Authentic community is hard to come by. 

Egoless, honest, and beautiful. 

But, one such rare collective exists here in Cookeville, dreamt of, brought to life, and nurtured by Brie Flora and Brandy Lynn, owners of The Silver Fern. 

Beyond delicious teas, acupuncture, stunning works of art, and locally sourced merchandise, visitors to their whimsical shop are offered something else when walking through the doors, warmth. 

A kindness, a genuine sense of welcome, a feeling that says, “We’re glad you’re here.” 

Since opening their doors in 2021, the best friends have worked to celebrate local art and those who create it, swimming the churning waters of grief and facing the sleepless nights entrepreneurship demands as a true team. 

“We’ve been through so much outside of work together,” Brie stated.  “When my sister passed away last year, that was world-shattering. You wouldn’t have known because of how much Brandy had my back. Not just Brandy, but our friends who made sure that this business kept going. Brandy has become one of my best friends and my business partner, but in a way, she is a big sister to me. I feel safe to go to her for anything and I know she always has my back. I don’t know if I could do this with anybody else.”

Like their friendship, The Silver Fern is given the attention needed to thrive.

Each item is meticulously selected. 

Every consultation and treatment is thoughtfully designed and executed. 

From floor to ceiling and the invisible spaces between, Brie and Brandy are unfailingly intentional about providing a place of renewal in The Silver Fern. 

Brandy said, “Art is healing. It’s mind-opening. Creating more accessibility to art and its transformative power is important to us. It’s free to come look at the art here. You can come see amazing art anytime with no obligation to buy anything. We want to expose people to good art and provide artists with a place to display their work.” 

Humility and a fire for championing others are often foundational ingredients in the development of a life-giving, life-affirming community. 

With both in surplus supply in their shop and lives, Brie Flora and Brandy Lynn are serving as a conduit for the magical convergence of togetherness, connection, and self-expression. 

Building on the work of local artists like Marilee Hall and her peers, they are bridging the gap between self-trained artists, university-educated creators, and art lovers. 

“It started with Marilee Hall (pioneering local artist) and the original group of artists over 20 years ago. Now we’re starting to see their hard work pay off. More art is finding its way into the fabric of this city.” Brie continued, “In a bigger city you’re fighting and grinding. People think that competition is the only way, but I love being in a town where I can get coffee and see someone wearing my earrings. That makes me feel good.”

Echoing the sentiment expressed earlier in our interview, Brandy shared what Brie and those who frequent The Silver Fern mean to her. 

“There is not a world that could exist where I would be able to do this without Brie. Not to discredit friends in my past, but the community that we’ve developed here, and the friendships we have through this shop, are so special and uplifting and real.” She continued, “It’s not always rainbows and kittens, we have hard conversations. We’ve been able to get through these really heavy personal situations and because of our friends, we’ve kept going forward.” 

Moving forward, together. Community defined. 

Genuine connectedness and vulnerability aren’t commodities or light switches that can be bought and sold, switched on and off. 

Brie Flora and Brandy Lynn have created a real, powerful, ever-growing community in Cookeville and, for this reason among many others, we couldn’t be more excited to add their names to the 2024 Movers and Shakers list. 

– by Andrew Buckner, photos by Abby Weeden