- Story by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

For Jason and Carrie Maycock, running Victoria害羞草研究所檚 oldest family-owned eye care business comes with a lot of responsibility 害羞草研究所� but the couple, who are passionate about eye care and eye wear, wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have it any other way.

害羞草研究所淚t will be 70 years this year, which is pretty amazing,害羞草研究所� says Dr. Jason Maycock. 害羞草研究所淢y grandfather started the business in 1949 and we still have some of his patients who see us, which is pretty incredible.害羞草研究所�

Jason and Carrie took the reins of the third-generation business in 2015 after his parents, Brian and Karen Maycock, officially retired. Jason, who害羞草研究所檚 an optometrist, worked with his parents for nine years before that, expanding services at Maycock Eyecare in 2006 to include eye exams 害羞草研究所� prompting the name change from Maycock Optical 害羞草研究所� after returning from school and residency work in the United States.

害羞草研究所淭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,害羞草研究所� the 41-year-old explains. 害羞草研究所淲e were able to bring a whole new focus into the business.害羞草研究所�

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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.

害羞草研究所淭hey were very successful. We害羞草研究所檝e just kind of taken that and we have our own spin on things, but that害羞草研究所檚 really our foundation,害羞草研究所� Carrie says.

害羞草研究所淪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,害羞草研究所� adds Jason. 害羞草研究所淲e ask them the odd thing but mainly they come in shopping for nice glasses.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淢y dad was in accounting school when my grandfather had a really bad stroke and couldn害羞草研究所檛 maintain the business. So my dad decided to come back from Vancouver and take over, but he had absolutely no eye training whatsoever,害羞草研究所� explains Jason. 害羞草研究所淟uckily, he was a smart accountant and that helped with the business aspect and he learned eyes on the go.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淗e passed away when my dad was young so it害羞草研究所檚 neat to hear some of those stories of how business was done in the 50s and 60s,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淸Clients] used to come to pick up their glasses and sometimes have a drink, have a scotch 害羞草研究所� a Mad Men sort of thing. It was definitely a different era.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 not the only way Maycock Eyecare, which used to primarily sell glasses, has changed over the years. At one point, Jason害羞草研究所檚 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, they害羞草研究所檝e expanded to include 10 staff members and two additional optometrists to meet growing demand.

害羞草研究所淥ur employees are essential to the business and some of them have been with Jason since he started his practice,害羞草研究所� Carrie says. 害羞草研究所淕etting the right staff is critical and we really believe in education, which is why we take them to conferences where they害羞草研究所檙e exposed to the newest trends. It害羞草研究所檚 engaging and it gets them excited, and then they come back and pass that on to the clients.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淲hen it comes to eye exams, it害羞草研究所檚 totally high-tech, and we have a real focus on technology,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淣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 we害羞草研究所檝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.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e pride ourselves on having the best diagnostics and equipment,害羞草研究所� Carrie adds. 害羞草研究所淚t can be expensive, but we feel it害羞草研究所檚 critical to patient care.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淢oving to this building was very beneficial for my parents and also for us because it害羞草研究所檚 set us up for the future and for success. It害羞草研究所檚 their legacy but it害羞草研究所檚 also their retirement package that we害羞草研究所檙e paying for,害羞草研究所� laughs Jason. 害羞草研究所淚t worked out well for everyone.害羞草研究所�

The couple says they害羞草研究所檙e constantly looking at ways they can build on that success and make improvements.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e both really self-reflective and analytical and I害羞草研究所檓 always evaluating things 害羞草研究所� I think it comes from my nursing background,害羞草研究所� Carrie says. 害羞草研究所淚 look at the whole picture and the base causes of things, so I害羞草研究所檓 always looking at how we害羞草研究所檙e doing and how we could do things better. That害羞草研究所檚 just part of my DNA.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淚 was very lucky to have this to come back to and to build on it,害羞草研究所� Jason says. 害羞草研究所淥ver the last three years, we害羞草研究所檝e been lucky, but we害羞草研究所檝e tried to work hard to make that luck happen. We know how hard we work, we saw how hard they worked, and we couldn害羞草研究所檛 have got it to where it is now without that.害羞草研究所�

Maycock Optical害羞草研究所檚 website .