Vietnamese-born Lucy Loc Tran is proud of being a business owner.
“My business makes me feel more confident.”
The trained veterinarian owns Lashes by Lucy WL, offering eyelash and brow services out of a room she rents out of LVy Fashion Nails and Spa.
After spending five years in veterinary school in Vietnam, Tran—wanting to learn English—left her home and found herself in Saskatchewan in 2018. The first year in Canada was challenging as she experienced culture and weather shock; however, with the help of her English teacher, whom she’s “forever grateful for,” Tran integrated into the community.
A year later, Tran headed for Vancouver and studied sales and marketing at ILAC International College. After the pandemic made finding a job difficult, a friend of a friend connected Tran to Williams Lake, where she began working at LVy Fashion Nails and Spa and, later, Lush Beauty Boutique. She started her own business, Lashes by Lucy WL, in 2021.
She loves that she can create her own schedule, giving her more time with her daughter and husband, Drake Williams, whom she met in 2020. The couple loves playing music together—something Tran did in Vietnam (her father, a guitar player), and Williams decided to pick up once their daughter was born in 2023. Their Wildwood home is now equipped with a recorder, piano, ukulele, xylophone and guitars. The couple is also learning languages together, with Tran studying French and Spanish and Williams learning Vietnamese.
Tran is still interested in becoming a veterinarian in Canada; however, there are no veterinary schools in B.C., and with their daughter just turning one, they plan to stay in Williams Lake for now.
The animal lover grew up on a farm where her family mainly raised pigs and some chickens. In Wildwood, the family has 10 ducks and their beloved cat and dog, The Great Catsby and Stormy.
Though the Vietnamese community in Williams Lake is small, a few more families have recently moved to the area, and Tran is hopeful it will continue to grow, perhaps even offering a Vietnamese market one day. But as she’s learned more English, she says her community has grown.
“When I talk to (people) with my broken English, I feel I can connect to people better,” explained Tran, encouraging other immigrants to learn English to deepen their community.
“I was very shy … I have some friends who are not confident with English, so I’m trying to help them feel more confident.”
Communicating was especially difficult during the pandemic when people were wearing masks, and she was unable to read lips. She laughed when explaining conversations are much more accessible in person than over the phone.
Tran, whose first name Loc means lucky (Lucy became her English name), enjoys going to the Stampede, recently taking her father when he visited last year. Her family plans to visit Vietnam later this year, where she can reunite with her father, brothers and sister.
As for the future, she hopes to open her own salon once her daughter is older. For now, she’s enjoying the fleeting days of her daughter’s toddlerhood.
“I’m grateful for my job because I can schedule my own time and book my own appointments,” she explained. “I have more time with my family … and time to relax.”
You can find Lashes by Lucy WL on Facebook.