Community Highlights: Meet Caitlin Hawk of Cedar & Twine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Hawk.

Hi Caitlin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My family and I actually moved to Knoxville three years ago, so I could begin law school. Upon beginning law school, I began to question if the law was the right path for me. I felt during this season that my aptitudes would be better suited for a creative and faster-paced environment. I ultimately decided to step away from law school, and within the next few months my husband came up with the idea of a clothing store!

I had never thought about starting a clothing store before, as most of my background was in sports and fitness, and that was the degree I graduated college within Texas. I began looking for a unique space that would complement the vision of what I was seeing in my mind, and we stumbled upon one of the most unique spaces we have ever seen in the heart of Lenoir City! I can honestly say starting Cedar & Twine was so exciting that I went in full force, and never looked back! I’m sure many people thought we were crazy because I didn’t have a ton of experience running a business, and it requires a lot of seasonal decisions and wisdom on budgeting!

I actually took a three-day in-person aptitude test in Texas, and the results said my gifts were best suited for sales, marketing, and being the CEO of the company! I realized on day one of opening our store, I was able to use all of my gifts to serve others through this avenue, and it has felt very regarding! We have now been open for 2 years, and have exceeded our expectations!

I have now had six employees in total, and they have played a huge part in our success! I have watched them grow, and have been so grateful for their hard work and commitment to keeping the vision of Cedar & Twine alive!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When we first opened Cedar & Twine, it was during the busy season, so things were extremely busy, we were making incredible sales, and it was just my husband and I! After the busy season, I soon realized I would need help running the day-to-day operations, so I hired my first two employees! It has not always been smooth sailing, I learned very quickly that seasons in retail change fast, and you’ve got to keep up, especially when big chain stores are getting their items out quick!

One of the biggest things I had to learn was to set boundaries as the owner with what I would give my attention and time to! There will always be days that it’s easy to get discouraged or to compare your business to someone else’s, or maybe you’ve had an upset customer come in, but all-in-all the opposition and pushback has just made me and my team stronger, as we have learned to persevere no matter the season the business is in!

I truly believe those summer and winter months in retail are planting seasons, and reaping the harvest of your hard work comes later in the spring and fall! We use those slower months to really cast vision for what’s ahead, and to remind ourselves to stay committed, even when it’s hard and you don’t see as much evidence of fruit for your labor!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Cedar & Twine is a women’s clothing and accessories store! My vision for the store was to bring in items you would find in Nashville or California, as well as some eclectic pieces that you don’t see everywhere else! I think what sets us apart is that we spend a lot of time helping style our customers, and help our customers put pieces together they may have never tried before, but end up loving!

I always tell my employees, as soon as a customer walks in, always dream up outfits that would suit their build, skin tone, and “look,” so that if they were to ask for help in picking something out, you already have an idea of what to pull for them! One of the things I am most proud of about our store is that we give 10% of our annual profit to Mercy Multiplied which is a biblically-based rehabilitation program that saved my life at the age of 19 and continues to offer girls a place to find healing free-of-charge (the ministry is run all off of donations.) I encountered the love of Christ there and was set free from so many chains of addiction, and my prayer is that our business is a place people encounter the Love of Jesus!

We have seen so many different women come in who have struggled or are struggling with different things in their lives, and we have been able to bring prayer and encouragement to them! It’s been a huge blessing to give to others, what I was given, and that was mercy over judgment and the unconditional love of Jesus!

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the unique buildings that Lenoir City provides, and I also love the small-town feel! When I want to shop somewhere, I tend to choose family-owned stores over large chains, and I feel Lenoir City has the ability to be able to provide that!

The thing I like least about it, would be some of the landscape surrounding downtown isn’t as well kept as some other cities, so that can at times be difficult.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Cedartwineknox