From Marketing Leader to Independent Retailer: Daryl Aitken's Entrepreneurial Journey to Fabric Spark

On this episode of The Voice of Retail, I reconnect with Daryl Aitken, the founder of Fabric Spark, for an engaging conversation on the shifting landscape of retail. Darrell's journey is a masterclass in adaptation—starting in advertising and e-commerce, then pivoting into a fabric business that blends digital and brick-and-mortar retail.

Fabric Spark began as a passion project to improve the customer experience in the online fabric space.

What started as a side hustle quickly became a full-fledged business fueled by a deep understanding of e-commerce and a strong sense of community. The pandemic posed challenges but presented opportunities as Fabric Spark adapted quickly, meeting surging demand for sewing materials and engaging with customers in new ways.

Daryl discusses the unique balance of operating an online and physical store, the importance of curation in retail, and the resurgence of sustainable and artisanal fabrics. She also shares valuable insights on maintaining financial stability, avoiding debt, and fostering a loyal customer base through exceptional service and education.

With a growing demand for handmade craftsmanship and a rising interest in sustainable textiles, Fabric Spark has carved out a niche in the industry. Whether you're a small business owner, a retail professional, or love a great entrepreneurial story, this episode is packed with lessons on resilience, creativity, and the evolving future of indie retail.

https://fabricspark.com/

Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. 

Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.

Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.

Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.