- Story by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

For Jason and Carrie Maycock, running Victoria香蕉视频直播檚 oldest family-owned eye care business comes with a lot of responsibility 香蕉视频直播� but the couple, who are passionate about eye care and eye wear, wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 have it any other way.

香蕉视频直播淚t will be 70 years this year, which is pretty amazing,香蕉视频直播� says Dr. Jason Maycock. 香蕉视频直播淢y grandfather started the business in 1949 and we still have some of his patients who see us, which is pretty incredible.香蕉视频直播�

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

香蕉视频直播淭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,香蕉视频直播� the 41-year-old explains. 香蕉视频直播淲e were able to bring a whole new focus into the business.香蕉视频直播�

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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.

香蕉视频直播淭hey were very successful. We香蕉视频直播檝e just kind of taken that and we have our own spin on things, but that香蕉视频直播檚 really our foundation,香蕉视频直播� Carrie says.

香蕉视频直播淪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,香蕉视频直播� adds Jason. 香蕉视频直播淲e ask them the odd thing but mainly they come in shopping for nice glasses.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淢y dad was in accounting school when my grandfather had a really bad stroke and couldn香蕉视频直播檛 maintain the business. So my dad decided to come back from Vancouver and take over, but he had absolutely no eye training whatsoever,香蕉视频直播� explains Jason. 香蕉视频直播淟uckily, he was a smart accountant and that helped with the business aspect and he learned eyes on the go.香蕉视频直播�

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

香蕉视频直播淗e passed away when my dad was young so it香蕉视频直播檚 neat to hear some of those stories of how business was done in the 50s and 60s,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淸Clients] used to come to pick up their glasses and sometimes have a drink, have a scotch 香蕉视频直播� a Mad Men sort of thing. It was definitely a different era.香蕉视频直播�

It香蕉视频直播檚 not the only way Maycock Eyecare, which used to primarily sell glasses, has changed over the years. At one point, Jason香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檝e expanded to include 10 staff members and two additional optometrists to meet growing demand.

香蕉视频直播淥ur employees are essential to the business and some of them have been with Jason since he started his practice,香蕉视频直播� Carrie says. 香蕉视频直播淕etting the right staff is critical and we really believe in education, which is why we take them to conferences where they香蕉视频直播檙e exposed to the newest trends. It香蕉视频直播檚 engaging and it gets them excited, and then they come back and pass that on to the clients.香蕉视频直播�

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

香蕉视频直播淲hen it comes to eye exams, it香蕉视频直播檚 totally high-tech, and we have a real focus on technology,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淣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香蕉视频直播檝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.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲e pride ourselves on having the best diagnostics and equipment,香蕉视频直播� Carrie adds. 香蕉视频直播淚t can be expensive, but we feel it香蕉视频直播檚 critical to patient care.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淢oving to this building was very beneficial for my parents and also for us because it香蕉视频直播檚 set us up for the future and for success. It香蕉视频直播檚 their legacy but it香蕉视频直播檚 also their retirement package that we香蕉视频直播檙e paying for,香蕉视频直播� laughs Jason. 香蕉视频直播淚t worked out well for everyone.香蕉视频直播�

The couple says they香蕉视频直播檙e constantly looking at ways they can build on that success and make improvements.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e both really self-reflective and analytical and I香蕉视频直播檓 always evaluating things 香蕉视频直播� I think it comes from my nursing background,香蕉视频直播� Carrie says. 香蕉视频直播淚 look at the whole picture and the base causes of things, so I香蕉视频直播檓 always looking at how we香蕉视频直播檙e doing and how we could do things better. That香蕉视频直播檚 just part of my DNA.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淚 was very lucky to have this to come back to and to build on it,香蕉视频直播� Jason says. 香蕉视频直播淥ver the last three years, we香蕉视频直播檝e been lucky, but we香蕉视频直播檝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香蕉视频直播檛 have got it to where it is now without that.香蕉视频直播�

Maycock Optical香蕉视频直播檚 website .