personal styling experience than a transaction.

Every detail has been intentionally designed to create something people remember.

Finding Your Own Difference

Perhaps the most inspiring part of the panel discussion was that every speaker had a completely different answer to the question of how they stand out.

There wasn't one formula for success. Instead, each person had discovered something they were genuinely passionate about and had built that into the heart of their business. The aim wasn't to encourage imitation, but to inspire others to find what makes their practice unique.

That's one of the things we love most about independent businesses. When owners have the freedom to express their own ideas, values and personalities, every practice becomes different… and that's exactly how it should be.

We came away from Independents Day feeling incredibly grateful to have been part of such an inspiring event, and especially proud of Erin for delivering her first CPD session and contributing to a discussion that championed originality, creativity and the future of independent optics.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended the sessions, asked questions, shared ideas and made the event such an enjoyable experience.

Here's to continuing to do things differently and encouraging others to do the same!