Visual Solutions & Optical Innovation | Elian Calabor from Horizons Optical

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Stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50% by adding Pathmonk to your website in seconds, letting the artificial intelligence do all the work while you keep doing marketing as usual. Check us out on pathmonk.com. All right, welcome to today’s episode of Pathmonk Presents. We are here with Elian Calabor. She’s a marketing manager at Horizons Optical. Elian, welcome to the show.

Elian Calabor: Hi Rick. Thank you for having me today on the podcast. Good afternoon.

Rick: Of course. Happy to have you. So Elian, I’d love to just jump right in and talk a bit about Horizons Optical. Could you tell us what you guys do and what’s at the heart of your company?

Elian Calabor: It’s a Spanish company focused on visual solutions—from lens design to coatings like blue filters, and also optical tools. One of our flagship products is Mimetics, which helps patients with visual diagnosis through a virtual reality goggle. We also have another key product called Envision, which helps opticians with lens fitting—so they don’t need to do it manually but can use a scanner. We basically cover the entire customer journey, from diagnosis to final tools used in-store.

Rick: Got it. That’s interesting. It sounds quite niche. You serve a specific vertical—opticians, eye doctors, etc. Is that correct? Who do you serve best and what’s the core problem you solve?

Elian Calabor: Yes, we are a B2B company. We serve optical labs, optical retail chains, and also final users indirectly—but we are not manufacturers. We specialize in know-how, technologies, and sales tools. In terms of what makes us different from competitors, I would highlight our innovation—like the VR goggles for diagnosis—and the fact that we have nine different patents in lens design. We also have a highly trained human resources team.

Rick: That’s pretty impressive—nine patents! There’s clearly a lot of IP behind it. Now let’s say I run an optical lab and I don’t know you yet but could really benefit from your work. How would I find you?

Elian Calabor: Our main channel is optical trade fairs. We’re present on five continents with different sales reps. We’re based in Barcelona, Spain, but we also have a U.S. headquarters in Dallas. These fairs are how we connect with new prospects and keep in touch with current clients. We also use our website as a channel, and people can reach out if they see an ad—perhaps on LinkedIn or through advertorials in the optical industry.

Rick: That makes sense. It’s interesting that you mention the website, because what we do is all about websites—and if you’re online, you need one. For you guys as a B2B company, what role does your website play in attracting clients? Any standout strengths or areas to improve?

Elian Calabor: Yes, our website is one of the main projects for the marketing department. We’re currently in a rebranding process and want to enrich our product information. We also want to make the site more client-friendly—creating a hub where clients can autonomously download resources, like leaflets and product presentations. In terms of lead generation, we’re also starting to collect leads via the website. Then, our sales department can qualify them based on business and production potential.

Rick: That makes a lot of sense. So trade fairs are the in-person component, and the website is the digital one. If trade fairs work well, how do you replicate that online? And yes, every marketer seems to be rebranding—it never ends! I’m excited to see the new site once it’s live.

Now, from your experience or from this project, what makes a great converting website? Are there tools, methods, or tips you’d recommend?

Elian Calabor: I haven’t been fully in charge of websites in the past, but it’s an area I’m really interested in. I’d recommend focusing on your main audience. For us, that’s B2B—labs and retail chains, not the end user. Add content that’s useful and not just a product catalog. It should feel alive. Also, build landing pages for promotions to help with tracking, and maybe offer something small, like a gift, when you collect leads.

Rick: That makes sense. You want the experience to feel more personalized, like the messaging is really speaking to the visitor—not just a static brochure.

Elian Calabor: Exactly. We’re not an e-commerce.

Rick: That’s clear. So on the subject of personalization, let’s switch gears a bit and talk about you as a marketer. What does your day-to-day look like? And how many different hats are you wearing?

Elian Calabor: In marketing, we specialize in many things. My current role is focused on strategy, and I work with a team of specialists—digital, communication, and product. On a daily basis, I meet with clients to understand their needs. Many of them don’t have a marketing department, so we help with brand positioning, customer journeys, product launches, and more. I also work closely with my team and track the results of our actions through KPIs to ensure our strategies are effective.

Rick: Yeah, as you said—you need to know a bit of everything in marketing. Have you heard of the “T-shaped marketer” concept?

Elian Calabor: No, that’s new to me. Sounds interesting.

Rick: It’s a Google concept. The horizontal bar of the T represents broad knowledge across many areas. The vertical bar is where you go deep in one specialty.

Elian Calabor: What I’ve heard of is the “six hats”—you change hats depending on the decision-making style: optimist, leader, etc.

Rick: Yes, that’s another great analogy. Now, let’s wrap up with our rapid fire questions. Just short and crisp answers. Ready?

Elian Calabor: Ready!

Rick: What’s the last book you read?

Elian Calabor: A corporate book by Stephen Lundin. It’s about a team that was demotivated and a new manager who tries to improve the environment, inspired by a fish market.

Rick: Interesting, I’ll add it to the list. What’s one thing your company is focused on right now?

Elian Calabor: Expansion. We’re mainly in Europe, but the U.S. is a key market of interest.

Rick: Got it. Now, if there were no limits in tech, what’s one thing you’d fix for your role as a marketer?

Elian Calabor: Full automation and customization—especially for client presentations. I’d love to offer fully customized service automatically.

Rick: And if you could automate one repetitive task forever?

Elian Calabor: KPI tracking. I’d love an interactive dashboard for each client—revenue, marketing materials, product categories, all in one place.

Rick: That’s a great one. Last question: if you could give your younger self one piece of advice as you were starting your marketing career, what would it be?

Elian Calabor: A/B testing—especially in digital. Test from the beginning. Also, keep training. Marketing evolves every day, so you need to stay updated.

Rick: I love that. Keep learning and know when to switch hats. Elian, thank you so much for being with us today. Final word: if someone forgets everything from this interview, what’s the one thing they should remember about Horizons Optical?

Elian Calabor: That we focus on personalization. We offer tailored consultancy services to each client and we’re a highly innovative company.

Rick: That’s a great way to end. Thanks again, Elian. Hopefully we’ll get to do this again soon.

Elian Calabor: Thank you for your time.

Rick: Bye everyone.

Elian Calabor: Bye!