23/07/2025
(Re) Introducing Julie
We have had some new faces join the practice recently who we have introduced here (and hopefully you've met them in person), but one face we know most of you will recognise is Julie's. However, for anyone new to the practice, please let us introduce her too.
With over 35 years of experience in the optical industry, Julie has developed a deep and diverse understanding of the profession. She began her career in private practice and has since explored a wide range of roles, including time in the corporate eyecare sector, locuming across the UK, and even working as a frame rep, gaining valuable insight from both sides of the dispensing table. From Covent Garden to Wick, her career has taken her the length and breadth of the country.
Her wealth of knowledge has been a fantastic asset to Rodger & Smalridge. Now happily settled at the practice, Julie is thrilled to be focusing on her true passion: dispensing. She takes great pride in helping patients find frames that perfectly suit their face, lifestyle, and personality, balancing fit, style, and colour with ease. Her current favourite brand is Stepper, known for its superb quality and timeless-to-modern range, while she’s also enjoying working with the bold, fashion-forward styles of the newest addition to the practice, Carolina Herrera.
A lover of iconic eyewear, Julie has amassed quite the collection over the years. She finds it fascinating to see styles come full circle, with vintage influences making their way back into fashion.
Outside of the practice, Julie finds peace in her Inverleith garden, where she nurtures her plants and watches the local wildlife flourish. Despite being in the heart of the city, her garden welcomes foxes, badgers, squirrels, and a wide variety of birds. She especially enjoys feeding her feathered visitors, so much so that the oversized bird bath in her garden has been nicknamed the Commonwealth Pool by her partner.
