Elisa Pellosch

As a goldsmith, she crafts unique pieces of jewellery. As an optician, she brings clarity. With her hands, Elisa Pellosch shapes the quality of life. Born a twin and a native of Mittersill, she likes to be guided by her gut instinct and gives things time. She knows that some things simply need to develop in their own time. Just as she herself grew into her parents’ business.

From Carinthia to Tyrol, from Africa via the Orient, from northern Germany via the Amazon and the Caribbean, right to setting up her own business in her home town. But let’s take it one step at a time. After completing her ninth year at school, Elisa wasn’t quite sure which career path to take. She didn’t have any particular interests – but she’d always enjoyed helping her father in his workshop. So it had to be something to do with craftsmanship. This led her to Ferlach (Carinthia), where she trained as a goldsmith at a technical college – a trade she was familiar with. She subsequently caught up on her school-leaving qualification through a two-year further education course at the glass-making college in Kramsach. In Hall in Tirol, she undertook her apprenticeship and master craftsman’s training to become an optician. After eight years of poring over textbooks
and crafting a wide variety of pieces, she needed a break. An avid traveller, she decided to take some time out on a cruise ship. Elisa spent just under two years on an AIDA cruise ship. There, she gained experience as a jeweller. The crew on board came from all over the world. She enjoyed the multicultural mix – even today, she is still in touch with former colleagues from India and Germany. “I learnt how to work on the ship,” she smiles, “seven days a week, for six months – without a single day off.” She repeated this twice, with a two-month break in between.

In 2013, she finally returned to her roots, to her home town. She helped out in her parents’ business and soon took over the management. “At least on paper,” she laughs. “I’ve only really felt like an entrepreneur since 2021.” With the active support of her parents, she is growing into her role as an entrepreneur. She is a consultant, designer and sales assistant, and looks after purchasing, logistics and advertising. Staying on the ball and keeping up with trends – that’s what matters too. Thinking about what suits the people in the region. Together with her long-standing colleagues Elisabeth and Selina, she enriches the range of retail and craft businesses in Mittersill. “To survive as an entrepreneur in a retail town, it’s absolutely vital to be there in person. That’s precisely what sets small retail businesses – and therefore Mittersill too – apart.” She herself attaches great importance to shopping locally, thereby supporting the regional economy and local businesses.

Shopping habits have changed, particularly over the last two years. A great deal is now sold via online shops and international shopping platforms. “In the field of optometry, however, this trend has not yet taken hold,” says Elisa, pleased about this. “That’s precisely where specialist expertise is required and very important.” She cites contact lenses as an example. Many people are unaware that they are a medical product. They need to be fitted, and patients must be shown how to handle them. “Otherwise, you can do more harm than good,” she says. It’s no different with spectacle lenses: the layperson cannot see or tell the difference between lenses fitted by an optician and those bought online at first glance. However, when faced with specific lighting conditions such as day, night, rain, sunshine or computer screen lighting, the eye needs to be protected as well as provided with optimal vision. The master optician has been working on the topic of eye diseases for some time. She has also completed several further training courses on the subject at the University of Jena. For anyone who doesn’t know: Jena is THE opticians’ capital of Germany. She intends to continue in this direction.

What does she particularly like about her work? That she can help people with eye problems and thereby improve their quality of life. What she hopes for: that this work continues to be supported, embraced by the local community and valued in the future.