Meet Gisele Crespo | Owner and Licensed Optician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gisele Crespo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gisele, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Mango Optic is not just an optical boutique, we are a promise to our community. Our promise is to provide every customer that walks through our doors with a customer experience that puts them at the center of everything we do. Prior to opening Mango Optic, I worked at both small boutiques and large franchise chains. What I found in the large corporate chains is that they focused more on the numbers, the sales, the volume, and much less about the actual patient care. I vowed that when I opened up an optical boutique, I would not only make one aspect of the business different, I would make every aspect of the business different – from our name, to our mango-themed decor, to our hand-selected premium and luxury brands of eyewear, to our cutting-edge teleoptometry eye exam system, to our amazing customer experience, where Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish are also spoken.

At the heart of our business is a mission to help people see better and feel better. Born and raised in Brazil, I witnessed first-hand in small towns how transformational it is to have access to quality healthcare. My grandfather was a pharmacist, and I witnessed him helping people with medicine and healthcare. Today, I am a pharmacist for the eyes, following his footsteps, in helping and serving people. Brazilians and Hispanics in general suffer higher rates of eye diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. We are on a mission to help eliminate these health disparities by raising awareness of vision care.

What should our readers know about your business?
Mango Optic is an optical boutique like no other in Boca Raton. We are different in every aspect of our business. First, we offer comprehensive eye exams using the latest digital optical equipment and teleoptometry system. We offer full retiinal images, which can detect glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other eye and health conditions. We have virtual optometrists on standby everyday which makes access to an eye exam much easier! Our virtual doctors are “always in.” We also offer hand-selected eyewear, sunglasses, contacts, and accessories.

What sets us apart is our amazing customer experience. Admittedly, I am obsessed with mangoes. I grew up in Brazil and used to climb mango trees, and make delicious treats with my grandmother. When we moved to Florida, we were blessed to buy a home with mature mango trees on our property. During the pandemic, my mom and I began making 100% homemade, all-natural homemade preserves. Given my love for mangoes, my husband Jaime came up with the name Mango Optic. We found out later that mangoes are superfruits for your eyes! They are loaded with Lutein, Vitamin A and enzymes that promote eye health and helps with dry eye. A mango theme is found throughout our store. You will find mango wood furniture, mango tea, mango hand scrub, and even the scent in our business is mango! People love the experience, vibrant colors, and fun vibe. We are helping people see better, one eye exam, and one mango at a time!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would hit Red Reef Park beach to enjoy a long beach day and snorkeling. Later, we would stop by Gumbo Limbo to see their aquarium, large sea turtles, and adjacent butterfly park. We would take them to Mizner Park and Royal Palm Place in Boca Raton. There’s usually some sort of festival or outdoor event happening in the pavilion. We would enjoy delicious dinner in one of the many restaurants, Colombian paletas ice cream at Delicias. Then, we could go bowling and play pool at Strike 10 in Mizner. On a Sunday after church, we would go to Riggins in Lantana Beach to enjoy some delicious Maryland style crabs and enjoy a beautiful day on the beach at Delray Beach.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Purple Cow by Seth Godin. My husband Jaime is a marketing professional. Before opening Mango Optic, he wanted to be more connected with people. He had been working in a virtual job environment for a few years, and wanted to connect with people more in person. He decided to drive Lyft for 6 weeks. He met amazing people, and of course, he promoted Mango Optic by placing promotional magnetic signs on the side of his car when he drove people around the local area. He met doctors, former opticians, many people, and one person he met recommended that he read “The Purple Cow.”

The basic premise of the book is that in today’s digital world, a business must do something that is totally unique. You must be that purple cow, different from all the rest. She recommended that we read the book, which we did. It became our calling card to ensure that we are different in not only one aspect of our business, but in every aspect of our business.

Website: https://mangooptic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mango_optic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mangooptic3811/videos