Alex Feldman edged his first set of lenses when he was 12 years old.

Today, the second-generation optician and founder/CEO of Alexander Daas Eyewear and Opticians has three optical shops along the California coast and a high-end eyewear collection to his name.

With a Rocky Balboa-inspired “keep punching” mindset, Feldman opened his latest location in December, in San Diego’s Del Mar, despite the turbulence of the Covid-19 pandemic. He welcomed his third son with wife Stephanie just two months before the opening.

“There will always be rocky moments in wholesale and retail operations, and we need to embrace the bad, evolve, be nimble, and collaborate to get perspectives from our colleagues,” says Feldman. “I am learning from my team every day and really trying to build a feedback culture.”

Here, Feldman talks specs, splurges, and getting sentimental.

Greatest advice to fellow opticians?

People have personal stylists, but there’s not enough emphasis on eyewear styling and we deserve more credit. Position yourself as an expert at the intersection of fashion and medical. We are not one or the other, but have a unique skill set that is underestimated.

Your most treasured frame?

I’ll get sentimental. Family has always been No. 1 for me, and Covid made my love for my kids even more real…I just released our Spring ’22 collection and I named each style after my kids, nieces, and nephews. It’s called the Heritage collection, reflecting our family’s lineage.

Most likely to splurge on?

Fancy gym set—my New Year’s resolutions need to continue getting resoluted. Maybe I’ll shoot for some hair next?

Favorite eyewear trend right now?

I am currently blown away with Shamir’s new Glacier Expression lens technology. They spent two years developing it, and it reduces reflection by 70% and makes everything more vivid. It’s like the noise-canceling headphones of the eyewear industry.

Most rewarding professional accomplishment?

Less an accomplishment, more of the fun moments when high-profile celebs and politicians shop at our optiques. But one of the most rewarding was when I had the privilege of working with veteran optician Karen Flynn on Project Homeless Connect to bring eyewear to the homeless in San Francisco.

How you pivoted during the turbulent times of Covid-19 to still follow your dreams?

In many ways, Covid has brought us closer together—not always physically, but definitely remotely. The way our team has united across locations and was able to continue servicing customers with positive energy during uncertain times reminds me of why I’m in this industry.