Tina Luu, Joe Parenteau, and Max Tim founded Fable, a Vancouver-based home decor brand designing and delivering products that transform how you eat at home—starting with better tableware. As the direct-to-consumer tableware company, Fable makes setting a beautiful table easy and affordable. Read on to learn more about Tina, the in’s and out’s of her work day, and the most challenging parts of running a successful lifestyle brand.

1. Tell us a bit about your business.

At Fable, we create timeless everyday pieces that inspire and elevate the experience of dining at home. Motivated by a common vision to create products that are as enjoyable as they are ethical, we started with ceramics that are sustainably crafted in Portugal, and have since expanded to flatware, glassware, textiles, and more. Starting with tableware, our mission is to bring ethical, sustainable home decor into every area of the home. We plan to continue to grow Fable into a lifestyle brand and trusted source for all things home decor.

2. What three words best describe you?

Independent, Empathetic, Zany.

3. What is your story?

I was born and raised in Toronto to Vietnamese refugee parents and I recently moved back to Toronto after living in Vancouver for eight years. My background as a freelance web developer led me to discover my passion for business and DTC brands.

I founded Fable as a solution to a personal problem. I had recently moved into my new home and found myself staring at the same Ikea plates I've used for years. When wanting to upgrade to more premium home decor and tableware, I wasn’t able to find anything out there that I loved that also offered a simplified shopping experience. We saw an opportunity, and set out to fill the gap.

4. What does a typical day look like for you?

I’m a busy mom of two and am usually woken up early by my 2 and 4 year old. We spend the morning having breakfast and getting them ready for school. After school drop off, I always make a pot of green tea and I’m feeling ready to get started on my day. My daily tasks include everything from flight checks on reports and inventory, to Slack messages and emails. If it’s not a meeting-heavy day, I work on a coding project and take my dog for a mid-day walk. My day always ends by spending time with my family having dinner.

5. How do you stay organized?

I use the Get It Done Planner! I use a combination of digital and paper planning tools to help manage my projects and keep track of things like product launches, website updates, and team meetings.

6. What is one of your goals this year?

Now that my kids are a little older, I am learning to focus more on myself in the form of exercise and self-care.

7. What challenges have you faced while running your own business?

Finding balance between running a startup and raising a family. Especially during the pandemic, with working from home it’s been hard to completely stop working and switch to parent mode. The lines of work and home life are blurred.

8. What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the brand and the team we’ve built at Fable. In such a short time, we've accomplished so much and we couldn’t have done it without an amazing team around us.

9. What’s something else you’re passionate about or enjoy?

I’m really into cooking and I love to host my friends and family for dinner parties. I recently celebrated my birthday with a "Tapas Battle" where each guest brought their best appetizer for a chance to win a prize. It was such a fun evening full of delicious food and a little dose of healthy competition.

Loved hearing from Tina, but want to know more? Check out Fable's site here and be sure to follow them on Instagram @dinewithfable