TABITHA + CO®~ Turning Craft into Community

Photo Credit: CBDC/Lindsay Doyle Photography

Thank you CBDC-NOBL (Northern Opportunities for Business Limited) for
​the opportunity to share a glimpse into TABITHA + CO®. I'm grateful for the guidance and support I've received, which played a crucial role in bringing my vision to life.
​~ Tabitha Co

Photo Credit: CBDC/Lindsay Doyle Photography
R: Shannon Bouchie, Business Analyst, CBDC-NOBL

"The Leather Maker and Her Village:
How TABITHA + CO® INC. Turned Craft into Community
In the charming coastal town of Pictou, Nova Scotia, nestled between historic storefronts and the salty breeze of the Northumberland Strait, sits a workshop like no other. Step inside TABITHA + CO® INC., and you won’t just find handmade leather goods - you’ll find a story in every stitch, a conversation in every corner, and a village that helped bring it all to life.

​The brand, which has gained international attention for its slow fashion ethos and “Mindfully Made®” leather accessories, is the creation of Tabitha Co - designer, maker, entrepreneur, and community builder. But if you ask her how she got here, she won’t tell you a story of going it alone or being self-made. She’ll tell you a story of people — the mentor who showed her the ropes, the local business advisor who helped her plan, and the friends and strangers who believed in her vision. “Everybody played a role in me being where I am,” she says. “I feel honouring that is really imperative.”
​~ Joel Stoddart CBDC /NOBL

Photo Credit: CBDC/Lindsay Doyle Photography

"The Beginning:
A Life Change and a Leap of Faith "Tabitha’s journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t part of some master plan. “A personal life change shifted the trajectory of my life in a way I didn’t anticipate — but in a beautiful way,” she shares. Around that time, she reconnected with a master leather craftsman named Paul Marcella, who had run a small business years prior. With persistence and passion, she convinced him to mentor her.

​Armed with a background in fashion design and manufacturing, and inspired by the traditions of artisanal craft, Tabitha fused her technical know-how with Paul’s hands-on techniques. The result was something timeless. “I took Paul’s love of leathermaking and how he had done that in the 70s and 80s, and brought it forward into the time we’re at now,” she says.

But crafting leather wasn’t the only thing she had to learn. She needed business support. That’s when she was introduced to CBDC NOBL (Community Business Development Corporation - Northern Opportunities for Business Limited) - and to Shannon Bouchie, who would become one of her most pivotal allies."
​​~ Joel Stoddart CBDC /NOBL

Photo Credit: CBDC/Lindsay Doyle Photography

"The Road Ahead:
What’s next? That question gives Tabitha pause. “There’s so much I could say… once it’s out there, you’re accountable to it,” she laughs. “But yes, I want the brand to grow. I want more people to know about it. And I want it to keep supporting my community.”
Shannon sees that future clearly. “The products are just one part of it. There’s a whole mindfulness piece - of learning, connection, sustainability - that will only grow stronger. And Tabitha will keep finding ways to build that.”

For all its beauty, craft, and growth, TABITHA + CO® INC. stands for something even greater: the power of community. “No business survives without people,” Tabitha says. “It’s an ecosystem. It takes clients, it takes mentors, it takes other businesses - it takes a village.”
​
And that village? It’s thriving - one bag, one workshop, one story at a time." ~ 
​​​~ Joel Stoddart CBDC /NOBL

For the full story, please visit CBDC 
Special Mention: Thank you to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)