A Life Passion Turned Into A Career

Gayle Kabloona is the passionate and creative mind behind the artistic designs and ceramics of Uyagaqi, based in Ottawa, Ontario. Gayle’s love for arts started in childhood and it has been a part of her life and family for years. When Gayle was awarded a creative research residency with the Art Gallery of Guelph, she was pleasantly surprised to see one of her grandmother’s works exhibited at the gallery. 

Gayle’s business, Uyagaqi, is known for selling beautiful handmade prints and ceramics that reflect her experiences in the world as a biracial Inuit artist. She was inspired by her grandmother and the culture and, grew passionate about making art.  She followed her calling by creating beautiful projects, and at the same time paying homage to her ancestry. 

Two years ago, when COVID-19 surged through Canada, Gayle realized that there was a potential for growth and improvement in her career. With everything in lockdown, business owners and entrepreneurs were forced to move their products online. At the time, Gaylee was in the early stages of her business, so making this change was extremely beneficial. 

“My business is only at the beginning. It’s been growing during COVID-19 as people beautify their living spaces. I’m grateful for the supportive people in my life who chose small handmade products.” 

Thanks to the ShopHERE powered by Google program, Gayle has seen a consistent growth rate in their business. Living in a post-pandemic world has taught us that having an online presence is one of the most important aspects of today’s business environment so that customers can find you faster. The ShopHERE program helps business owners and entrepreneurs take the next step of digitizing their businesses. 

 “I have more orders from people who are more comfortable buying online. It’s made the experience of buying my art easier and more streamlined”. 

With the help of her eCommerce Coordinator, Gayle has a strong, easy-to-find, and accessible online website, which is all that you want your page to be. The ShopHERE program offers a straightforward, and easy-to-understand process that gives business owners the basic tools and resources to start selling their products online in an organized and professional way. 

As Gayle said about  ShopHERE, 

“It's exactly what I wanted. I’ve had feedback that the store is easy to use and navigate and looks good.” 

Want to learn more about Uyagaqi and Gayle herself? Click here to visit their website.  If you have a business that you would like to bring online, click here to learn more about the ShopHERE powered by Google program.