about Carla
Carla Johnson is a much-loved Art and Music educator, a photographer, a real estate investor, a mom and a wife.
Her latest book, “Cooking With Sin” won the award for Best Wine Book for Canada, in the prestigious Gourmand International’s “World Cookbook Awards.”
“Cooking With Sin” was inspired by a memory of her Mennonite grandmother. When her grandmother caught her mom adding red wine to a pan of chicken cacciatore, she scolded, “Cooking with sin, are we?” It led to the blog www.CookingWithSin.com where several people shared their recipes with alcohol and their personal stories. It’s all about feeding the body and the soul and having a little fun along the way!
Her book “Magnetic Real Estate Photography” is a natural result of her talents, her vocation and her passions. As a real estate investor and photographer, she has seen firsthand how just a little extra time and effort can enhance an image to magnetically attract a buyer or tenant. Her photos of her own home helped sell it in less than 2 days, with 4 competing offers, in the depths of a recession.
Carla lives in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. On her holidays, if she is not on a beach in a warmer climate, she is entertaining on the deck of her family log cabin. Her cabin is near Lake Huron and is a true get-away. If is off-grid and has no cell service.
If you have the opportunity to meet Carla in person, you will be struck by her outgoing flamboyant personality and her 6’2” statuesque height. She loves public speaking, stage work and performing. Carla is passionate about life and helping people get ahead.
Carla believes everyone lives an extraordinary life, though most of us think our lives are ordinary. While collecting people’s recipes she was struck by the profound stories that accompanied each recipe. Many times while she is collecting submissions for “Cooking With Sin” www.CookingWithSin.com she has hears, “Carla, I have a great recipe with alcohol in it, but it doesn’t have a story. It’s something I cook because…..” and out comes a wonderful story.
Cooking With Sin has turned out to be a truly amazing collection and a community effort.
As a real estate investor, she regularly searches online for her next opportunity. Her inner photographer has been frustrated by the excessive number of poor online property ad photos. She is concerned that real estate professionals do not understand how crucial their photos are to their business. Pictures are the front line, the *sell*, in all real estate advertising and in this business, first impressions are everything.
Many real estate professionals don’t know how to take effective shots and they don’t seem to know it! I don’t think they have been taught how to take proper shots. Too many listings have photos that are turning people away. Taking RE photos is fairly simple and you only need simple equipment, you just need to know how to use what you have – especially your EYES!
The power of a simple photo to connect to a person’s soul has always intrigued Carla. With her first book “Magnetic Real Estate Photography,” she wants to bring that power to the one business that is close to her heart and most likely posts more images online than any other business – real estate.
Mom, Wife, Story Teller, Author, Public Speaker, Teacher, Musician, Photographer, Real Estate Investor, Lover of Road Trips and many other hats.
Thank you for checking out the site. Hopefully you find something helpful here.
Hi Carla,
Had fun looking at your website again. Lot’s of Cooking with Sin entries that I’ve missed. By the way, happy birthday. Hope you had a great day. And now you are enjoying your long weekend.
Looking forward to seeing you and Steve, and Daren soon.
Cheers,
Paul
Sure enjoyed watching your interview! I guess there wouldn’t be many family recipes that would fit into your cookbook “Cooking with Sin” even from Grandma Johnson or Grandma Phibbs because alcohol couldn’t be found in their houses (unless it was for medicinal purposes). Vern was 1 yr. old when the Phibbs and the Johnsons headed to Ontario from Saskatchewan and he has often wondered what they ate and prepared along the way. He always said his Mom could make a meal for 12 out of nothing and it tasted good! You sure come across as having a wonderful warm personality…and I dearly loved your Grandma Johnson who Vern remembers so fondly. He said she was the only woman he knew who could bawl you out for some shennanigans that he and Uncle Bill would get into and ask them if they were hungry at the same time. Keep on doing what you’re doing so well.