Tom York on Business: Firefighter Turns Love of Sunglasses into Successful Online Venture

Former Coronado Firefighter Turned Retail Entrepreneur Mike Ettenberg has an interesting story about how he became an online sunglasses impresario.

Ettenberg loved his designer sunglasses while on duty—they gave him a distinctive personality in a rigorous environment. But he discovered that the designer glasses were prone to scratching, cracking, breaking—if not losing—when on the phone.

Then an idea came to him.

So three years ago, he took $5,000 of his own money, started an e-commerce website, and bought 300 pairs of glasses from a wholesaler known for making durable eyewear at reasonable prices. He began selling his glasses under Frontline optics.

With a product guarantee and a strong brand, Frontline Optics began to grow. And a growing list of satisfied customers helped increase sales.

Results?

Ettenberg says that in the first six months of the site’s launch, the company achieved sales of $8,182.

By the second year, his income had reached $174,000, allowing him to retire and begin a new career as an entrepreneur.

Ettenberg said sales of his sunglasses, which are extremely popular with Internet users, totaled $442,000 this year.

Prices range from $58 to $125 per pair, and we offer a replacement guarantee if your glasses are lost or stolen.

Ettenberg says many of his fellow firefighters praise the product and are repeat customers.

“Each pair of shoes has been battle-tested and designed to survive hell and come back,” says Ettenberg.

Though he’s no longer a firefighter, something he did for nearly a decade, Ettenberg still works as an instructor for the local EMT and paramedic program and donates 5 percent of his proceeds to the First Responders Children’s Foundation.

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This Oceanside Chamber of Commerce recently announced that it is now accepting applications for the Oceanside Leadership Academy, Fall 2024.

An in-depth leadership development program runs weekly from September 7 to October 30.

In the first session, local business, military and political leaders will discuss their leadership styles and philosophies and explain how they have dealt with crises.

Future meetings will discuss leadership in more detail, with “experts from a variety of sectors, including military, municipal government, tourism/hospitality, entrepreneurship, education, nonprofits, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics…”

Director General of the Chamber Scott Ashton will lead the final session of the series.

More information and the application form can be found here.

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New report from the online residential real estate platform Red Fin says the average African American household can now afford to buy a first home in just a fraction of the country’s 50 largest cities.

The most affordable metropolitan area in the country was Detroit, the study found. The typical average-income family there would spend 16% of its earnings on an average-priced starter home.

In San Diego, they would have to spend 78% of their income to afford an entry-level home.

In Los Angeles, purchasing an entry-level home would consume 81% of their income.

In San Francisco, they would have to spend 104% of their income — more than their entire annual salary of $81,000 — on an entry-level home.

Of course, California always ranks at the extreme end when it comes to real estate prices.

Nationally, the typical black family would need to spend just 41% of their annual earnings to afford such a home.

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University of California, DavisSan Diego’s new School of Veterinary Medicine has chosen BluePrints Veterinary Marketing Group as a marketing agency for its medical center, which is scheduled to open at the end of 2025.

The 23,000-square-foot facility will offer specialty and emergency services in addition to existing services such as cardiology and internal medicine, according to a news release.

“The school is a national leader in veterinary education, research and healthcare,” said Robin Brogdon, CEO of BluePrints, in a press release. “We share their passion for animals and are committed to delivering innovative initiatives that reflect clinical excellence and inspire the public.”

The health center operated as a satellite facility UC Davis University Hospital of Veterinary Medicine for over 20 years.

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A report from Payroll Integrations, a San Diego-based technology company that integrates services between payroll systems and benefits providers, revealed a discrepancy in how employers view benefits that improve the financial well-being of their employees.

The company’s 2024 Employee Financial Health Report examines financial health from the perspective of both employers and employees.

Here’s a summary of the report:

• Half of employers believe they provide financial well-being benefits to their employees, but less than a third of employees agree.
• Management is focusing on health insurance and retirement plans. But employees would like to see even more investment and less in financial education.
• Priorities differ across generations: Millennials, one of the newest groups in the workforce, value health care and retirement the most, while Generation Z, the previous generation of workers, want more emphasis on lifestyle benefits.
• Both managers and employees agree that good health insurance and retirement benefits are important for recruiting and retaining employees.
• The report shows that Millennials are more financially stable than previous generations of workers.

Finally, the report suggests that employers need to better understand employee needs and tailor financial well-being programs accordingly.

Payroll Integrations is used by over 4,000 organizations to connect payroll to employee benefit plans for over a million employees.

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Hyundai dealers in San Diego have donated a new 2024 Hyundai SUV to a local nonprofit organization, Emilio Nares Foundation,

The agency helps families whose children suffer from cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

According to a press release, the car will be used as part of the foundation’s “Ride with Emilio” program, which provides free transportation to and from hospital appointments for children in need and their caregivers.

The press release said the donation underscores Hyundai’s long-standing support of the pediatric cancer community. Hyundai Hope On Wheelswho also made a donation Rady Children’s Hospital for cancer research.

“Our nonprofit Hyundai Hope on Wheels recognizes the importance of supporting children and families receiving care during difficult times,” said Chris Georgegeneral director Hyundai Cajon and chairman San Diego Hyundai Dealer Advertising Association.

According to industry publication AutoTrader, there are half a dozen Hyundai dealers in the region.

Tom York is a freelance journalist from Carlsbad who specializes in writing about business and the economy. If you have a news tip to share, send it to [email protected].