Optician enthusiast Hena: from sports to eyewear craft
Someone notices her smile first, another her tattoos or bold glasses. Hena joined ZITA last year and immediately won over our customers' hearts. Though she only recently discovered the eyewear craft, glasses have been part of her life since early childhood.
15. apríl 2025, Author: Monika Floreková, Photo: Monika Floreková, Henrieta Masárová
Hena found ZITA more or less by chance, at a moment when she'd started complimenting people around her on anything beautiful they wore. That's how she learned about our optician's and its colourful frame selection. Since she was little, she'd always gone to the same optician's where she felt certain they'd make her glasses properly, so at first she was surprised we work on an appointment system.
"I like choosing things myself and couldn't understand how someone could advise me on what suits me and what I like. Only during the try-on did I realise I can't choose glasses on my own when I don't even know all the details I should be paying attention to."
Coincidences that weren't quite coincidences
She kept postponing her visit, but always watched ZITA from afar. She worked at a sports shop in Pradiareň from the very day it opened. Whenever word spread about a new shop opening, she'd look into who it might be. That's how she learned ZITA would be growing just a few metres away.
Around that time, she felt she needed a change in life. And when her psychologist once asked her a seemingly simple question – "What do you need to change to feel better?" – she realised it was precisely work.
Maybe it was coincidence, or maybe a perfect convergence of events. One day she ran into our optician Jančí and Zitka in the hallway, and they said hello. A small thing for some, but it surprised Hena, and she told herself ZITA might have a team that would suit her. On our website she found we were looking for an optician enthusiast, applied, and you already know how this story ends.
Though she'd previously worked in sports, the professional transition wasn't difficult for her. She enjoys learning new things and sees an optician's work as a combination of expertise and design sense. She has to have an eye for what sits well on customers' faces and matches their personality. Just as essential is an overview of the entire selection and subsequent suggestions for what's missing from our portfolio.
"Sometimes we also play the psychologist's role. Customers often come for try-ons alone and appreciate friendly advice, not just the professional kind."
Changing jobs is a big life step. She trusted she could learn new things, but harder for her was the stress she created for herself. New work, new environment, new people. Gradually though, she found humanity and authenticity at ZITA.
Glasses as part of identity
Hena found several frames in our portfolio right away that perfectly capture her personality. First she chose the Mirebeau frame from French brand Gaston. The blue colour brings out her brown eyes. She also experienced a pleasant surprise with this frame once when travelling by train at sunset and noticing the glasses cast violet reflections.
Since then her collection has grown by another model from the same brand called Breteuil in a delicate blue shade. Among her favourite frames though are models from playful Polish brand Albert I'mStein – Marais in a colourful speckled version and the unconventional pink-red Kai.
Did you know bunnies need freedom?
After work, two bunnies wait for Hena at home. Many people don't know this, but rabbits are like cats in some ways. They're nocturnal creatures and need freedom of movement. That's why they don't live in a cage, but find their own favourite spots around the home. If her health allows and she still has a bit of energy after work, she enjoys reading and has recently discovered the charm of video games.
The artistic sense shows through. She likes drawing with pen or shading techniques. Her favourite subjects are people or urban architecture. She confided that as a teenager she tried various make-up looks on herself, including with self-made special effects.
And finally, we'll let you in on this: you'll recognise our Hena by three things – milk, a pretzel, and a bunny. :)
