West LA 7.24.2017

Courtney Ray

I started as a journalist and spent 10 years as a reporter and then as a magazine editor, which actually helps a lot with photography. A few years ago, I decided to take a photography class and absolutely fell in love with it. I spent about a year building my business and photographing on the weekends while taking classes at night and still writing and editing during the day. Eventually, I had built enough business to leave journalism and become a photographer full time. My experience as a journalist, in talking with people and learning how to build a connection with people I’m meeting for the first time, has helped me tremendously as a photographer. It’s the same process, just with a camera instead of a pen. Read more>>

Fernanda Ferreira

I am married, a mom of two wonderful kids and I am a business owner that work full time because I love what I do. I was born and raised in Brazil. I always had passion in helping people wether was to heal pain or to make them beautiful. So I started going to physiotherapy school and massage school but still had the part about skincare that was missing, so I decided to go to beauty school as well. I dreamed of opening my own physiotherapy clinic and I worked towards achieving that goal but before I made that commitment I decided I had to travel overseas. In 2006, I decided to travel to USA to learn English and explore a different culture. After spending some time in Texas, I came to California to visit and fell in love with LA, that is when I decided to move permanently to USA. Read more>>

Ron Mor

How I started is a bit bitter sweet but as everyone says “it happens for the best”. I arrived home one day to see my house was broken into and a lot of my stuff were either stolen or damaged. After filing the paperwork with the police department, I called a locksmith and he was able to arrive within the hour. He was one of the nicest people I’ve met. Besides giving me an amazing price, he explained to me so much about locks and spent a couple of hours showing me how to rekey a lock, pick a lock and even duplicate a key. After he left, instead of caring about what had been stolen, I just thought how cool of a job to help people out by helping them get into their homes, cars, repair locks and offer better security for their homes or businesses. Read more>>

Benjamin Parnassi

I was born and raised in Beverly Hills and since I was old enough to count, I was clinging to my dad’s hip and going to work with him. My family has always been tight knit and aside from myself, my three sisters also helped out in the family business. My dad started World of Video and Audio in 1981. From humble beginnings as one of Beverly Hills’ first high-end consumer electronics retailer and video rental store, we all worked in various aspects of the business. I can remember barely being able to see over the counters as I ran in VHS players into the lovely Beverly Hills Hotel to drop them off for guests as my dad waited in the driveway. Read more>>

Kathy Moscot and Val Serna

Elliott and I left NYC in the Spring of 1989 headed for LA. My husband sold his Gramercy Park practice to his partner and he ended up opening our first location in Northridge Ca in December of 1989. The opportunity presented itself for that location in the Northridge Fashion Center and he took it. Wanting to provide patients with an array of options in eyewear, we brainstormed the name Optometric Options. A full service Optometric Practice. You could say that Optical runs in the family. My husband’s Grandfather Hyman Moscot came to America from Eastern Europe at the turn of the century and began selling eyeglasses off a pushcart in lower Manhattan, NYC. Read more>>