This new Doyle boutique paired an optometrist, Thuy-Anh Duong, and an optician, Marine Pignot, at the helm of the project — A unique concept at Doyle that allows us to offer a distinctive experience, individualized care and quality products to our clients.

All roads lead to Vaudreuil

Marine Pignot, optician, and Thuy Anh Duong, optometrist, both held multiple positions within the Doyle group before becoming co-owners of their own Doyle boutique in Vaudreuil. They had both worked in different Doyle locations before meeting at the Town of Mount Royal boutique, where the desire to work together took shape.

No doubts before making the leap

Marine did not hesitate one minute when choosing to open her own clinic with Doyle. "Doyle is just like me," she explains. Within the group, she found all of the qualities she was looking for before getting married in a corporate partnership: common values, a family feel and collaborative spirit, unfailing support and strong human qualities. For Thuy-Anh, the fact that Doyle puts employees at the heart of their decisions was a decisive element. She also appreciated the ease with which the relationship developed, and strongly believes in the power of pairing an optician and an optometrist to offer the best possible service to patients.

The ideal work-family balance

When the project began, Thuy-Anh Duong was pregnant with her first child — a fact that didn't deter Patrick Doyle and Karl Brousseau when they thought of her to partner with Marine Pignot to open the Doyle boutique in Vaudreuil. Both fathers, the two leaders of the Doyle group preferred to wait for the right person — and the success of their partnership with Dr. Duong has proven them right.

From employees to entrepreneurs: a natural evolution

Marine and Thuy-Anh agree that becoming entrepreneurs at Doyle was a logical and fluid evolution of their daily lives as employees. Marine was first hired as a rotating optician, which allowed her to work in several Doyle boutiques and get involved in new projects, including implementing a computerized system. She also worked as an office manager in the Town of Mount Royal, before expressing her desire to open her own practice.

 

Thuy-Anh started at Doyle while she was still a student, working alongside Dr. Karl Brousseau. She immediately fell in love with the job, and after a year was convinced that she wanted to be more permanently involved with the group. After she graduated, she began by working as a temporary replacement in several Doyle boutiques. Five years into the workforce, she wanted to diversify her practice and became a clinician at the University of Montreal.

 

After two years of working together at the Doyle Town of Mount Royal boutique, Marine and Thuy-Anh found that they shared common values. They told Patrick Doyle of their desire to marry in business – and you know the rest of the story!

An accessible and present family

Launching a business is not scary when you are well surrounded by good people and the right help, which is what Marine and Thuy-Anh realized when they opened their boutique in Vaudreuil. Of course, the adventure has not been without its challenges, but knowing that the group — available, responsive and committed — is behind them in case of a crisis has made all the difference. "We know from experience that Patrick (Doyle) has our back!" says Thuy-Anh. And that's not all! Having access to a great team that can answer all your questions at any time is invaluable for any new entrepreneur, not to mention the multiple administrative tasks that are taken care of by the head office, leaving the partners to focus on their business and their passions.

Striving for a "WOW" effect

Opening a new boutique, rather than buying an existing clinic, comes with its own set of challenges. Customers are curious, but their expectations are high! "It has to be a definite WOW," says Marine, who is passionate about customer service. Since the opening, the two partners have devoted a lot of energy to listening to their customers. They have worked at improving everything they can to ensure client happiness, striving to offer the best possible service and selecting products that perfectly meet client needs.

A positive outcome

Today, barely a year after opening the Doyle boutique in Vaudreuil, Marine Pignot and Thuy-Anh Duong consider themselves lucky to be living this adventure that has already taught them so much. The fact that they have worked in their profession in many forms and in many contexts before becoming co-owners of their own clinic has allowed them to identify and clarify their dream, which is the advice that Thuy-Anh gives to all her optometry students. Both partners are unanimous: whatever happens, getting married professionally and with the Doyle group has been incredibly rewarding and stimulating!