SAN DIEGO — When the sunglasses worn by a firefighter kept getting destroyed, he chose to fight fire with fire.
In this Zevely Zone, a former firefighter showed me his bright idea.
When Mike Ettenberg was a firefighter for the city of Coronado, sunglasses were the item he could wear that brought out his personality. But when the alarm rang and duty called, it was like those designer shades were meant to be scratched, cracked, broken, and lost.
"The inside of the rig during a call is like a tornado. Things go flying everywhere, everything is made out of metal," said Mike.
Although lives were saved during calls for service, oftentimes, Mike's sunglasses were not.
"I broke about three of them in 9 months. It was expensive," said Mike.
So, this man of action created his own sunglasses company and named it Frontline Optics.
In July of 2021, Mike saved $5,000, filed for a trademark, built his website and launched Frontline Optics with his first 300 pairs.
Mike left his job as a firefighter. The father of three started working from home with the full support of his wife Alana, a registered nurse, who had his back.
"I was like okay here we go again," said Elana.
She said again because it took Mike years to climb the ladder of success in firefighting.
What did he know about the sunglasses industry?
"Nothing. Nothing. I knew nothing except for the fact that I loved them," said Mike. Now his company is spreading like wildfire.
"Pretty much, pretty much," said Mike with a big smile.
Mike offers a replacement policy that is gaining attention. Each pair is battle-tested and designed to go through a lot. The best part is that every pair is backed by a no-questions-asked replacement program for lost or damaged glasses. "So lose them, break them, get bored with them, just wanted a different color we ask no questions," said Mike.
His sunglasses range in price from $58 to $70. They can be replaced for a $12 service fee. Mike deeply loves his former profession. He still works as an instructor for a local Paramedic and EMT program to help train the next generation of First Responders, and 5% of revenue supports the First Responders Children's Foundation.
For more information about his Frontline Optics, click here.