We were lucky to catch up with Tiffany Rosell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tiffany, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The story of Sweet View Optical started from a deeply personal place—one born out of frustration and inspiration in equal measure. After spending years working within corporate optical environments, I began to feel stifled by the rigidness, the lack of personal touch, and the assembly-line approach to eyewear that prioritized quick sales over genuine, personalized service. As a Licensed Optician, my passion has always been helping people not just see clearly but also feel truly seen.

The turning point came when customers repeatedly voiced their own frustrations to me: they felt rushed, unheard, and disappointed by generic, mass-produced eyewear experiences at chain stores and online retailers. It became clear that a critical gap existed—a demand for eyewear experiences that were deeply personal, thoughtfully curated, and celebrated uniqueness rather than conformity. I realized then that I could provide what others weren’t: a high-touch, boutique optical experience that centered not just vision, but the entire individual.

The vision for Sweet View Optical crystallized when I envisioned creating a welcoming space where clients could explore beautifully crafted independent brands, handmade frames, and innovative lens solutions they couldn’t find anywhere else. I became excited by the idea of creating interactive experiences, such as our “Optician for a Day” Lab Experience, where clients participate in crafting their eyewear, gaining insight into the meticulous craftsmanship behind each frame.

Emotionally, stepping out from the comfort zone of corporate employment into entrepreneurship was daunting, yet exhilarating. My heart knew it was the right path, fueled by the belief that people deserve more from their eyewear experience. They deserve care, artistry, personalized attention, and most importantly, they deserve to feel special. This emotional drive was matched by logical confidence that independent optical boutiques could thrive by offering precisely what big-box stores and online platforms lacked—true personalization, exceptional quality, and genuine human connection.

The excitement of innovating in eyewear, pushing boundaries with creative designs, and fostering genuine connections with the community energized me each day. Sweet View Optical is not just a business; it is my vision of what eyewear should be—beautifully personal, uncompromisingly unique, and authentically human.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Tiffany Rosell, and I’m a Licensed Optician, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for individuality through eyewear. My journey into the optical industry began with a genuine love for helping people feel confident, comfortable, and expressive through their eyewear choices. Over years spent working within larger, corporate optical environments, I grew increasingly aware of a significant gap in the market—a lack of genuine personalization, craftsmanship, and emotional connection. This realization inspired me to take the bold step into entrepreneurship, leading me to establish Sweet View Optical.

At Sweet View Optical, we specialize in providing a distinctively personalized and highly curated eyewear experience. Our boutique is home to a carefully selected range of artisan-crafted frames and independent eyewear brands that celebrate uniqueness and quality craftsmanship. We offer innovative lens solutions tailored for specific visual needs, including specialized lenses for migraine sufferers and those experiencing heightened sensitivity to light.

One of our standout offerings is the “Optician for a Day” Lab Experience. This interactive session allows clients to step into the world of an optician, personally crafting their eyewear and gaining a deep appreciation for the art and science behind every pair of glasses. It’s experiences like these that transform eyewear shopping from a mere transaction into a meaningful and memorable event.

Sweet View Optical solves a common yet overlooked problem—the impersonal, one-size-fits-all approach prevalent in traditional eyewear retail. By placing genuine human connection and customized solutions at the heart of everything we do, we empower clients to embrace their individuality fully. This approach not only differentiates us from big-box stores and online retailers but also resonates deeply with our community.

What sets us apart is our unwavering dedication to quality, personalized attention, and fostering authentic relationships with each client. I’m most proud of the community we’ve built and the countless moments where clients feel truly seen, valued, and confident through the eyewear we’ve carefully chosen together.

Ultimately, I want potential clients and followers to understand that Sweet View Optical is more than just an optical boutique. It’s a space where personal stories, creativity, and quality converge to celebrate the beauty of individuality. Every visit to Sweet View Optical is designed to be inspiring, uplifting, and truly unique—just like our clients.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience, to me, is measured by what you do when the plan crumbles—and mine crumbled spectacularly in the summer of 2024.

Picture this: I was standing in our soon‑to‑be boutique—hardhat hair, drywall dust on my suit jacket—staring at a gaping hole where walls should have been. Supply‑chain chaos, permit delays, and contractor walk‑offs had stretched a six‑week buildout into a six‑month money pit. Rent was due, revenue was zero, and my business bank account looked like a flat-lined EKG.

Every rational voice said, “Call it. Cut your losses.” But I’d left corporate optics precisely because people like my son Ethan—and every client who deserves better eyewear—needed this space. So I pivoted.

Bootstrapping on fumes
• Converted local events into a pop‑up showroom on weekends—clients tried frames under our booth tent while I pitched our vision over live music and nearby performances at events like Sugar Hill’s Sugar Rush.
• Hosted trunk shows from my in-home office, hosting guests so they could unbox artisan frames in real time.
• Leveraged every community relationship—from the PTA to the Chamber—I showed up at various community events throughout the year to keep Sweet View top‑of‑mind.

Financial triage
Behind the scenes, I negotiated payment plans with lenders, applied for 19 grants (and actually won one), and bartered eye‑care services for marketing help. My mantra: *cash flow is oxygen; find another tank*. After 5 months of delays in opening, we had our grand opening on December 4th, 2024. However, since I wasn’t fully established in the community and didn’t yet have a strong online presence, I wasn’t being found by those in the community. And, during what would usually be the busiest month in the optical industry…I faced an almost empty store for the whole month.

Breakthrough moment
After five months of build‑out delays, we finally threw open the doors for our Grand Opening on December 4, 2025. The ribbon‑cutting was equal parts celebration and sigh of relief—clients lined up, local officials showed up, and we sold our very first pair of glasses within fifteen minutes. By day’s end, we’d proven that the community’s faith in Sweet View Optical was well‑placed.

Today, every time I watch a client smile in our finished boutique, I remember that dusty, windowless storefront and the decision to fight for the vision. Resilience isn’t glamorous; it’s drywall in your hair, grant apps at 2 AM, and an unapologetic refusal to quit when the stakes are crystal‑clear. That grit now lives in every frame we fit and every story we help our clients see—and tell.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The Career Pivot
My ‘why’ began with my son Ethan. From early infancy, he cried the instant we set him down. At 15 months, a vision screen lit up red, and we found out that all he needed all along was glasses. We slid on his first glasses; the crying stopped, and he sprinted through every missed milestone. Today, he’s a thriving 10-year-old in the gifted program. That six-month mystery turned this mom-on-a-mission into an optician obsessed with the life-changing power of clarity. I embarked on my education journey and became a Licensed Optician.

I started in a well-known big-box optical chain—until quotas eclipsed quality and patients became line items. The ”glasses for the masses” business model didn’t align with my values, and I wasn’t happy feeling like a glorified sales associate. I knew there had to be a better way to offer the products and care to my community, so I created it and opened Sweet View Optical in December of last year, where my mission is to provide an intentionally different eyewear experience.

The Business Model Pivot
Stepping away from insurance‑driven, high‑volume sales meant rewriting every metric I knew. Instead of “pairs per day,” my KPIs became “minutes of undivided attention per client” and “percentage of artisan brands on the board.” I introduced our Interactive Lab Experience, allowing clients to not only see their glasses being made but also to help edge lenses, turning a clinical purchase into an empowering craft. That corporate‑to‑boutique leap remains my defining pivot: a decision driven by motherhood, executed with community collaboration, and validated each time a client says, “I’ve finally found glasses that feel like me.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sweetviewoptical.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetviewoptical
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetviewoptical
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweet-view-optical/

Image Credits

Sandra Madhere