Fact: every time Katie posts a picture wearing her Caddis reading glasses, she gets a million DMs about them. So she teamed up with her go-to eyewear brand on a limited-edition pair of readers in celebration of her upcoming memoir Going There (which you can preorder here). 

Etched on top of the vivid blue frames is — of course — “Going There.” It’s your little reminder to go for it, take risks, and know that you can continue to reinvent yourself, no matter your age. Plus, these readers feature Caddis’ proprietary anti-reflective lenses that block more harmful blue light than other brands.

“What I love about Caddis is that they celebrate aging and don’t try to fight it. It’s a privilege to age, so we might as well look good while we do it!” says Katie. (She’s even planning to take these along with her on her book tour this fall.)

We asked Tim Parr, the CEO and founder of Caddis, about the brand’s mission to celebrate aging (not shy away from it), how the two put their brains together on this special pair of readers, and what’s new for the anti anti-aging brand.

As the CEO and founder of Caddis, what’s your mission at the company and why is it personal to you?

Our mission here at Caddis is to change the way modern culture feels about “age.” It’s not so much personal as it is just necessary — the way our culture views aging is backward, and it’s time for a reboot. But come to think of it, as I was first starting out, someone told me Caddis was a bad idea. So, yeah, I guess it is personal.

Caddis celebrates aging and calls itself the “anti anti-aging brand.” Where does that sentiment come from? 

“Anti-aging,” by definition, is that you’re dead. That’s biology…and probably some philosophy thrown in there as well. American culture has been selling anti-aging for as long as anyone can remember, and we see companies selling the most inauthentic sense of their consumer’s self. This whole fountain of youth BS is designed to take advantage of low self-esteem and that’s not nice. So yes, we’re anti-anti-aging.

Paying it forward is a huge component for Caddis. You donate one percent of gross revenue to music education programs. Why is this an important part of your company’s identity? 

I attended public schools my whole life, and music education was required in grade school. As time went on though, as with most performing arts, these public school programs were wiped out and it’s a shame. Fast forward to when I was originating Caddis, I was a touring bluegrass musician, so I saw a lot of grassroots programs while on the road. These programs are driven by passionate people who care about the future of the arts, and a lot of these organizations need money to keep things going.

We originally funded straight from Caddis, but we now have become a founding member of Music Farming, which will be a separate 501c3 that we donate into, and that non-profit will make contributions to music education. That’s coming really soon.

Tell us about your collaboration with Katie and how the partnership started.  

I was in Baja, Mexico when my phone rang and it was Katie trying to track me down. As it turns out, she had been thinking about how the idea of “aging” needed a renaissance and she had somehow found our brand. She got it. So we had been thinking about the same idea in parallel universes! And lucky for me, she is who she is, and she picked up the phone and just called. 

What is special about the limited-edition Going There glasses you created in collaboration with Katie’s book tour? 

All of our glasses come with proprietary lens technology and high grade acetates, but the limited edition model comes with some extra mojo in the form of custom etchings across the top and a great new blue color.

Why did it feel right to partner with Katie on these limited-edition glasses? 

That’s easy…Katie is really cool!

Shop the limited edition Caddis x Katie Couric readers below!

Caddis x Katie Couric Readers in Matte Minor Blues

Etched with the phrase “Going There” on the frame, these limited edition Caddis readers will remind you to be proud of all of that you’ve accomplished and encourage you to keep chasing after your dreams, just like Katie.

Buy Here

Katie’s soon-to-be-released memoir, Going There, is a completely riveting and ultra-honest story of her rise to the top of the broadcasting world, complete with high highs and heartbreaking lows. If you want to be among the first to read it, pre-order it now!