- Words by Angela Cowan Photography by Don Denton
Licensed optician Laura Draycott had been managing and growing her unique eyewear boutique in Kelowna for six years when a chance encounter pushed her business in a new direction.
She met Dr. Tim Degelman at a 2018 fundraiser for Kelowna General Hospital, and quickly discovered they shared a lot of common ground.
乌鸦传媒淗e had recently moved from Saskatchewan, and his wife is a chiropractor,乌鸦传媒� says Laura, who was a practicing chiropractor herself years earlier. 乌鸦传媒淲e hit it off right away, and we had lots to talk about.乌鸦传媒�
Tim was immediately interested in the boutique, and inquired whether Laura was looking for an optometrist to join the team. His suggestion instantly clicked for Laura, who seized the opportunity to provide absolute comprehensive care to her clients.
乌鸦传媒淲e put a plan together, found a bigger space and joined forces to create a full-service optical shop with a glam-warehouse feel,乌鸦传媒� she says.
Designs cover the gamut, with a huge variety of shapes, textures and colours to complement any face and satisfy any style. And combined with a truly impressive selection of eyewear, Wink i Wear Optometry now offers comprehensive eye exams with retinal imaging.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e a complete eye-care centre with a boutique flair,乌鸦传媒� says Laura. 乌鸦传媒淓xams, contact lenses, eye emergencies, medical referrals乌鸦传媒e offer it all, and we乌鸦传媒檙e actively growing this aspect of the business.乌鸦传媒�
Describing the inception of her business, Laura says, 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 been in optical for a while, and I thought I乌鸦传媒檇 take a chance. I knew that there was some very fun, unique and creative eyewear out there, so I just took a giant gamble that the stylish folks in the Okanagan would be supportive.乌鸦传媒�
The shop was so successful that Laura needed to bring on extra help by her second month, and many of those first customers have kept coming back over the years.
乌鸦传媒淥ur clientele is amazing,乌鸦传媒� she enthuses. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e had customers I乌鸦传媒檝e dealt with for eight years. It乌鸦传媒檚 been such a joy, and I乌鸦传媒檝e met so many cool people!乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚 never thought I乌鸦传媒檇 be living here, and I never thought I乌鸦传媒檇 be doing this,乌鸦传媒� adds Laura, who moved to Kelowna from Alberta almost exactly a decade ago. 乌鸦传媒淎t the time, I just kept walking through doors.
乌鸦传媒淚 couldn乌鸦传媒檛 have done it without the support of my hubby, Stephen,乌鸦传媒� she adds warmly. 乌鸦传媒淚 just kind of threw everything into the store and he said, 乌鸦传媒榊ou乌鸦传媒檒l do great!乌鸦传媒� He乌鸦传媒檚 been a big fan and a big support, and that乌鸦传媒檚 really mattered in making the business successful.乌鸦传媒�
The 7 Sins
Envy:
Whose shoes would you like to walk in?
I think it would be interesting to walk my exact life, but as a man. I乌鸦传媒檓 very curious as to how life would have turned out had I not had to deal with the challenges of being female. I乌鸦传媒檇 like to imagine life without sexual harassment, misogyny, low wages, disrespect and ageism as I re-entered the workforce in my mid-40s乌鸦传媒� Would I have been more confident in my choices? Would I have had more courage to put myself first? Would I have made more money? Would I have been encouraged to become a business leader instead of a cheerleader? It乌鸦传媒檚 an interesting thought experiment.
Gluttony:
What is the food you could eat over and over again?
Hawkins Cheezies, like a true Canadian!
Greed:
You乌鸦传媒檙e given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?
Charter a private jet to England. Buy a convertible Aston Martin and drive around Southern Europe staying at 5-star hotels, eating at Michelin-star restaurants, drinking fabulous wine and seeing everything that France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Malta and Greece have to offer.
Wrath:
Pet peeves?
Poor-fitting eyeglasses and gross, dirty or green nose pads.
Sloth:
Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?
It is really hard for me to sit still for long periods of time. My idea of doing nothing is spending time with a good book, a cold drink and a lounge chair on a warm quiet beach.
Pride:
What is the one thing you乌鸦传媒檙e secretly proud of?
I can still do a one-handed cartwheel.
Lust:
What makes your heart beat faster?
At my age, too much caffeine乌鸦传媒ut nothing gets it going like a challenging game of Dr. Mario with my hubby!
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
Like Boulevard Magazine on and follow them on
