Humble Beginnings to Eye Care Legacy: The Story of Focal Pointe Eye Care
Focal Pointe Eye Care was founded in 2008, but the idea existed long before. Dr. Lyons was working in a large referral center setting, and while he loved the complexity of what he was learning, he knew there was a better way to care for his patients. The vision of providing exceptional, patient-focused care with access to the very best products became a reality when Liz and Dr. Lyons attended a conference in Las Vegas centered around determining your destiny. From there, the two of them set out to make it happen.
Starting Focal Pointe Eye Care (FPEC) did not come without its struggles. “We opened cold in a building that did not have a storefront. Dr. Lyons has always practiced medical optometry so when picking a location, the medical condo made the most sense. But it also made for a more difficult road to show that we were there!” Liz recalls. In addition, FPEC opened its doors in September of 2008, just a month before the stock market crashed. “The economy was down and people were not investing in eyewear. We did not examine enough patients to cover our expenses for nearly 3 years.” Dr. Lyons said. Both Liz and Dr. Lyons worked other jobs throughout that time to support their dream.
When asked about some of their favorite memories of FPEC’s early days, Dr. Lyons and Liz both fondly recalled the first time that Dr. Lyons saw 12 patients in one day. “It felt like we hit the lottery! We were so excited. Unbeknownst to me, Liz spent her afternoon making me a surprise cake to celebrate when I arrived home. She fabricated two square cakes and attempted to make black dice with white markings. The most memorable part was that the frosting dye had the incorrect lid, and was actually navy. So she continually added more dye thinking it would turn more black, but it just stayed navy. So I came home to navy dice with a total of 12 dots facing up, and a wife with very blue fingers that stayed stained for weeks!” Dr. Lyons recounts.
As their patient base grew and their staff expanded, it became clear that processes needed to be established. After all, they were building a business. Liz took over the role of full-time CEO/CFO which allowed Dr. Lyons to focus full-time on clinical care. Dr. Lyons credits this change for a positive shift for FPEC stating, “this led to better leadership, structure, and consistency.”
They didn’t stop there! In 2016, they decided it was time for a space FPEC could call its own. Dr. Lyons remembered standing at the empty lot across from where FPEC is located now, (where Wawa is being built as this is being written), looking at the realtor, pointing across the street, and asking, “What about that one?” Ground broke on October 29, 2018 and the new location was underway. Focal Pointe Eye Care officially moved into the new building in 2019, just a few months before COVID-19 hit. Yet again, Liz, Dr. Lyons, and their team persevered, and the business came out on the other side even stronger. Dr. Megan Fisher joined the practice in 2021, allowing FPEC to help even more patients.
Focal Pointe Eye Care has made it to 2024 and we have our sights set on the future. We want to continue investing in and offering the newest technology. We want to make sure we are finding the best ways to keep our eyes and our vision healthy, and how to educate our community on how to care for their visual health. FPEC was never intended to start and end with Liz and Dr. Lyons. The vision and mission are to build a legacy and to continue to empower thousands of people to see their best, whatever that may look like for each person who walks through the doors. Thank you for supporting and celebrating us for 16 years, and here’s to many more!
