- Story by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

For Jason and Carrie Maycock, running VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 oldest family-owned eye care business comes with a lot of responsibility B次元官网网址� but the couple, who are passionate about eye care and eye wear, wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have it any other way.

B次元官网网址淚t will be 70 years this year, which is pretty amazing,B次元官网网址� says Dr. Jason Maycock. B次元官网网址淢y grandfather started the business in 1949 and we still have some of his patients who see us, which is pretty incredible.B次元官网网址�

Jason and Carrie took the reins of the third-generation business in 2015 after his parents, Brian and Karen Maycock, officially retired. Jason, whoB次元官网网址檚 an optometrist, worked with his parents for nine years before that, expanding services at Maycock Eyecare in 2006 to include eye exams B次元官网网址� prompting the name change from Maycock Optical B次元官网网址� after returning from school and residency work in the United States.

B次元官网网址淭aking over the business, I think, was always in the back of my mind, and after I went to optometry school I was able to take the business and the history and the heritage and add another level to it,B次元官网网址� the 41-year-old explains. B次元官网网址淲e were able to bring a whole new focus into the business.B次元官网网址�

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Forty-year-old Carrie, who has a nursing background and is a licensed optician, worked with Karen for a full year before she retired, learning the ins and outs of running the business and making for an easy transition.

B次元官网网址淭hey were very successful. WeB次元官网网址檝e just kind of taken that and we have our own spin on things, but thatB次元官网网址檚 really our foundation,B次元官网网址� Carrie says.

B次元官网网址淪uccession is not always easy but it was as smooth as it possibly could have been for us and my parents are still available for consultation,B次元官网网址� adds Jason. B次元官网网址淲e ask them the odd thing but mainly they come in shopping for nice glasses.B次元官网网址�

It was a very different story when Brian took over the business from his father and company founder, Ronald Maycock, back in 1971 under some very stressful circumstances.

B次元官网网址淢y dad was in accounting school when my grandfather had a really bad stroke and couldnB次元官网网址檛 maintain the business. So my dad decided to come back from Vancouver and take over, but he had absolutely no eye training whatsoever,B次元官网网址� explains Jason. B次元官网网址淟uckily, he was a smart accountant and that helped with the business aspect and he learned eyes on the go.B次元官网网址�

For Jason, who never met his grandfather, hearing stories about him from their oldest patients is always a treat.

B次元官网网址淗e passed away when my dad was young so itB次元官网网址檚 neat to hear some of those stories of how business was done in the 50s and 60s,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淸Clients] used to come to pick up their glasses and sometimes have a drink, have a scotch B次元官网网址� a Mad Men sort of thing. It was definitely a different era.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 not the only way Maycock Eyecare, which used to primarily sell glasses, has changed over the years. At one point, JasonB次元官网网址檚 parents had five locations, but he says it was always a challenge to get people as invested in the business as they were, so those locations were franchised and sold off. Now, with one large downtown location, theyB次元官网网址檝e expanded to include 10 staff members and two additional optometrists to meet growing demand.

B次元官网网址淥ur employees are essential to the business and some of them have been with Jason since he started his practice,B次元官网网址� Carrie says. B次元官网网址淕etting the right staff is critical and we really believe in education, which is why we take them to conferences where theyB次元官网网址檙e exposed to the newest trends. ItB次元官网网址檚 engaging and it gets them excited, and then they come back and pass that on to the clients.B次元官网网址�

But by far, the biggest change over the decades has been the technological advances.

B次元官网网址淲hen it comes to eye exams, itB次元官网网址檚 totally high-tech, and we have a real focus on technology,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淣ot only do we get an image of the eye, we ultrasound the eye and get into the layers of the retina to see disease like weB次元官网网址檝e never been able to before. For things like macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Canada, anything we can do to detect it quicker and have a better outcome is important.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e pride ourselves on having the best diagnostics and equipment,B次元官网网址� Carrie adds. B次元官网网址淚t can be expensive, but we feel itB次元官网网址檚 critical to patient care.B次元官网网址�

Another thing critical to the Maycocks success was the purchase of their Blanshard Street location, which was taken down to the studs and totally renovated in 2010 to create the perfect space for both eye wear and eye care.

B次元官网网址淢oving to this building was very beneficial for my parents and also for us because itB次元官网网址檚 set us up for the future and for success. ItB次元官网网址檚 their legacy but itB次元官网网址檚 also their retirement package that weB次元官网网址檙e paying for,B次元官网网址� laughs Jason. B次元官网网址淚t worked out well for everyone.B次元官网网址�

The couple says theyB次元官网网址檙e constantly looking at ways they can build on that success and make improvements.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e both really self-reflective and analytical and IB次元官网网址檓 always evaluating things B次元官网网址� I think it comes from my nursing background,B次元官网网址� Carrie says. B次元官网网址淚 look at the whole picture and the base causes of things, so IB次元官网网址檓 always looking at how weB次元官网网址檙e doing and how we could do things better. ThatB次元官网网址檚 just part of my DNA.B次元官网网址�

As they continue to grow the business, Jason says he knows how lucky they are to own a respected Victoria business, but he says his dad recently reminded him that the harder you work, the luckier you get.

B次元官网网址淚 was very lucky to have this to come back to and to build on it,B次元官网网址� Jason says. B次元官网网址淥ver the last three years, weB次元官网网址檝e been lucky, but weB次元官网网址檝e tried to work hard to make that luck happen. We know how hard we work, we saw how hard they worked, and we couldnB次元官网网址檛 have got it to where it is now without that.B次元官网网址�

Maycock OpticalB次元官网网址檚 website .