Imagine a young girl with her whole life ahead of her. Dreams of the future and all that it holds waver before her, like going to college and learning grand ideas, choosing a career she's passionate about, growing up, becoming a wife, a mother, and a traveler of the world. Now imagine that these dreams are taking place in a communist regime. Suddenly her choices are made for her, all paths are carved in a certain direction and a young life is under strict control. Where are those dreams now? For Lucie Hasek, this was reality.
Lucie was born in The Czech Republic in the small town of Pilsen. We know it as where the name of Pilsner beer originated, but Lucie knew it as home. Her father escaped the country in 1968 when she was 3 years old in a sailboat and sailed across the Atlantic. She was not aware of his existence until she was 11 years old. Lucie, her mother, and the extended family stayed behind in an environment of strict rules, a harshly structured society and heavy expectations of high performance for its citizens. Lucie’s mother was strict and structured. As a disciplined citizen, nurse, avid skier and mother, she was an example of grit and perseverance and a role model for Lucie’s “go-getter” take on life.
At the age of 13, Lucie’s father came back to meet his daughter. He spent two weeks encouraging her to come to the United States and pursue an education and a new way of life. With few educational opportunities in her homeland due to her parents not being members of the communist party, Lucie applied and waited for a visa to America. Two years went by until a letter came in the mail from the president. “Your visa has been granted. You have 2 weeks to leave this country and are only allowed to take a duffle bag.” And her journey across the ocean began. With a yellow duffle bag on her shoulder and visions of blue jeans and a cold Coca-Cola waiting for her in the US, 15-year-old Lucie waved goodbye to her entire family, long lines at the food markets, strict government rules and the only home she had ever known. Emotions ran high and confidence ran low. In her mind, she repeated, “I can do this.”
In Seattle, Lucie lived with her father and his wife. Lucie was given expectations: straight A’s, tennis team champion, make dinner each night, work in her father’s construction business and be home each day by 5:30 pm. She had traded strict government rules for equally strict parental rules. It was a lonely existence with no friends, broken English and a bleak home life. After a strained high school relationship with her father, Lucie graduated and left for college. She found her way to California and graduated from the University of Redlands with a BA in management. She met her first husband and they began a life and a family.
Eventually, the family moved to Double Oak, Texas. It was important for her to be home with her small children, but when her youngest began kindergarten, Lucie decided it was time to go back to work and do something with her hands. While she’d worked with her father in Washington, Lucie gained a love for remodeling and creating beautiful spaces, so with her desire and knowledge ready, she began interior painting with a friend. While working on homes, clients would ask “Can you get a new faucet for the kitchen?” or “Can that light switch be moved?” The answers were of course, "yes", and her business, Creative Elements, was born. Today Lucie is the proud designer/remodeler/contractor for clients in North Texas and beyond. Her business model is having strong relationships with her staff and clients, valuing loyalty and a family feeling with those with whom she works and crediting God for having His hand on her journey each step of the way.
When asked what brings her joy, Lucie stated “Making people’s dreams come true.” She certainly knows about dreams and making them happen. From a young girl under the confines of communism to an American citizen with a successful home and business, Lucie is an inspiration to dream and dream BIG.
