Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mai Nguyen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Mai, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents taught me at a very young age the importance of responsibility and work ethic. They frequently shared stories of their journey of fleeing Vietnam to arrive in the United States with nothing in their possession and no knowledge of the American language or culture to how they are able to afford my family the comforts of today. In detailing their journey, my parents have taught me the value of not only reaching my goals but to surpass them. Throughout my life, I have made note of all their achievements and have strived to mirror my parents’ level of determination to achieve success as I have come to define it in all aspects of my life, including my career.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I fell in love with optometry on my very first day of work as an optometric assistant years ago and have been in the industry in one role or another since then. After a couple of years in various practice settings, I left the comforts of a salaried optometrist position in 2012 to pursue my dream of building a practice/business based upon the culture and products that I encountered and appreciated during my time away from home in Houston, TX.

As I reflect upon the past decade of business ownership, I am most proud of my practice’s continual growth. My first office space in Stafford, TX was less than 800 square feet. During peak times, my patients and staff were squashed together. As we outgrew that office space, I took a chance and relocated the practice to a developing part of town about 30 miles away. There definitely were concerns about how quickly the Cypress, TX area and ultimately Radiant Eyecare would grow in the early days. However, with 5 years under our belt, I am confident that my practice’s growth is a direct result of the trust, exceptional customer service, and unique, quality products that we offer our patients. From co-managing Lasik, cataract, eyelid surgery to dry eye treatment, specialty contact lens fittings, and eyeglass frame styling, my staff and I take the utmost care and pride in delivering the best care to each of our patients. More importantly, we have fun in doing so!

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

No way. Without a doubt, I would choose optometry all over again!

Optometry is fascinating. Even after 11 years in practice, there is always something new to learn. Add optical and business ownership to the clinical side of it and you’ve got yourself endless possibilities for fashion, learning, and growth.

In my role, I also have been privileged to mentor staff members and patients. It is especially rewarding when former staff members and patients return to the office to share milestones in their lives with me, such as an acceptance into optometry school, publishing a book, or getting engaged/married.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Within the past couple of years, we have all had to pivot in our lives, careers, and businesses to survive COVID-19. During the mandatory business closure, I put a lot of effort into making Radiant Eyecare more accessible to patients. We have incorporated telehealth visits, technology in exams, text messaging capability, online ordering, and electronic intake form submissions. All of which have allowed our patients to easily communicate with us and reduce the amount of exposure with others, when it was most critical, to ensure each other’s safety.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.radianteyecarecypress.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiant_eyecare/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radianteyecare
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mai-nguyen-132b9b25
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mai-nguyen-od-radiant-eyecare-cypress-2

Image Credits
Michael Ramos Nanci Sanchez