Advertise on podcast: OWA Talks Podcast

What does it take to transform a family business into a powerhouse for independent eyewear? And why would a former comedian be the one to do it? In this episode, Scott Shapiro shares his journey from the stage to the boardroom. About the guest: Scott Harris Shapiro is the Executive Director of Europa Eyewear, a company founded by his parents in 1977, where he grew up in the business and now leads its growth, including pioneering American luxury eyewear manufacturing with brands like State Optical Co., American Optical (AO) Eyewear, and serving as the Immediate Past Chair of The Vision Council. He transitioned from a career as a radio personality and comedian, bringing communication skills back to the family business after his father's passing, focusing on supporting independent optometry and high-quality, U.S.-made frames. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

New Year, New President: Ring in 2026 with ‘OWA Talks’ and Megan Molony! It’s a new Year and OWA Talks is kicking 2026 off with a bang! Listen to this episode as we sit down with new OWA President Megan Molony to hear about her vision for the future of the organization. About the guest: As CEO of Europa Eyewear, Megan Molony oversees the full Europa platform, including Europa Eyewear and eyebobs, as well as future acquisitions, while working closely with the board of directors to set and execute the company’s long-term strategic vision. Molony has nearly 30 years of optical industry experience, with a strong track record in merchandising, customer experience, managed care, operations, and innovation. Most recently, she served as chief merchandising and managed vision care officer at National Vision, Inc., and has held key leadership roles at Essilor of America and Luxottica North America, gaining deep expertise across both retail and wholesale environments. Molony also serves as President of the Optical Women’s Association for the 2025-2027 term. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Amanda Frugé joins us to talk smart eyewear and leadership. From Ray-Ban Meta to coaching top-performing teams, she shares insights on innovation, growth, and empowering women in optical.  About the guest: With 25 years of sales experience, Amanda Frugé joined the EssilorLuxottica team in 2014 as a Ray-Ban sales consultant. She quickly rose within the company, and was named Vice President of Sales, Ray-Ban. She has received several honors during her tenure with EssilorLuxottica, including president’s circle and regional sales manager of the year in 2020. "I am inspired by the people I am honored to work alongside every day. My teammates, direct reports, and sales leaders have taught me so much. Each day, we work together to perfect our craft. I love that our company mission is to ‘See More, Be More,’” she said. "It is never lost on me that our frames hold the lenses that change the way people see the world.” Frugé said she strives daily to maintain a positive mindset, positive energy and lead by example, keeping her perspective and passion at the forefront every day. She said, "I believe these two traits go hand-in-hand, solidifying trust and relationships. I coach my team on doing hard things.” Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

How do you lead a top-performing luxury sales district while juggling newborn diapers, elder care, and grief - all with a smile? Francesca Pucci joins us to share her refreshingly honest take on leadership, motherhood, and the power of not folding the laundry. About the guest: Francesca Pucci is a Luxury Sales District Director with an MBA in Executive and Organizational Leadership. Her career includes demonstrated success in both the retail and medical sales industries, with a track record of driving sales growth and profitability. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

In this episode, Kasandra Riggs shares how her passion for service, leadership, and community engagement fuels her work at HOYA and beyond—empowering teams, mentoring future leaders, and creating lasting impact. About the guest: Kasandra ‘Kas’ Riggs is a passionate advocate for community service and volunteerism, with over 25 years of leadership experience in customer care. As Director of Customer Care at HOYA, she has spent the last nine years building high-performing teams and driving impactful initiatives. Additionally, Kas serves as HOYA North America's One Vision Country Manager, championing the pillars of Community, Environment and Workplace. Guided by the principle "Focus on a Better Tomorrow, Today," she leads local One Vision ambassadors across the US and Canada, who support our communities, reduce our environmental impact, and foster a safe and diverse workplace. Beyond her professional role, Kas is deeply committed to making a difference. She has served on the Board of Volunteers of America Texas, led a mentorship program with the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, and co-facilitated anti-racism initiatives with Hope For All Colors. Kas’s dedication to service was sparked in childhood, delivering food to rural families with her father—an experience that shaped her lifelong mission to uplift others. Her contributions were recently recognized when she was honored as a Black History Leader in Dallas-Fort Worth. A former expatriate who lived in Uruguay for three years, Kas brings a global perspective to leadership and service. She is a driving force for positive change, making an impact one community, one team, and one act of kindness at a time. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

This month, Erin Peshoff joins OWA Talks to talk about applied positive psychology and teach us how to not just survive — but to thrive! Plus, she teases a fun event coming to Vision Expo West.  About the guest: Erin Crotty Peshoff is the Director of Development at KeraLink International, where she leads all fundraising efforts with a strategic mindset and a heart for impact. With 25 years of experience across national consulting firms and nonprofit leadership, Erin is known for blending analytical rigor with a gift for nurturing teams and creating systems that consistently exceed goals. A proud graduate of Marquette University (BA) and the College of William & Mary (MEd), Erin also holds a Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology. She is a frequent speaker on data-driven development and the role of AI in the social sector. Erin lives in Leesburg, Virginia with her blended family of five. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

