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 when he was on duty — they gave him an individualized touch in a regimented environment. But he found that those designer sunglasses were easily scratched, cracked, broken — if not lost—when on a call.

Then he had an idea.

So, three years ago, he took $5,000 of his own money, set up an e-commerce website and purchased 300 pairs of glasses from a wholesaler well known for making durable, reasonably priced glasses. He started marketing his glasses under Frontline Optics.

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

The results?

Ettenberg reports that in the first six month months after the launch of the site, the business generated $8,182 in sales.

In the second year, his revenues hit $174,000 — enough to allow him to retire from his job and pursue his new career as an entrepreneur.

Ettenberg said that so far this year he has generated $442,000 in sales in what’s turned out to be extremely popular sunglasses for internet buyers.

Prices range from $58 to $125 a pair, with a guaranteed replacement program for lost or stolen glasses.

Ettenberg says many of his fellow firefighters love the product and are his regular customers.

“Each pair is battle-tested and designed to go through hell and back,” says Ettenberg.

Though he no longer serves as a firefighter, a job he had for almost a decade, Ettenberg still works as an instructor for a local Paramedic and EMT program and 5% of revenue supports the First Responders Children’s Foundation.

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The Oceanside Chamber of Commerce recently announced that it is now accepting applications for its Fall 2024 Oceanside Leadership Academy.

The in-depth leadership program runs weekly from Sept. 7 through Oct. 30.

In the first session, area business, military and political leaders are scheduled to discuss their styles of leadership as well as their philosophies and explain how they have handled crises.

Future meetings will take deep dives into leadership issues “from experts in various sectors including military, municipal government, tourism/hospitality, entrepreneurship, education, non-profits and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics..”

Chamber CEO Scott Ashton will lead the final session of the series.

For more information and an application, click here.

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A new report from online residential real estate platform Redfin says the typical African-American household can now afford a starter home in but a fraction of the nation’s top 50 cities.

The most affordable metro area in the nation was Detroit, according to the study. There a typical median-income family would spend 16% of their earnings for the median-priced starter home.

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

In Los Angeles, the purchase of an entry-level home would take 81% of their income.

In San Francisco, they would have to spend 104% of their income–more than all of their $81,000 annual income for an entry-level home.

Of course, California is always the extreme when it comes to housing prices.

Nationwide, the typical Black family would only have to spend 41% of their annual earnings to afford that starter home.

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UC Davis’s new School of Veterinary Medicine in San Diego has picked BluePrints Veterinary Marketing Group as the marketing agency for its medical center slated to open in late 2025.

The 23,000-square-foot facility will offer specialty and emergency services alongside existing offerings like cardiology and internal medicine, according to a news release.

“The school holds the top position in veterinary education, research, and healthcare in the nation,” said Robin Brogdon, BluePrints CEO in a news release. “We share their passion for animals and are committed to executing innovative initiatives that capture the level of clinical excellence and inspire the public.”

The health center has operated as a satellite of the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for more than 20 years.

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A news report from Payroll Integrations, a San Diego-based technology company that integrates services between payroll systems and benefit providers, found a gap between how employers think about financial wellness benefits for their employees.

The company’s 2024 State of Employee Financial Wellness Report explores financial wellness from the point of view of both employers and employees.

Here’s a summary of the report:

• Half of employers believe they have their employees’ financial wellness benefits covered, but less than a third of the employees agree.
• Management prioritizes health insurance and retirement plans. But workers would like even more investment, with less in financial education.
• There’s a generational divide in priorities, with Millennials, among the newest arrivals in the workforce, most valuing healthcare and retirement, while Gen Z, the previous generation of workers, want more emphasis on lifestyle benefits.
• Both managers and workers concur that good health insurance and retirement benefits are important for landing and retaining employees.
• Millennials report says they are more financially stable than earlier generations of workers.

Finally, the report suggests employers need to better understand employee needs and tailor financial wellness programs accordingly.

Payroll Integrations is used by more than 4,000 businesses to connect payroll with employer-benefit plans for over one million employees.

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

The agency helps families with children suffering from cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

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

The release said the donation underscores the manufacturer Hyundai’s longstanding support of the pediatric cancer community through Hyundai Hope On Wheels, which has also donated to Rady Children’s Hospital for cancer research.

“Our nonprofit, Hyundai Hope on Wheels, recognizes the importance of supporting children and families when receiving care during challenging times,” said Chris George, general manager of El Cajon Hyundai and chairman of the San Diego Hyundai Dealer Advertising Association.

There are a half-dozen Hyundai dealers in the region, according to trade publication AutoTrader.

Tom York is a Carlsbad-based independent journalist who specializes in writing about business and the economy. If you have news tips you’d like to share, send them to tom.york@gmail.com.