For This America’s Finest Winner, Fast Cars, Family, and a Good Bourbon Help Turn Lemons into Lemonade

Matthew G. Barber, OD
@chromamodern
CHROMA modern Eyewear Eyecare, Fort Worth, TX

For an OD who likes fast cars and surfing it’s no surprise that one of the things Dr. Matt Barber loves about owning his business is that every day is a new adventure. “If we want to change something for the better, we do it,” he says. “If it doesn’t work the way we thought it would, we change it back.” That sort of freedom comes along with one of his other favorite things: Independence! “We decide what frame lines to carry, the technology we want to focus on, and how we want to practice this awesome profession.” Of course, adventures can sometimes come with obstacles. “As a business owner, wearing all the hats can get overwhelming at times,” he shares. “Equipment, staffing, IT and edger issues, trunk shows, review responses … I literally [just] patched a hole in the drip line for our irrigation system.” But Barber is an optimist: “A positive attitude and good mojo turn those lemons into lemonade 100% of the time. But I do find that some exercise, time on the water with family and friends, and a good bourbon seem to help too.”