A mother and vintage clothing purveyor leaves the city to build a better life for her two daughters on the autism spectrum

I’m excited to invite you to my conversation with Molly Leary. Molly is a single mother, a musician, and a small business owner. She runs Squash Blossom Vintage, offering one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect her love of late sixties and seventies fashion. She has pivoted throughout the years - going from consignment to pop-up to brick and mortar and now she sells exclusively through her weekly Instagram stories. Molly has built a roster of repeat customers from all over the world and her business has graced the pages of Vogue and Elle magazine.Molly left the vibrant music scene of Austin, Texas so that she could be closer to family and build a better life for her girls. While living in Austin, Molly’s two daughters were diagnosed on the autism spectrum. It initially felt overwhelming because it was a steep learning curve to understand the unique needs of each of her girls and figure out what was available to assist in their learning and development. She decided to move back to her childhood stomping grounds in the Gold Country of California because the resources for children with special needs were superior to what was available in Texas. It also meant that her daughters could grow up with their grandma and aunt nearby.While searching online for available rentals, Molly accidentally clicked on a home for sale and not for rent. It was the house she had always dreamed of - all redwood, passive solar, built in the same era as the clothing that she sold. It seemed impossible as a cash-only, fixer-upper, that she couldn’t afford but she just couldn’t shake the feeling this was destined to be the place where she raised her daughters and had to find a way to make it work. It felt like divine intervention when her community rallied together to help her get the house. Molly’s real estate agent worked with another agent to buy the house in cash and their friend who owned a construction company made the necessary repairs so that Molly could get a conventional loan.Molly has found success and work/life balance with her small vintage business and she offers some great advice about not rejecting the path that speaks to your passions, your skills, and your talents. In our conversation today we speak about motherhood, navigating the complexities of an autism diagnosis, and creative entrepreneurship. This is a story about a mother’s love, manifesting dreams, and cultivating everyday happiness. I hope you enjoy.We have included some resources for anyone researching moving to a rural area with a special needs loved one in Molly’s episode feature on the blog. In addition, you will find photos and interview questions from my visit with Molly back in 2019, including photos of her incredibly unique home, links to her social accounts and her website by visiting urbanexodus.com/blogSupport the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book