Spotlight is a series that features a past or current client of mine as they share a bit of their story, their talents, their insights, and their process with you. You might learn something from their journey, or you might just discover an amazing new business!
T Bird Leather is a dream come true for Whitefish, Montana artist Tress Wambeke. Seamstress turned leathersmith, Tress fell in love with leather for its timeless style, durability and beauty. And, because of her gorgeous aesthetic and thoughtful craftsmanship, every woman I know falls madly in love with Tress's work. It's obvious that each piece is made with care and is built to last for ages. Tress shares a bit of her business journey and upcoming goals below:
1. What drew you to the work you're doing now?
I’ve been drawn to the creative process my whole life. Making stuff has always felt like it was home to me, like life made sense as long I was creating & building. Thinking up designs, tinkering with the details, refining it until it’s “just right” & then having a go (or a few) at actually creating it is what has drawn me to creating & kept me here.
Having been taught the basics by my mom, I spent a lot of my younger years in front of her Singer sewing machine. I took it from there & continued my learning thru books, patterns & deconstructing clothing items to find out how they were put together. At that point I was sewing mostly fabric clothing & handbags for friends & family just for fun.
Working with leather came about kind of accidentally but the transition was a natural one. Many of the skills I had honed for working with fabric were the same with leatherworking. I was immediately hooked after my first few projects & continued my leather education through books, classes, shadowing local saddlemakers & the internet.
Essentially, my leather career was born out of a deep love and respect of the West, a sewing background, sheer chance and stubborn curiosity.
2. What do you like most about your work?
The answer to this question has evolved over the years. Creating in my teenage years & early 20’s was centered around selfish discovery and proving to myself that I was good at something. That I was useful somehow. I loved completing an item just the way I had envisioned it in my mind. It was empowering.
When I started Tbird Leather, I quickly realized that it wasn’t about me at all. It was about how my handmade creations made other women feel. A lot of women that own a Tbird bag, carry it with them everyday. Bags become a part of you, a vessel that carries your precious daily needs. Leather bags are special in that they take on the unique usage patterns of the user. Having a woman tell me that they couldn’t imagine their day without their Tbird bag is absolutely what I love the most about building bags.
3. What have been the biggest “a-ha” moments in your business journey so far?
I feel like the past 4 years have been one big a-ha moment strung together over many trials, bumps and self-doubt sessions. I think calling those moments “a-ha” moments is the biggest key, instead of remembering them forever as failures, disappointments and reasons for self-pity.
One that has continued through my entire journey is that long-term, sustainable success rarely comes from someone else’s “perfect” strategy or business formula. Each business journey is as different as each person running them. While there are definitely basic business practices most businesses can benefit from, like good product photos and clear communication, following a template that doesn’t fit your specific needs, goals and abilities most often leads to burnout, let down and inspiration suicide. I’ve let go of so many “shoulds” over the years, because they just didn’t feel right.
Discovering my own way has been the scariest and best part of creating a handmade business. Forging my way one day at a time, trusting myself and having the fortitude to show up every day in my studio with a deep desire to create to the best of my ability for others is what keeps me going.
4. Any big goals on the horizon?
I am stoked to exclaim that after working with Katie for the past 3 months (she’s not paying me write this - it really happened) that I just checked off SO many big goals that I have only dreamt & wondered about. Having her as a coach & accountability partner changed everything. Her insight & wisdom into the specific needs of small business was invaluable.
Goals I have had on my to do list for the past 4 years that I have checked off this season are: hiring my first part-time employee, getting my online shop to a place of efficiency and consistency, while still leaving room for the luscious one of a kind pieces to keep me from feeling like a factory production line, upgrading my product photography skills and adding proper lighting, setting healthy boundaries and being ok with saying no, recognizing when and how to turn the volume OFF on my inner Saboteur and to turn the volume ON when my inner She-Ro has something to say, setting and hitting sales goals, setting up a plan for consistent communication on social media and email that feels good to me and most importantly, the realization that most things are not as hard as we make them out to be in our minds and that Fear can suck the soul out of anything.
Goals for the future? First, I’d like to make it through what I’m planning on being my biggest holiday season yet. After that, I’d love to hire my first full-time employee, purchase some production machinery that would help me to be more efficient and keep pushing the ceiling of what a few women with sewing machines can accomplish.
5. How do you overcome the hard stuff? What motivates you to keep going?
There have been days when I wanted to burn the whole studio down, buy a creeper van, load it up with a dozen stray dogs, my husband and an old guitar, hit the open road and live a completely different life away from sewing & small business. BUT! So far I haven’t done that.
If I’m struggling and having a hard time, I start by consciously recognizing that I am on the Struggle Bus and the only way off is to take over the drivers seat.
This usually entails leaving the studio for at least an hour, going for a walk in the woods, talking with a friend, reviewing my goals and doing some journaling, even if it’s just list making on ways to move forward. Looking at other inspiring art can also help break that cycle, whether that’s online, in a book or out in the real world. Sometimes I just need a spark of inspiration to move forward.
I also have a visualization exercise I do when things seem really hard and the self-pity is all consuming. I close my eyes and imagine I am looking down on earth from space zooming in on all of the real suffering and sadness happening at any given moment. Suddenly, after seeing how many people are underprivileged, hungry, cold or dealing with a life threatening illness, my “big huge problem” (like waking up in my warm house to realize I’m out of coffee or that my sewing machine is busted) is suddenly very tiny and I can handle it. Also, saying out loud “I get to do this thing”......instead of “I have to do this thing” helps immensely. Perspective.
6. How do you manage your time when working for yourself? Do you have any routines or morning rituals that you swear by?
Managing my own schedule was a big fear of mine when I started working for myself. I didn’t trust myself that I could stay committed to a schedule that would allow this whole thing to work. Artists can be flighty and possess a deep desire to spontaneously live in the moment, I am no different. 9” powder day?…...siiiiick, let’s go…..making bags can wait. Not feeling it today…...I should probably just take a nap…...making bags can wait. It’s my sister's best friend's cousin's birthday and they’re going rafting on a perfect bluebird 85 degree day in July? YOLO! ......bags can wait.
My schedule has taken many shapes but I’m happy to report that I now have a production goal every week. It’s a beautiful thing. I can participate in the above mentioned things, as long as I still get my work done. Powder day? Great, I’ll grab my snowboard for 2 hours of hot laps, then work until 8:00pm. Rafting all day? Great, I’ll work a full day on Sunday.
I was very resistant to routine but I have learned that I actually thrive in it. My daily routine changes with the seasons but the things that stay the same are a 5 minute meditation in the morning, 5 minutes of journaling, 1 hour of exercise, a walk or xc ski with my dogs in the woods behind my house, a 20 minute afternoon “reset” (a nap) & 7-9 hours of studio time. I don’t check emails until lunchtime and I try to keep my social media scrolling to 20 min per day.
7. What do you hope to be known for in the long run?
I hope to be known for offering made in the USA leather bags that highlight the beauty in nature and are functional and beautiful.
I’d like to be known as an alternative to the mass produced goods from overseas that women can cherish for many years, not one season. I want Tbird to be a brand that celebrates slow, intentional living and reflects the uniqueness of every buyer.
8. Where can folks find you?
Facebook and Instagram: @tbirdleather
Retailers: The Toggery stores in Whitefish & Kalispell