Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Yco.
Natalie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was raised in a single parent household by a strong woman. Her story would take up too much time, but I can say she is not only a survivor of Nazi Germany but is also a cancer survivor. At the current age of 93, she continues to inspire me. She dealt with racism as a Jewish woman and as a woman raising a black child. I bring her up because I believe she is my reason for wanting more.
I was born with asthma, which led me to refrain from going out for sports. I wanted so much to be a part of a team, but I was too afraid. Every time I tried, I had an asthma attack, so I quit. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anyone to mentor me at the time. Why I wanted this so much, I couldn’t tell you. I believe it was just in me. I pushed hard in junior high school and received the presidential fitness award, but couldn’t handle too much more than that. I hated being attached to my inhaler.
Fast forward to the year I turned 19 years old. I had two friends that took me with them to a Gold’s gym in San Jose California. I was introduced to weight training, and I fell in love! It made me feel so strong and empowered. I never experienced anything like that!
It was something I could do despite my asthma, however, I still had asthma attacks. Until a few years later, I found another love, Tae Kwon Do. Once again I found something that made me feel strong. I had no idea I would be good at martial arts. I felt amazing! The combination of the strict training and my determination led me to no longer need my inhaler!! One day my lead instructor asked me to assist him in starting a kickboxing program for our studio.
I was honored since he was highly respected. He must have seen potential in me I didn’t realize I had. This paved the way for me to become a group fitness instructor. I loved teaching and making others feel good about themselves and seeing them get stronger and healthier. Soon, I moved to Los Angeles and continued teaching classes and train clients privately. I received a BS in Sports Management, but my love for fitness led me in a completely new direction.
I became a popular instructor teaching for the top clubs, including Equinox. They awarded me top group fitness instructor, and I received an award for a program I created for them as well. This popularity allowed me to gain attention and I was asked to represent different clothing brands. I loved fashion, and I lived in workout clothes, so this was a win-win. However, creating my own activewear brand has been a dream of mine for several years. All I assumed I could do was a dream about it.
One day, I decided to stop dreaming and start doing. After a couple of failed attempts, I decided to try again, but this time one of my clients told me she wanted to join me in creating YCO Active. We are now 3 1/2 years since we had our first meeting and almost two years since we launched our first collection. It’s very challenging, and we’ve made so many mistakes. My partner and I do everything ourselves right now. Which is what we are supposed to do.
We design our own styles, we source our own fabric, we count our own inventory, we ship our own products and have even been taking our own photos…. etc. I’m learning so much with all of the mistakes my partner and I have made along the way. And we try not to allow those that had a head start or those that have the means to promote their brands force us to second guess what we want to achieve. It is hard, but I truly love it! I’m passionate about succeeding.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been, and it’s still a very bumpy road. I’m told this is very normal. I try to remind myself every day that this is “normal.” LOL! We took advice from the wrong people and made some choices that cost us money. But, we are still growing and still learning. And hoping the road will just start to become smoother as we continue on.
Please tell us about YCO Active.
YCO Active is an activewear brand for women. Our first collection is known for its unique styles. We wanted to create a collection that women could wear from work to workout to dropping their kids off and running errands.
What I’m most proud of is how far my partner and I have come so far. It’s not easy, and we have a long way to go, but we are continuing with passion to make YCO Active a true lifestyle brand that provides much more than clothes, What sets us apart is our passion for the brand.
I matter how tough it gets I never want to quit. We have so many plans for this brand, and I’m so excited about our future.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wish we could start over with what we learned, but unfortunately, no one has designed a time machine. LOL! There are so many things we would do differently, but honestly, it’s those mistakes that we are learning from that allow us to grow and become wiser.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ycoactive.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: YCO Active and Natalie Yco
- Facebook: YCO Active
Image Credit:
Jacklyn Guidi
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