Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyla Skinner.
Hi Kyla, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Kyla Skinner. I am the owner and optician of Specs by Kyla in Atascadero CA. Specs is a an optical shop featuring small independent frame lines, prescription lenses and sunglasses. We pride ourselves on making each client feel like a guest in our home, offering a guided consultation to select eyeglass frames that accentuate our clients faces, work with their lifestyle and RX, as well as express their individuality.
We opened brand new in July of 2021, in the small town of Atascadero. The town has been through a lot of struggles for businesses but we saw an indie rising of a record store, vintage clothing, a juice bar and other vibrant unique businesses. We saw the need for eyewear that was different than what every doctor’s office carries.
Due to word of mouth and people getting a million compliments on their eyewear and everyone asking where they got their cool glasses, our business quickly took off.
We recently moved (April 2026) into a larger location on the corner of downtown Atascadero. A two story brick building built in 1920, with the help of our landlords, we were able to peal back the layers of drywall and wallpaper to expose the original brick and plaster. We removed the dropped dated ceiling tiles and fluorescent lighting, exposed some of the industrial piping and added gallery track lighting as well as fun color corded lighting chandeliers. The brick makes a textural background to display our eyewear selection.
We are a family run business, working as a team with my husband handling some of the behind the scenes things, such as accounting and cutting lenses. We have 1 full time employee and 1 part time employee.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We opened in the middle of COVID 19, so navigating the masks and rolling with the flow was challenging. Also, the recent tariff situation has been very challenging. I used to really stress about these issues, but the longer I’m in business, I realize that if I just keep showing up everyday, patiently trying to figure out solutions to tricky issues, that I can figure out the best way forward. I didn’t want to raise my prices to compensate for the tariffs, and having that be out of my control felt hard, but letting go of the ability to control things was huge for me.
Another challenge has been letting go and hiring help. I wanted to be able to help each person who walked in the door, but realized about year 3, that was not sustainable. I’ve had to learn to let go of control, again, and depend on my team. I’ve also had to learn how to be a good employer. I strive to offer a living wage, to mentor my team and encourage personal growth that benefits our relationships and how we interact with clients.
We’ve been impressed with Specs by Kyla, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We carry small independent eyewear brands, many I have sourced and hand-picked from trade shows in Europe. I’ve met the designers and owners in many cases, and that personal connection allows us to support our clients with the best quality and customer service. The lines we carry range in price from $160-$700, and I feel very confident in the quality of all of our frames and sunglasses. We carry collections of frames made of birch wood, Nina Mǔr, from Madrid, Spain. Tavat, a handcrafted line from Italy goes through hundreds of artisanal steps and each frame can take 9 months to produce. Masunaga is sourced from a family owned factory since 1905, from the mountains of Japan.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We schedule frame selection appointments and you can find an appointment request form here: https://app.eyecloudpro.com/site/!appt_req?sid=31A994C44E460F65C827F77386E3B0C5AEDA8B93F852829D18F4596DC51F36BE
Local in-person visits are best so we can insure best frame fit, but we have also coordinated fittings remotely to places like Fiji, New York, and the Bay Area of CA. Face-time appointments are available.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.specsbykyla.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specsbykyla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/specsbykyla
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@specsbykyla
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/specs-by-kyla-atascadero?osq=Eyewear+%26+Opticians
