In a bustling corner of Fort Collins, Colorado, something extraordinary is happening. It begins with discarded textiles and ends with empowered consumers. Somewhere in between, there’s a seamstress named Maggie Henricks, a sustainability leader in her own right, stitching together a business model that doesn’t just aim to sell clothes, but to transform culture, consumption, and community.
Since 2016, Maggie’s brainchild, Create Good Company, has been turning secondhand fabrics into stylish, one-of-a-kind garments that embody her ethos: look good, feel good, create good. What began as a personal craft soon became a philosophy and a public-facing brand. And what makes Create Good Co. so inspiring isn’t just its fashion; it’s the regenerative leadership principles woven into every garment and decision.
The Hemline That Started It All
Long before the storefront and social following, there was a single skirt made from a men’s dress shirt. Maggie, who learned the fundamentals of sewing at an early age from her mom, recalls this moment vividly. “I just fell in love with the way the hemline fit,” she said. That one creative leap sparked years of exploration in repurposing men’s shirts into women’s clothing.
For the first several years, this budding entrepreneur focused almost exclusively on this concept. But when the store opened in 2021, “the sky was the limit,” she said. The creative process blossomed into a full ecosystem… vintage quilts, worn denim, old tablecloths all reimagined into fashion-forward, eco-conscious pieces.
“I love the puzzle of it. Anyone can go buy bolts of fabric, but when you’re working with one vintage quilt, you have to be intentional. There’s no second chance if you make a wrong cut. That challenge pushes me to think differently.”
From Landfills to Living Systems: A Sustainability Ethic
Maggie’s perspective on sustainability was shaped not just by fashion, but by her service with AmeriCorps NCCC. “We spent a week at the landfill auditing trash haulers,” she shared. “It’s one thing to take your trash to the curb. It’s another to stand in a field of it… acres of things that didn’t need to be there.”
That sobering experience became foundational to Create Good Co.’s mission: to divert textile waste through creativity and education. “So much of what ends up in the landfill could’ve been reused. I wanted to be part of a solution.”
But Maggie is quick to clarify that this isn’t just about avoiding waste. It’s about changing how we think. “We try to take current fashion trends and recreate them sustainably, because people want to shop differently. They just don’t always know how.”
From upcycled tablecloth tops to deconstructed construction pants turned into outerwear, Create Good Co. bridges that gap between what consumers desire and what the planet can sustain.
And perhaps most importantly, the shop itself tells a living story. “You can see the sewing machines. You can see our scrap piles. You can watch how things are made. That transparency helps people reconnect with the process.”
Stepping Back to See the Bigger Picture
As we listened to Maggie share, we couldn’t help but wonder about the impact of the fashion industry and the difference a more sustainable model could make. After a little digging, here’s what we found. The fashion industry produces over 100 billion garments annually, with more than 85% ending up in landfills contributing to 92 million tons of textile waste each year. Repurposing previously owned clothing dramatically reduces environmental impact by saving up to 90% of water and 70% of energy, while cutting carbon emissions and chemical runoff.
Financially, upcycled fashion lowers material costs by 20–50%, taps into a booming $227 billion secondhand market, and often commands higher price points. It also supports local economies, artisan jobs, and circular systems projected to generate $4.5 trillion in economic value by 2030. With less than 1% of clothing recycled into new garments today, the opportunity to shift toward a regenerative, profitable model is both urgent and promising.
The Heart of Creation: Giving Back through Education
While sustainability is the backbone of this business, Create Good Company also channels a portion of its profits toward classroom education projects across the country, using the platform DonorsChoose.org. “I love that you can pick a specific classroom and see exactly where your donation goes,” Maggie explained.
For her, education isn’t just a cause; it’s a generational investment. “My dad was a professor, and learning was always important in our family. I believe education is the foundation of a better future. If people don’t have access to that, they won’t have the tools to make better choices.”
This commitment reflects a broader regenerative principle: giving back to systems that give to us. Whether it’s repurposing materials or supporting teachers, Create Good Co. operates with reciprocity in mind.
“It’s not just about us or our products. It’s about creating good that ripples outward into schools, into closets, into conversations.”
A Different Kind of Leadership
Maggie didn’t set out to be a leader, but she’s become one nevertheless through example, not ego. “I’ve always gravitated toward leadership roles,” she said. “But I’ve learned it’s not about having the right style. It’s about being what someone else needs from you.”
That perspective has shaped how she mentors interns from Colorado State University. “They bring fresh ideas, and I help them think through how to make it work using the materials we already have. It’s collaborative. It’s about helping them feel confident in their creative process.”
Her leadership model is a flexible, presence-based, and deeply human departure from top-down paradigms. “It’s not about control,” she said. “It’s shared. It’s about understanding how people learn, how they contribute, and how they feel seen.”
At Bridge & Rhino Coaching, we call this regenerative leadership: cultivating environments where others can thrive, grow, and co-create meaningful impact.
Scaling with Integrity in a Fast-Fashion World
As Create Good Co. has grown, so has the conversation around sustainable fashion. “There’s definitely been a resurgence in sewing, visible mending, and thrifting,” Maggie noted. “It’s more competition for me, but that’s the whole point. That’s what we want.”
In a world dominated by low-cost, high-waste fast fashion, Create Good Company is proving that values-driven business can still be vibrant, stylish, and profitable. “I never wanted to just sell t-shirts with my name on them,” Maggie said. “I wanted the brand to mean something more than just the product. I wanted it to feel whole.”
And it does. Every piece is a collaboration between material, maker, and mission. Every purchase is a vote for something better. Every stitch is a tiny act of transformation.
A Word of Thanks and an Invitation to Visit
We’re grateful to leaders like Maggie Henricks who live their values, lead with care, and show us that business can indeed be a force for good. Thank you, Maggie, for sharing your story, your insights, and your courage to do things differently.
We invite you, our Readers, to explore Create Good Company online, follow them on social media, visit online, or stop by the Fort Collins store. You’ll find more than clothes. You’ll find a living example of what happens when sustainability, creativity, and leadership are sewn into every seam.