Japanese Women in Canada: Vol. 24 Nana Hiscock

What do you like about Canada?

I love the beauty of the vast wilderness and the fact that many immigrants from all over the world have settled here.  I can learn about many cultures. I am interested in the fact that even though I live in Canada, I can eat food from all over the world, meet people from different countries, and feel as if I am traveling around the world.

How long have you lived in Canada? What is your reason for coming here?

My parents used to have homestay students at home and they had many Canadian and American friends around us, so I had many opportunities to come into contact with English since I was a child.

After graduating from high school, I went to Washington State in the U.S. to study abroad and graduated. I wanted to stay in the U.S. after that, but it was difficult to obtain a visa, so I found out that there was a working holiday program in Canada, which is close to the U.S. I obtained a working holiday visa and came to Canada in 1997.

What have you done since you came here?

While working as a concierge at the Coast Plaza Hotel, which used to be located downtown, my desire to live in Canada grew stronger. It took me a year and a half to become a permanent resident in 2001.

Since then, I have also worked many different jobs, including Japanese Tutor, Sushi Chef, making and selling jewelry, waitress, and receptionist for a cleaning company. I am currently running Seven Sparkles Cleaning Service, a cleaning temp agency.

Tell us about Seven Sparkles Cleaning Service.

How did you get started?

I started Seven Sparkles Cleaning Service, a cleaning temp agency, in 2019 when my kids were growing up and I had more time for myself.

I have truly been blessed with the people in my life. My American homestay family loved me like a real daughter. My parents have supported me in everything I have wanted to do. My husband and my lovely daughters are very understanding. My friends in the U.S., Canada, and Japan who have always been kind and supportive.

I wanted to create a place where I could give something back as a way of saying thank you to all of them. I thought about what I could do to help people, to create a place where people with children can work flexibly and easily return to society.

I also thought it would be great if I could help people who are busy raising children and working, even if just a little, and do work that would make them happy, so I started a cleaning company. It is rewarding to hear from mothers who are always working hard that they have less housework and more time for themselves and their families.

Most of the current staff have been with us since we started the company. Sometimes we get together for lunch or a Christmas party, and I hope to continue to create a friendly, fun, and stress-free workplace!

Looking back over the past four years, how do you feel?

Looking back, the past four years have been tough, but I have been blessed with the support of my clients and staff and have been able to continue working here. When Covid started, it was very tough. During the three-month break, the number of clients decreased, and I had to start from scratch again. It was very difficult to get the business back on track. It was also hard to clean the rooms while wearing a mask in the hot weather. Now we have more customers than pre-Covid.

What are your thoughts on Seven Sparkles Cleaning Service?

We have more and more clients through word of mouth. Now we have seven staff members. Most of our staff are Japanese, and I think the fact that they do a detailed and thorough job is what sells us. We don’t cut corners. We clean them. We are happy when our clients are happy, so we are always thinking about how we can make them happy.

What are your future plans?

It used to be difficult for me to work all day and make time for myself, because I had to do the cleaning work, make invoices and estimates, communicate with clients by phone and email, think about what to clean, and do the scheduling. I am now in the process of trying to get my staff to do the cleaning so that I can focus primarily on management.

I am currently focusing on Langley and Surrey, but I hope to expand to other areas in the future. We’re always looking for more staff, so if you’re interested, please contact me!

What was the most difficult thing about coming to Canada? What did you learn from it?

Being away from my family in Japan. I lost my father to cancer, and it was hard for me not to be able to see him right away. I wanted them to see my children grow up close. I live in Canada because I like Canada, but I have come to appreciate Japan again.

What do you like to do?

I have always liked to explore new things by myself. I like going to new places where I don’t know, finding a place to live, meeting new people, going to new cities I have never been to, and doing new things.

As I am self-employed, it is difficult to separate my time from my business time. I am trying to switch between enjoying myself when I can and thinking about business when I can. Recently, I have been able to better relieve stress by trying golf and meeting friends for lunch or dinner. I used to always think about work, but since I started going to the gym and making time for myself, I have been able to create a boundary between work and private life. Even when I am tired from work, I feel refreshed when I go to the gym. I feel that it is important to make time for my family and myself.

Is there anything you want to do in the future?

Now that my children are getting older, I would like to challenge myself in many different ways. I would like to play golf, go hiking, be in nature, travel, and enjoy my time.

Finally, what is your creed or motto?

It is “Kanon Housya” (thank you for your kindness and gratitude).

I realize that I am where I am today because of the support of many encounters I have had. Now I would like to devote myself to be the one who can give something to others.

Editor’s Comment

Lots of mothers in Japan straggle from working, raising kids and doing housework. Yes, the burden of housework still falls heavily on women in Japan even though it improved a lot better than it used to be. When I came to Canada, I was surprised that people use the house cleaning services regularly. I like that

Nana is successful with many clients on the strength of her careful, Japanese-like work in Surrey and Langley area now. I strongly felt that people around her are willing to help because they can feel her gratitude.

Hope Seven Sparkles Cleaning Service will expand to Vancouver soon!!