VoyageSTL Spotlight: SATURDAZE Optics

Hi Tony, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

Hi, I’m Tony Lucido, Owner/Founder of SATURDAZE Optics. The launch of my business was fueled by an obsession with sunglasses and an entrepreneurial go-getter attitude, I wanted to bring my product, ideas, & art to market while contributing some of the business’s profits to doing good in this world via charitable efforts. Customer service is extremely important to me; I’m very customer-focused and want my customers to be happy with their purchases, no matter what. If they’re not, I want them to allow me to make it right, because I most definitely will. My goal is to have SATURDAZE Optics sunglasses on my customers’ eyes and a smile on their face!  In my previous job years and years ago, I was on the receiving end of phone calls at a call center where I learned how important customer service is and keeping my client base happy. I provided issue resolution, answered questions, provided info, and most importantly, just listened. Always being there for the customer to hear them out and help with whatever they needed. I’ve carried that experience with me in how I deal with everyday situations in life and in my business.

Here’s a little more about SATURDAZE Optics found on our "About us / Our Mission" page on https://saturdazeoptics.com/pages/about-us-our-mission:

Our Mission: To provide quality polarized sunglasses and bring about impactful change through our charitable efforts. Kindness to our consumers, positivity in all that we do, and having fun along the way.

About us: At SATURDAZE Optics, we believe in 3 key components:

•  SATURDAZE are for good.
  At SATURDAZE, we’re committed to doing good; the world needs better, and we’d like to do our part. It was the inspiration behind SATURDAZE. We wanted to create a company that gives back, and on one Saturday afternoon in the summer of ’22, the idea of SATURDAZE was born with the forethought that doing good would be our most important metric to be measured by. Our driving force is to build a strong foundation focused on giving you, the customer, a quality product at the best value while giving back to the community through our charitable efforts. That’s why we donate a portion of the proceeds of every pair of sunglasses sold to doing good. Check out our charity/do-good focus efforts at: https://saturdazeoptics.com/pages/charity-do-good
•  SATURDAZE are for anything.

  Running, mountain climbing, mountain running, climbing stairs, climbing the corporate ladder, saving the planet, saving third, saving face, kayaking, fishing, fishing for compliments, grillin’, chillin’ out maxin’ & relaxin’ all cool, and just about anything you can think of SATURDAZE are here for it.

•  SATURDAZE are for everyone.
  The young, the old, the young at heart, the faint of heart, the old souls, the young bucks, and just about everyone in between; SATURDAZE doesn’t discriminate; it’s not in our nature, never have, never will. Everyone could use more SATURDAZE in their lives; we’re here to help.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

The initial launch was incredible! A lot of friends & family support. It wasn’t easy to keep up with orders during the first week! The biggest obstacle/challenge that I’m now facing is growth. After your friends & family buy & support, you need to expand to a much wider audience: the general public. People you don’t know, people that you would like to become customers/friends, people who you’d like to see your sunglasses on their eyes and smiles on their faces! I’ve worked on my website’s SEO [search engine optimization], have run paid ads on Facebook & Instagram, and even downloaded TikTok and created a business page for SATURDAZE Optics [but haven’t posted anything yet, I need to learn how that works! Hahaha]. I’ve worked some in-person sales events at night markets, festivals, running races, etc., and I’m committing to more and more events on my calendar in the coming months! I’ve even entered my first in-person retail store at a local boutique in downtown Versailles, KY! If you’re ever in the area, please check out My Darling & Co. It’s an awesome little boutique and they’ve got something for everyone! I’m trying to do anything and everything to grow the business and make a bigger splash/impact.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I’ve always been a creative-minded person, having minored in Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design. I enjoy taking things digital: sunglasses mock-ups, designs, etc. I created my SATURDAZE Optics logo with some input & advice from my best friend / old college roommate / and one of the best artists I know: “J-Mo” [AKA Justin Morgan]. I’m also excited to have designed and recently launched a St. Louis specific pair of sunglasses that I call “THE STL 314”. You can check them out here: https://saturdazeoptics.com/collections/sunglasses/products/the-stl-314.

In the broader art sense, I’ve done everything from woodworking [bourbon barrel art projects, barrel head art, etc.], building furniture, bottlecap art projects, drawing, painting, graphic design, etc. I love art. Art is everywhere, and it needs to be admired, appreciated, & celebrated more.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?

The simple lesson here is: go for it full speed ahead and don’t hold back. Don’t let fear or doubt keep you from starting your business, or whatever goal you’ve set for yourself. I’ve wanted to start this business for a long time, but I was always finding excuses or doubt which was holding me back. I finally committed to it, have learned a lot in the process, and continue to learn and grow. I celebrate the successes and learn from the mistakes. Either way, I keep moving forward and I’m enjoying the wild, crazy, and fun ride!

Pricing:

• $25 – $52 range on our entire collection
• $33 is the average price
• Occasional sales/discounts!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SATURDAZEoptics.com
• Email: info@saturdazeoptics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saturdaze_optics
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaturdazeOptics