Today we’d like to introduce you to Priscilla Baez.
Hi Priscilla, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I often say MPB Design Co. wasn’t born out of a business idea—it was born out of personal pursuit of joy. It was born from me learning that the most meaningful things in life—joy, presence, and purpose—are often found in the seasons we never would have chosen.
In 2014, I became a first-time mom while simultaneously navigating the end of a long-term relationship. On paper, life looked wonderful. I had a successful marketing career in New York City, a six figure salary, incredible friends, opportunities to travel, and a beautiful sweet little boy. But despite all of that, I felt like something was missing. I wasn’t searching for another achievement—I was searching for joy. The kind that comes from living a life rooted in purpose.
Around that same time, I attended a beautifully designed birthday party for a colleague’s son. I remember looking around in complete awe and realizing, “People do this for a living? And people pay for this? I can do this!” That moment awakened a creative part of me that had quietly been buried beneath years of corporate expectations. I began designing events simply because it made me feel alive again. It started with my son’s first birthday a few weeks later and then taking over any celebratory moment a friend or family had after that.
What started as a creative outlet slowly became a calling.
A few years later, after being laid off, I felt God nudging me toward a fresh start. My son and I packed up our lives and moved from the NYC Metro area to Charlotte, knowing very few people and trusting there was purpose on the other side of that leap. While rebuilding my career, earning my MBA, and creating a new community, I continued growing my design business.
Then COVID unexpectedly expanded my vision. As I spent more time creating a home that brought peace and joy to my son and me, I realized something that would shape the future of my business: the same emotions people experience during life’s biggest celebrations could also be created in the spaces they live in every day. That’s when MPB Design Co evolved from just event design into interior design as well.
Today, I have the privilege of designing for ambitious women with growing families through many of life’s most meaningful milestones—from baby showers and nurseries to first birthdays, family homes, graduations and everything in between.
Looking back, I realize MPB Design Co. was never really about designing spaces or planning celebrations. It has always been about creating room for people to fully experience life. Every home we design and every celebration we create is an opportunity for us to carry the details so families can be fully present for the moments they’ll remember forever.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not—and honestly, I’m grateful it wasn’t.
Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve wrestled with self-doubt, comparison, perfectionism, and wondering whether I was truly capable of building the business I envisioned. At the same time, I was balancing a full-time corporate career, single motherhood, graduate school, and entrepreneurship.
Shortly after launching my business, and seeing it start to take off I made the abrupt life-changing decision to move from the NYC area to Charlotte, leaving behind my family, friends, professional network, and everything familiar. In Charlotte, I had to rebuild from the ground up—finding trusted vendors, creating new relationships, earning the trust of clients, and establishing myself, alone, in a new city.
Then COVID brought the events industry and by business to a standstill. At the same time I have just bought and moved into my first home. As an extroverted to the core, I focused on the joy of being at home and how the details of a home can tell a story. Instead of seeing it as the end of something, it became the beginning of something new. This perspective pushed me to expand into interior design, which has become one of the greatest blessings and differentiators for how I can partner with families.
During the rebrand and restructure I made some big mistakes, was audited by the State, wasn’t sure how to market myself and remain humble and grounded when the growth wasn’t immediately there.
Looking back, I can see that every season was preparing me for the next one. Every challenge deepened my faith, expanded my empathy, and reminded me that the people I serve aren’t simply looking for someone to design a beautiful home or plan a beautiful event. They’re looking for someone they can trust to carry the details during some of the most meaningful seasons of their lives.
It has for sure been a roller coaster, but I wouldn’t change it. Every challenge has made me a stronger woman, a better mother, a more compassionate designer, and a business owner who leads with both excellence and empathy.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about MPB Design Co?
MPB Design Co. is a boutique interior design and event design studio that helps ambitious women and growing families create room to be fully present in the spaces they call home and the moments they’ll remember forever.
At the heart of everything we do is one simple belief: beautiful design creates room for what matters most. Whether we’re designing a nursery, reimagining a family home, or planning a milestone celebration, our goal isn’t simply to make things beautiful—it’s to give our clients thoughtfully designed homes and meaningful celebrations that become part of their family’s story.
What makes us unique is that we bridge two worlds that are rarely connected. Most designers specialize in either interiors or events, but life doesn’t happen in categories. A baby’s story doesn’t begin in the nursery—it begins with anticipation, celebration, gathering, and eventually a home designed for everyday life. We love walking alongside families through those chapters, designing not just individual projects, but the backdrop for their lives.
Before we ever select a paint color or design a table-scape, we take time to understand our clients’ story, how they live, what season they’re in, and what they hope to feel when they walk into a room or gather with the people they love.
Our design philosophy is rooted in what I call “livable luxury.” I believe beautiful design should feel welcoming rather than intimidating. It should be refined without feeling untouchable, thoughtfully curated without sacrificing comfort, and personal enough that it reflects the people who live there.
If there’s one thing I’m most proud of, it’s the heart behind the brand. MPB Design Co. was built on faith, thoughtful design, and a genuine desire to serve others well. Design is simply the vehicle. What we’re really creating is the freedom for families to slow down, gather well, and be fully present for the life they’ve worked so hard to build.
Beautiful design isn’t about impressing people. It’s about creating homes that invite connection, celebrations that inspire connection, and spaces that allow us to slow down long enough to truly experience the lives we’re building. To me, that’s the greatest luxury of all.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I dont frequently use the word happy. I choose to focus on Joy.
Happiness can be fleeting. Its the kind of feeling that’s tied to accomplishments or accolades. Joy is the quieter but deeper feeling it’s rooted in purpose, faith, and connection.
Some of my joy filled moments are surprisingly ordinary—watching my son become the incredible young man he’s growing into, lingering around a dinner table with friends, serving at church, discussing a sermon or scripture, or seeing a client walk light up when the notice a small detail I picked up from a casual conversation.
One of my favorite moments is right when I reveal a space my clients give this look of overwhelming excitement and relief just before they extends their arms to give me a warm hug. or reach up to wipe a tear if joy. It’s the moment when they take a deep breath, look around, and simply enjoy whats in front of them. Or the moment when I come home and show my son the finished space, and he’s like wow mom thats “so cool!”
My faith has taught me that presence is one of the greatest gifts we can offer ourselves and the people we love. If I can help someone experience a little more peace, connection, or joy because of something we’ve created together, then I know I’m doing exactly what I was called to do.
Those are the moments I live for. Thats my joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mpbdesignco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpbdesignco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MPBDesignCo1
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mpbdesignco
