Description

In this episode of The Key, Kim Mills talks with interior designer and founder of MBC Design, Molly Blaine Cochran, about career pivots, entrepreneurship, and building a business when life forces your hand.

Molly shares her path from a 12-year career in retail to being laid off while 32 weeks pregnant—and how that moment accelerated her journey into starting her own interior design business. Kim and Molly discuss the overwhelm and underwhelm that come with major transitions, especially for women balancing ambition, motherhood, and identity.

The conversation also explores Molly's design philosophy, from rejecting trends in favor of timeless spaces to the importance of budgeting, lighting, and strong vendor relationships. This episode offers an honest look at what it takes to build a serious creative business and how trusting yourself can lead to work that truly fulfills you.

Takeaways:

• Being forced into a pivot can push you toward the path you were already meant to take.
• A business built out of necessity requires clarity, resilience, and commitment.
• Timeless design starts with smart budgeting and decisions made early.
• Strong vendor relationships and loyalty are critical to long-term success.
• Feeling underwhelmed for too long is often a signal that change is needed.

Connect with Molly Blain Cochran:

• Website
• Instagram
• Contact

Connect with Kim Mills:

• Instagram
• Website