Madison Murphy, born and raised in Birmingham, said the longest she’s been away from the city was for a 30-day family trip. Using her knowledge of and love for Birmingham, Murphy now owns her own business that curates items made in the area — from downtown to down U.S. 280 — to create unique gift boxes.
Growing up, Murphy attended Briarwood Christian School and was then homeschooled. During that time, she poured her energy into piano, and at 17 she began teaching students to play. Murphy, who didn’t attend college, continued to teach for the next 10 years, until 2020.
“I loved all the students that I taught … But I knew I didn’t want to do it forever,” said Murphy, who still attends Briarwood Presbyterian Church.
In 2016, while still teaching piano, she started her own grocery delivery company, Full Pantry, that is still in operation today. But by 2018, Murphy was already drafting up a new business idea.
“I had toyed through Full Pantry with doing little Christmas deliveries, and it went really well. I thought it would just be a one-time thing. Then I was like, ‘This was really fun,’ and there’s really nobody in Birmingham that’s doing only-Birmingham things in gift boxes,” Murphy said. “So in October 2018, I launched Byndel. It was going to be called Parcel, [but] there was a Parcel that did the same thing I did in Oregon.”
One weekend, on the way to the beach, Murphy opened up a dictionary and began flipping through it, searching for the one-word name she hoped would fit her new gift-box business. Finally, she landed on it.
“Byndel is the Saxon spelling for bundle, and … I love the definition for bundle, [which] was ‘a number of things put together,’” Murphy said. “And I was like, ‘That’s what I’m doing. That’s it.’”
Now, six years after its inception, Byndel has blossomed into something big.
“My business has grown leaps and bounds this year,” Murphy said. “Finally, I’m seeing it pay off, which has been so encouraging.”
Murphy designs her boxes to fill several categories of gift-giving.
For a taste of the state, the Alabama box features blue grits by McEwen & Sons, tea from Piper & Leaf, a dish towel from Stately Made and honey from Bee Creek Farm. For morning refreshment, the Pick Me Up box comes with a mug made by Civil Stoneware, tea from Piper & Leaf, coffee by Cala Coffee and honey from Bee Creek Farm. Others, like the Southerner box, feature Jim ‘N Nick’s cheese biscuit mix alongside unique tasters like Medders Family Farm’s S’mores Peanut Butter.
“Gifting can be a huge way for a business to get more business,” she said. “I’m not selling you something that has no value to you and is frivolous, but I really do think it can help businesses keep themselves front of mind with their clients.”
