Meet Catherine Hawksworth

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Catherine Hawksworth. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Catherine below.

Catherine, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I think this is such a complex question with so many layers of answers, right? I think “purpose” is an interesting word choice because it can come across so singular, but when it comes to my business I supposed my purpose in it all stemmed from all of the things in life that I’ve loved most every step of the way. For me – what that looks like – is music, community, humor, creativity, and family. So when I created the shop concept for Modern Legend, I wanted that emulate that as best as I could. From being in my hometown, down the road from where I grew up, to including vinyl records and all sorts of other fun pop culture items that make any type of person from any age be able to come in and have a laugh, I wanted it to feel like it was a space where you could have a really good time. I wanted to create a space where musicians and artists could be represented, and where community could join and events could happen in honor of music and creative minds and stellar personalities. So I guess, in short, I found my purpose when I realized all of those things could, in fact, exist within these walls if I did it the right way. And lucky for me, it seems like maybe I did.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I opened this tiny little shop that I consider my own little world called Modern Legend in a tiny little city (well, now it’s growing so maybe it’s like a pre-teen city) called Wilmington, North Carolina – my hometown. I had worked in retail from the time I was 15 years old and always had this bizarre love for connecting with people, even at such a young age where it was cooler to be diving head first into computer games and AIM instant messenger. I just loved people. I loved talking about music and I loved learning about other people’s interests and in turn, learned so much about myself so young. I believed, even at that point in my life, that there was so much more to learn in the exposure of life itself than anything. So I carried that with me through my entire adult life, moving around a lot and sorting out how to restart my life, rebuild from the ground up, and be a better version of myself every time (well, I would try to, at least). When I decided to open my own shop, I knew I wanted it to incorporate all aspects of my life at that point – music, creativity, art, travel, humor, inspiration, family, and community. I thought – okay, what’s missing in Wilmington – and how can I make an impact in my hometown if I’m going to go back to it after being gone for almost a decade? When I started putting together the pieces of what I thought might work, it just fell into place perfectly. It started with records, and then I wanted there to be another layer – that could be more appealing to folks who maybe also loved music but didn’t collect – so I added in home goods and fun pop culture items. And then I thought, Wilmington needs some fun and some edge, what if include some fun clothing brands that can’t be found anywhere else here? And then I thought, how can I bring the community to within these walls? So we started doing in store live music – shows sometimes with full bands and sometimes stripped down – and before you knew it, this small idea to do something cool became this whole inclusive world in a town and community that I had completely and utterly fallen in love with. And now, eight years later, I still try to do all of those same things year after year – as we grow and as our city grows – meeting new people and giving back where we can, offering a space filled with good times, laughter, and a hell of a lot of good music.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think the willingness to realize you will NEVER know it all or have all the answers, and the willingness to admit you get lost along the way and having too much pride to admit it, doesn’t get you anywhere. A little humility and perspective goes a long way. I also think you have to really be as ambitious as you say you’re going to be if you start out to do something on your own like this, and build from the ground up. I am a big believer that no one gets anywhere alone, even if you create something alone. It always requires inspiration from somewhere else – nature, people, travel, music, whatever it may be – and it always takes people understanding not just your mission, but you, and being willing to show up time after time to support this dream you’ve cultivated for yourself. I think it’s really easy, in the beginning, to be so excited at the prospect of all that’s to come. And I think it’s crucial to relish in that for some time. But I also think that you have to have the talk with yourself, sort of continually, about your goals and relationship with it all, and truthfully, be willing, able and ready to put in the work it takes if it’s important to you. Even when it feels lonely. Even when you think you’re failing. Because those things WILL happen, it’s about how you come out on the other side that defines not only your business, but YOU.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

I believe, at our core, we are all products of our environments. And I don’t think that means we don’t all work hard, become independent, and form our own paths. But I do think there’s a level of us there that is built in, the good the bad and the ugly. I was very, very lucky to come from a family that wasn’t just a “good family”, but my absolute best friends and biggest inspiration. My parents both came from very humble beginnings, always worked hard because they believed nothing in life came free or easy, and instilled that in my brother and I at a very young age. They also never equated emotional support to financial support. They always were very brilliant in the way they taught us that they could be supportive of our paths, but knowing that there were parts we had to sort out on our own. They have always kept an open door policy with us – making it feel as though there would never be a time to be judged – which completely changed the dynamic of just parents & kids to true friendship over our adult years. When I left home at 17 and went to art school with my high school boyfriend, they simply told me good luck and that they were “glad I was young, hungry and ready to chase after the life I wanted”. That stays with me even today as I’m in my 30s tackling owning a business on my own every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.modern-legend.com
• Instagram: @modernelgendnc