After 10 Years of Hustle, What Comes Next?

I AM NOT ONE of those birthday people that claims a “birthday week” or a “birthday month.” I am generally content just to mark the day — often by taking off from work if I can! — and be done with it.

But many years ago, I started a tradition of trying to celebrate the day in the manner I wanted the next year to emulate. For example, if I was coming off a particularly hectic year and wanted to slow down, I’d book a spa day, pamper myself, and hope the year to come offered more calm. If it was an uneventful or lonely year, I would go big! Party, shenanigans, and surrounding myself with loved ones in order to inspire more fun and adventure over the next 365 days.

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I think that is a tradition I’d like to start for INVISION on its 10th birthday. The first 10 years have been about the hustle: establishing the magazine, growing an audience, and building trust with the readers. (You can read a little more about our founding and some highlights of the last 10 years starting on page 30. But peep that prototype cover! That’s the issue that had me writing David Squires begging him for a job!) The question is: What should we focus on for the next 10? Perhaps we should take some of John Marvin’s advice in his column on page 44 and start with some self-reflection. Do we go even bigger? Do we lean into our strengths and foster our independent ECP community in new ways? Do we broaden our coverage to include a more international point of view? (If you’ve got ideas, we’d love to hear them, drop us a line at editor@invisionmag.com. At the end of the day, it is your magazine.)

Of course, it goes without saying that we will continue to do what we do best: Highlight the successes of independent eyecare businesses around the country and provide a platform for them to tell their stories so others can run their own businesses better and have fun doing it.

Best wishes for our businesses … for many more years to come!