Small business launches New Eyewear Collection to expand to Golf markets and beyond……….
Metro-Detroit Woman is the Inventor of StaysOn Eyewear — No Slip Sunglasses and Readers that offer a solution to losing your glasses.
Birmingham, MI — Although her primary career has been in the automotive industry, as a teen Nancy Oram became fascinated with how a simple idea in your head could transform into a real product.
Nancy Oram is an Inventor, Automotive Professional, and Founder & CEO of StaysOn Eyewear, a company that specializes in fashionable and functional eyewear.
In her 20’ s, this strong interest and intense passion for “inventing things” became an active hobby with her — tinkering with cool ideas that didn’t exist but would quickly realize that a day job and school were more necessary at that time. She then decided to pursue inventions as more of a hobby than a career opportunity.
Then, in 2012, while at a Detroit Pistons game an idea popped into her head that she would make a reality. Like many people, her glasses would often fall off. Forgetting to wear the headband, to secure her sunglasses on her head while at the Palace of Auburn Hills one day, Oram damaged her favorite pair. “I moved ever so slightly and my glasses just slid off my head and onto that dirty bathroom floor,” she said, “but with that move became the ‘aha moment’.”
“I have always been an observer of people’s habits in general, and why people do what they do,” said Oram. “I myself am a creature of habit; for the past 10 years, I had always worn a pair of glasses and a headband together, as a way to help secure my glasses on my head.”
Soon after that game, Oram focused on putting some type of grip on glasses that would serve a purpose but would not impact the personal style. She headed to the dollar store and bought every style pair of glasses and headbands and went to work on her kitchen table.
It took her about a year to create the prototype. Family and friends helped Oram test the product, shoot product videos, record consumer testimonials and design the glasses.
“I wrote critical criteria for the glasses as I was creating them,” she noted. “The grips should not touch the face, could not be visible to the public, could not compromise the style of the glasses, would have to be a value added, and would of course have to secure the glasses on the head.”
That idea turned into a business and in 2012, StaysOn Eyewear was born as a lifestyle brand. These sunglasses and readers are unique compared to other products in the marketplace because they feature an innovative comb grip on the inner frames that prevents glasses from damage, slipping, or loss. This patented design works by simply sliding the glasses onto your head similar to wearing an accessory like a headband. It also eliminates the need for any type of necklace or croakies!
One of the key advantages of the StaysOn Eyewear grip-on technology is that it keeps your glasses securely on you. Oram, then the “inventor in motion” went to work by doing daily research on the product, whether it was working on the patent, or further developing the prototypes to be able to show her vision to perspective companies. After a lengthy and costly patent process, she began to seek out established eyewear companies that she felt would be able to envision her idea into a product. “People have ideas and they start and stop all the time,” she said. “I was determined to see this through. I lost my dad during this time, and I knew he would never want me to quit.”
In 2013, StaysOn Eyewear and Fantas-Eyes Inc., one of the largest private label eyewear companies in the world, signed a Global Licensing Agreement with Oram to bring this idea to the market. Now, fast forward 9 years later, Fantas Eyes Inc., remains the manufacturer of StaysOn Eyewear.
Until now, the primary focus of the brand was geared toward everyday wear, but with the expansion of new styles including unisex, Oram sees a great opportunity to expand in key markets such as golf, because the golfer really benefits from the convenience of this product. It’s one less thing to think about because the glasses are either on you or up on your head, never forgetting them in the golfcart or losing them along the way.
Just like most small businesses, Oram was greatly impacted by the pandemic for most of 2020 when most stores were closed and not selling many glasses, so in 2021, Oram had reached a pivotal moment with the business and decided to expand the brand, instead of shutting its doors. “We listened to our customers feedback and wanted to continue this journey because StaysOn offers a fashion forward solution to an everyday problem of losing glasses”. The brand now offers a wider variety of styles with the comb grip on the inside frame and is more focused on ideal markets such as golf and boating where the customer can enjoy a worry-free experience of playing a round of golf or sitting on the boat and not think about losing their glasses.
At this point in life, Oram has now found herself in a “second act” in life by taking a leap of faith in herself, and her business and taking an “adapt or die” philosophy after the pandemic. “Every business, both small or large, at some point, is faced with the decision to stay or go, and for us, we decided to adapt to the current environment and grow the business” as she stated knowing now that after 10 years and a solid customer base, that this this “idea turned into a business” really does solve a decades old problem of losing glasses and as customers always say, “it just works”!. “We now know that we have made an impact in people’s lives even if it’s one pair of a glasses at a time. I treat this like a passion more than a job,” she said. “You have to be committed to the process because life gets in the way.”
Oram was born in Detroit, Michigan, and she is the daughter of a farmer turned businessman and homemaker. She attended Marian High School and graduated from Wayne State University and University of Detroit-Mercy, both with honors. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration & an M.B.A. in International Business & Management. During her Master’s Program, she was also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, a National Honor Society, and also studied abroad at Oxford University, in Oxford, England.
Oram has been in the Automotive Industry in the Procurement & Supply Chain Group for 30 + years and is currently employed at Ford Motor Company. Although her primary career has been in the automotive industry, as a teen Oram became fascinated with how a simple idea in your head could actually transform into a real product, and in 2016, Oram realized her dream of one day becoming an inventor when StaysOn Eyewear became a patented product.
About Us: Established in 2012, STAYSON EYEWEAR is an eyewear lifestyle company based in Birmingham, Michigan. These non-slip sunglasses and readers are designed to stay on You. This brand attracts a customer that desires both fashion and function. They wear STAYSON glasses everyday and also in such activities as walking, running, going to the beach, golfing, etc. without the worry of losing their glasses. When you’re not wearing your glasses, they double as a headband, as they feature small comb grips on the inside frame that lets you simply slide the glasses up on your head and they stay securely in place.
The Sunglasses and Readers are currently in gift, sport, & apparel shops across the nation.
Check us out on all Social Media platforms at @staysoneyewear or www.staysoneyewear.com