As VSP Vision celebrates 70 years of helping people see, Chief Marketing Officer, Wendy Hauteman joins ‘OWA Talks’ to discuss how giving back can help you live a more meaningful and fulfilled life — both personally and professionally. About the guest: As the chief marketing officer (CMO) for VSP Vision, Wendy Hauteman leads the enterprise marketing and communications strategy to deliver products, services, and brand recognition to a diverse set of stakeholders, including more than 41,000 network doctors and 85 million members. In her 10-plus years with VSP, she has served in a variety of senior leadership roles including senior vice president of marketing for VSP Vision Care and global strategic marketing. As CMO, she is a trusted advisor to the CEO and is focused on driving the company’s purpose to empower human potential through sight by building corporate social responsibility and thought leadership programs. Hauteman’s 25-plus years of marketing and communications experience includes consumer-packaged goods and a comprehensive understanding of the optical industry, specializing in vision insurance and retail optical segments. Before joining VSP, she led marketing and visual merchandising efforts for the Luxottica retail chains of Pearle Vision and ILORI Optical. She is known for leading high-performing teams and making a positive impact through charitable work. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and a master’s degree in marketing and business from Xavier University.  Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Charismatic and respected eyecare industry legend, Jim McGrann, joins OWA Talks to share his passion for the industry and shed a light on the benefits of ‘spreading your wings’ in optical.  About the guest: Jim McGrann is an engaging, decisive and adaptable leader with a demonstrated history of delivering results in the healthcare, insurance, technology, supply chain and consulting industries. Mr. McGrann is an experienced CEO with a passion for helping businesses win in the marketplace while growing profitably and achieving change amid order, and order amid change.  Mr. McGrann possesses the ideal mix of business skills, technology expertise and creativity to lead in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.  He has been a C-Level executive for 25+ years and serves on both business and not-for-profit boards of directors. Mr. McGrann is the CEO of Advancing Eyecare, a leader in the eyecare instrumentation marketplace established to offer the best products and service solutions in the ophthalmic equipment industry. Prior to joining Advancing Eyecare, Mr. McGrann was the Chairman & CEO of PECAA | Healthy Eyes Advantage a solutions company that empowers independent eye care professionals to succeed in the rapidly evolving optical industry. This business was sold to VSP Vision in September 2022. Prior to joining Healthy Eyes Advantage, Mr. McGrann was the President & CEO of VSP Global (now VSP Vision), a $5.3B vertically integrated healthcare organization with the mission of helping people see.  He successfully navigated the needs of a complex set of stakeholders, including 83M customers, 60K clients, 37K doctors, 6K global employees & numerous business partners including fashion houses, lens & lab, software and eyewear companies.  From December 2008 to November 2011, before becoming CEO of VSP Global, Mr. McGrann served as VSP Global’s President of Eyefinity, the largest practice management and electronic health record company in the Optical industry serving 25K doctors, VSP Global’s Chief Technology Officer and President of VSP Vision Care, the largest healthcare company in the world (by membership) providing vision benefits to 83M consumers (including 1 in 4 Americans).   From December 2011 to September 2015, while President of VSP Vision Care, Mr. McGrann focused on winning in the marketplace and the business grew by $1.02B (34%) and 23.7M members (42%) while delivering record EBITDA and NIBT. He also led the creation and strategic development of VSP Global’s innovation lab, The Shop. Mr. McGrann leveraged techniques such as design thinking, user-centered design and nexus management to successfully launch The Shop in a three-month period. While President of VSP Vision Care, Mr. McGrann was Chairman of the Board for the National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP). The NAVCP is the national association established to act as the unified voice representing the managed vision care industry. Mr. McGrann was elected as Chairman by his peers at competing organizations. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

In this episode, longtime OWA supporter Ed Buffington, Executive Advisor and former CEO of GPN Technologies, joins OWA Talks to share about the women who have impacted his personal life and 46-year career in optical. About the guest: C. Edward (“Ed”) Buffington has been deeply engaged with the eye care industry for more than 46 years. His experience includes senior management in the contact lens and eye care technology. Ed is a highly regarded and well-recognized industry executive with a broad base of key industry relationships. In 1983, Ed founded OfficeMate, still one of the leading PMS / EHR software provider in the eye care industry, and an integral product in the Eyefinity product suite. When Marchon purchased OfficeMate in 1994, Ed remained on board as a senior executive until 2008, when Marchon was sold to VSP. Ed retired from VSP after 6 years as Vice President, Strategic Eye Care Partnerships. At GPN Technologies, Ed serves as Executive Advisor. His vision is to serve our client base with the best possible analytics, and highest standards of customer service. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

