I’m beyond excited to share a new version of my business, one that has grown into a more personalized version of the YOKA you love, and a name to reflect that: Yoka by Carla!
I couldn’t be happier with my decision to close the retail store and focus on my LIVE shopping shows and e-commerce. After two decades of being a “store owner” I firmly believe this is the future, and if I’m going to keep selling fashion, I’m going to do it my way. My business model may not be for everyone and that's ok, I don't need to be everything to everyone.
You see, I'm not the 22 year old girl who started Yoka at the mall kiosk, I'm a mother of two beautiful young girls and my time is precious. Being able to address as many customers as possible in one fashion presentation has allowed me to have time and location freedom, and connect on a much more meaningful level with my clients digitally.
While I have an incredible team to take the LIVE show orders and handle all the packing and shipping, I create every invoice, which enables me to grasp your taste, style and size. I can always go back through your order history to give you the best possible sizing advice, and the greatest part is, I can do this from a mobile device anywhere in the world.
One of the main reasons I started YOKA in 2001, besides not seeing myself fit for a traditional job, was to give myself the opportunity to travel back to Holland where my entire family lives as often as possible. I imported all the fashion direct in the beginning, giving Yoka an interesting and unique edge from day one. As a girl who had to make it on her own in Canada, YOKA was more than a business idea, it was a way of life.
Yoka by Carla is still a way of life, and I plan on doing this for a long time. Just like the late great Betty White said (whom I adore), retirement is not in my vocabulary. I love being able to be my authentic self on my shows, my smile is big, my laugh is loud, my brain is busy and my memory is long. Yes I remember the purse you bought in 2006 and the jeans you bought 2 seasons ago LOL.
The refreshed website will be the same great fashion, with the addition of some story telling, blogging, and will include a countdown to all of our LIVE shows.
I appreciate all of you so much, and I hope you will love and continue to support YOKA by Carla.
Thank you!