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Ulla Eyewear

People don’t go to a mall simply to shop. They go to reimagine themselves. Ulla Eyewear has succeeded in the upscale Hilldale Shopping Center since 1998, and it recently moved to a better space amid the center’s mix of local and national stores. Second-generation owner Brittany Graber says she “deeply believes that the client experience starts with the staff. We are selling incredible eyewear but we’re also selling ourselves and a lifestyle.” With neighbors including The North Face, Anthropologie and a farmers’ market, look for Ulla Eyewear to continue thriving with its target clientele.

5 COOL THINGS ABOUT Ulla Eyewear

1. Local love: Ulla staff members are ardent champions of other local businesses. Check out their recommendations at ullaeyewear.com/our-story. The business supports many local causes including A Fund For Women, the LGBT community and the Dane County Humane Society.

2. Good deed: There’s no charge for eyewear adjustments at Ulla Eyewear. Instead, people can make a donation to Combat Blindness International, a nonprofit organization started by Madison ophthalmologist Dr. Suresh Chandra. Ulla Eyewear raises money for the organization in other ways, too.

3. Get energized: The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon “is a great book about focusing on the positive,” says Graber. “It keeps us on the road to success, not just monetarily, but on a personal level too.”

4. Picture this: Ulla Eyewear has memorable custom thank-you and business cards bearing caricatures of the staff.

5. Rave reviews: Speaking of gratitude, a newly redesigned website gives Ulla staff a place to showcase the thanks they get from happy customers.

PHOTO GALLERY / Ulla Eyewear

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