In this episode, we are joined by Yang Yang, President, Vision Care at Bausch + Lomb, who shares her experiences throughout her 11+ years in the eye care industry, wisdom she learned throughout her career, and advice for others to grow their careers and leadership opportunities. Yang Yang also provides insights on mentorship, how travel can enrich your role, and her hopes for the future of eye care. About the guest: Yang Yang was appointed President, Vision Care, in June 2023, after previously serving as Senior Vice President, Global Vision Care, since November 2021. Ms. Yang joined Bausch + Lomb in February 2014, serving in positions of increasing responsibility. Previously, she served as Vice President, International Vision Care, from 2017 to 2021, and as Business Unit Director, Vision Care, China and Japan. Before joining Bausch + Lomb, Ms. Yang led marketing and sales teams for Johnson & Johnson, L'Oréal and Proctor & Gamble. She holds an MBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Peking University. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Tax season is upon us! Listen to this timely episode as we’re joined by Benitha Mintz, the CFO of Zyloware, as she offers unique insights on her approach to personal finances.  About the guest: Benitha Mintz is an experienced Chief Financial Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the apparel and optical industry. Skilled in Cash Flow, Budgeting, Microsoft Excel, Cash Management, Human Resources, Logistics and IT Management. Strong finance professional with a Bachelor's degree focused in Accounting from City University of New York-Hunter College.  Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

This episode features three women from the newly formed International Expansion Committee — we hear how their careers were shaped, major differences in corporate culture abroad, and learn about all the exciting ways the OWA is going international! About the guests: Nancy Gries grew up in a small farming community in Wisconsin, and by the age of 17, was dreaming of exploring the world. With the encouragement of my supportive parents, she completed high school and joined a foreign exchange program in Brazil, inspiring her to continue studies in the UK, where she eventually began her career in optics in 1993—a career she's been passionate about ever since.  In 2015, she took a leap of faith and founded her first brand, which eventually led to COTI Vision, a joint initiative with her business partner, Julie. Their breakthrough moment came in 2019 when they appeared on Dragon’s Den (UK version of Shark Tank), introducing COTI Vision to the world, which was a whirlwind experience that gave them the visibility and momentum to transform their vision into a thriving lifestyle brand. Today, COTI Vision operates in both the UK and Italy, sourcing globally. Being a member of the Optical Women’s Association since 2015 has given Nancy even more purpose to advocate for and celebrate women in every aspect of life and has fueled my passion for uplifting women and celebrating their stories. Erminia Monzo is a passionate professional with more than 12 years-experience in the optical industry, who has covered multiple roles across business planning, trade marketing, marketing and is now responsible for defining the global marketing strategy as well as the Markets Educational Strategy for Leonardo, EssilorLuxottica learning ecosystem. Erminia holds a MSc in International Management, from both Bocconi University, Italy, and the Indian Institute of Management of Ahmedabad, India. She officially joined the OWA in 2024 and is part of the International Expansion Committee. Agathe Zakarian is a French-German communications executive based in Paris. As Head of Corporate Communications at Thélios, she leads global communication strategies and corporate brand initiatives for the eyewear entity of LVMH. Before joining the eyewear industry, she built her expertise in the sporting goods and fashion sectors, shaping corporate narratives and brand positioning. Agathe holds a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris. She has been a member of the Optical Women’s Association since 2022 and actively contributes to its International Expansion Committee. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Kristy Stone, Director of Member Education at PECAA and OWA Membership Committee representative, provides insight into the importance of education within the industry, what she is most proud of, and what the Membership Committee is all about.  About the guest:  Kristy started her optical career as an optometric technician and worked her way up to area manager, working in all facets of a multiple location eye care practice. While maintaining true to her optometry roots, she is now the Director of Member Education at Professional Eye Care Associates of America (PECAA), where she has been assisting members with their educational needs for four years.  She is an avid OWA member who proudly serves on our Membership Committee where she works to spread awareness of the OWA and help prospective members with any questions. Additionally, Kristy was a 2024 Most Influential Women in Optical honoree. While not busy planning webinars, CE events, and the PECAA Annual Meeting, Kristy can be found playing board games with her husband Chip, spoiling her French Bulldog Andre, traveling or attending concerts. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

In this episode, we learn how to “PIVOT!” Colleen Arbus teaches us the value of being able to pivot both personally and professionally. She also shares tips and tricks for how to apply sales techniques in your everyday life.  About the guest: Colleen Arbus, National Sales Director, INNOVA Medical Ophthalmics, at Advancing Eyecare. Results-driven multiple award-winning leader with a strong background in ophthalmology surgical and capital sales, sales management, marketing, training, and recruitment. Proven track record of driving revenue growth and expanding market presence. Skilled in strategic planning, team leadership, and cultivating strong client relationships. Known for adaptability and a collaborative approach in achieving organizational goals. Proficient in sales forecasting, market analysis, and effective negotiation techniques. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Tiara Claxton, former OWA President and Regional Sales Manager at Thélios, gives us the behind-the-scenes tea on Silmo, the early days at OWA, the Past-President's Retreat and more!  About the guest: Tiara Claxton is a dynamic leader in the luxury eyewear industry with over 30 years of expertise in brand and sales management. Recognized internationally, she is deeply committed to advancing the industry, fueled by an entrepreneurial mindset. Tiara leads with empathy, empowering high-performing sales teams to achieve lasting commercial impact and build sustainable relationships across the North American market. As a strategic thinker, she consistently surpasses both personal and company goals, delivering exceptional results. Like this episode? Please subscribe and share! iTunes | Spotify | Overcast | iHeartRadio | Amazon Connect with the OWA: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook