Today we’d like to introduce you to Mollie Bailey & Sara Lucas.
Hi Mollie Bailey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We started on two completely separate paths that happened to cross at exactly the right time.
Mollie grew up in Minnesota, always the kid making things: crafts, drawing, painting, anything creative. That love led her to study graphic design at the University of Kansas, where she picked up visual communication, creative problem-solving, and a certificate in entrepreneurship along the way. Sara’s story starts familiar. she was always the creative, artsy kid—except hers began in Little Rock, Arkansas, before landing her at the Kansas City Art Institute. Her senior thesis, Likewise Magazine, was built to platform artists and spark new collaborations between them. The release party grew bigger and grander with each issue, giving her a taste of event planning she never shook.
After school, internships shaped how we each think about creativity. Mollie started with the University of Kansas Athletics marketing team, designing everything from sports graphics to stadium signage, then joined Brands That Speak, a small branding agency working with minority-owned businesses, nonprofits, and local shops—proof that thoughtful design can genuinely change things for people and their communities. Sara’s first issue of Likewise Magazine launched at Artspace’s 2016 BFA Show, which led to a two-year run as Artspace’s Block Fellow, alongside a part-time internship at Design Ranch and freelance work with the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Still without having met, we each landed somewhere new. Mollie joined Yoodle as lead graphic designer, wearing every creative hat imaginable; branding, websites, photoshoots, marketing for local restaurants and small businesses. It was learn-by-doing work, and she loved it. After three years, she was ready for something new: a chance to keep growing and test her skills on a bigger stage. Sara, meanwhile, was the first of us to join Populous, where she’s now spent almost nine years on the Brand Activation team leading experiential design projects. Growing, in that fast-paced environment with big-name clients, into a confident designer and leader.
Our story together really begins on Mollie’s first day at Populous, when she sat down at the desk right next to Sara and asked, half-joking, “Are we going to be friends?” We did! Almost immediately. Over the next four years we worked side by side through the highs and lows of a global architecture firm, planning three (soon to be four) increasingly ambitious holiday parties that raised the bar in the KC event space each year. Somewhere in there, event design became our love language: crafting the best possible experience for hundreds of people, together. And somewhere in there, we became a huge part of each other’s lives. Sara stood up as a bridesmaid in Mollie’s wedding, Mollie is the proud godmother of Sara’s two Australian Shepherds, and between laughing, crying, dancing, becoming neighbors, and countless weekends spent crafting together, our friendship just kept growing.
We realized we shared the same passion for creating meaningful experiences and celebrating life’s biggest moments, and that our strengths made us better together than either of us was alone. Likewise was born one August evening on Mollie’s porch, the night we finally stopped saying “someday we should start a business together” and just went for it. Sara said, “I think I have the name.” Looking back, it feels like everything—professional and personal—was leading us here: Likewise, an event and design studio based in Kansas City.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not—but honestly, we wouldn’t want it any other way.
Likewise officially became a business in January 2026, and while it’s been one of the most exciting things we’ve ever done, there’s been a learning curve around every corner. When you’re starting from scratch, everything is new: What’s an EIN? How do you even form an LLC? Plenty of moments, we had no idea what we were doing. One of our biggest brand pillars is that everything is figure-out-able, and that mindset has carried us through every challenge so far. If we don’t know something, we ask questions, do the research, lean on people who’ve done it before us, and keep moving forward.
The biggest challenge has simply been balance. We’re building Likewise while both working full-time jobs, showing up for family and friends, and somehow still remembering to do laundry and grocery shop. There are seasons where one of us has more capacity than the other, and we trust each other completely to pass the baton when life gets busy. Having a business partner means you never have to carry everything alone, and we’re endlessly grateful for that. We’ve had countless meetings on Sara’s back porch, late evenings after work, pretty much every Saturday—whatever it takes to get off the ground. When you’re doing something you love, something that feels this aligned with who you are, it doesn’t feel like work.
More than anything, this journey has taught us to trust our intuition. We genuinely believe Likewise is what we’re meant to be building together. Every new client, every connection, reminds us why we took the leap. When we sat down to create the Likewise brand, we started by cutting shapes out of construction paper by hand. That detail says everything about who we are: we paused, we crafted, we had fun, we let the brand reveal itself slowly. It couldn’t be more authentically us. We’re still at the very beginning, and that’s the exciting part—we can’t wait to see where this takes us, who we’ll get to collaborate with, and all the celebrations we’ll be part of along the way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
What started as crafting decor and designing invitations for our friends’ celebrations grew into Likewise Kansas City—a small-batch studio with a big vision. We’re an event and design studio co-founded by best-friends-turned-business-partners Sara Lucas & Mollie Bailey: two besties with different instincts and a shared rhythm, designing and celebrating life’s biggest (and smallest) moments in perfect sync.
Our expertise is building brand experiences with heart. Guided by storytelling, spatial design, and human connection, we create gatherings that feel seamless, soulful, and deeply personal. We believe in design that connects people—and part of the magic comes from partnering with local artists and makers to bring one-of-a-kind experiences to life that celebrate community, creativity, and that feeling when everything just clicks.
Our process starts with listening: aligning on our clients’ dreams, goals, and the reason they’re gathering. From there, we dream up the creative vision and shape the details that bring the party to life—from invitations and visual identity to the moments and environments guests will remember. We plan thoughtfully, collaborate with incredible makers and vendors, and account for every detail so the day unfolds seamlessly. We believe in community over competition.
Whether we’re helping shape one meaningful piece or designing an entire celebration, our approach is always custom. With deep design experience, a hands-on creative process, and a trusted network of artists and collaborators, we believe everything is figure-out-able. At Likewise, we create moments people remember long after the last guest leaves. Every celebration is thoughtfully crafted around the people at its center. No two gatherings are the same, which is why every project is tailored to our client’s unique vision, needs, and style. From intimate dinners to full-scale celebrations, no event is too big or too small— we approach every gathering with care, creativity, and the joy of bringing people together.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Looking to connect and collaborate? We are always down to make a new friend over a coffee date.
Looking to hire Likewise? You bring the reason to celebrate. We’ll bring the ideas, details and confetti energy.
Either way, contact us at hello@likewisekc.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://likewisekc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/likewise_kc/
- Other: https://likewisekc.com/contact
