One of the things we love most about Amesbury is the amount of doers, brewers, makers, and shakers that call this beautiful pocket of Massachusetts home.
As an entrepreneur, hairdresser and yoga instructor who learned early on that two (or even ten!) heads are better than one when it comes to bringing a professional or personal vision to life, Katie Cavic knew it made sense to tap into the already buzzing world of entrepreneurs in the North Shore to create her dream business: Bryony & Birch.
Intended to be a collective space for entrepreneurs, artists and wellness-seekers to ideate, collaborate, and network, Bryony & Birch is continuing to become more than Katie could have ever imagined.
Scroll down to learn more about Katie Cavic and the inspiration behind Bryony & Birch.
Meet Bryony & Birch Founder: Katie Cavic
It doesn’t matter if it’s a parent, friend or romantic partner – when an important relationship breaks down, it can send you into a depression that can often make you feel incapacitated. At least that’s what was happening to me in 2019.
I was in the midst of wallowing in my pain and loss when March 2020 rolled around. To add insult to injury, just like a lot of people, I was faced with the fact that one of the things I loved the most (and was able to use as a distraction from my heartache) – cutting hair – was being taken away from me.
While the thought of losing my identity as a hairdresser scared me, it was the potential loss of human connection that shook me the most. For over a decade, I had spent my days giving and receiving energy from clients as I cut their hair.
As the pandemic shut businesses and borders, suddenly, I didn’t know how I was going to continue to feel tethered to my purpose of connecting people and nurturing communities.
I’m not going to lie – I let myself sulk, I let myself feel all the feelings, and I gave myself some time to process the change. There was no denying that I had to start over. I needed to reevaluate my life, my community and my career goals. In recent years, I had been practicing yoga, traveling to retreats around the world and working towards becoming an instructor. Perhaps it was time to take a deep dive into my practice.
As I surrendered to my study and our new (not) normal, I started thinking about the fact that over the last ten years, I had been weaving an intricate web of fiercely talented people who are experts in their fields and the truth was: they were in the same boat as me.
We all needed to, for lack of a less overused word, pivot. We also needed a space where we could go to restore, regenerate and learn to thrive again. Confident that we’d be able to eventually enter physical spaces together again, I used our time in lockdown to think about my ideal office.
Together with my brother, Michael, who is an expert woodworker, and my devoted client, Hilary Mateev, who is the owner of XP Architecture and Design, we set out to design a space where I could cut hair, teach yoga, sell my favorite local brands and of course: invite others in to collaborate, network and support each other. And that’s how Bryony & Birch was born.
Today, we have five yoga and wellness practitioners, a growing team of hairdressers, and proudly sell a huge range of local clothing, accessories and gifts from local artisans.
The meaning behind the name
Bryony is a growing vine that has white flowers, meaning sprouted or growth, symbolizing personal growth through finding your core/roots. I love this because there is a ‘root to rise’ concept in yoga that in order to lengthen the spine and get the most out of the pose, we must root down into all four corners of our feet.
Birch is like the birch tree: unique, beautiful and strong. A symbol of new beginnings, regeneration, hope and promises of what is to come.
My goal in creating Bryony & Birch is bringing the Amesbury community together and helping others to live their best lives.
This isn’t just a one-woman show, but a collaborative experience provided by not only the salon and wellness practitioners but also the designers and craftsmen who helped create the space, and the services.
What can we expect to see in 2021?
International Women’s Day just went by and I can’t stop thinking about how this year’s theme #choosetochallenge is needed now more than ever.
What I #ChoosetoChallenge in 2021 to affect change is maintaining a platform for women to grow and feel empowered daily in my community. I want to provide team-building workshops and empowerment groups. Forcing gender equality where everyone of all walks of life feel safe and comfortable coming.
This has always been the core of my beliefs. As a female always trying to find my place in this world, I knew being a stay-at-home mom or housewife didn’t call to me. I’ve always wanted the opportunity and platform to set an example to everyone, Male or Female, whatever age you are and show you that you have the ability to reach your dreams and grow, no matter how long it takes or hurdles you face.
The lessons I’ve learned in 2020 that I’m carrying with me in 2021 is that nothing is permanent, nothing is forever. Whether that statement be true in a way of sadness and the unwanted force of change, or in a way where you’re stuck and don’t know how to make a shift. You are the creator of your destiny. Less is more, community and support is crucial.
When things crumble, when the world stops and things fall apart, you have to stay positive and reach out, team up, be creative, think outside the box but most of all don’t just do it for you, do it for others too! I want Bryony & Birch to be the place people turn to in 2021 for support.
How to get involved with Bryony & Birch
While I love it when people come in to have their hair done, find their flow or discover the perfect gift, we’re still living in weird times. While I wish we could do more in-person meet-ups, due to social distancing, we’ve been pushed to create more virtual experiences, which has actually worked out really well!
We have the Bryony & Birch Yoga App, we ship all of the products we promote on our Instagram page and have focused on dedicating time and space to nurturing local businesses who need help finding their new approach to #pandemiclife.
Through the Bryony & Birch Branding package, our fully equipped photography and videography studio & team is hard at work helping local North Shore entrepreneurs identify and capture their brand.
What else is Bryony & Birch working on?
As vaccines continue to roll out and we work towards herd immunity (a sentence I never thought I’d write!), we are seeing more and more wedding plans come to fruition.
As a hairdresser who has worked with A LOT of Boston brides, nothing brings me more joy than to help couples achieve their ultimate wedding aesthetic. I also love helping people mentally and physically prepare.
We’ve recently launched the Bryony & Birch Bridal Experience which is designed to help brides feel and look their best. This includes yoga classes, mindfulness exercises, hair, makeup and even engagement and wedding photography!
Click here to learn more about the Bryony & Birch Bridal Experience.
